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“And?”
“She banged down Lanzetti’s gate, demanding to be let in. They called the sheriff’s office.”
I snort. “I’ll bet.”
“The trouble is, we can never pin anything on them. When the barn was set on fire, the Crows were the ones who did it. We know they were hired by Lanzetti, but we have no proof because he’s a slick mofo.”
“We won’t need proof when I bury them six feet under,” I mutter.
She lays her good hand on my wrist. The contact jolts me, like a thunderclap. “Decker, you don’t have to do anything.”
That’s where she’s wrong. Oh, so wrong. “Whoever did this is gonna pay, Pearl. You could’ve been killed.”
“I know. Diamond called a meeting. Sapphire is working on getting the security footage to see whether we can get anything. Gus said there were no plates.”
“We know it was Lanzetti, don’t we?”
“He’s the most obvious choice, yes, but there are crazy drivers everywhere.”
I know she can’t really believe that. Maybe she’s saying it for my benefit, so I don’t go over there and throttle the life out of those assholes.
“Let’s go.”
“I need to lock up the café, Decker. I’m honestly fine.”
“How about this? I’ll lock up for you, and you stay at home and rest. Is Mahini okay for a ride?”
“She walks home from school,” Pearl tells me. “But thank you for thinking of her.”
“So it’s settled.”
I know this woman works her ass off, and I respect that, but she needs to take the afternoon to rest.
“I need to get some pain meds,” she starts.
“We can stop in on the way back.”
A slow smile spreads on her face. “You’re quite a discovery, Mr. Sterling.”
Her words go straight to my dick, and that is very, very bad.
“I don’t know about that, but I do know you’re one tough cookie.”
“Hey, I had at least a hundred and eighty pounds of muscle to fall back on.”
I place my hand on the small of her back, and it could just be me, but I’m sure her breath hitches.
CHAPTER 5
PEARL
When his hand touches the small of my back, I’m sure a low moan leaves my lips.
The way he pulled me into his arms, safely off the road, then encased me as we fell. He got to me so damn fast. It was all a blur.
Decker’s scent is intoxicating. While I should’ve been more concerned about almost dying, all I could think about was how he smelled like motor oil, pine cones, and something dark and sexy. This man is sex on a stick. I know I shouldn’t be thinking like that, but I’m just gonna call a spade a spade. There is no use in denying it. Since my near-death experience, I no longer give a shit about my wayward thoughts.
Drumming his fingers on the wheel as we drive, I can tell his thoughts are elsewhere. His face was a mixture of concern and anger when he pulled me upright. I have no doubt that Decker would actually bury a man six feet under for hurting me, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.
