4. McKenna
McKenna
D espite taking a long, hot shower after I got home last night to rid myself of the chills, I barely slept. I’d taken another shower this morning, and after drying my hair, I’d thrown it up into a high ponytail with my favorite pink scrunchie before curling thick sections of it.
Satisfied with the way my long blonde strands bounced far past my shoulders, I threw my puffy brown jacket over my work uniform and headed for the door. I grabbed my purse and keys off the small table in the front entry and reached for the handle. But as soon as I opened the door, I froze.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I practically screeched.
Austin gave no response as he immediately stepped forward, walking me backwards and invading my space. This man sucked the oxygen from my lungs—in all the wrong ways. Call it anger or irritation, but I couldn’t help the warmth that pooled in my center at his nearness .
“You’re not going anywhere,” he stated, his voice low and…tired? He slammed the door shut behind him, causing my brows to skyrocket up my forehead.
“Sorry, what?” Even though he had room to move away, he stayed near, staring down at me with those caramel eyes. “I have to go to work. You know, the thing that pays my bills.”
His jaw ticked. “Not today, you’re not.”
My teeth ground together. How fucking dare he—“Yes, I am.” My hands moved of their own accord, palms flat on his chest as I started to shove, but he quickly caught my wrists in a strong grip. Then we were moving backwards, both our hands caught between us.
My back banged into the wall at the end of my front entry, so hard that the picture frames rattled. He gripped my wrists tighter, cocking his head the slightest bit like he was studying me. Was he waiting for some kind of reaction? Because if he wanted one, I could provide.
“Someone has a target on your head. You’re. Not. Leaving.”
I ripped my hands from his grasp. “We know that. I got the letter, remember? It’s been days and nothing has happened. I think I’m in the clear.”
Utter annoyance flashed in his gaze. Was that mixed with rage?
“And the crow on your car?”
My carefully constructed mask of annoyance slipped, my brows tugging together. “What?”
I expected an amused look on his face, but instead, all I received was his same cold stare. “I was checking around your house when I saw it sitting on the hood of your car. If the letter isn’t enough to make you watch your fucking back, maybe a dead bird will be.”
I was about to give some snappy retort back when my brain registered what he’d just said.
“Wait. Checking around my house ? What are you, some kind of fucking psycho security guard?” I shook my head.
Of course, he was keeping tabs on where I lived.
“How do I know you didn’t put it there to scare me? ”
He leaned closer, setting a hand on the wall beside my head. “If I wanted to scare you, you’d be scared, kitten.” His gaze coasted from my eyes to my breasts, then back up again. “This is not scared.”
I crossed my arms, my jacket now covering my cleavage. “Well, Whiskey Ridge is in a rural area. There are bound to be crows flying around. One probably hit a tree. Circle of life or whatever. It’s just a coincidence that you found it on my car.”
“That tree have a gun?”
My breath caught in my lungs. “It was shot?”
He nodded, moving his free hand to my chest, placing it right over my heart.
Right near my fucking breast, which was shoved up under my jacket from the way I’d crossed my arms. The touch alone would have lit my core on fire if it hadn’t been for the conversation at hand.
“Right here.” He studied me as my lungs remembered to work, my breath coming in short, quiet pants through parted lips. “Scared now, McKenna?”
God, I hated the way he said my name. How much I fucking liked the little rasp in his voice when he did.
I slapped his hand away and it dropped easily. “Wouldn’t you like that? ”
His jaw pulsed again before he took a step back and ran a hand over his mouth. All the while, he kept his eyes locked on me.
“Besides,” I said, to break the tension before I melted into a goddamn puddle, “if they do want me dead, going to work will only lure them out. Then you’ll get your moment to shine like you’ve always wanted.”
His hand fell to his side, his gaze shooting daggers at me now as his lips pursed into a thin line. I’d struck a chord. Good.
“Look at me.” I shot him a wide smile and dropped my arms to my sides. “Not so stupid after all.”
His eyes turned to slits. “So brave, kitten. You’re your own hero, aren’t you? Clever, little McKenna.”
That was definitely him mocking me.
I gave a subtle shrug, trying my best to ignore his childish dig. “I have to, because no one else will be.” My smile turned menacing because I knew what I was going to say next would get under his skin. “Not even you.”
“You’re right.”
I shoved the shock of his admission away the best I could.
“I’d never be the hero,” he went on, moving his attention to his hand as he rubbed at a callus. “Not when I can be the villain who rips this fucker’s skin off his bones and throws his remains in the fire you started.”
My mouth popped open. “Are you saying you want us to be allies ?”
His piercing gaze met mine again, pure lethal intent glazed in them. “You wanted to be bait, kitten.” He waved a hand toward the door. “So go be a good girl and put on a show.”