"No thanks, Craig. I'm fine."
"You're sure? It's no trouble."
"I know, but Melinda will worry about you. You go home to her and the kids, make sure they're okay." Reminding him of his family never failed to shut him down. "I have my car here. I'll be fine." And maybe her rescuer would put in an appearance.
Waiting until everybody had left was the hardest thing ever. When she'd insisted she was fine on her own for the hundredth time, they left her in peace. Exactly five minutes after the coast cleared, she headed out the back. As she double checked that the door was locked, warm air brushed against the side of her neck, raising goose bumps.
"I told you I would be here."
A quick wave of heat sailed through her belly as she spun around. "I'm glad." The word rushed out on her surprised breath.
"Are you, Miya?"
She nodded as his lips brushed against her neck. Instinct guided her to turn into his embrace but before she could, light flared inside the kitchen, visible through the security glass of the door. "What on earth?"
He stiffened against her, closer than she'd imagined. "You have the key?"
She handed it to him without question and waited while he unlocked the door and slipped inside. Following on his heels, her jaw dropped at the scene before her.
Her friend Kassie, shaking and fragile-looking, braced a lanky boy against her slight frame. Seeming barely conscious and hardly able to stand, the kid moaned softly.
Everything else forgotten, Miya darted forward. "Kassie, what's wrong?"
Before she could reach Kassie, the largest, brightest man she'd ever seen put himself in front of her.
"It's okay, Lyght." Kassie's soft voice trembled, betraying fear and pain.
Miya ignored the man and went around him to her friend. "What can I do?" Even while she spoke, her gaze searched, finding the signs of horror and injury. "Oh, Honey, what happened?"
Kassie shook her head. "Not now. The boy needs food, fast. He's too weak to eat solids."
Miya nodded and switched gears into first aid mode. It took only a second to grab one of the individual serving-size cartons of OJ and pop a straw into it. She held it under the boy's mouth while he drank weakly. Close up, she realized he was rather large for the twelve year old she'd first taken him for.
Looking back to Lesedi, she hoped he didn't mind helping. "Would you get in the fridge, over there?" She nodded toward it. "There are little bowls of jello ready for tomorrow. That will help."
He complied without a word, his mahogany skin looking even darker in the dim light of the kitchen.
Miya helped Kassie adjust the boy in her lap and knelt to feed him. Poor thing. He was shockingly pale, with cracked and bleeding lips. He would need careful watching.
While she concentrated on the boy, she kept one eye on her savior. He approached the big man who seemed to be with Kassie and thrust his hand out. "I am Lesedi."
The other man looked at his hand, seeming confused for an instant, then took it. "Lyght."
"Are you followed?"
"Maybe."
Lesedi nodded and moved quickly to lock the door and checked the window, then disappeared into the front for a few minutes.
When he came back, he spoke quietly to the other man, then they both nodded, before he came over to Miya. "I think we should gather what might be needed here and move across the street to my hotel room. It will be safer."
Miya started to nod. "No, wait, my place is only a few blocks away and there won't be anyone there." She waited for his agreement then touched his arm. "Grab some more of the jello and OJ, and a tub of soup from the bottom shelf of the fridge." She glanced around until her gaze landed on the big industrial first aid kit over the sink. "Bring that too."
Miya caught the strange man's inquisitive stare on Lesedi who complied quickly with her instructions. He suddenly turned his diamond-looking eyes on her. Fear froze her breath in her throat as they locked gazes. This one was more foreign than the foreigner. Her mind struggled to connect logic to his appearance and the aura he carried but it was like running in circles, nothing working.
He suddenly nodded at her with a smile. "Perfect."
Just like that, the fear inside her rushed out like he'd turned on a tap. Miya couldn't resist a bubbly grin, feeling like she'd gained favor with someone extremely significant.
The Twilight Zone moment continued on as she numbly lead the little crew cautiously out the back door to her car. The new guy had brought bigger issues into her little world than Lesedi had. And as much as that should have alarmed her, she felt oddly at peace.
She drove them to the front of the diner and Lesedi hopped out. "Give me a moment and I will follow you. My car may be useful soon." He disappeared and a moment later headlights flared to high beam for a second, then back to low, signaling her to lead the way.