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“She needs protection, Vander.” My chest warmed as Nathan pushed this man to help. His shoulder brushed mine, and I longed for him to wrap his arms around me again.
It was an unwelcome feeling, one I shouldn’t indulge in. After all, only a few minutes ago, I thought he was a sex trafficker.
But knowing it was a bad idea didn’t stop the heat from running through my veins. Or the effect of having his serene blue eyes on me.
“What if she doesn’t want it?” Vander leaned back in his chair, his arms crossing over his broad chest. The sunflower tattoo on his hand was a contrast to his broody exterior. I wondered if it had a special meaning.
“I do.” His gaze pierced me, looking for a lie. It didn’t make me feel pleasant like Nathan’s, but I respected it.
He didn’t know me. This could be a trick. He was protecting his family. Protecting Nathan and I could appreciate that kind of loyalty. I craved it in my life. Knowing if I had it, I wouldn’t be so lonely.
“No.” All my nice feelings for him evaporated with that one stern word. “We don’t protect people. We’re not bodyguards.” He waved his hand in the air as if to dismiss me. “Go to the police.”
“And they’ll believe me?” I snorted, crossing my own arms. He was probably used to everyone bowing down to him. But that wasn’t me.
I’d seen enough rich assholes push my family around, even though we had just as much money. I didn’t tolerate it before, and I wouldn’t now.
“Is your source, who I’ll assume is also a criminal, going to step up and tell the police what they know?” A muscle in Vander’s jaw jumped. Nathan looked at me with a curious gaze. It made my stomach flutter, and I almost lost my ire. “Even if they did. The police don’t really have a great track record when it comes to listening to anybody who isn’t white or male.”
“Statically, when women of color report intimate violence, they are the ones arrested. Most prevalent—.”
“You have money.” My spine prickled as Vander cut Nathan off, but he didn’t seem offended. “Hire someone.”
It bothered me that he prevented him from speaking, but I was even more annoyed that they knew things about me. Where I lived. My name. That I had money.
My chest constricted. If they could find me easily, what did that mean for the guys coming after me? How much did they know?
“I can’t.” My arms tightened around my body. I felt the gun that I’d stashed in my sweatshirt pocket, pressing into my stomach. It didn’t give me any comfort. I wasn’t sure I could use it. “I don’t know who to trust.”
“Why us?”
My eyes flicked to Nathan standing next to me. My hand twitched with a desire to reach out and grasp his. I didn’t know him well, but I knew the warmth of his palm would calm me.
“I trust people. Individuals.” I couldn’t resist any longer. My arm dropped and my fingers brushed the back of Nathan’s hand. He stilled, not taking the invitation, but letting our fingers slid together. “Nathan has saved my life twice. I trust him to keep me alive.”
Our fingertips skimmed across each other, causing a jolt of pleasure to rush down my spine. Vander’s features stayed hard. His jaw tight and his mouth a flat line. Just as stubborn as before. But his eyes seemed to soften as he glanced at our hands.
“It’s not what we do.” He sounded almost reluctant in his refusal.
“I’ll pay you.”
“We don’t need your money.” His chuckle had my teeth snapping together, but Nathan’s fingers trailing along mine stilled me. Without him I might’ve slapped his… damn, I still didn’t know if he was a brother or something else.
“I’ll work it off.” His jaw clenched in anger and Nathan grasped my fingers. Their reactions told me I’d been wrong to think they could hurt women. They didn’t even want to take advantage of a willing one.
“Not like that.” I rolled my eyes even as I squeezed Nathan’s hand in reassurance. “Mafia people—.”
“Technically, we’re a crime syndicate.” Nathan provided in that smooth tone of his. “We have no association with the Italians. Though there are two Mafia families in the city. Cole’s wife—.”
“Nathan.” Vander cut him off.
“Fine, crime guys need doctors. You couldn’t let him go to the hospital. Someone would ask questions.” His silence was all the confirmation I needed. “I can help.”
My blood buzzed with the idea. It wouldn’t be exactly like my old job. I would be helping the bad guys, but at least they were honest about who they were. Most people hid the evil that lived in them. I knew that better than anyone.
Cops beat their wives. Politicians cared more about power than the cities they served. Pharmaceutical companies overcharged because they were greedy. It didn’t matter who they hurt as long as their pockets were full.
He raised a brow. “You’re a doctor?”
