The Heathen (Preacher Brothers 2)

“As in you don’t find the opposite sex attractive?” The words spilled out before I could stop them, and I instantly felt my face heat in embarrassment.

I wasn’t judging, not in the least. I could only assume he was gay if women had never been a presence in his life. Or maybe he was celibate? Was he implying he’d never actually been with one? I couldn’t even imagine a man at his age being a virgin, but that had been the first thing I thought of after he said those words.

And that seemed unbelievable for how… attractive he was.

He lifted his head and stared into my eyes, and I shivered for a second. “And you didn’t call the authorities?”

I shook my head instantly at the tone of his voice. “I couldn’t. The w-weather,” I stuttered. His voice was threatening, and I wondered—worried—what he would have done if I’d told him I had. “The cell towers have been out.” He sat up straighter and I leaned back in my chair a little more. “Wi-Fi is out too,” I said softly. Why had I admitted any of that? So now he knew I was out here with him alone and unable to contact anyone.

He shifted on the couch and I held my breath.

“I thought the storm would let up by now, but it’s only gotten worse.” God, shut up.

He glanced toward the living room window, and I watched as his entire body tightened right in front of me. Cullen slowly turned his head back toward me but only glanced at me for a second before his gaze landed on his duffel.

Everything in me froze as I stared at the duffel as well. I swore I saw his shock, anger, and something else filter across his face before he turned his hard stare back at me.

“You open that bag?” His voice was dangerously calm as he asked that question.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. His expression terrified me. I curled my hands around the armrests of the chair I sat in and straightened my spine, my muscles becoming uncomfortably tight.

God. Who have I brought into my house?

Time stood still as we stared at each other, as the heat in the room was sucked out and the air became cold, dead.

I held my breath as I watched him get up, his hand reaching out to grip the couch as he steadied himself. I saw the way he closed his eyes, his jaw tightening as if his pain was almost too much. And then he opened them and looked at me, his gaze locking on mine as that discomfort on his face morphed into a stern look of… resolve.

This frightening, apathetic look on his face chilled me to my very bones. He straightened and started walking toward the table where the bag sat.

I stood, but I didn’t know where I was going to go, couldn’t even move in that moment. I was nervous and frightened and I didn’t know why. I didn’t think he’d hurt me, and although there were red flags blaring about who this man was, what he was capable of, my gut instincts were always right about people. They had to be, working in the ER and dealing with criminals, violent and psychotic people.

But with Cullen, I didn’t feel that, not toward me anyway. And I didn’t know if that made me blind or ignorant toward reality.

Because the reality was this man was dangerous, and right now that danger, was pointed right at me.

Chapter Six

Cullen

I knew before I even looked in that duffel bag and pulled out the gun and envelope of money that she’d already seen them both. I knew she’d already looked at my ID, knew who I was, where I lived.

I knew all of this without her saying so, because of the expression on her face when I’d asked her, her fear coming from her like a gust of hot air slamming into my body.

I reached in the duffel and wrapped my hand around the gun, the metal cold in my palm. I slowly turned my head and looked at her, the way her chest rose and fell violently telling me she was terrified.

And for a split second, I felt this stirring inside me. Regret? Guilt? I didn’t know what it was, but knowing she was afraid, that I was the cause of that fear, made me feel… something.

I growled low in my throat at my own annoyance.

She might not know much, but she knew too much.

“You should’ve left me there,” I said in a low, deep, and dark voice, not hiding the threat in my tone.

I lifted the gun out of my bag and held it at my side. I saw the way her eyes lowered to the weapon in my palm, how they widened in fear… saw the way her throat moved up and down as she swallowed.