Page 71 of Under an Endless Moon

Moonflower was my happy place. The place where I could be completely me. A place that was mine and only mine. A place where my brother and his friends didn’t get to intervene.

Only there was Otto stalking in behind me, radiating anger, his big body a hurricane that swept into the space.

Apparently, my claim that the second someone stepped inside their aggression would go poof was completely incorrect.

“Bet you a million bucks it was that fucker Tanner. Saw exactly what he was thinking at Kane’s. He thinks you owe him somethin’.”

“Tanner is harmless.”

He had to be.

“No man is harmless, Raven. You know that.”

I blew out a sigh. “I don’t want to start laying blame on anyone when there is absolutely no proof against them. For now, I’m going to chalk it up to vandals, clean the mess, and get back to business.”

I rounded the counter, and Otto followed, his enormous frame covering me from behind.

Energy surged and shook. Darker than normal. “Don’t like this, Raven.”

I turned to him. He was so close, it ripped the breath from my lungs. I played off the reaction like I was only frustrated. “I get that you worry about me, Otto. That you all worry about me. But I refuse to be that girl who caves or shutters. I won’t be the girl who hides behind my fears. This is my store. The thing that brings me joy. And I won’t let anyone stand in the way of that.”

Worry pulled tight through Otto’s features. “I get that. Just?—”

“There’s nojust. I mean it. I won’t cower. Especially when it’s probably some random kid running the streets.”

He sighed before I felt him give. “Stubborn girl.”

“Burly Bear,” I retorted.

He grinned at his nickname. I called it a win.

“I’m just looking out for my favorite person,” he muttered before he scrubbed a hand over his face then dropped it. “Gonna need to look at that footage on the camera.”

I nodded and moved over to the computer, brought it to life. There was nothing all night until there was the ghosting of movement just after 4:00 a.m. A figure dressed all in black and completely concealed that was barely captured. His features hidden. The only thing we could make out was that he was medium height and slim. Way too thin to be Tanner.

“Fuck,” Otto grumbled.

Unease rolled through me, but I forced it down and clicked out of the program. “I need to get to work.”

Otto let go of a pained sigh, then said, “Fine. Then I guess we’d better get this mess cleaned up.” He turned on his heel and moved into the back of the shop, going directly to the big basin. He grabbed a bucket and set it inside, turning the water to high as he squeezed a giant stream of soap into the container.

He tossed in a sponge and started for the front door.

“You don’t need to do that. I’ll take care of it,” I told him as I attempted to catch up to his long strides.

Standing in the open doorway, he tossed an easy look back in my direction. As if the worry from five seconds ago had been eradicated. “Nah, I’ve got this, darlin’. You go meet your delivery guy and continue on with your day. Business as usual. Just like you said.”

Gratitude flooded my spirit. “You’re too good to me, Otto.”

Reaching out, he hooked his pinky finger with mine. “My favorite person, remember?”

Every element in my being fluttered.

Body and soul and mind.

My favorite person.

I only wished that meant what I really wanted it to.

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