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without the need to butt heads. Rules such as working night shifts, and living alone. Now the Incredible Hulk seemed set on derailing it all.
    Time for a change of tactic.
    I sat down on the roundabout, kicked at the damp clumps of grass with my boots. He’d obviously decided he was my protector. And I’d obviously decided to go along with it – at least for the time being. Now it was a matter of managing that situation without the use of sledgehammers or nail files to the eyes.
    ‘Look, Gabriel,’ I said. ‘You need to understand how I see all of this. You say you’re here to protect me. Fine. There’s clearly a whole other world out there I don’t get. And yes, I believe you when you say those men were after me. But if we’re going to work together, if I’m going to
let
you protect me, I need to do certain things. And going home is one of them. I’ll compromise on the shower, but I do need to call in to my flat, grab a few things. Things that are important to me.’
    ‘Things that are more important than your life?’ he said softly, giving the roundabout a gentle push so it started to spin. The wind was cold and fresh on my face as I whirled, and by the time I returned to face him, I was ready to answer: ‘Yes. That important.’
    His expression softened, and he finally nodded his agreement. I tried very hard not to look smug as we walked towards the main road and hailed a cab.
    My flat is tucked away in a side street in a part of Liverpool known as Lark Lane. Anyone who’s been there will describe it as ‘bohemian’, which means you get vast Victorian villas full of actors, writers, students and smack-heads, all living side by side in uneasy harmony. At the bottom of the road is a vast green space, Sefton Park, with a boating lake and an aviary and loads of Peter Pan-style statues. It’s a nice place to visit, on those days when you’re not running for your life.
    As we approached the house, I felt Gabriel place a hand protectively in the small of my back, and I can’t say that I felt any urge to pull away from it. I hadn’t got a good look at my pursuers back at the station, and that wasn’t filling me with regret. I knew – I sensed – that they intended me harm. And Gabriel? He intended me something else entirely. I just didn’t know what.
    I fished the key out of my pocket, but there was no need. My front door, down the side of the building, was already open, banging in the breeze. Gabriel pulled me behind him, and I let him. There is a time for bravery, and this wasn’t it.
    As we tiptoed into the hallway, I heard screams and crashes coming from the living room. A shrill female yell, a barrage of thuds. The sound of something formerly made of pottery smashing into pieces.
    ‘Stay here!’ he ordered, shoving me up against the wall. He took a deep breath, and this time I wasn’t mistaken – he started to swell, to enlarge, gaining a couple of inches in height and even more muscle. He reared back and kicked the living-room door so hard it swung off its hinges.
    Inside were two men. Both dressed in black. One was collapsed in the corner, blood coming from his nose. The other was lying unconscious on the floor, his head wearing a plant pot and half a bonsai tree. Above him, arms raised and preparing to deliver another whack with the remaining plant pot, was Carmel.
    Gabriel dashed in, heading towards them, and I saw Carmel about to change course and go for him instead. He flicked his fingers and the pot disintegrated into smithereens, the pieces clattering harmlessly to the wooden floor.
    ‘It’s OK!’ I shouted, following him in and standing between them. I didn’t know who I was more worried about: Gabriel might be some kind of magical warrior dude, but Carmel still had bloodlust in her eyes. That usually ends badly.
    ‘Carmel, it’s me! Gabriel, this is my friend!’
    Carmel ignored Gabriel and lurched towards me, swallowing me up in a hug. That showed exactly how upset she was –