“No.” I shove the bills back at him. I can’t believe this was all a ploy to get me to leave—to eliminate some of Willow’s competition. Plus, when I think of home, I think of Parker’s smiling face, but I also think of Diantha and Reina linking arms with me, Xander’s flirty little comments, the twins playing dice. Hell, I even think about Aristelle constantly looking frustrated with me.

Home feels more complicated than ever.

He doesn’t lift a finger as I continue to extend the money.

“You don’t know what you’ve gotten into. You don’t understand the risk, and you are not ready for it.” His deep brown eyes are cold but sincere. “Go home.”

I wince. “Tell me what I’ve gotten into, then.”

He shakes his head, dark curls shifting in the shadows.

He’s worried I can’t heal myself, but what are the odds I injure myself beyond repair?

My limbs are heavy. It’s been a long night. The bills feel light and carefree in my grip. I open my hand and let the wind take them. Roman makes no move to chase them, even though I must have been holding at least three hundred dollars.

He sighs. “Let me train you, then.”

“What?” I jerk my head up.

“You need to learn from another knife thrower.”

“Xander’s doing just fine.” I turn and head for the door to the club.

“Wait.” His hand grips my right elbow, and I almost pull away, but there’s a hint of desperation in his eyes that sparks a little bit of fear in me. But I’m not afraid of him. He seems like a statue that’s witnessed years of pain, all while staying strong for the next person to lean against.

So when he steps toward me until my elbow brushes his ribs as he leans down slightly toward my ear, I don’t even flinch. I feel safe with him, and it’s such an unusual feeling, especially for someone I just met. I can hardly make sense of it. I didn’t even feel that with Xander, not at first. But maybe I’m reading into it, and my comfort is built on the fact that he just saved me from a vampire attack—not that I couldn’t have handled them myself.

I turn so I can look up at his face, which is tight and nervous and so close to my neck that if a vampire hunter saw us, our position would make them do a double take.

“I can give you what you really want,” he says. His voice is so low that I can barely hear him. I glance around the street, but there’s nobody out here but us.