He pushed away, his face falling into indifference again as he stepped closer to the dead body and farther from me. He pulled out his phone again, this time hitting buttons, his attention on me lost.
“I said, you deserve the blood and ruined clothes if you are going to hit major arteries. They spray blood and you should know this.”
“Yeah, I do know that, you ass. I was more interested in not being murdered, and he’s the idiot that pulled out the knife when I told him not to.”
His hand twitched, his face twisting with a smile for a split second before hiding all his emotions again.
“Well, now you can remember to do both next time. Not get murdered and not be close enough for the blood spray.”
“Wow, thanks, you’re a joy tonight. I’ll putlearn to kill correctlyon my to-do list. And what’s the difference anyway, if you are stalking me every time I leave the house alone? Might as well start encouraging people to jump me so you can come in and save the day like you love to do,Ace.”
A low, annoyed growl echoed next to me as his phone rang.
“No more than you love to get yourself into trouble,Psycho.”
After one brief conversation with Hero, Aiden was back in front of me, glaring down with every ounce of caring and warmth gone.
“You can wait in the car until they get here. I’ll park my bike near the body and hope no one comes around this time of night.”
“Why would I wait in the car?”
“Because you’re covered in blood, which might make people look twice.”
“So are you?”
“Evie.” My name was a command again. “Get in the car and sit there, warm and semi comfortable, until I take care of this.”
“I’m not—”
He took three steps, pressing against me again. “Incapable? Obviously, but I don’t think you want to attempt to pick up a full-grown man’s bloody, dead body, do you? You can be taken care of without it meaning you aren’t capable of doing this yourself. You know damn well I’m always proud of you for handling things,but you did, and it’s over. Get in the car and relax until I move the body. If you don’t, I worry I won’t be able to stop from putting you on my bike and taking you home immediately.”
I shook my head, speechless at his commanding tone mixed with kind words.
“And along with that, I would also assume you would like to stay warm while we wait for help?” I suppressed a grin—it was basically a bribe, but he knew it would work. I hated any bit of being cold and uncomfortable.
I nodded again, and he leaned down, his lips inches from mine as he reached over to pull open my driver’s door.
“Then be good for once and wait until everyone gets here.”
“Be good for once? I’m good all the time.”
He grabbed my arm, yanking me down to the seat and pushing my legs in. He was over me again, his tall frame filling the entire door. “You’re never good, you’re trouble.”
I grinned, finding my opening to win again.
“Then punish me.”
His face fell, and he didn’t say a word as he stood up and slammed the door shut.
Maybe I should have been mad he didn’t move for more, and maybe I should have pushed the door back open to lay into him harder, but I didn’t do any of it. Instead, I leaned my seat back, getting warm and comfortable like Aiden had insisted I do, and waited.
But now I worried about what exactly I was waiting for and how long I would be doing it.
Chapter 19
Aiden
The sight of Evie’s blonde bun through the back window was a comfort now. She hadn’t moved or said a word to us since I had shut her inside. Rook had shown up first, riding to the second story of the parking garage and not saying a word to me as he stalked over to the car to throw the door open. He said a few words before he leaned inside, pulling Evie into a hug as she grumbled something. He helped her out, throwing an arm around her. Jealousy burned in my chest—I wanted so badly to be the one to comfort her, but I couldn’t, not like that, not without raising suspicion.
