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“I was worried about you.” I tried to explain.
“Go put some clothes on,” he instructed, a muscle ticking in his clenched jaw. “Everything covered up.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I wore less than this to the reception.” His shirt alone covered more of me than my dress had earlier.
“Don’t remind me,” he signed, his hands fisting. “I’m trying really hard not to think about all those assholes getting to see so much of what is mine. Clothes. Now.”
Glaring at him, I stomped over to where my bag of clothes was and carried it to our room. Pulling on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, I gathered my hair into a ponytail before walking barefoot back into the living room.
The two men who had been at the door with Max were now inside, but they hadn’t taken a seat yet. The bigger one was covered in more ink than Max, his hair cut military-style. I knew from the pictures on the walls that he was Ben, Lexa’s husband, and also the sheriff. The other guy, Theo, was leaner, his h
air a little longer on top. He was married to Tavia, but just looking at him, I got the feeling he wasn’t nearly as sweet as his wife.
Yet he was the first one to offer me a smile when I returned. Winking, he sat on the arm of the couch beside Tavia.
“I have to go out for the night,” Max stated when my eyes landed on him. “I don’t want you to be alone, so Lexa and Tavia are taking you to Lexa’s house for a sleepover.”
“No.”
His eyes narrowed on me. “Yes.”
“No,” I repeated. “Because I know you’re going to go confront my uncle. I’m not going to just sit here and wait for someone to tell me you got killed tonight!”
His smile softened his face, making him that much more beautiful. “That won’t happen, treasure. We’re just going to pay dear old Uncle Tony a small visit to make sure he understands that you have a new family now. So he won’t be wasting his time in case he’s still looking for you. I’ll grab your things too, if you want. If there’s anything you want that you had to leave behind, let me know, and I will make sure to bring it back.”
“Take me with you,” I countered.
“No,” he signed with a shake of his head. “You are going to Lexa’s.”
“It will be so much fun,” Lexa cut in, distracting me. “Nova is coming over too. And her cousin Ciana, who is visiting for the weekend with Tavia. We’re going to make tacos and churros. We’ll watch some rom-coms, or whatever you’re in the mood for, and have some quality girl time.”
She made it seem like so much fun, and I’d never actually been to a sleepover before. But as much as I wanted to go, I couldn’t stomach the thought of Max coming face-to-face with Uncle Tony or his men. After giving him my heart, I couldn’t imagine my life without him, and I was certain that my uncle wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him.
Sensing my reluctance, Lexa smiled. “All of the men are going with him, Delaney. Including Ben. I seriously doubt anything bad will happen when he has an actual sheriff with him, do you?”
When she put it like that, I felt a little better. My uncle would think twice about doing anything bad if the cops showed up at his house. But I still couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness. If anything happened to Max…
Max cupped the side of my face, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. “I’ll be back before you even miss me.”
“I already miss you.”
“Treasure.” He bent, pressing his forehead to mine for a moment. When he lifted his head, he stepped back, determination in his gaze. “You are going to Lexa’s house. I will be back by morning.”
20
Max
Ben, Theo, and Gian stood in the garage parking lot. Since Gian and Theo had considered each other enemies this time the previous year, it was weird as fuck to see the two of them standing side by side. It was crazy how much could change in so little time.
But considering I’d met and fallen for my treasure in the blink of an eye, maybe it wasn’t so crazy after all.
When I reached them, they didn’t waste time getting to the point.
“Is your woman really the niece of Tony Garcia?” Gian asked, his face tight.
“He married Delaney’s aunt,” I explained. “There is no blood relation.”
“The bastard is one of the biggest players in human trafficking this side of the country,” he gritted out, the scar on his cheek seeming to pulse.
