Page 9 of When She Needs Them Most

“Would I be taking food from one of you if I eat that?” I pull the blanket tighter around my shoulders, but unfortunately, it’s not full-sized, so most of my front is still cold.

“No, we didn’t know what you might like, so it’s a small amount of a bunch of things. Half a burger, some fries, a couple of mozzarella sticks, and a few boneless buffalo wings.” Linc pops the lid, taking a few steps forward. “It’s not exactly healthy, but it will fill you up.”

The smell hits me, and my stomach lets out an embarrassing gurgle. I’m actually starving.

“Want me to video call my mom? She can vouch for us,” Kase offers, yanking out his phone.

“How about this?” Lincoln hands me the food container and digs in his pocket, tugging out his wallet. “Have you heard of Shadow Security? We do private security services, like personal protection and even installing security systems, which you need, by the way. And maybe a dog. A big, ferocious guard dog. It’s a safe area, but shit still happens.” He takes the box back and hands me a business card with his name and the wordspersonal security specialist.

Okay, so, they’re probably not serial killers, then, right?

I’m doing my best to make a better life for Luna, but damn, it’s hard sometimes. I’m only twenty-four years old. Most of the time, I feel like I should be asking arealadult for advice. Only, I’m the real adult in this situation.

“At the very least, come over and eat with us,” Kase offers. “You’ll have a chance to warm up a little, and then you can see the guest room and decide. Or I can call my mom…”

I bite my lip, glancing between them.

What am I supposed to do?

They seem reasonably sane.

If they were here to kidnap me, then they could very well just do it. They’re big guys. If they wanted to, they could pick me up and tote me out. I could fight back, but I don’t have any delusions that I would be able to successfully get away.

I’ve already let them inside. Growing up needs to happen fast. I have to get my shit together before Luna gets here. This whole move was haphazard and thrown together at the last minute, but I didn’t have a lot of choices.

“Okay, thank you. That sounds great.”

Chapter Four

Lincoln

I’m intrigued.

It’s not quite as dangerous as when Kase hyperfixates or when someone catches Arden’s cold gaze, but drawing my focus comes with additional complications.

I make my way back to our house to clean up while Kase helps Chelsea grab a few things.

Arden watches with his head tilted animalistically as I search for random things that might scare a stranger.

“Are you going to stand around, watching? Or are you going to help?” I ask, shoving my harness into the cabinet next to the sink. “Are there any other weapons lying around that I might have missed?”

“I don’t understand why you would need help.” He plants his hands on his hips. “Most everything should be contained in the go-room.”

“She’s a very pregnantomegaon her own,” I hiss, yanking the plates out of the cabinet. “We’ve got to act normal, preferablynotfreak her out.” I drop four dishes on the table and head for the silverware drawer.

“She’s genuinely without a pack?” Arden asks as his eyebrows rise.

“Yes. And Mrs. Wilson is old. Her house has been sitting for, what? Six months? I’m not an expert, but I’m pretty sure the furnace is shot. The plan is to convince her to stay here tonight.” I give him a serious frown as I toss the forks and knives around the plates. “Just don’t talk. You terrify people, even when you don’t mean to, and she’s more skittish than most.”

“I’m an excellent conversationalist,” he says indignantly. “No bonds, either?”

“She’s unbonded.” Which both Kase and I have mentioned, but I guess he’s finally interested enough to pay attention when we speak.

“She must be running from someone. No one comes to our small town, unless they know someone or don’t want to be found.” Arden strides over to the refrigerator, grabbing out the water pitcher and bringing it to the table. “Perhaps we can steal her information off the rental paperwork.”

I sigh.

This is a shit show waiting to happen.

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