Page 58 of Flare
“You okay?” Violet asked, placing a gentle hand on her arm.
“I think so,” Emily managed.“I just… I can’t believe he actually showed up here.”
The encounter, brief as it was, had left her shaken to the core.So much for not letting him scare me. He looked so angry just now…
“Dammit! The police lost him at the parking lot,” Maggie reported, hanging up her phone.“But they’re patrolling the perimeter. He won’t get back in.” She turned to Emily.“I should take you back to Ward’s place. It’s not safe for you here.”
“No way,” Emily said, surprising herself.“I’m not running away. I’m not letting him ruin this day or scare me into hiding.”
Maggie looked like she wanted to argue, but Violet intervened.“She’s right, Mags. He showed up to intimidate her, but he’s the one who ran away. If Emily leaves now, he wins.” She gave Emily a reassuring grin.
“Besides,” Emily added, finding her courage,“I’m sure he won’t dare show his face again now that the police know he’s in the area.”
Maggie didn’t look convinced, but she nodded reluctantly.“Stay close to me for the rest of the day.”
“No problem,” Emily said with a small smile.
As Violet returned to the espresso machine, Maggie looked Emily up and down.“You know,” she said thoughtfully,“we could teach you how to handle a gun.”
Emily blinked in surprise.“A gun? I don’t know, Maggie. I’ve never even held one.”
“That’s why you should learn,” Maggie said simply.“Nothing makes you feel more secure than knowing you can defendyourself. If you ever find yourself up against a bear shifter, you’ll need every advantage you can get.”
Emily chewed her lip, considering.
“I don’t know if I could actually shoot someone,” she admitted.
“Hopefully, you’ll never have to,” Maggie said.“Sometimes just having a weapon is enough. And knowing how to use it properly gives you an option.”
Emily nodded slowly.“You’re right. I can’t depend completely on you and Ward and the others for protection. I want to stand on my own two feet.”
“That’s my girl,” Maggie said with approval.“We’ll start self-defense training on Monday, if you’re up for it. I’ll talk to Eddie about taking you shopping for a gun.”
“I’m up for it,” Emily said, surprised at herself..
The Emily of a few weeks ago would have balked at the idea of handling a weapon.
ButthatEmily hadn’t known what lurked beneath Andrew’s charming exterior. She hadn’t understood the world was full of predators, both human and not.
As they returned to work, Emily stood a little straighter. Andrew had come here to scare her, to make good on his threat that he could reach her anywhere.
Instead, he’d revealed his own weakness when he was the one who ran away when confronted. Emily felt something shift inside her.
She wouldn’t be Andrew’s victim again.
∞∞∞
Maggie:Just a heads-up—Andrew showed up at the booth just now.
Maggie:Emily spotted him across the street.
Maggie:YM and Malia were on it. Andrew bolted as soon as they moved in.
Maggie:Emily’s okay. Shaken, but okay.
Maggie:Thought you’d want to know.
Ward and his bear both snarled as he read Maggie’s text messages. That dumb-ass had actually dared to come to the festival and show his face in broad daylight!
