I felt Kayal knew that too.
Now it happened again when I laid eyes on this new arrival.
I saw my surprise reflected in his twin’s eyes.
When he slid his hand into his jacket, I thought he was reaching for his wallet.
And when the object he drew out emerged, it took a moment for me to acknowledge what it was.
A gun.
Well, not strictly a gun.
It was different from any weapon I’d ever seen before.
It had a funky glass vial on top that shimmered with bright green liquid.
Bubbles drifted inside it, only they didn’t bubble up to the top but waltzed to the bottom.
He raised it and directed it at me.
My body acted on instinct.
My arm rose and pointed at him.
I shouted in a clear and loud voice:
“Gun! He has a gun!”
A hundred pairs of eyes snapped in my direction, each running across my extended finger that pointed at the new arrival.
Some screamed.
Some dropped to the floor.
Others panicked and ran for the exit located at the back of the room.
Still others burst into tears and cuddled their loved ones close.
It was, in short, pandemonium.
The guy holding the pistol seemed surprised by the reaction of the customers and moved to tuck it away.
It was already too late.
The only person who was calm and collected was Kayal.
He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me toward the back of the shop.
He was powerful and coupled with my still-present shock, I put up little resistance.
I glanced back at Isabella who crouched under her table, a look of abject terror on her face.
Gone was the cool and indifferent expression I had long associated with her.
She was as terrified of dying like anyone else.
But she needn’t be.
The guy with the pistol had his eyes focused on a single target.
Me.
He ran after us.
The customers screamed and bolted out of his way.
He ran with incredible speed, crossing the distance with ease.
Kayal shoved the people out of the way and kicked the emergency door open.
He yanked me out and slammed it behind us.
He peered around and grabbed a trashcan.
He jammed it under the door just as something powerful struck the door on the other side.
The trashcan slid back two inches.
An arm reached out, the blaster pistol cocked and aimed.
Kayal kicked at the door, slamming it on his twin’s arm.
He dropped the pistol.
He immediately bent down to pick it up.
Kayal kicked the gun, sending it skittering across the stained alley floor.
The arm retracted and Kayal braced the door with his body.
He waited, expecting another attack.
Just when I thought it was safe, he waited a little longer.
And a little longer.
I was in shock, just standing there, my arms by my side, watching the battle take place.
“What… What’s going on?” I stuttered. “Why is your twin trying to kill us?”
“He’s not my twin. And he’s not trying to kill us.”
“He is. I saw the pistol! And what is that thing anyway?”
“You misunderstand. He’s not trying to kill us. He’s trying to kidnap you.”
A lead weight fell through my feet.
I could hardly process his words.
Kidnap me?
Why?
What had I ever done to him?
I shuffled back.
“I… I have to get out of here. I… I need to leave.”
“Listen to me.”
Kayal braced my shoulders with his enormous hands.
Strong hands.
Safe hands?
“He had a gun… He was going to use it on me…”
“Killing you is the last thing on his mind. He wants to do a lot worse than kill you.”
I gibbered unintelligible words.
I didn’t plan on making any sound and it came as a surprise I made even that much noise.
Kayal listened to the door and eased back from it.
Awareness broke through my fear and I pointed at the door.
“He’ll come through. He’ll get me.”
“He’s not there. He’ll find another exit.”
“How can you know that?”
Kayal’s lips parted and his eyes drilled into mine.
He couldn’t think one thought before another leapfrogged it.
“I’ll explain later. Come with me.”
He took me by the arm again and led me across the alleyway.
He stamped on the glass vial of his twin’s weapon as we passed it.
The green liquid seeped into the concrete and melted it as if it were nothing more than a sheet of ice.
He dragged me down the alley, turned a corner, and shoved a store door open.
The smell of dried pet food struck my nostrils and made them sting.
Kayal pulled me up beside him in the front window and crouched behind a set of bird cages.
The little feathered creatures flapped their wings in their tiny cages.
He held me close and peered through the wires at the street outside.
“I heard the screams,” the store clerk said, leaning the palms of his hands on the front kiosk. “What’s going on out there?”
“A… A…” I said, words struggling to form on my lips.
“A dangerous criminal came into the coffee shop,” Kayal finished for me. “Do you have emergency response officers in this city?”
“The cops?”
Kayal nodded.
“Call them. Tell them there’s a gunman located outside the coffee shop down the street.”
The clerk snapped his ancient cellphone open and jabbed at the buttons.
“Hello? Police? I’d like to report a crime in progress.”
His voice faded out as the reality of my situation dawned on me.
I stumbled back and collided with a shelf of giant dried dog food bags.
“This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening.”
“Hey, hey.”
Kayal took me by the shoulders and held me firmly.
“This is happening. This is reality. You’re not dreaming, even if it feels like you are.”
I shook my head, disbelief overriding my senses.
“He’s coming for you,” Kayal said.
“Why? Why me?”
Kayal glanced out the window before replying.
“He was sent here to kidnap you and take you back to his world. It’s an evil place where he will force you to marry him.”
Marry him?
This was just getting weirder and weirder.
“I don’t understand.”
“And you won’t. Not until I get you back to my ship where I can explain everything. We’ll be safe on my planet.”
The air might have been sucked from the pet store.
My ship.
My planet.
Handsome and gorgeous Kayal might be, but he appeared to be
