Under Suspicion

“It was me, Will.”

 

 

“What, now?”

 

“The person who hit Kale. He thought he was hitting me.” I slammed my palm to my forehead. “Oh God. I set her up. She was wearing my coat. I told her to wear my coat. Think about it. We’re about the same size, and in my jacket—especially with the collar cocked up like I had it—Kale would have looked like any other townie heading across the street. If whoever did this watched us walk into the diner, he must have thought that he was hitting me. Oh God. Oh God. Ohgodohgod.” I rested my forehead on the table. “It’s happening again. Alex said it was just a matter of time before another group of angels found out about me, and now they have.”

 

Will rested his chin on the table so he could look at me. “We’re not sure of that, love.”

 

“Not sure?” I sprang up. “Someone tried to kill me, Will. They tried to smear me on the asphalt—only it wasn’t me.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I should never have let Kale wear my jacket. I should have known better! Of course it was personal. Of course it was! I’m Sophie Lawson—supernatural Vessel of Souls—and everyone wants to kill me.” I felt my eyes tear. “You’ve got to get out of here, Will. You’re not safe. You’re not safe around me. No one is.” My voice had reached a high-pitched squeak, and the sob that I refused to release ached in my chest.

 

Will stood up and wrapped his arms around me, and I fell into his hug, slumped against his chest.

 

“Anyone around me is going to be in danger,” I said. “I can’t do that to my friends.”

 

Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” thundered through my head, my own personal hair band soundtrack. I sniffed. My miserable existence didn’t even warrant Bon Jovi.

 

Will gently rested his chin on the top of my head. “Well, you’re stuck with me, love. Protecting you is exactly what I’m here for.”

 

He pressed his lips into my hair, and I couldn’t hold back the sob any longer. I pinched my eyes shut and felt the tears rush over my cheeks. My mind filled with pictures of the intersection, of Kale, crumpled and battered, her head resting in Will’s hands.

 

That was supposed to be me.

 

“We have to find out who’s doing this, Will,” I said. “We have to find out before anyone else gets hurt.” I pulled away from Will. “Mrs. Henderson, Bettina—and now Kale!”

 

“Do you think they mistook her for the dragon and the—what’s the bird again?”

 

I frowned. “A banshee. And I don’t see how they would. Bettina was leaving her apartment. It’s across town, by the ballpark. And she looks nothing like me.”

 

Will nodded thoughtfully as though this all made perfect sense. “Right. No one would mistake you for a banshee.”

 

I knew he was playing with me, but he pulled me back toward his chest, enfolding me in his arms. I felt remarkably, unexpectedly safe. His heart thumping against my chest was a comfort, as were the little puffs of his moist breath against the part in my hair. Standing there wrapped in Will’s arms, I almost felt safe. Almost allowed myself to feel comfortable. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought of Kale, and Bettina—and Alex.

 

I stepped away, completely out of Will’s reach this time. “You should probably go.”

 

Will’s hand was on the doorknob when the car alarm went off. Its wailing siren was insistent and annoying, and the side of Will’s lip curled in disgust.

 

“Did you know in Australia that’s the sound the tropical birds make?” He shook his head. “I don’t see why people don’t do away with those bloody things. No one listens to them, anyway.”

 

I clenched my teeth together in a forced smile and grabbed my purse from the peg by the door. “That one’s mine.”

 

Will cocked an eyebrow.

 

“I parked on the street. There was parking right out front and I was a little too creeped out for the underground.”

 

Will opened the door and ushered me out. “Let’s go turn it off.”

 

I stepped out into the hallway, a sudden prick of fear sending gooseflesh all over. “Do you think it’s something bad?”

 

Will snorted. “It’s a car alarm, love. A heavy breeze probably came by and set the thing off.”

 

I pushed through the vestibule door, with keys in hand, trying to soak in Will’s nonchalance. “You’re probably right.”

 

“Maybe someone thought your car was a werewolf,” Will said, grinning.

 

I rolled my eyes at his stab at humor.