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the attacker’s throat.
    “Trina.”
    After a short pause, he slowly lowered the motionless body
dangling from his arm. She stepped back and swore he growled before dropping
the guy at her feet.
    The body didn’t so much as twitch.
    Trina stooped and picked up the blade, closing and stuffing
it in her pocket. When she glanced up, her rescuer stared down at her.
Uncomfortable at the attention, she shrugged. “I should be going.”
    When she turned to pick up her pack, he beat her to it,
scooping the bag up in his big mitt and falling into step next to her without a
word. She paused, her fingers itching to snatch her backpack to her chest. That
bag carried the last of her meager possessions and had been her constant
companion for the last three weeks.
    Common sense reasserted itself. It wasn’t like he would run
off with it. She followed, her heartbeat kicked up a notch.
    Did he know she’d been living on his property?
    He must.
    Dare she go back or would it be smarter to leave? What kept
her from running was she didn’t have anywhere else to go.
    “You’ve been following me.” Way to state the obvious. She
winced. People were not her strong suit. Give her petri dishes, test tubes and
mass spectrometers any day.
    Those broad shoulders shrugged. Her gaze dropped, and she
noticed his limp.
    “You’re hurt.” She stopped short, unable to move as she
realized he’d been injured protecting her.
    No one would be safe around her until this was over.
    Even this indomitable man.

 
     
     
     
     
      Chapter Four
     
    L eo
took a few more steps before he noticed the girl had stopped. When he followed
her tonight, he had not intended to reveal himself. Not until he saw her in
danger. Then he’d had trouble preventing his lion from taking over and eliminating
the threat permanently.
    Now he didn’t know what to do with her.
    Trina.
    He liked the way her name sounded in his mind. It suited
her. Knowing more about her eased a little knot in his chest. She wouldn’t be
able to disappear without a trace anymore. Not when he held her bag. The
adrenaline from the fight wore off, and his back twinged with every step.
    “You’re a witch.”
    Calmness descended over the girl, and she advanced toward
him. “Doctor,” she corrected. “Well, not a witch doctor . Just a doctor.
Shutting up now.”
    Her earnestness was endearing, and a smile tugged at his
lips. She rolled her eyes, but the dust of red highlighting her cheeks begged
him to touch.
    Then she crouched at his feet
    Every thought evaporated at her suggestive pose, all the
blood heading to parts south. He cursed that damn ever-present stocking cap. It
sat perched on her head, and he wanted to yank it off to see all of her.
    When she laid her hands on him, ran those long fingers over
and up the inside of his thigh, he sucked in a sharp breath and concentrated on
keeping his legs locked. His mind battled his body’s demand to snatch her up in
his arms and strip her naked.
    It took a precious few seconds for her words to penetrate
his befuddled mind.
    “I don’t see any wound or blood. There doesn’t appear to be
any deep tissue damage. Where were you hit?”
    Deep brown eyes gazed up at him, and he had to clear his
throat twice before any sound besides a growl would emerge. “Not.”
    Sirens rose in the distance. He grabbed her arm and hauled her
upright, his long strides carrying them quickly down the street. It annoyed him
to find bulky clothing under his hand and not skin.
    “Hey.” When she tried to tug away, his grip tightened for a
fraction of a second. He didn’t want to release her and had to force his hand
to let go.
    “Sorry.” He dropped back, crowding close to her body, unable
to not be near her. He locked his hands behind his back to prevent
himself from swinging her up in his arms and physically removing her from the danger
of being out in the open. “Cops.”
    Without a word, she increased her stride, not looking either
right or left as they