Page 61 of Claws and Feathers

He sidled up beside her, leaning in until their shoulders were just barely touching.

Abby couldn’t help but notice.

“Not my first time doing that and probably won’t be my last.”

Abby looked over at him as she tucked her phone back into her waistband. He was so calm, so at ease, and yet, it was a startling notion. Cooper continuously put his life on the line to help people. He risked being shot, or stabbed, or beaten. Orworse. The thought caused a lump to form in the back of her throat. When Cooper sat outside her house watching over her, he did so with the intent of diving into the line of fire if her kidnapper happened to show up. Heanticipatedit. He was prepared to fight for her even if it meant endangering his own well-being.

The realization was staggering.

Abby couldn’t help her hand from drifting over and clasping with his. She could see him looking at her, turning his head towards her in question, but she kept her gaze fixed on the wooden beams in front of her. Their fingers entwined and she inhaled a rickety breath. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”

Cooper was silent for a moment. The only sound around them was the cicadas beginning to sing. The garage was dark and musty, so Abby clung to Cooper’s hand, waiting for him to say something. He finally did. He pulled her towards him by the hand, catching her off guard.

“You never need to thank me for caring about you,” he said softly.

Abby was looking up at him now, unable to let go of his hand or break away from his gaze. Her heart was drumming against her chest. She didn’t know how to proceed. All she wanted to do was kiss him, but she couldn’t bear to be rejected again. Words fluttered from her lips before she could think them through. “What is this, Cooper? What are we doing?”

He hesitated. “I don’t know.”

Abby supposed she could appreciate his honesty, but it sure didn’t answer her questions or subdue her racing heart. She stared up at him, hardly able to make out his handsome features in the darkness. She felt his eyes, though. She felt his eyes burning into her, and it made her squirm. Abby sucked in a breath when she felt his opposite hand rise to her waist, pulling her even closer.

Oh,God. Abby melted against him, her legs incapable of keeping her upright. She pressed her cheek against his chest, allowing him to hold her. She breathed in his scent and waited, unsure of what else to do. Abby felt his hand cradle the back of her head, twining through her hair, and she couldn’t help the tiny moan that passed through her lips.

Cooper took her face between his hands and tilted her head up. The sun was peeking through the cracked door just enough that she could see the desire in his eyes. It made her weak. It made her tremble. It made her want to beg him for something he said he couldn’t give her.

Abby kept her mouth shut. She wouldn’t go there. Shecouldn’t. If he denied her again, it would break her.

Cooper leaned in. She was certain he was about to kiss her, but then he faltered. Abby thought history was repeating itself. She thought he was building her up, only to shoot her right back down. She squinted her eyes, trying to see him through the shadows. Trying tounderstand.

Cooper’s grip on her loosened and he stood up straight. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Abby was still in a daze. She was confused; addled. “Hear what?”

He pulled back fully, taking her by the wrist and pushing her behind him. “Stay close to me.”

“What is it, Cooper?” All Abby had heard was her heart beating out of her chest. All she had felt was the lust throbbing between her legs. She clung to his arm as he moved forward, carefully opening the side door of the garage.

“Shit, my gun is inside. I left it on your dresser.”

Abby felt the prickle of fear seep into her skin. “What did you hear?”

“Footsteps.”

She followed him outside and looked around the yard, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. “It could have been an animal.”

Cooper shook his head. “It wasn’t.”

A breeze swept by, feeling decidedly chillier than it had felt earlier. Abby stayed glued to Cooper, almost stepping on his heels as they approached the front of the house. She couldn’t help but regard how protective he was of her, holding her tight, making sure she was fully behind him. Abby squeezed him a little tighter.

Cooper glanced around the front of the house, sighing when nothing seemed out of place. “I know I heard footsteps,” he said. He relaxed his hold on her for a moment until they made their way up to the door. Cooper halted in his tracks.

Abby pushed forward, trying to see what had caught his attention. Her gaze darted over the porch until her eyes landed on the front stoop. She gasped. Her heart lurched into her throat.

Lying on the step was a dead bird with a knife stabbed right through it.

This was a message from The Man. It was a gift.

It was meant for her.

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