Shelter Me: A Shelter Novel Read Online Free PDF

at the worst possible time."
    "I can't believe she told you."
    "She didn't, directly. But I saw her face when she came out of the back room. And I saw yours. And then I saw him."
    "Sorry," I said in a voice that was distinctly un-sorry.
    "Important night," he hissed. "You are not a gay man."
    "Then I need to find other role models besides you," I snapped back.
    "Mingle. Not with Lucas," he ordered.
    And I tried, I really did…but then I started hearing…
    "She's fucking Lucas Caine."
    "She's fucking every major art critic."
    "Panic attacks are a lie."
    The words swirled around me as the invisible noose around my head and neck. I'd be paralyzed soon, unable to breathe.
    I had pills in my pocket, small, easy to swallow, but I hated the way they made me feel.
    I was ruining Brayden's night—and I cared about that more than I cared about myself. I figured he could smooth things over, and no doubt find a way to make all of this into a positive, so I went into the back room and slid outside the heavy door into the back alley. I planned to walk home in the light rain, but I was surprised by the auburn-haired woman who'd followed me outside.
    I planned to keep walking but she blocked me with her body.
    Threat. It was all my mind registered. It flashed white hot in front of my eyes.
    Fight.
    Get away.
    Pure instinct raced through me but I forced myself to stand still. "Get out of my way."
    "My name's Meghan. And you need to get away from Lucas Caine."
    "Move." I tried to push past her, but she shoved me by the shoulder, catching me off guard. She was taller than me, and it didn't help that I'd kicked off my heels already while she still wore her spiked ones.
    Her eyes flashed. "Leave Lucas Caine alone."
    "He doesn't need a bodyguard."
    She leaned in. "He's got one. He doesn't need some shut-in posing as an artist to come in and use him."
    "Use him?" I couldn't help it—I laughed. If anything, the most honest assessment of the night was that we'd used each other. And he certainly hadn't seemed upset.
    "Your interviews make you sound like you're some kind of feral Nell," she hissed fiercely, her voice low. "No one rises up out of nowhere. I'm not going to stop digging until I find out what you're hiding." And if that wasn't enough, she also reached out, pinning me to the brick wall behind me, scratching the bare skin on my shoulder. "I will end you, Ryn. That's not an idle threat."
    Someone already tried, and I was still here. I'd be damned if I let myself ever be a victim again.
    I swung, the side of my closed fist connecting with her temple, stunning her momentarily. She let go of me and I took my advantage, grabbing her by the throat. My emotions had been too close to the surface over the past weeks anyway and I'd reached critical mass. I don't remember much after that but the burning anger that overtook me. I heard gasps, talking, but I was in a vacuum where nothing else existed, my mind full of my own demons.
    This time, they came with the flash of a brief memory, of me fighting and clawing and screaming even as I heard murmurs in the background.
    "Unstable bitch."
    "Crazy."
    "I'm definitely buying a painting now."
    "Front page news."
    …and then I was being held in strong arms I didn't bother fighting, with Lucas's voice in my ear. "People are watching—more reporters are coming—let's go." And just like that, the threat was diffused. My heart still pounded, adrenaline racing through me, soon to retreat and leave me weak and shaky.
    I heard him talking to someone else and then I was in a car with him and we were speeding away before I'd fully surfaced.

Chapter Three
    I hated leaving Brayden to deal with this situation but my behavior and Lucas's hold didn't leave me much choice. Besides, having me stay would definitely make things worse. I didn't want to know what the fallout would be right now. Twenty-four hours at a time—that was all I could handle on a good day. Otherwise, it was the moment in front of me, and that