Page 55 of Protection for Rowan

Her breath caught. Shine would be worried. Why hadn't she thought about going to him? Running had been the first thing on her mind when she'd seen that man in the coffee shop. Had it even been Charles? Could it have just been some random guy who was wearing a hoodie? Why had she taken off?

She needed help. Where could she go that she would be safe?

The gravity of the situation hit, making her stomach twist. She was out here without her phone, no way of contacting anyone, no money or credit cards. Her fear made her unsafe. Her responses were off. She needed real help.

Rowan glanced around, not really knowing where she was. She wasn’t even sure she could make it back to thecoffee shop where she’d been working. Was she close to her office? Shine’s place was miles away, and she had no way of getting there.

Her panic had led her here, now she had to find a way to safety. Thunder sounded nearby. She would end up being soaked if she didn’t find cover. There was a building on the other side of the park. She should head that way. Maybe she could find an overhang that would keep her dry.

When she stepped around the corner of the building, she spied three cars leaving the lot. Fear slithered down her back. Could that be Charles?

Her lungs froze, and she was barely able to catch her breath. Why would he have people with him? No, Charles would be alone. That had to just be random people at the library.

The overhang would only keep her dry if the rain blew in from the other side of the building. Th rain fell harder and the window started to blow. She would freeze if the wind picked up more. She regretted her decision to run. No doubt, she'd overreacted. Charles hadn't been in the shop, and none of the people following her had been really following her. She really needed help.

Shine’s stomachtwisted as rain dotted the windshield of Sharp’s car. The temperature was dropping fast and the wet weather wasn’t helping.

“The park behind that library. We should look there.”

Sharp turned the corner and then stopped at the curb. They got out of the car and Shine pulled his jacket tighter. Guilt filled him. Rowan didn't have a jacket and would be cold.

He called out her name a few times as he made his way down the path that twisted onto another path. The rain was picking up. They would have to abandon the search soon. He had no idea if Rowan was close to this location or on the complete other side of town. This was just close to the coffee shop, and her office wasn't too far either. He didn't think she'd walked to downtown, and she didn’t have money to ride the bus system. She had to be around here somewhere.

Sharp met him near the middle of the park. “I didn’t see her.”

Shine shook his head. “Neither did I.”

“I’ll go back to the car and meet you out front of the library. You walk around the building.”

“Good idea.”

Sharp took off. Shine jogged to the back of the library building, calling out for Rowan. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her. She was too special, and he hadn’t done enough to take care of her. After this, he would make sure she got the help she needed.

He made his way around to the front of the building, looking for any sign of Rowan or anyone else who was on the street that may have seen her. So far, they hadn’t gotten word of any sightings of her. It was almost like she’d just disappeared.

The overhang wasn’t doing much to keep the rain off him. He was about to step out into the lot when he saw something in the corner close to the door. The lump shifted, and he realized it was a person.

They stood, and he called out. "Hey, wait."

The person hesitated, turning to face him. The lights weren’t good enough for him to make out the person’s features, but he could tell it was a woman.

“Hold up. I just need—” Shine’s breath caught asheadlights from Sharp’s car passed over the front of the building. It was Rowan. “Rowan. It’s me. Shine.”

Rowan didn't move. Instead, it seemed like she was studying him even harder. He moved slowly, approaching with his hands out wide, trying to look as harmless as possible.

“It’s me, Shine. I have a jacket.”

She hesitated. For a half second, he thought he’d lost her. A part of him expected her to run as he removed his jacket.

“Take my jacket. You need to get warm.”

The car door closed behind him, and Rowan's eyes went wider. He glanced back, seeing that Sharp was holding back.

“It’s Sharp. The guys are all out looking for you. We were worried.”

She shook her head, and for a moment, he was sure she was going to take off. He could run faster than her, he was sure of that, but he didn't want to chase her down and scare her. He needed her to come to him.

Rowan sawthe man walking closer. She needed to run, but he would see her. Maybe if she went slow, she could get away without his notice. She’d taken a few steps when he called out. That voice made her pause. She knew the man. Her steps faltered before she came to a standstill.

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