“Were you close?”
“God, no,” she says with a sad huff. “He didn’t live with us, but he came around every few weeks. And when he died, Uncle Lyle told my mom and I that my father asked him to keep an eye on us.”
That checks out. You always want someone to take care of your family after you’re gone, but you should choose wisely, or you could end up in a situation like this. “What happened to your dad?”
“He was shot by a rival gang member. They had some long-standing feud, and one night, the other man got what he wanted.”
“I’m sorry.”
She wipes the back of her hand against her nose and stares at the floor. “I’m the one who’s sorry. Lyle saw us out last night, and he wanted to know if I was seeing someone new.”
“Why is that any of his business?”
“When it comes to me, he thinks everything is his business. It’s why I’ve been careful not to mention to anyone in town that I was trying to sell the house. If he found out, he’d try to stop me from leaving.”
I sit down beside her and nudge her chin up to look at me. “You don’t need to apologize. But I want to know why you’re so scared of him. Has he done something to you?”
She stiffens. “No.”
My eyes narrow. I know the signs. “You’re lying.”
“He hasn’t done anything to me, Rowan. But he’s a bad man, and he’s hurt my mom. I want nothing more than to have him out of my life, but I learned a long time ago that it’s better to play nice around him. Telling him that I don’t want him coming around would only make him angry.”
There’s a lot wrong with that statement. I open my mouth to argue, but she keeps going.
“He stayed away from me while I was with Brett, but now—”
“Now, he’ll stay away because you’re withme,” I growl.
“Rowan, you don’t understand who you’re dealing with here. He’s dangerous. He’s not like us. He doesn’t follow rules, and he doesn’t play nice.”
Oh, but I understand perfectly. “I’m not scared of him.” I could put that man six feet under and come home in time for dinner if I wanted to.
She shakes her head, upset. “Your arrogance is going to get you killed. Youshouldbe scared of him. If they hurt you because of me, I won’t be able to live with myself. I mean, you’re helping me, and being this nice guy—“
I reach over and wrap my palms around her arms, trying to calm her. She’s trembling.
Her lips part on a strained inhale. “Rowan, please. Tell me you get it.”
What if I tell her the truth?
What if I explain to her that while she’s with me, she’s got nothing to worry about?
I wouldn’t even need the gun I keep in my car to take care of those guys. I could do it with my bare hands.
And I’d enjoy every second of it.
But something holds me back. Something about the way she’s looking at me—earnest and unguarded. I have this gut feeling that if I tell her the truth, her walls would come right back up.
So I take her hands into mine and say, “I get it. They’re dangerous, and I’ll be careful.”
Some of the tension in her shoulders disappears.
“But for the love of God, do me a favor and never refer to me as a nice guy again. The fact that you think I’m one is frankly more concerning than those riders.”
The frown lines in her forehead disappear. “Only you would find that term offensive.” Her mouth twitches. “Youarea nice guy, Ro—”
“Please stop. I’m breaking out in hives. I didn’t save your books, remember?”
