Page 49 of Harnessed in Gold

And protect me from what?

Leo presses a hand to my back for the umpteenth time.

Eyes locked on me, Jean tells him, “She doesn’t know half of what she can do.”

Whatever anxiety she stirred up in me gives way to indignation. Under my sweater, my skin prickles with heat.

I force a smile for Jean, but as soon as Leo and I round the corner, I grit my teeth, curl my hands into fists, and march down the hall.

“Betts—” Leo rushes to keep up with my angry strides. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I hiss. “Let’s just get out of here.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Luckily,there’s hardly anyone left in the parking lot, because I’m unravelling too fast to behave properly in public.

“Betts, what’s going on?” Leo jogs up beside me, reaching for my arm.

I spin and throw up my hands, blocking his grip. “Even old ladies are doing it!”

“Doing what?”

A Cadillac hesitantly rolls in our direction, trying to get to the exit without running us over. I jerk to a stop and wave it past.

“Doing what?” Leo repeats. “Is this because she thought you were pregnant?”

“No.” Okay, maybe in part, but I’m not prepared to think about that right now.

The white Caddy is so slow, I have to swing around its retreating tail end before I can race to the safety of Leo’s car.

“What, Betts?” he growls behind me. “Talk to me.”

“Toyou?” I whip around and poke his chest. “Okay, I’ll talktoyou, while you talkaboutme. While everyone talks about me like I’mnot even there!” I gulp in a breath. “I don’t care what Jean says, I don’t need you to protect me.”

“But she’s right. It’s the same thing we’ve all been saying—you don’t know how powerful you are.”

I’m seconds from ripping out my hair. “Thentellme! Tell me how powerful I am. Stop keeping secrets and… and spoon feeding me. Stop acting like I’m going to break all the time!”

He swallows and shakes his head. “I’m trying—as best as I can.”

“Trying?What’s there to try?” I glare up into those dark brown eyes. “It’s pretty clear-cut, Leo. If it has anything to do with me, then it’s something you should tell me.”

“It’s not that simple,” he insists. “I’m trying to make this easy for you. I’m trying to make it as painless as possible.”

“Painless?” I nearly shriek. “Oh, that’s a good one.”

I stomp the rest of the way to the car, the sound of his breath and hurried footsteps close behind me. When I turn, he’s right there, nearly pinning me to the car.

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” he says, voice deep and rough. “But I’m never going to stop trying to protect you.”

“I don’t want you to protect me. You of all people.”

He grimaces. “I know. I get it. I lied to you, but?—”

I cut him off with a sneer. “But what? You were trying to protect me?”

His nostrils flare.