Page 62 of Heat Lightning

“The man has suffered an unclaimed bond for two years. He sounds like a bit of a masochist. Just cut to the chase for both of your sakes. What’s there to lose?”

“My pride. Also, my life. He murders people. Did I not make that clear?”

Her gaze sharpened, boring into me. “Has he ever hurt you? Or threatened to hurt you?”

Chastened, I shook my head. “No,” I whispered. “I should be afraid of him. But even from the beginning, even when he was following me, he does this thing.”

She cocked her head, encouraging me to go on.

“It’s like, I can’t help but relax around him. It’s probably just stupid pheromones that don’t mean anything, but it makes me feel…”

“What?”

I couldn’t look her in the eye. “It makes me feel safe. And that’s terrifying.”

A few moments of companionable silence passed while Gwen finished her cookie. “I’ve never told you about my life before I moved to Plover Bay.”

It wasn’t a question. Something in her tone shifted the air between us, and I locked in, riveted on her next words.

“I was married to someone who never made me feel safe in our relationship. Excited and addicted, yes. But not real safety. Not once. Not ever. What you describe isn’t something an alpha can fake, Max.”

My pulse picked up. “What did you do?”

She was the one to break eye contact with me this time. “I stayed. For too long. And then I left.”

I reached across the table and took her hand. “I’m sorry.”

She gripped it back. “The law doesn’t always get it right. Restraining orders only make it so they can be charged after they hurt you. You were spared before you became another victim, failed by our reactive and broken justice system.”

I searched her gaze. “Are you saying you’re not morally opposed to what he does? To vigilante justice?”

Squeezing my hand again, she released it. “Not when it saved my friend’s life.”

My mind spun around and around. The oven timer dinged again, and I stood to pull the sausage rolls out.

“Thank you,” I said once they were set aside to cool. “For listening.”

She smirked. “Just be sure to tell me all about it afterwards. Who knows, maybe you’ll fall madly in love.”

I snorted. “Not likely. He doesn’t seem the type to share his feelings.”

She gave me a look that screamed danger. “I have an idea, but you’re going to have to trust me.”

Oh, no. “Whatever you’re planning, it’s a no.”

She pouted. “Come on. It’ll be fun. And might even do you some good.”

I sighed. Again, there was usually very little point in arguing when she got something in her head. “Why do I feel like I’ll regret this?”

She plucked a sausage roll off the tray and dropped it onto a plate, headed for the door. “You won’t.”

I shot her a look. “Are you sure you’re being a good friend? I thought you’d tie me up and throw away the key to keep me away from this guy, not make me⁠—”

“Confront that you’re hot for the sexy masked vigilante stalker who’s committed several felonies just to make sure you’re okay?” she cut in. “Yeah. Have fun with that. Some of us can’t even get a Hinge date to show up, so maybe look on the bright side.”

She took a bite of the sausage roll, wincing from the heat. “Hey,” she continued, mouth full, “you could do some scrolling on TikTok in the meantime. I think you’ll find you have a strong, supportive community there.”

I chucked a towel at her. “Fuck off,” I said with a laugh.