Chapter 19 #2
“It’s me,” I urged, turning her to face me. Her panic immediately melted away when she recognized me, and a flood of relief quelled some of the lingering adrenaline in my blood.
“You,” she said softly, her gaze wide and perceptive.
“Yeah,” I agreed, then gestured with my head up the street, where the guy had run off. “Who the fuck was that?”
Flora shook her head, her brow furrowing as the tears dried on her skin, frozen in the icy air. “I-I don’t know.”
“What did he say? I wasn’t far behind you, but I couldn’t catch it.”
“He asked me… to go with him,” she gasped, her voice shaking, gaze falling to the pavement. “Oh my God. He had a knife. He was going to—” She stopped herself, her eyes finding mine again. She was staring at nothing, her face blank.
Shock.
“Don’t think about that,” I insisted. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”
“It’s kind of hard not to!” she shrieked. “Holy shit. Why did he want me? What did I do?”
“Come on,” I said, wrapping an arm around her waist again and steering her toward where I’d parked my car. She let me guide her without complaint. “Let’s get you out of the cold.”
“Wait—where are we going?”
“You’re not going back to your apartment. It’s not safe. Not with whoever that guy was still out there. Absolutely not.”
“How do you know it’s not safe? I have a deadbolt. I’ll be fine. I just need to get home,” she countered, glancing at the building only a few feet away.
“You and I both know that with what’s been happening lately, your apartment isn’t safe.”
Shit. I probably shouldn’t have said that. But we needed to get out of here—now.
Flora stilled, her gaze narrowing. “What do you know about what’s been happening to me lately?” Her voice was somewhat accusing, though I doubted she intended it. She was stressed.
I took a deep breath, knowing my next words would probably enrage her. Yup, here we go.
“Spencer is my pack mate,” I said simply.
Flora’s eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. “You’re friends with that psychopath?”
I turned down the corners of my lips reflexively. “I wouldn’t call him a ‘psychopath.’ He’s just… very committed.”
She scoffed. “If you’re friends with him, there’s no way in hell I’m going with you. I don’t believe half the crap he’s been saying, and the other half is nonsense. I’m going home.”
“Someone just tried to kidnap you, Flora. With a knife.” I kept my voice steady, eyeing her hard. “You have two options. Come with me, or go back to your apartment, where your stalker will probably try again. And I won’t be able to scare him away.”
“I installed a deadbolt and reinforced my locks. I’ll be fine.”
“And I am very proud of you for that, but it won’t be enough,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m not going to be gentle about this. Either you come with me, or I’m sleeping on your apartment floor tonight.”
Her mouth opened and closed before she countered, “Why the hell would you do that?”
“I think you know,” I muttered.
“No, I don’t,” she said quietly, glancing back at her apartment. “And, frankly, I deserve to hear the truth, since apparently you and Spencer are both up in my business.”
There was no denying the terror in her face—or the sharp, burnt sugar scent clinging to her. Fear. I fucking hated it. Flora should never smell like fear. She should only ever smell like herself—pure, sweet honey and rose, happiness.
If I had anything to say about it, she’d never be scared again. But first, she was going to have to be pissed at me or start believing me.
“Do you trust Percy Garnett?” I asked.
“I don’t know him, not really. We just share a class together,” she said softly, tilting her head.
“Then let me make a call.”
I pulled out my phone, found Percy’s name, and tapped FaceTime.
“What are you doing?” Flora asked.
“You’ll see.”
When Percy answered, his face filled the screen. He looked relaxed—clearly at home—stepping into the kitchen to take the call.
“Hey, Bear. This is a random call. Everything okay?”
“Not really. Can you tell Flora how you know me? You’re a public person, not a stranger like me.”
He blinked. “I’m sorry. What?”
“Someone just tried to kidnap Flora, and I’m trying to prove I’m safe. Can you please tell her how you know me?”
Percy’s eyes widened, the gravity of the situation settling over him. “Oh shit. Is she okay?” He craned his head, trying to see past the phone, as if that were possible.
“I’m fine—” Flora said, crossing her arms as her eyes rolled.
“I’m not letting her go home tonight,” I cut in. “I want her to come with me, but she thinks I’m a stalker or something.”
Percy burst out laughing. “Oh God, I wish I could’ve seen that. Hey, Flora—Bear, pass her the phone.”
Reluctantly, I did.
“Hi,” Flora said awkwardly.
“Sounds like you’re having a rough night,” Percy replied, his tone so much gentler than I could ever pull off. I almost envied that about him, but there wasn’t time for jealousy. We needed to get this little collaboration moving.
“That’s one way to put it,” she admitted. “You know this guy, then? Bear?”
Oh fuck. She said my name… Focus.
“Bear is part of my pack’s security team,” Percy explained. “They were originally hired by the California Chargers hockey team—my pack mates play on it. They’re a legit company. They’ve protected us during some terrifying situations. My omega, Mable, can vouch for them.”
Flora stared at the screen, clearly still processing.
This was my best shot, and I really needed it to work. Someone had tried to snatch Flora off the street at knifepoint. I wasn’t about to let that happen again, no matter how she felt about me or my pack.