Behind him, Jared’s ringtone blared from his pocket. He ignored it.
“Kia?” She held on to the railing as she glanced back at him, her brow creased. “Suero’s Kia?”
That threw him.
“You know Suero?” Kia blinked, just as stunned.
She gave a slight nod, breath shaky. “Please… if you don’t mind, help me to the top of the steps. It’s not one of my good days.”
He didn’t know what that meant exactly, but the way she said it made him soften even more. He stepped in gently, sliding an arm around her waist, careful not to startle her this time. She leaned into him just enough to silently tell him she trusted the help.
“One step at a time,” he murmured.
She moved slowly, deliberate in her pace. Her breath hitched once, but she didn’t stop. Kia stayed steady, guiding her.
“Almost there,” he said, offering a quiet smile. “Just two more and you’ll have conquered Mount Everest. Feel proud. Not many survive the hike.”
She laughed, a soft, breathy sound, shaking her head at him. But it morphed into a groan on the last step.
Kia swatted at a bee hovering too close to her shoulder, muttering under his breath, “Nature’s trying to assassinate you. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
She reached the top step.
“You did it!” Kia grinned and threw his arms in the air, making fake crowd-cheering noises as she eased down onto the porch swing. “Ladies and gentlemen, a true hero among us!” he announced dramatically, hopping in place and clapping like she’d just taken Olympic gold. “Tell me, ma’am, how does it feel to conquer such a beast of a mountain?”
He held out his fist like a microphone, then shoved it right in front of her face.
She stared at his hand a little closely. Kia pulled it back, tucking it behind him. “So, uh… how’re you feeling?”
“Macey,” she said after a pause, her voice soft but clear. “Call me Macey.”
She fanned herself with one hand, catching her breath as her face tightened just slightly with discomfort. “Been better,” she admitted, voice lower. “Do me a favor and don’t mention this to Suero. He tends to worry too much.”
Kia snorted. “That’s the truth.”
He glanced toward the door, then back at her. “Do you need anything? Water? Ice pack? Just say the word. I’ll grab it so you don’t have to move.”
She waved a hand, dismissive but not unkind. “I just need to rest a moment. No need to fuss over me.” Her gaze lifted. “Where is Suero?”
Kia leaned against the porch railing, crossing his arms, trying to make himself smaller without drawing attention to the effort.
She seemed skittish, and he didn’t want her to feel threatened by him. He angled his posture slightly, but didn’t have to lean far. Kia wasn’t exactly towering.
But he was still a man, Macey was a woman, and clearly men frightened her. Someone had left their mark on her in ways no one ever should.
“He ditched me for bacon,” he said with a half-smile, trying to keep his tone light even as the ache hit hard. The morning with Suero had felt perfect. Now he just missed him like crazy.
He’d only left for a meeting, but Kia still worried.
Because Xavier didn’t make idle threats.
Crap! That fast, it had slipped his mind to call his uncle. He’d gotten so wrapped up in helping Macey that he’d completely blanked. He inwardly moaned while praying his overprotective uncle didn’t level the town.
Wolves might be tough, but cheetah were calculated. Xavier could already be in Blackthorn and no one would even know.
“Turnabout is fair play, huh?”
Kia blinked, pulled from his thoughts. He frowned, suddenly uneasy, swallowing back the rush of discomfort. Suero had spoken to her about how Kia had ghosted the guy.
