Page 61 of How to Trust a Hellhound
“They’re so powerful, Josh. So majestic, and they’ll help us. And if we do what they say, we can be like them one day. Don’t you want that, baby? Money and power and immortality.”
I tried to slide out of his grasp, but Rick grabbed my other knee with his other hand, frowning at me.
“You shouldn’t do that, baby,” he said, and his grip tightened to the point of pain.
His face twisted, and there was the Rick I knew, the temper I knew. I couldn’t help the cringe backward. He lifted one hand up off my knee, and without even thinking, I kicked my foot out, catching him in the head. He fell backward with a cry, and I jumped up, racing around him to get out of the alley. His hand caught my foot, and I would’ve fallen, but strong hands gripped me before I could.
I looked up into Wilder’s eyes, and Rick yelled out, but his hand let go of my foot. Wilder pulled me out of the alley and onto the street, wrapping me up in his arms. I could hear running footsteps in the alley.
“Wilder,” I gasped out, suddenly breathless, holding tightly onto him.
“Did he hurt you, Mei Ume?” Wilder asked, pushing me back a bit so he could look me over, his hands gripping me tightly.
I shook my head, still feeling shell-shocked. He looked me over again, fire in his eyes. I stared at them, like I was under a spell, and I was only jerked back to reality when Thea jogged up.
“Trouble?” she asked, not even out of breath.
Wilder nodded toward the alley, and Thea ran down it.
“Did he hurt you?” Wilder asked again.
I just shook my head no. “I’m okay. He surprised me, but I’m okay.”
Wilder pulled me back into his arms, and his deep breaths helped to calm my racing heart. I don’t know how long we stood there, but Thea eventually came back.
“I got a license plate, but I didn’t pursue the car. I didn’t want to be conspicuous. He wasn’t hellbound, either. Certainly not a good person, but not ruined,” she said.
I felt Wilder nod his head against me. “Let’s get Josh some food and sugar. He’s a little shocked.”
I didn’t argue, and Wilder held onto me and guided me as we started walking.
“Do you need to be carried, Mei Ume?” he asked me.
I snorted at that, imagining Wilder carrying me down Main Street in front of everyone. I knew he would too, and it made walking a little easier.
I wasn’t paying attention to much, and before long we were inside the coffee shop and Wilder was sitting down and guiding me onto his lap. I didn’t complain.
“What the fuck!” I heard Q say, and he was suddenly in front of me.
I took a deep breath and looked around, taking in my surroundings. The shop was thankfully not that full, and most people weren’t paying us any attention.
“Do I look that awful?” I asked, sitting up and trying to straighten myself out.
“You’re beautiful,” Wilder whispered in my ear.
Q just snorted. “You’re all wrinkled and you’ve got dirt on your clothes. Very un-Josh-like.”
“Can you get him some coffee and something sweet?” Wilder asked.
Q nodded and headed back to the counter. Thea was sitting across from us, looking pissedoff.
“You okay?” I asked her.
“I should’ve been quicker,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Wilder was just up and out the door without a word”—she gave Wilder the side eye—“and I took too long to follow. I thought he saw you or smelled you or whatever and was just going to greet you, but when he didn’t come back in, I went out and followed his scent.”
Wilder grunted, and it might have been an apology. I leaned my head back against him, thinking about what had happened. I wasn’t sure what they would have done if they’d caught Rick, and maybe a part of me was glad they hadn’t. I was done with him, and maybe I would be happy if karma made him miserable for quite awhile, but I didn’t want him killed because of me.
“There was something wrong with him,” I murmured, thinking back to the crazed look in his eyes.
