Read Online LIAM (The Rylee Adamson Epilogues, Book 2) by Shannon Mayer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Shannon Mayer
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us far enough back, shifting so that we weren’t upwind of her anymore. At least that would give us a chance that she wouldn’t pick up on our scents. Though in the obvious state of distress she was in, I doubted she would notice.
Ten minutes later she reached a park bench and slid into it, her back to us still. She bent at the waist, rocking slowly.
Was she unstable? Shit, that was the last thing I needed. A female ogre who was out of her mind? Was that even possible? I didn’t want to think about it too much. Right now, we needed to make contact.
I put a hand on Levi and tugged him back the way we’d come until we could barely see her sitting on the bench.
My mind raced as I formulated a simple plan, something I’d implemented more than once in my FBI days. I bent my head so I could whisper to Levi. “I want you to walk by her, and when you see her ask her where the bakery is.”
“Why?” he whispered back.
“Because I told you to.” I tightened my hold on his shoulder, and he trembled under it. I eased off. I really had to remember he wasn’t tough like Pamela. Or even Frank. That necromancer had a spine of steel despite being a kid still in his teens.
“No,” he shook his head, “I mean why would I be looking for a bakery at . . .” he looked at his phone, “three in the morning?”
That was a good catch. “New job. Bakeries start early.”
“But why wouldn’t I know where it was?” He frowned. “Your plan stinks.”
He shook my hand off and walked away from me, toward where the ogre sat, still crying on the bench. I hissed at him to stop, to come back, but he just hurried his feet, the little shit.
I followed at a slower pace, stopping near a tree about twenty feet away, leaning against it so I could listen.
“Hey, I’m totally turned around and my phone died.” He held up his phone, the screen blank. “Do you know the area?”
Her head tipped up, and she swiped a hand over her eyes. “Um. Yeah, I do. Where are you going?”
“I’m supposed to meet a friend near a place called Vanilla and Honey. A bakery, he said.” He tucked his phone away in his back pocket.
She twisted on the bench and I ducked behind the tree, just in case. “You just cross that street over there. It’s a couple of blocks down. They’ll be doing their early morning muffin and coffee in an hour.”
“Thanks, that’s what we were going for.” There was a pause and I leaned back out to watch the interaction. “Are you okay?” he asked.
She shook her head, and put her hands over her eyes. “No. But . . . you’re sweet for asking. Go on now, go see your friend. It’s not safe out here at night.”
Levi sat on the bench and I stared at him as if I could make him move. Bad idea, very bad idea, don’t get close to the ogre who can snap you in half like the kid you are.
“I can’t just leave you like this. Do you want me to walk you home?”
She laughed, but it was choked up. “What, you think you can protect me?”
He flushed, and ducked his head. “I guess not.”
Time to make my move. I stepped out around the tree, not bothering to hide my approach with softened steps. “He might not . . . but I can.”
CHAPTER 4
SHE SPUN AS she stood, her eyes wide, her body shaking so hard, the ends of her hair shook. “Who are you?”
Levi stayed where he was. Maybe he was smarter than I gave him credit for. The last thing I wanted was for him to draw her attention now that she was somewhat pinned between us. I held up both hands, palms forward in the universal sign of no harm. “My name is Liam, and I am a Guardian.”
Her chest heaved as she sucked wind hard, as if she had been running flat out. “Even a Guardian can’t protect me. And why would you bother? We aren’t the same species.” She took a step back. “No one can save me.”
I kept my approach slow, as if trying to calm a wild animal.
“Save you from what?” Levi asked.
She glanced at him and then back to me.
Ten minutes later she reached a park bench and slid into it, her back to us still. She bent at the waist, rocking slowly.
Was she unstable? Shit, that was the last thing I needed. A female ogre who was out of her mind? Was that even possible? I didn’t want to think about it too much. Right now, we needed to make contact.
I put a hand on Levi and tugged him back the way we’d come until we could barely see her sitting on the bench.
My mind raced as I formulated a simple plan, something I’d implemented more than once in my FBI days. I bent my head so I could whisper to Levi. “I want you to walk by her, and when you see her ask her where the bakery is.”
“Why?” he whispered back.
“Because I told you to.” I tightened my hold on his shoulder, and he trembled under it. I eased off. I really had to remember he wasn’t tough like Pamela. Or even Frank. That necromancer had a spine of steel despite being a kid still in his teens.
“No,” he shook his head, “I mean why would I be looking for a bakery at . . .” he looked at his phone, “three in the morning?”
That was a good catch. “New job. Bakeries start early.”
“But why wouldn’t I know where it was?” He frowned. “Your plan stinks.”
He shook my hand off and walked away from me, toward where the ogre sat, still crying on the bench. I hissed at him to stop, to come back, but he just hurried his feet, the little shit.
I followed at a slower pace, stopping near a tree about twenty feet away, leaning against it so I could listen.
“Hey, I’m totally turned around and my phone died.” He held up his phone, the screen blank. “Do you know the area?”
Her head tipped up, and she swiped a hand over her eyes. “Um. Yeah, I do. Where are you going?”
“I’m supposed to meet a friend near a place called Vanilla and Honey. A bakery, he said.” He tucked his phone away in his back pocket.
She twisted on the bench and I ducked behind the tree, just in case. “You just cross that street over there. It’s a couple of blocks down. They’ll be doing their early morning muffin and coffee in an hour.”
“Thanks, that’s what we were going for.” There was a pause and I leaned back out to watch the interaction. “Are you okay?” he asked.
She shook her head, and put her hands over her eyes. “No. But . . . you’re sweet for asking. Go on now, go see your friend. It’s not safe out here at night.”
Levi sat on the bench and I stared at him as if I could make him move. Bad idea, very bad idea, don’t get close to the ogre who can snap you in half like the kid you are.
“I can’t just leave you like this. Do you want me to walk you home?”
She laughed, but it was choked up. “What, you think you can protect me?”
He flushed, and ducked his head. “I guess not.”
Time to make my move. I stepped out around the tree, not bothering to hide my approach with softened steps. “He might not . . . but I can.”
CHAPTER 4
SHE SPUN AS she stood, her eyes wide, her body shaking so hard, the ends of her hair shook. “Who are you?”
Levi stayed where he was. Maybe he was smarter than I gave him credit for. The last thing I wanted was for him to draw her attention now that she was somewhat pinned between us. I held up both hands, palms forward in the universal sign of no harm. “My name is Liam, and I am a Guardian.”
Her chest heaved as she sucked wind hard, as if she had been running flat out. “Even a Guardian can’t protect me. And why would you bother? We aren’t the same species.” She took a step back. “No one can save me.”
I kept my approach slow, as if trying to calm a wild animal.
“Save you from what?” Levi asked.
She glanced at him and then back to me.
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