Page 36 of Shattered Skull

I began to tremble, and I knew if I didn’t do something fast, he was going to find me yet again freaking out on his front porch. My eyes skimmed the space around me, and I went over my senses to ground myself.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

The shaking stopped, but I needed to get home and be in my safe space. I stood by the front door, hoping Zada would appear and rescue me, but she never did.

“I can give you a ride,” a deep voice sounded from behind me.

I turned to find Aiken in a fresh T-shirt with damp hair. The smell of his masculine shampoo and the sweet mint of his toothpaste was intoxicating.

“Do you have a car?”

He lifted a perfectly shaped brow. “I have a bike.”

I snorted. “No way am I getting on the back of your death machine. I would rather walk.”

He shrugged, stepped around me, and went down the steps. “Suit yourself, but be careful. You’re in the ghetto, and people around here do ghetto shit.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I called out after him.

“It means it’s dangerous around here. If you leave on foot alone, you probably won’t be found again.”

Panic clawed at my chest, and the top of my head began to tingle.

“You’re lying.”

“Am I?” He looked up at me from a few steps down and lifted a brow.

“I can’t stay here forever,” I pointed out.

“Nope. I would hate that.”

“I assure you I would hate it more.”

He sighed, stretching his arms above his head. His shirt lifted, showing off his cut abs.

“Listen, I got to head out. Either take me up on the ride or try the walk. You’re welcome to stay here until you get in touch with someone, but that’s all I can offer.”

He started toward his bike, ready to leave me alone in a strange place in the middle of what he called “the ghetto.”

“Wait,” I called out, stopping him. I ran down the steps and caught up with him. “Do you promise to go slow?”

“Nope. I don’t do anything slowly.” He sighed, aggravated that I was taking up so much of his time. “It’s not dangerous. I know how to ride. I’ve been doing it for years. And I have an extra helmet. You’ll be fine. I can promise that.”

I looked at the time on my phone.

It was already after noon.

I nodded. “Okay, but please …”

“I got you.”

---