Her mind raced. Her dad had several guns he could loan her. She’d get those from him. Then she could get a security system installed. She wasn’t sure where she’d get the money for that—taking care of Zoe, even with the excellent medical insurance she had through work, was expensive. But she’d figure it out. Her parents would help. Then she’d have to talk to the police and see if they could do something for her…
She was deep in thought, considering her options, when Vlad snapped his fingers in her face. He was standing in front of her, so suddenly she hadn’t even realized he’d moved. She gasped and stepped back, but he grabbed her arms.
Panic pumped into her blood, and she moved on instincts that far outpaced her conscious thought. She grabbed his elbows, folded backward, and using her feet for extra leverage, flipped Vlad over her head, sending him careening into the opposite wall.
She rolled to her feet and spun to face him, taking a defensive stance, prepared to beat the ever-loving crap out of him if he came at her again. In fact, she almost hoped he did because kicking his ass would feel very, very good.
To her utter shock, he laughed. Laid out flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling, he laughed so hard tears leaked from the corners of his eyes.
She frowned and relaxed her stance—a little. He really was crazy. She had to get him out of her house.
He angled his head back to look at her. “I forgot about your black belts. That’ll teach me.”
She’d been training in aikido and jujitsu since she was Zoe’s age. Before starting college, she’d spent a year in Japan studying under a top aikido sensei. All her training and practice meant a lot of her reactions were so instinctive she didn’t have to think about them. She just flowed into motion with a speed that surprised most people who didn’t know her well.
Her martial arts experience had been one of the things Vlad had said he loved about her.
That memory hurt more than it should, so she pushed it aside.
“Don’t grab me again,” she said, her voice raspy with emotion.
“I didn’t mean to startle you. But you weren’t listening to me—as usual—and I was just trying to get your attention.”
“Figure out a better way of doing that next time. I take that back. There won’t be a next time. You need to leave.”
He rolled to his feet with a grace that made her scowl. No man should move that easily after being thrown on his ass. He seemed to have learned his lesson, though, because he kept his distance.
“Rose, I can’t abandon you. Not again. Not when I know you’re in danger.”
“I’ll take care of it. I’ve been taking care of things all on my own for years.”
“Really?” He nodded to the bedroom. “That was ‘taking care of things?’”
She crossed to him and slapped him hard enough to sting her hand. “Out. Now.” The slap had felt too good. If he didn’t leave now, she was afraid she might just hit him again.
He set fingers to his cheek and gave her a rueful half smile. “I deserved that. I’m sorry.”
“You deserve worse.”
“Yes. I do.”
She crossed her arms to keep from pummeling him, and to hide the way her hands were shaking. Having him here, reminding her she was failing to help Zoe, when he was the one who'd left, it was all too much.
But worse was her physical reaction to him. Standing this close, staring into his dark eyes, her pulse pumped and her breath came in deep, sharp pants. Lust and need tightened low in her stomach. She wanted to lean into him, follow up that slap with a kiss that would scorch them both. Her fingers itched to take his face in her hands, to hold him in place while she kissed him until the desire she hadn’t felt since he left was satisfied.
It was a terrible, embarrassing, stupid reaction. And it made her even angrier.
She dropped her chin and stared at him. If looks could kill, Vlad would be the one writhing in pain now.
“Okay, none of this is fair,” he said. “I am truly sorry. And I’m here to help. You don’t have to do this alone anymore.”
She sighed, feeling so overwhelmingly tired she just wanted him gone. “Go away, Vlad.”
“No.”
“Damn it—”
“I am not leaving you to face my brothers alone. And I’m not leaving Zoe to the pain she’s going through when it’s not necessary.”
That arrow hit home. She paused. Zoe’s pain wasn’t necessary? He knew how she could stop her daughter’s agony? “What do I need to do for her?”
“You need to allow me to teach her how to shift so she can let her tiger out when it needs to get out.”