Tribes of Man: The Beginning [Tribes of Man] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Online Free PDF Page B

straighter as though a thought just occurred to him. “Could he have slipped into the closet?”
    He started to stand, but Raina grasped his hand more tightly. “No, he’s gone. I felt him leave.”
    “But how? The alarm was set when I got here. Could he have the codes?” Gideon tried to settle in his seat, but a large part of him needed to get up and do something.
    “I think he just disappeared. I don’t think he’s human.”
    When she dropped that little bombshell, Gideon just stood up and let go of her hand. Raina noticed that her vision remained for a few seconds after he let her go.
    Gideon started to pace. “I’m not crazy,” Raina said.
    “I didn’t say you were,” he said, but she could feel his doubt.
    “What did he say?” Gideon asked calmly.
    “He said that I was safe, that he would protect me.”
    Gideon growled low in his throat. His possessive instincts were kicking in again. “You are safe. Maybe you were reading my thoughts?” He was grasping at anything to explain what she was saying.
    “No, he was there. I asked him if he was human, and he said no.” She frowned. “I know it sounds crazy, but is any of this realistic? I mean, I can see in the water, I can hear your thoughts, I can see through your eyes, we’re sharing dreams. Is any of that normal?”
    Gideon sat down with a hard thump. He didn’t reach for her hand. “OK, let’s suspend some disbelief, shall we? Could he be the man in the dream?”
    “No way,” Raina answered emphatically. “The man in the dream was cruel and wanted to hurt me. This man didn’t.” She moved her mug around on the table. “He’s not going to hurt me.”
    “How can you be sure the man in your room wasn’t the same guy as from your dream?” Gideon asked. It seemed like a reasonable question.
    “It may not be rational, but I’m sure he won’t hurt me. Maybe he’s a ghost or something, but he’s not a vampire or anything else like that.” Raina tapped a beat out on the table with her fingers.
    “A ghost?” Gideon couldn’t keep skepticism out of his voice.
    “If you’re going to suspend disbelief, then suspend it, Gideon. I know it wasn’t the same man as in the dream, yet I know he wasn’t human, just like I know that this entire thing makes you crazy. You have to deal in concrete things, but this isn’t. We’re mixed up in something supernatural.”
    His mental bullshit was so loud that she heard it even without touching him.
    “It isn’t bullshit. I’m not crazy and neither are you, but I do think that I’m in danger. I can’t guard myself against something if I don’t know what it is.”
    “You’re not going to guard yourself against anything. It’s my job to protect you, and that’s what I’m going to do.” Gideon sounded angry. “We’re in this together.”
    Raina just sighed in relief.
    “OK, then, what do we do now? What’s the next logical step?” Gideon asked, leaning back in his seat.
    “I’m not sure. I think we should go on with life while we try to figure it out. You were going to see someone this morning. I have to work this afternoon. We can meet here tonight.” Raina’s hands shook only slightly when she lifted her mug for a sip of tea.
    “What about Bryce?” Gideon asked. “What should we tell him?”
    “As little as possible. I think he’s in danger if he knows too much,” Raina replied.
    “I need him to keep an eye on you when I’m not around.”
    Raina laughed. “I’ve been keeping an eye on myself for a long time. I think I can handle not being followed around. I’m a big girl.”
    To Gideon, she seemed too delicate for this situation. “Do you have a cell phone?”
    “Of course.” Raina walked over to the shelf by the back door and started fishing in her purse for it.
    “Before I go, I’ll program my number into it. You call me right away if something happens. I also want Bryce staying with you at night for a few days.” He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat on