Page 6 of Blade and Arrow Origins

Her gaze travels up my body, widening in alarm as she takes in my size. “I’m fine.” She takes a few quick steps back. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to run into you. I’ll just—” Two more steps back, and her words come faster. “I’ll just go. Sorry. I didn’t—”

“It’s fine,” I reply gently. “Are you—”

But she’s already gone.

Dammit.

I’d never hurt a woman. Ever. Aside from the requirements of my job—my former job—I’ve never hurtanyone. But all people see when they look at me is this six-foot-six guy topping two-fifty, and they just assume I’m dangerous.

I hate it. And I wish I could walk around someplace where people know me. Where they know I’m a good guy. Where they see me as a protector and not a threat.

My mood dips again as I close the distance to my apartment. But hopefully, by the time Cole gets in—his flight is supposed to arrive at six, and he’s taking the train from the airport—I’ll be in a better mood again. While I know he wouldn’t care, I’d rather not be all grumpy when my friend gets here.

But the moment my apartment building comes into view, I hear, “Leo! ‘Bout time you got here!”

Cole.

He’s leaning on the wall beside the front doors, his luggage on the sidewalk beside him, and he looks so familiar my chest squeezes a little.

I give him one of those shoulder clap slash one-armed hugs and say, “I thought your flight didn’t get in until six?”

“I was able to get on an earlier one.” Cole flashes me a grin. “So I’ve just been hanging here, checking out the neighborhood. Looks pretty nice. Lots to do.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Punching in the access code to open the door, I grumble, “This system isn’t very secure. An amateur could bypass it.”

Cole chuckles. “Why am I not surprised to hear you complaining about security?”

“Because it’s something to be taken seriously.” We head inside and over to the elevator. “I’m not worried about myself, but there are families who live here. Single women. Seniors. They can’t protect themselves like I can.”

“I’m just joking, Leo.” Cole’s expression sobers. “Itisimportant. And that’s one of the reasons—” His mouth snaps shut. “We can talk about that later. First, I’m starving. They don’t do meals on most of the flights anymore. All I got was a tiny package of pretzels.”

“Well, we can do something about that.” As the elevator deposits us on my floor, I continue, “There’s a great pizza place two blocks away, and a Chinese place around the corner. Or we can get subs from the deli across the street. Or if you’re in the mood for Thai or Indian—”

“Pizza sounds great.” Cole smiles. “Throw in some wings and beer, and I’ll be set for the night.”

We stop in front of my door, and I unlock the two complicated locks I modified after moving in—my landlord doesn’t know, but I’ll replace them before I leave—and I reply, “I’ve got you covered on the beer. I picked up a case of your favorite.”

“Sam Adams?”

“Of course.” I raise my eyebrows at him. “Do you think I forgot?”

“Not a chance.” Cole smirks at me as we walk inside the apartment. “Just thought you might try to push one of your fancy craft beers on me.”

“They’re good,” I retort. “And innovative. Small craft breweries owned by individuals instead of huge companies, local distribution, small batches—”

“I know, I know.” He laughs. “But I still like my Sam Adams.”

So do I, even though I do prefer beer from small breweries in Vermont, like Hill Farmstead and Lawson’s. But kicking back with a frosty Sam Adams while I chow down on wings and authentic New York-style pizza? I’ve got no complaints.

While we eat, we chat about easy things like sports and movies and news about our friends who are still active duty. Cole asks about my parents, who he’s met many times, and I tell him all about my mom’s recent mission to put my dad on a diet.

“She tried packing healthy lunches for him to take to the store,” I explain, shaking my head ruefully. “And he never said he wasn’t eating them. It was only after a month that she stopped in and caught him eating McDonald’s. Then it came out that he’s been giving his healthy meals to the other employees and getting fast food every day instead.”

“I can only imagine how your mom reacted. I bet she wasn’t happy.”

“Not really.” With a smile, I add, “But she got over it. She and my dad never stay upset at each other for long.”

“Your parents are great,” Cole says. “It’s too bad I won’t have time to get to Vermont to see them.”

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