Page 11 of Property of Yak

He holds me to his chest. “It’s okay. I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry.”

The gentle way he holds me is contradictory to the way he murdered two men right in front of me. I should be scared, but I feel relieved.

What if I had called the cops? My dad would have come for sure. Then these men would have made bail. I don’t doubt that. Would they have come back and finished the job?

Even worse, what if they hired Henry to represent them? They would come into the office to see him.

I shake my head. Henry wouldn’t take the case. Not with me being a conflict of interest. Still, my mind spirals.

“Angel, look at me.”

His deep tone pulls me from my thoughts as I meet his eyes.

I’m surprised that I can see the flecks of gold in the alley lights. He almost looks like a superhero.

“Are you hurt? Do you need a doctor?” He cups my cheek, keeping my head up when it wants to fall to his chest again.

“I’m not hurt.”

At least I don’t think I am. I can barely feel my own body. I feel like my blood is pumping so hard through it that it’s numb.

It’s the adrenaline. I’ve heard of this feeling but never truly felt it myself. It’s scary how little I feel in this moment.

“Who did you come with? I can go get them.”

I clutch his vest and shake my head, “No. I don’t want to go in there, and I don’t want you to leave. Please. Don’t leave me.”

He sighs. “All right. You need to let them know where you are. Do you have a phone?”

“If I tell her, she will come out here. Then I will need to explain all of this. I…” I hesitate to continue.

“What? Speak your mind.”

I look up into his eyes and speak the truth, “I would need to call the cops if she comes, and I know I should. It’s the right thing to do, but then you will go to jail, and even though I could get you the best lawyer in the area, I don’t want you to be punished for saving me. Is that wrong?”

He leans down, pressing his forehead to mine. “You’re worried about me?”

I nod. “You wouldn’t have…” I struggle to say the word “murder,” so I skim over it. “Did what you did if I wasn’t stupid and stepped outside by myself. I think this is one secret we can keep.”

“I won’t stop you if you want to call the cops. I killed them because they wouldn’t have stopped. They would have taken from you then snuffed your life out. Even if I let them go and called the cops, they would have sought you out to eliminate the witness. If they hadn’t, they would have found another vulnerable girl. One that wouldn’t have me there to watch over them.”

“So really, you’re my angel then.”

He snorts. “I’m no angel, baby. Far from it.”

I nod. “Even Lucifer was an angel at one point.”

He lets the words sit in the air as he stares at me.

“What?” I finally ask.

He shakes his head. “Your phone?”

I go to look away from him, but he keeps his forehead on mine.

“Don’t look. Tell me.”

I bite my lip. “I don’t know. I think I dropped my purse and phone when they pulled me down here.”