Touch of Evil - Cecy Robson Page 0,62

his mouth and folds his napkin when he sees Emme is done. “I have to get back to the Den. If you’re ready, Emme, I can drop you off on my way.”

“Don’t even think about it, Dan,” I snarl. “She’s mine. I’m taking her home!”

Both regard me like I’m nuts. Can’t really blame them seeing how I changed from werewolf to raging psycho.

I cough into my napkin. “What I mean is, I can take you home, Emme. If you, you know, want me to.”

“That would be nice,” Emme says slowly. She rises and makes her way to Danny. “Thank you for the meal. It was lovely.”

She bends to hug him. They both jolt when I let out the mother f’ing growls of all growls.

Holy shit. I’ve turned into Aric Connor.

* * *

I was worried that my possessiveness scared Emme, hell, it scared me. I wasn’t sure how she’d be in the car. To my shock, she leans against me, cuddling as close as we were in bed. I drape my arm around her. Although we don’t speak the whole way back to Dollar Point, I keep my hold around her, wishing I didn’t have to let her go.

I pull into the cul-de-sac where she lives and park in front of her house. Before I can reach her side of the car, she’s already out. We walk in silence and without looking at each other. We also walk without holding hands, something that makes me feel even worse.

My guess is she wants me to say something, anything about us. Except that I can’t.

We hop up on the front porch and wait together at the door.

Ordinarily, I’d walk inside with her, shoot the shit with her family, and maybe sit and catch a movie with them. But in one night, everything changed. I don’t see myself hanging like I used to with my girls, and I swear to Christ, it breaks my damn heart.

Emme shuffles her feet. “We’re planning a late dinner tonight to celebrate being home as a family again.”

“Hmm,” I say.

“I’m cooking,” she says when I keep my trap shut. “And I’d like you to come.”

See? This is what I mean. Before yesterday, she wouldn’t need to ask. She would just tell me what time dinner was and I’d be there. Now, hell, I don’t know what to say.

“If you don’t want to, I’ll suppose I’ll just see you around,” she says. She glances down, like girls do when they’re trying not to cry. “But if you do come, then I’ll know you want to give us a try.”

My knuckles crack and a sting pricks along my eyes. I hate this. All of it.

“Em?”

“Yes, Bren?”

“I don’t think you’ll see me tonight.”

She nods, quickly, trying to be braver than I can scent she feels. “All right,” she says.

Emme takes a step back when I try to kiss her, and I swear it’s the last punch in the gut I need. I try to tell her how sorry I am, but then the door swings open and I know I’m in trouble.

I jolt. There, as clear as day, is the head of the Wird Family.

Celia prowls through the door, her big mane of waves fluttering as she moves and the green eyes of her tigress flashing. Emme never quite understood how wickedly terrifying Celia can be.

“All right, maybe she’s killed demons, vampires, weres, and a couple of humans, but otherwise she’s really sweet,” Emme always asserted.

No. Celia isn’t sweet. Not when I just banged her little sister like a drummer at the Fourth of July parade.

“Hey,” she says.

“Hey, Ceel.” I clutch Emme by the shoulders and shove her into Celia’s arms. “Well, here she is. Safe and sound.”

Celia shoots me a look, it’s similar to the one Emme and Dan gave me earlier. Still, she embraces Emme. “I would expect no less,” she replies. “You were together, weren’t you?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I snap.

Celia releases Emme slowly. She turns to me, arms crossed and eyebrows raised. Oh, and look, there’s that killer predator poking through again. “What do you think it means, Bren?”

“Nothing.” I back away, my hands up in surrender. “Well, gotta go.”

I peel out of that neighborhood like Celia already knows. More than once I look back to see if she’s following. I’m a dead man. Jesus God, I am dead.

Chapter Twenty

Bren

It’s official: Dan has transformed me into a nerd. I might as well tear up my alpha male card in exchange for a library card.

I