Page 37 of Overkill

“She comes with two teenage kids, and you’ve been a bachelor your whole life?” Taz clicked her tongue. “Don’t get into this on a lark, VD. If you get in this, it’s not just a relationship with you two.”

“I know.”

“Do you, really?” Taz’s skepticism was starting to piss me off.

The two women stared at me like I was in the hot seat of an interrogation. There was nothing I ol’ Greg “VD” Vedder could do to ever convince them I wasn’t the guy I’d been half a decade ago. They’d never think I was good enough for the likes of Melody Gray.

But I just didn’t care. I was done with this conversation.

“I know exactly what I’m doing with the woman outside, and you can get behind it or not. Either way, no one—and I mean no one—is gonna harm a hair on her head.”

I turned and walked away, going to the only woman who mattered right now.

My sweet Melody.

Chapter 12

I Could, but I Won’t

Melody

“Shit,” I muttered as we went up the drive.

Marcus was at the door, appalled as he watched us park. I didn’t know why. I didn’t want to know, either.

“He looks pissed,” Greg casually said.

“He does, doesn’t he?”

“Anything I can help with?” An interesting thing to say. He didn’t ask why; he asked how he could help.

“No,” I whispered. “It just…is what it is.”

“That’s pretty nihilistic.”

I shrugged as I unbuckled the seatbelt and started taking his jacket from my shoulders.

“Nah.” He tugged the collar up again. “Keep it.”

Then he jumped from the driver’s seat, walked around, and opened the passenger door.

“You know, I can open my own door.” But please don’t stop doing it.

“And I could let you. But I won’t.” His voice dipped, and he winked at me.

I blushed. Really, really blushed. Face heating, heart fluttering, butterflies in my stomach kind of blushing. I giggled. Laughed. I must have sounded like a maniac! But he stood there, hand held out to me, patient and quiet as always.

“I can’t believe you made me laugh after a day like today. Thank you…and I’m sorry about your truck,” I murmured as I let him help me down.

“It’s just a car.” He shrugged. “I’ll get it fixed or buy another one.”

I snorted, assuming that he was making a joke, but when I turned to look at him, I could tell that he meant it. He really wasn’t concerned at all. Last Christmas, when my spark plug went out, I’d been devastated and on the brink of tears. Him? He always had a ready solution to everything.

“I feel like you’re the kind of man who would walk someone to the door,” I mused, cutting a sideways glance at my waiting brother.

Why do I care so much if he walks me to the damn door?

It wasn’t like he’d kiss me…right? We’d just been shot at, after all!