Free Leopard's Kiss (Shadow Guardians) (Shadows Guardians Book 1) by Stephanie Rowe Page A

grief that filled her. The pain was still so raw, eating away at her. When she'd been focused on tracking down Julia, she'd been able to keep the pain at bay, using Julia's disappearance to consume her every thought, whether awake or asleep. She'd never slowed down long enough to face the horror of her mother's death, and she didn't want to do it now. She understood Slade's point, but...she shook her head, her chest aching with the raw grief that she'd fought off so hard. "I don't know if I can relive it," she said honestly. "I don't want to, and I don't know if I can let myself go back there."
    The stoic expression on his face softened, and he held out his hand. "I've been there," he said quietly. "I'll help you. We'll do it together."
    She stared at his outstretched hand, somehow knowing that if she took it, she was committing herself to him, surrendering herself into his protection, and thrusting herself deeper into the situation. Her mother had always told her that if someone came after them, that she had to run. Her mother had always said that fighting would wind up with them all dead. Run, Anya. The words had been engrained in Anya's mind over and over and over through her life. The four of them had spent their lives on the run, moving every couple months, never making connections, living as shadows that no one noticed. If someone kills me, run as fast and as far as you can. It's your only chance. Promise me you'll run, Anya. Promise me.
    She could still see her mother's amber-brown eyes beseeching her for that promise. Yes, Mom, I've told you a million times. I'll run if something happens to you, but nothing's going to happen. We'll be fine. We know how to disappear.
    And her mother's response. Just promise me you'll run. Nothing matters to me more than your survival. You must run, Anya. You must run.
    She'd promised to run, and that's what she and Julia had been doing when Julia had gone into a grocery store and never come out.
    "Anya. Come." Slade lifted his hand higher, beckoning to her. "We don't have time to waste. I need to know it all. Now."
    If she took Slade's hand, they weren't going to run. He was going to make them stand and fight until it was over. She would be breaking the promise she'd made to her mother. Her throat tightened, and guilt twisted her gut, but the truth was, she couldn't save her mother anymore. But was Julia still alive out there, somewhere, needing help? What kind of choice was that? Break her promise, or abandon the one person still alive in this world who mattered to her?
    Her mother had said run.
    But running hadn't saved any of them.
    Maybe it was time for something new.
    She looked at Slade, with his taut muscles, his deadly visage, and the steely glint in his eyes. This was her protector now. Her guardian. Her key. Now was the time to fight. She could always run later, if she needed to. She took a deep breath. "Okay." She put her hand in his, and when his fingers closed around hers, she knew she'd sealed the deal with the devil himself.
    A devil, who just might save her...as long as he didn't kiss her again, of course.
    But as he drew her beside him on the couch, his powerful body coiled with deadly energy, there was no way for her not to notice the hunger in his eyes or the way her body responded to him.

Chapter 7
    A nya perched on the edge of the couch, too restless to sit still. Slade was watching her intensely, too intensely, as if he were trying to bleed out every memory she had of her mother. "I don't know who killed her," she said. "Julia and I were at the post office, mailing bread, and when we came back—"
    "Wait." He held up his hand. "Mailing bread ? What does that mean?"
    She stared at him in surprise. "You don't know what bread is?"
    He scowled. "I know what bread is. I just haven't heard of anyone mailing it at a post office."
    "We bake bread. I mean, we baked bread. I mean, I baked bread. God. It's just me now. I forgot. I hate it when I forget." She stood up, pacing