Page 10 of Warrior Witch

I grabbed my hoodie from the back seat, pulling it on as I sprinted over to the store. My mother-hen instincts were fully in command of my brain as I skidded inside and put myself between Addie and the tall, blonde stranger she was eagerly chatting to.

“Hey, kiddo. Did you make it to the toilet in time, or do you need me to dig out your emergency panties?” I asked her, grinning at the opportunity to play the embarrassing guardian.

If looks could kill, I’d be stuck communicating through a Ouija board for the rest of time.

“You think you’re funny, but you’re not,” she said before pushing past me and smiling at the guy I was supposed to be saving her from.

“Haven’t you heard of stranger danger, kid?” I huffed and made a grab for her arm.

Evading me like the little shit she was, she took the guy’s arm and dragged him toward the front of the store.

“He’s not a stranger anymore. His name is Kylen, and he’s heading the same way as us. I said that you’d give him a lift.”

This time, I grabbed her arm with perfect accuracy, pulling her back a few steps as my thoughts buffered. “You did what now?”

“It’s called being a good salvager—”

“Samaritan,” I corrected her.

“Whatever.” Addie folded her arms across her chest, avoiding my gaze. “I just think we should help him out.”

To his credit, Kylen looked as awkward as I was furious. His eyes were constantly moving, flicking around at anything but me and Addie, while he gently scratched the light scruff on his jaw. His clothes were well-worn—cargo pants with a casual henley shirt, muddied hiking boots, and a light rain jacket—and I wondered how long he’d been on the road. He seemed like the woodsy-type, ready to camp out wherever he was comfortable.

“Hey, uh…” Kylen stepped towards me, an awkward smile twitching at his lips while he twisted his hands together. “You really don’t have to give me a ride. I get that she was just being nice. I don’t actually expect you to—”

Addie spun towards him in a blonde flurry. “I’m not ‘just being nice’. It totally makes sense for you to come with us, or else you’ll be walking all freakin’ day!”

I couldn’t take it anymore. With a quick shout to Lindsay to pay for the gas, I grabbed Addie’s shoulders and steered her out into the rain, calling back to Kylen, “Excuse us a minute!”

As I tugged Addie’s squirming body alongside the building, we ducked into a small alcove by a large dumpster where the rain wouldn’t drench us as badly. Weird, it had started as a clear day.

“What the hell, Harlow?” Addie whined, pulling her hood over her hair.

“Oh, nuh-uh, kiddo. That’s my question. What the hell is going on with you?” I asked, trying my damnedest to keep my voice level. The last thing I needed was someone overhearing, getting in the middle of this, and finding out Addie was technically missing. “First, you stowed away, and now you’re inviting some rando to tag along? Addie, this trip isn’t a joke.”

“I know that, but you wouldn’t have brought me otherwise, and you need me with you,” Addie pleaded, her face serious. “Come on, you always tell me to trust my gut. I’ve got a good feeling about him, Harlow.”

“You’ve had good feelings about farts. That doesn’t mean you should invite them on a magical road trip!”

“Oh, I forgot to mention”—her eyes lit up as she completely ignored the point I was making—“Kylen’s a witch! So it’s already easier because you won’t have to hide the sparky-sparky-zap-zaps.”

My jaw dropped. This fucking kid.

“How did you already find out he was a witch? You were talking for like two seconds. Was your opening line, ‘Hey, did you know supernaturals are real? Oh, you do! Which one are you?’”

A loud rumble in the parking lot pulled me from my rant, and my stomach dropped as I saw the source of the noise. I quickly pulled Addie down to crouch behind the dumpster, holding a finger to my lips.

Relieved at her compliance, I extended the finger, wordlessly asking for just a moment, and twisted around for another look to confirm my suspicions. The Grim Hearts MC’s logo gleamed white on a large biker’s leather jacket.

“What’s going on?” Addie whispered. “You’re acting really weird…”

“Listen to me, Addie.” I held her shoulders, forcing her to look me in the eyes, and hoping she’d understand how serious I was. “I don’t care what your gut tells you, but the guy on the bike is bad news. Now, I need you to go back inside, grab Lindsay and your friend, and get to the car.”

Addie’s eyes lit up. “We’re bringing Kylen?”

I nodded. “No time to fight about it. If he wants a ride, then fine. I just want us all out of here safely. Can you go get them?”

“Yeah, no problem. What are you gonna do?”

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