Page 103 of Legacy of Danger
Her brows drew together. Damn it, with her hair all tucked into the wool beanie, her face was an open book. If he hurt her, he'd know it immediately.
If? He'd already caused her pain.
"Do tell." She pressed her lips into a line.
"Okay, bear with me. It's going to sound strange." At her curt nod, he continued. "Ever since I was a kid, I've had a weird sixth sense about things. Danger, in particular."
"I don't follow."
When the horse jostled under him, he loosened his clenched grip on the reins. "Somehow I can anticipate danger and avoid it."
"I don't understand."
"Not sure how or why, but I can detect danger. Like an odd radar. Something bad comes my way, my brain gets my attention and pushes me out of the way."
"That's kind of weird." She leaned away.
Damn it. "Uh, comes in handy in the MMA fights."
"Sounds like an unfair advantage."
He peered into the woods, searching for any danger. Was that a shadow... or something more? He forced his focus back to Mariah. "Well, yes, it does give me an edge, but that's not the point of the story. In the past week, my power has changed. Instead of protecting myself, my power kind of wants to protect... you."
She tilted her head to the side. "I don't understand."
"Me neither. None of it makes sense. But when Wyatt harassed you in the hospital last week? My powerdemandedthat I go there to keep you safe. When Linc went after you in the ring last night, the power overtook my conscious decision to protect you."
"That is really strange, Vaughn." She rested her gloved hands on the pommel.
"I agree. Recently, the power has started wanting me to stay close to you. Like it has to cover you, even now. Mentally, I'm having trouble telling where danger to you stops and danger to me starts. Or if it's all just paranoia." He sat up straight, even as his body tried to lean toward her. "It's taking over my brain. I'm worried that I might be losing my mind."
"Literally?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sure there are tests, specialists to check things out." Leave it to her to jump to the medical solution.
"Pretty sure that won't help."
Her fine teeth worried her lower lip. "Should I leave you alone, then? For your own mental health?"
"I don't know the answer to that question. I think that you riding away into the sunset without me might make me go crazy."
"But if I stay, you also might lose your mind? Because of how the power is changing your thoughts?"
"Yeah. Kind of... yeah." Damn it, he wished he had good answers for her.
"Well." She straightened in the saddle. "Then it's a mixed blessing that you plan on leaving soon."
"About that." The thudding in his chest increased.Put everything on the table."It's crossed my mind to change plans."
"Oh?"
"Yeah."
"Because of… us?"
"That was the major reason. But I also realized that I have been running away from mistakes I made in the past. In doing so, I left my family in the lurch."
