Page 26 of Twisted Steel

“That doesn’t answer my statement.”

“No.”

Her laugh shakes and breaks halfway through.She presses a hand to her mouth as if she could force it back down.

I crouch in front of her.Slowly.Carefully.“I’m not touching you,” I say.

Her eyes snap to mine.“I know.”

“You’re safe.”

“I don’t feel safe.”That cuts deeper than it should.

I nod once.“Fair.”

Her fingers tighten around the heel.“There was a man at my window.”

“Yes.”

“Because of your club.”

“Yes.”

“And you came.”

I hold her stare.“Yes.”

She looks away first, breath shuddering out of her.“I hate this.”

“I know.”

“I hate that I called you.”

“I know that too.”

“I hate that it helped.”That one gets under my ribs and stays there.

I stand because staying on my knees in front of her feels too much like begging, and I have no right to beg from a woman whose life just got cracked open by my world.

“We need to move you.”

Her head jerks up.“No.”

“Harper.”

“No.Absolutely not.I am not going to your clubhouse.”

“You can’t stay here.”

“I can call the police.”

“You can.”

“Stop saying that like it means nothing.”

“It means paperwork.Maybe a patrol car for fifteen minutes.Maybe they take a report.Maybe someone leaks your name before sunrise.”

She pales.I hate being right.I hate that she knows it too.