head. One of the regulars saw him with her. He’d never seen him before. If Muriel had met a handsome man, she wouldn’t have been able to keep him a secret. I would’ve known, and she would’ve brought him around the pub to show him off.
Benedict placed a large hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You might be right. That’s why I came to warn you.”
Warn me? Her dream popped back into her head, and she realized she should probably warn him, too. There was a good chance he wouldn’t believe her, but she had to try.
“I came by last night, but you had a gentleman at the counter. It was near closing so I didn’t come inside. I didn’t want to keep you late.” He paused. She raised her gaze from his lips. Concern lined his dark eyes. “Later, when I was leaving a restaurant, I saw that same gentleman from your shop walking with a woman with blond, curly hair. After hearing about your cousin, I realized the resemblance.”
Juliana shook her head, writing frantically. That’s impossible. Colin was with me.
“Did he leave you to search for her?”
Her blood chilled. She nodded slowly, remembering Colin’s note. He had something to tell her about Muriel.
“This is going to sound crazy.” Benedict sighed. “But that man you were with last night, he isn’t what he seems. I…” He shook his head.
You know Colin?
“I know of him.” His eyes narrowed. “You will need to see him in action to believe it.”
In action? She wrote, pausing. What was he talking about? On the farm?
“No, he doesn’t hunt there.”
Colin hadn’t mentioned being a hunter. Of course, she hadn’t spent much time with him to find out what he did when he wasn’t shearing sheep.
Benedict held out his hand. “Let me buy you an early dinner and I’ll show you what mean. If I’m wrong about your new friend, no harm done, but if I’m right, I want you to be safe.”
Colin’s note also warned her to be safe. She reached up to grasp the Celtic triangle pendant around her neck, tracing the knot with her fingertip. The banshee in her dream had called for her. A warning, not an inescapable omen.
She stared at Benedict’s hand. He was mistaken about Colin. He would have told her if he’d seen Muriel. Benedict had to be mistaken.
Plus, Muriel didn’t leave the pub with Colin. He’d been at dinner with Juliana when Muriel had vanished. But if he’d freed her from her abductor later…
What was she thinking? The man who’d bared his scars to her and admitted he wanted to protect her would never have harmed Muriel. He’d come to her upset, needing healing. There was no way he’d do something like that.
Benedict waited patiently. He’d never given her any reason for concern. She’d been alone with him in her shop more times than she could count. What could a bite to eat hurt? They’d be in a public place, and after they found Colin, he’d explain what happened to her and Benedict both.
She didn’t take his hand. She picked up her pen again. Give me a few minutes to put the flowers away and lock up.
He smiled and stepped out of the way, but something in his eyes unsettled her. There was a trace of smugness in his smile, like he’d won something. As she lifted buckets into the refrigerators, she also slid her pepper spray and the utility knife from her apron pocket into her jeans. Other than casual chats in her store, she didn’t know Benedict at all.
It never hurt to be cautious.
She was beauty in motion. The blossoms paled in the presence of her smile. Benedict glanced at his watch. For his plan to work, he needed to be sure he had Juliana out before sunset. He was betting Colin would hunt before he went to see her. The Night Walker’s skin was cold without an influx of fresh blood.
Benedict was well aware of Colin’s penchant for criminals and shady businessmen by the docks. If Juliana witnessed him feeding, saw his fangs for herself, she’d understand that below the skin, the Night
Benedict placed a large hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You might be right. That’s why I came to warn you.”
Warn me? Her dream popped back into her head, and she realized she should probably warn him, too. There was a good chance he wouldn’t believe her, but she had to try.
“I came by last night, but you had a gentleman at the counter. It was near closing so I didn’t come inside. I didn’t want to keep you late.” He paused. She raised her gaze from his lips. Concern lined his dark eyes. “Later, when I was leaving a restaurant, I saw that same gentleman from your shop walking with a woman with blond, curly hair. After hearing about your cousin, I realized the resemblance.”
Juliana shook her head, writing frantically. That’s impossible. Colin was with me.
“Did he leave you to search for her?”
Her blood chilled. She nodded slowly, remembering Colin’s note. He had something to tell her about Muriel.
“This is going to sound crazy.” Benedict sighed. “But that man you were with last night, he isn’t what he seems. I…” He shook his head.
You know Colin?
“I know of him.” His eyes narrowed. “You will need to see him in action to believe it.”
In action? She wrote, pausing. What was he talking about? On the farm?
“No, he doesn’t hunt there.”
Colin hadn’t mentioned being a hunter. Of course, she hadn’t spent much time with him to find out what he did when he wasn’t shearing sheep.
Benedict held out his hand. “Let me buy you an early dinner and I’ll show you what mean. If I’m wrong about your new friend, no harm done, but if I’m right, I want you to be safe.”
Colin’s note also warned her to be safe. She reached up to grasp the Celtic triangle pendant around her neck, tracing the knot with her fingertip. The banshee in her dream had called for her. A warning, not an inescapable omen.
She stared at Benedict’s hand. He was mistaken about Colin. He would have told her if he’d seen Muriel. Benedict had to be mistaken.
Plus, Muriel didn’t leave the pub with Colin. He’d been at dinner with Juliana when Muriel had vanished. But if he’d freed her from her abductor later…
What was she thinking? The man who’d bared his scars to her and admitted he wanted to protect her would never have harmed Muriel. He’d come to her upset, needing healing. There was no way he’d do something like that.
Benedict waited patiently. He’d never given her any reason for concern. She’d been alone with him in her shop more times than she could count. What could a bite to eat hurt? They’d be in a public place, and after they found Colin, he’d explain what happened to her and Benedict both.
She didn’t take his hand. She picked up her pen again. Give me a few minutes to put the flowers away and lock up.
He smiled and stepped out of the way, but something in his eyes unsettled her. There was a trace of smugness in his smile, like he’d won something. As she lifted buckets into the refrigerators, she also slid her pepper spray and the utility knife from her apron pocket into her jeans. Other than casual chats in her store, she didn’t know Benedict at all.
It never hurt to be cautious.
She was beauty in motion. The blossoms paled in the presence of her smile. Benedict glanced at his watch. For his plan to work, he needed to be sure he had Juliana out before sunset. He was betting Colin would hunt before he went to see her. The Night Walker’s skin was cold without an influx of fresh blood.
Benedict was well aware of Colin’s penchant for criminals and shady businessmen by the docks. If Juliana witnessed him feeding, saw his fangs for herself, she’d understand that below the skin, the Night
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