Page 23 of Redemption

Not that Marcus is a danger. He’s a pest. A big one.

When I turn around, he’s standing directly in front of me. Only a few inches away.

“Excuse me,” I say, trying not to panic. There’s no reason for an overreaction here. I’m nothing more than disgusted and creeped out. He hasn’t even touched me.

“Just wait a minute. Why are you always running away from me?”

“I’ve got to go. Please back up.”

I move to get around him, but he reaches for my arm. His fingers start to wrap around my forearm.

I jerk back. “No!” I don’t scream the word, but I say it firmly and louder than before.

It’s loud enough. The door to the room slams open, and Caleb barks out, “Back the hell up. Now!”

Both Marcus’s advance and Caleb’s arrival startle and upset me. I take a couple of clumsy steps backward and stumble into a large freestanding shelving unit.

It wobbles slightly but doesn’t fall. Unfortunately, a box was perched on a high shelf, not pushed back all the way. The slight imbalance of the shelving unit is enough to cause it to fall.

It glances painfully against the side of my head, and I end up sprawled on the floor with the box beside me.

A lot of things happen at once.

Caleb comes running over, saying to Marcus in an icy voice, “Walk away. Now. If you come close to Louisa again, you won’t be walking afterward.”

Marcus appears as startled by my reaction, Caleb’s appearance, and my fall into the shelf as I am. He evidently understands the understated threat in Caleb’s words and expression because he leaves immediately, mumbling something about how it was an accident and he’d never dream of hurting me.

I am hurt. My head is already pounding from the sudden blow. My leg got folded uncomfortably beneath me in the fall. And I’m dazed and winded. I can’t seem to think. Can’t seem to clear my vision.

“Damn it, Louisa,” Caleb mutters, kneeling on the floor beside me. “Why the hell didn’t you call out for me sooner?”

“He wasn’t—” I’m trying to get the words out, but for some reason I’m choking on them. I do a weird cough and cover my eyes since everything is spinning. “He wasn’t?—”

“He might not have intended to physically hurt you, but he was being aggressive and intimidating. You wouldn’t have been so scared otherwise.” His voice is hoarse. Not quite normal. He’s feeling my scalp with his fingers, trying to push my hair out of the way so he can see where the box hit me.

I wince when he finds it.

“Damn it, Louisa,” he says again. “This looks bad.”

“It’s not that bad. Just an unfortunate accident.”

“It wasn’t entirely an accident. I swear if I see that guy again?—”

“Caleb, stop. I got a little bump on the head. Mostly my own fault. You’re right. I should have gotten you in here quicker and then it never would have come to this. I just didn’t want him touching me.”

My mind is still fuzzy. Otherwise I never would have said that.

Caleb’s expression darkens, and he makes a low, guttural sound.

“He was just reaching for my arm,” I say quickly. “Please drop it. I really want to go home now.”

Since Caleb is still fully occupied with peering at my head, I try to push myself up on my own.

It’s a hopeless endeavor. I’m immediately dizzy and give up, gasping and blinking.

If only my head would stop hurting.

“I think we better take you to the ER.”

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