Page 10 of Desert Thorns

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“How about you make yourself comfortable while I grab my things?” Harley gestured at the sofa. “Can I get you a coffee or anything?”

“I’m good, thanks.” I sank into the soft cushions, tracking her with my gaze as she crossed the small space to an opening on the other side. The kitchen, if the fridge I could see from here was any indication.

She entered—and froze.

“Hello, Harley.”

The deep, raspy voice had me on my feet in a split second. Three quick strides brought me up behind Harley in the narrow kitchen. A beefy guy wearing dark jeans and a blue Hawaiian shirt lounged on a chair, hands folded on the small, round kitchen table. A 9mm pistol was holstered at his hip next to a Darkwater Refuge Police Department badge.

It wasn’t just any badge—the guy was a detective.

Detective or not, something about him raised the little hairs on the back of my neck.

And Harley’s rigid posture spoke volumes. No surprise she hadn’t wanted me to call the cops.

The law itself was the threat.

Chapter 5

Harley

“What are you doing here, Craig?” My heart rapid-fired as I forced myself to maintain eye contact with my ex-boyfriend rather than bolting out of the kitchen. I hated the fear his mere presence evoked in me.

“I’m here to talk.” He lorded it over that chair as if it were his.Mychair. Sure, maybe there had been a time when he was welcome here, coming and going as he pleased. But that time was over. How had he even gotten inside my apartment? He’d given me the key back after we broke up. Had he made a copy?

I shuddered. I wouldn’t put it past him. “I have nothing to say. Get out of my apartment.”

A slow smile built on his clean-shaven face. The sunlight filtering through the small window behind him reflected on his bald head, his Hawaiian shirt crisp and tucked into his jeans. “What’s with the hostility, Ley?”

I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to pull the Ruger LCRx from the back of my jeans. Threatening a detective with a gunwould most definitely not end well for me. Not to mention I didn’t want to drag Brother Samuel into my mess.

“I think she made it pretty clear that she wants you to leave.” Brother Samuel’s tone was friendly but determined. His presence behind me boosted my courage.

For the first time since Brother Samuel had entered the kitchen, Craig looked at him. Sized him up—the habit and sandals—then scoffed. “Who are you?”

“Brother Samuel.”

I wanted to tell him to stay out of it for his own sake, but fear glued my bare feet to the cold tile floor.

Craig pushed the chair back—

Brother Samuel cut in front of me so quickly my brain needed a moment to catch up. He stood with his back to me, his broad shoulders squared—like a human shield.

“Listen, Brother Samuel,” Craig drawled. “My girlfriend and I need to have a chat. Without you.”

“No.” Brother Samuel’s voice was deeper and more stern than I’d ever heard it before. Though he was tall, Craig towered over him with his six-four frame. That didn’t seem to impress Brother Samuel much, because he didn’t show the slightest hint of fear. “The only thing that’s going to happen is you leaving.”

Craig chuckled. “I think you’re forgetting the roles here.” His statement held a hint of surprise, and frankly, I was just as taken aback by Brother Samuel’s guts.

“No, he’s right.” I stepped aside, so I could look my ex in the eye. “I want you to leave and never come back. I’m not your girlfriend anymore. You’re the one who broke up six months ago, in case you forgot.”

Craig’s pale blue eyes slowly came to me. Then he smiled like I’d wished him a happy birthday. “Your wish is my command.” One hand planted on his holstered gun, he moved toward us.

Brother Samuel shoved me behind him, wedging me between his powerful body and the electric stove. Since my kitchen was extremely narrow, the two men nearly touched noses when Craig moved past him. Brother Samuel followed him all the way to the door, maintaining that shield between me and my ex.

When Craig was gone and the door locked, I sank onto the sofa and buried my face in my trembling hands. I had never considered him dangerous. Not once had he raised his voice during our one-year-long relationship, and he had most definitely never abused me physically or manhandled me. But last night, and now this, changed everything.

The cushion dipped when Brother Samuel took a seat without saying a word. He didn’t need to. His presence alone was comforting. Why was this man so protective of me? It wasn’t like he owed me anything.