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I walked up behind her, effortlessly not making a sound on the paved sidewalk.
“You don’t need to wait for the car. I’ll take you home.”
She jumped as I spoke, looking quickly in my direction, then turning away. “No, thank you. And don’t sneak up on me like that.”
Then, to insult me, she turned her body halfway, driving home her disdain for my presence.
“It wasn’t a question. I’m taking you home.”
What the fuck was I doing? I could have sent Jacko away and watched her from the darkness. I didn’t have to talk to her. I could have made sure her car arrived and that she got safely into it. It wouldn’t be the first time I observed her from the shadows and she never knew about it.
But this was more than just getting into a car. These drivers... too many incidents had occurred. Rapes. Assaults. And she’d had too many drinks. She was an easy target. Her inability to put Jacko in his place proved that. Or maybe, I had read the situation wrong. Maybe she was enjoying Jacko’s advances?
I didn’t believe it. There weren’t many things in this world I was good at but reading body language was more natural to me than speaking. She had been in trouble, and now, for whatever reason, she didn’t want to admit it.
Well, that wasn’t right. She had a reason and that reason was me, but she wasn’t going to admit that either.
My head still pounded, and she still looked sexy as fuck, standing there with the moonlight glancing over her body. I didn’t have time to over-analyze the situation. She needed a ride home and I wasn’t going to let her get in anyone else’s car.
“I thought you came with Gabriel.”
“Don’t piss me off. I have a car.Here.”
I held up the keys so she could see them. Couldn’t she see that she would be a hell of a lot safer with me than some stranger? I wasn’t used to people not doing what I said. Because I was the king of my world, my only tools of persuasion consisted of razor wire and duct tape.
“You’re getting into that car and I’m taking you the fuck home.”
I grabbed her by the elbow and started steering her through the lot.
She tried to pull away from me.
“Struggle and I’ll throw you over my shoulder,” I warned.
Her mouth fell open but the pissed off look on my face must have convinced her to keep her mouth shut.
“That’s better. Now, walk.”
I had to slow my pace so she could keep up with me. We walked through the brisk December air to where the Lincoln was parked. I hit the button on my keys and the headlights lit up the lot. Noemi remained stiff next to me. I walked her around the side of the car and pulled the door open. She didn’t move.
“Get in.” My patience was running out.
She rolled her eyes and lowered herself into the car. I shut the door, walked around to the driver’s side and took the driver’s seat. I started the car, but her continued attitude rubbed me the wrong way.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know. I could have handled him.”
Ah, so she did know Jacko was being an ass.
I maneuvered the car out of the space toward the street. “And yet, you didn’t.”
“I... was working on it when you intervened,” she muttered. “He was only waiting with me until my ride came. I told him no... to everything else.”
I didn’t make her elaborate though it was clear POS bartender wasn’t accepting her ‘no.’ “And that’s another thing. Were you going to get into a ride in this condition?”
Noemi crossed her arms over her chest. “I would have been fine. I’m not that drunk.”
“You’re not that sober,” I mocked her.
“I would have been perfectly fine,” she repeated. “The same driver who dropped me off was coming back to get me.”
