I keep my hands visible, resting them casually in the pockets of my dark jeans, keeping my posture relaxed and completely non-threatening. I don't wear my MC cut tonight, just a heavy, dark wool coat over a black hoodie. I keep my distance, stopping about six feet away under the halo of the streetlamp.
“Hey,” I say softly, keeping my voice low, warm, and rich, the exact voice that I use when I want Becca to stop crying and bitching and listen to reason. “You’re going to freeze out here, honey.”
She snaps her head toward me, her eyes flashing with a sudden, violent defensive flare. She backs up instantly until her shoulder blades hit the cold brick wall of the building behind her.
“Get away from me,” she hisses, her teeth chattering so hard I can hear them from six feet away. “Touch me a
