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“She needs me in her line of sight.” I glance at Gia lying on the couch watching something on the television. “Just like I need her,” I add, finding it difficult to draw my eyes away from the beautiful woman.
“She’s special.”
“She is and she isn’t going to like it if I have to go out following leads.” A fist squeezes around my heart knowing that I’m going to be torn between staying and keeping the woman I love safe, and doing the right thing for justice.
Jarrod sighs. “Can you come into the kitchen for a few minutes. Julian’s back.”
My eyes snap to Jarrod but he’s already heading out of the living room, his shoulders slumped forward.
Foreboding rolls through my belly as I stretch my aching body. My movement captures Gia’s eye and watching me approach her she stands, capturing my face between her small hands. “I’m going to go and talk to Julian and your dad in the kitchen.” I smile, placing my hands on her hips. “You want anything?” I bend, kissing the corner of her mouth.
Her lips twitch into a smile. “I only want you.”
Closing my eyes, I inhale her scent into my lungs, which is so familiar that I don’t want to let her go for even a second of time. Her soft smile as I focus on her lips makes my heart thump behind my chest bone. “You’ll be okay in here.” I linger over the kiss I place against her cheek. “Shout if you need anything.”
Gia shakes her head. “I wasn’t injured the other night, just badly shaken with what happened and what I came close to losing.” Her hand tangles in the hair at the nape of my neck. “I’m capable of walking to the kitchen…Just don’t leave the house without telling me first, okay?”
I tug her tightly against my chest. “Never,” I whisper, my voice catching in the back of my throat with suppressed emotion.
She pats me on the ass. “You better go and see what Julian found out before they come looking for you.” Rubbing against my semi-arousal, she reaches up and after one last kiss, sits back down on the couch.
My eyes track her movement from beneath my lashes until I finally back out of the room where I pause and rub my chest over my aching heart. I never thought I’d be this needy over a woman, but with Gia I can’t get enough of her. I just need to know that she’s safe and the only way I know how to do that is to keep her with me. I’m the only person I trust to do that.
“She’ll be fine,” Julian whispers from over my right shoulder.
“I keep trying to tell myself that, but it isn’t working out that well,” I admit, moving with him toward the kitchen.
Julian puts his hand on my arm. “He won’t get to her again. We know he’s around this time, so she’s safe.”
“You really believe that?”
“You’re an armed Marshal. I’m an armed marine, and her father is an armed lawyer.” Julian’s lips twitch in a smile. “All I’m saying is that between us we have a lot of firepower and experience. He’d be really stupid to try. Abatangelo basically warned us with what he did with Gia, plus he didn’t really set Gia up to get hurt. You know this.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that he scared the shit out of us both.”
“I know, my friend.” Julian wraps his arm around my neck and that’s how we arrive in the kitchen.
“So, you never told me you swung that way,” Parker drawls.
Julian shoves me away. “What way?” he baits Parker, who ignores him other than to roll her eyes.
“Where’s Gia?”
“Living room.”
“Thank you.” She pats me on the chest, leaving us alone.
I watch my friend and realize that he really is interested in Parker. I know that they’re always joking around, but I think Julian might actually have a thing for her. Eventually, he glances away and notices my eyes on him. He moves over to the table where he has papers spread out and where Jarrod looks miles away.
“Anything?” I indicate the paper in his hand.
Jarrod snaps out of his thoughts and shakes his head. “No.” He frowns and looks off into the distance, through the kitchen window. I look at Julian for an explanation for Jarrod’s sudden mood. He shrugs, looking away.
“Didn’t Ivy come over with Parker?”
Jarrod flinches, but ignores my question.
Clearing his throat, Julian looks uncomfortable. “She’s dating someone,” he clarifies. “She doesn’t really come over anymore.”
