Page 24 of Unwrapping Deviance

I chuckle. “You’ll get used to them.”

“I don’t want to get used to them. I would like to never see another one again or I’m bunking in your room.”

As threats go, it’s not a good one. I don’t know why she thinks I would stop her, but I don’t say as much when I walk to the door and twist the knob.

“Did you see Christian up there?” I ask as she steps past me and onto the porch.

Mira shakes her head. “Maybe he was eaten by the Rottweiler sized spiders.”

I slip my hand around her waist as we descend the steps and start the uneven walk to the clearing and the truck.

Christian’s bike is missing, I note when I lead Mira to her seat. I didn’t hear him leave, but I feel less guilty about not telling him we were heading out.

Mira climbs up on the foot stand but doesn’t get into the seat. Instead, she turns to face me. I have to catch her waist to keep her steady. The height nearly brings her to eye level.

“Will you take me on a tour of all your favorite places?”

This is a good time to tell her. I should tell her the town we were going to is filled with people who don’t want anything to do with the MacAllister name. But then I would have to tell her why and the words are jagged golf balls of glass.

“We can go for a drive,” I say instead.

Her small hands glide along my shoulders to cradle the back of my neck. The cool fingers stroke the warm flesh just beneath my hairline. Her big eyes search mine from a face hovering too close. I don’t notice just how close until her nose bumps mine with her subtle shake.

“Can we walk?” Her arms are around me. Mine are around her. But all I really notice is the inch of space between our lips. “I want to see everything that made you happy.”

“You make me happy,” I murmur without hesitation.

Mira smiles big and beautiful. A smile that captures my heart. She reaches up to brush a stray lock of hair off my brow.

“Don’t distract me. I’m on a mission.”

I bite back a grin “Well, begging your pardon.”

Her face dips and I think for a frantic second she’s going to kiss me, but only her nose bumps mine again.

“I want to see where you grew up.”

The quiet request is so traumatic I can’t think to answer or stop her when she takes her opening to tighten her hold around my neck and almost brushes her lips to mine.

Almost.

It’s so close I feel the whisper before the sound of car tires coming up to the house cuts into our fragile silence. My arms tighten reflexively, holding her to my chest protectively as the familiar beige cruiser rounds the path and every hair on my body prickles with apprehension.

Sheriff Wayne Brewer hits the brakes and kicks open his door with unnecessary aggression given he isn’t in aJackie Chanmovie. I feel Mira flinch at the slam of the door behind him that rattles the entire frame and cracks through the trees like a gunshot.

“Get in the truck.” I nudge her back into her seat.

Her eyes jump to me with questions, but she makes no protest when I seal her inside and face the six feet of burly rage and hatred stalking towards me.

“Daniel MacAllister. Didn’t think I’d be seeing you around here again.”

Sheriff Brewer used to feel bigger, scarier as a kid growing up. He’s been Sheriff since before I was born and still wears that badge on his broad chest like a shiny shield.

But he no longer looms over me like a mountain of disapproval with watery, brown eyes and a handlebar mustache. We are eye to eye now and I’ve faced scarier monsters in court.

“You didn’t expect me to tend to my late father’s affairs after he passed?” I counter.

The curled left corner of his gray mustache twitches. “As long as you and your delinquent brother don’t think it would be a good idea to stay longer than necessary.”

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