Page 12 of Dark Wishes

The man flinches, his eyes bulging at this new development. The terror in his face is out of place—Jamison is big, sure, but this guy has a knife. What’s he so scared of?

Then I see the metal shimmering under the light pollution of the city.

Jamison has a gun.

Snarling like a jaguar about to rip out the throat of its prey, Jamison aims the weapon at our attacker’s forehead. “Turn and run, now. This is your only warning.”

Our would-be-mugger lingers where he is. Maybe out of fear or maybe debating if he can take Jamison down. Ultimately, he holds up his hands in defeat, backing away with a frustrated scowl. “Fuck, man! Alright, alright!” After another two steps he twists, sprinting down the sidewalk until I can’t see him anymore.

Jamison doesn’t lower the handgun. He’s motionless, gazing into the distance. He isn’t debating shooting the man in the back; our mugger is long gone. No, he’s seeing something else... something I don’t.

Guarding me like he expects an army to march from the shadows.

Searching the darkness all around, my body tenses, waiting for another attack. But it doesn’t come. There’s only him, me, and the rolling traffic lights below.

A dog barks inside a house up on the hill. “Jamison?” I whisper.

He drops his arm, tucking the gun inside his jacket. His full attention shifts to me, both his hands cupping my cheeks while he searches my face. “Are you alright?”

There’s no doubting the genuine concern in his eyes. Something softens in my chest—a warmth I want to ignore. The easiest way... is to ask the question burning on my tongue. “What happened to your knife?”

He’s back to that blank mask he’s so fond of. “Why does it matter what I used to defend you?” he asks, releasing my face.

“We were just walking a few blocks.” I’m trying to make sense of what the hell just happened, but my adrenaline is still peaking, my head hot as an oven. “Why would you think you needed agun?For the cops? Please don’t tell me you were planning to shoot one of them if they tried to arrest me.”

Jamison starts up the hill. “Let’s go back to my house.”

“I just—I'm trying to understand what just happened!”

“What happened was what I warned you about,” he seethes. “I said this walk was a bad idea. You insisted. Now you want to argue about my methods.”

“No, no, I mean... I haven’t seen you with a gun—other than mine, when you took it from me.”What am I arguing for?My head is splitting apart.

In my daze, I let him take my hand. He tugs me across the sidewalk, back the way we came. It’s the same path to his house but it feels different now. “I can’t believe I almost got mugged,” I blurt, laughing awkwardly.

Jamison glances back at me, then ahead again. “Desperate times make people do desperate things.”

“Thank you for saving me.”

His steps stutter—did he trip on an uneven patch of the sidewalk? “It would be humiliating if someone like that could take me down.”

I look over my shoulder at the lights of the city. Everything appears darker now... more muted, like someone poured a bowl of grease over the world. The adrenaline has faded; my insides still tremble.

That was scary. Really fucking scary.

How naive have I been, to have lived so long thinking I’d know when I was in danger? All this time, egging myself on to face the things that could harm me... blissfully unaware that someone could choose, on their own, to hurt me without a heads up, with nothing but an urge to get some cash.

I’d be dead if Jamison wasn’t here.My fingers wrap tighter in his.

After a moment, he squeezes back.

Chapter Five

Selena

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The long-awaited shower is heavenly. If I were staying with anyone but Jamison, I’d be terrified of the water bill I just created. I know he can afford it.

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