Dean looked at Sophia, still in Liam’s arms. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He reached out and patted her on the arm.
“I’m so sorry,” Sam apologized to her friend.
Dean turned to her. “Did you shoot up my house?”
She shook her head.
“Then you have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I brought them to your house.” She gasped. “What if Cass and the boys had been home?”
“You can’t think like that.” Dean framed Sam’s face in his hands. “They weren’t home. No one was hurt.”
Liam spoke up. “I’m positive we weren’t followed back to the house earlier.” He was an experienced law enforcement officer. He knew how to spot a tail, and there hadn’t been one.
“See,” Dean said. “Plus, we don’t even know if this is related to you. It could be a coincidence.”
“Does this type of thing happen in your neighborhood often?” Sam crossed her arms over her chest.
Dean rubbed the back of his neck. “No. I was just trying to make you feel better.”
She quirked an eyebrow at him. “We can’t stay here. I’m not going to put your family in any more danger.”
“Where else are you going to go?”
Liam stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Sam’s shoulders, pulling her close. “They’ll stay with me.”
Sam stiffened under his arm.
His offer surprised him too. But this was strictly professional. No other reason.
“Moving in together. Isn’t that really too soon?” Dean narrowed his eyes at Liam.
Sam tilted her head up and looked at Liam.
“Relax. She’s notmoving inmoving in.” He looked at Sam. “You’ll just be staying until you find a new place and whoever it is gets caught. It makes the most sense.”
She just stared at him.
“Why would you go anywhere else when you have built-in security with me?” He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose.
Her eyes widened even more, which had to be anatomically impossible.
He turned to face her, eclipsing Dean from her sight, and gently grabbed her shoulders. He hoped he could communicate what needed to be said with his facial features.
If they wanted to keep her cover intact, this was the best way to do that.
She started to nod. “You’re right. Plus, it will be good for the girls.”
He smiled. “It’s settled, then.” He turned back to face Dean and pulled Sam to his side again.
Dean stared Liam down, his jaw clenched.
Interesting reaction to wanting to keep Sam safe. The guy was married, and they worked on the same firefighter team,watching each other’s backs. Liam figured it was a big-brother type reaction.
Dean’s face softened a bit when he looked at Sam. “Fine. You’re an adult. You can do what you want, but—” He turned to Liam and squared his stance. “You hurt her”—he nodded to Sam—“or her”—he nodded to Isabella behind them—“and you’ll have to deal with me.”
The threat was strangely comforting. It meant Samantha had people in her life who would protect her, because right now, this was all a ruse. She’d need people like that when everything was said and done. He hoped he’d get to be one of those people.
