Page 18 of Blood in the Water

Cas stalked over, a bundle of clothing in his hands and two empty backpacks slung across his back. “Ready?”

I nodded and handed my clothes to Cas. Something about this woman wouldn’t let me go. I cocked my head to the side. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she smiled tightly, glancing over her shoulder again. No one was there. The store was quiet except for a few other women shopping in the back. “Have a nice day.”

She was lying. I could have pushed her, maybe could have given her money or something, but it wasn’t any of my business. I had other things to worry about right now—like the constant mental replay of my father’s murder every time I closed my eyes.

“Well, thanks for the chat,” I told the woman. I didn’t wait for her to respond before I followed Cas to the cashier, and we started checking out.

“Find everything you were looking for?” The woman said with a huge, friendly smile and a bright pink blush. She stared wide-eyed at Cas.

“Yes, thank you,” he responded politely, pulling some cash from his wallet. The cashier started separating our clothes into two piles, one for me and one for him. “You can put everything in one bag, thanks.”

She nodded as she scanned a few more items. “Going to the same household?”

I scowled. Was she flirting with him? And why did that make me so pissed off?

“Yes.” A sudden, fierce, possessive urge came over me. The wave of emotion after feeling so fucking broken almost had me reeling. I clutched his arm and put my hand in the crook of his elbow.

It had never been lost on me that Cas was fucking hot with his dark hair, ocean blues, and huge muscles. But standing here, seeing this cashier ogle him like he was a piece of meat, lit a fire under my skin. It was the first time I’d felt, well,anythingsince I’d realized my death was likely imminent.

He looked down at me with a strange look I couldn’t place.

“Everything okay?” he murmured so closely that his lips brushed against the shell of my ear.

“Of course,” I whispered back, acutely aware of his close proximity. Why did this woman flirting with Cas piss me the fuck off? “Let’s just go, okay?”

He nodded. While the cashier scanned the rest of our items, Cas gently wrapped one of his arms around my shoulders. It was something he had done often since we were kids, though less frequently in the last few years, and it always left me feeling a little warm and fuzzy. Right now, though, it made me want to cry.

“Here’s your receipt!” the cashier said, frankly far too chipper for a Monday afternoon.

“Thanks,” Cas said, his deep voice rumbling. “Have a good one.”

“You too! Come back soon!” she giggled. I swear, the woman was about to write her number on the receipt for how blatantly she was trying to get his attention.

I gripped harder on his arm while he grabbed the bags, and we headed out. As soon as we got out of the building, he let go of my shoulders and scanned the parking lot for threats. After a few moments, he led us across the parking lot to our waiting companion.

The Irishman flicked his cigarette into the rocks and started the car. “Got whatchya need, then?”

Cas opened the back door, and I slid into the back seat while grabbing the bags of clothes.

“Yeah. Thanks, Colin. Any issues out here?” Cas asked as he tucked his massive frame into the front seat and adjusted the guns under his jacket.

Colin shook his head and glanced at me from the rearview. “All’s been quiet. No suspicious activity. We should be in the clear.”

“Great. Let’s head to the airport then. I want to be on the plane before sunset.”

“Ya sure ya don’t want to see Fallon before you go?” Colin asked with a smirk.

Cas shot him a dark look and rolled his eyes. “I’m sure Fallon doesn’t want to see me.”

Colin navigated us out of the parking lot and onto the road. “Oh, aye, you’re right about that. To the airport, then.”

As we drove, I pulled my new boots out of the bag, kicked off the slides I wore, and then laced them up tightly. They were a little big but much better than my heels.

I clenched my hand on the knife in my pocket. Never wearing heels again.

One breath at a time.