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“Relax,” Crow said, his voice low and quiet.
“You just said - ”
“I know,” he cut in. “I’ve got your back and I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
I managed a small smile at Crow’s reassurance. He always looked so gruff and intimidating. I had no idea he could be so gentle.
When I reached my apartment, Crow finally stepped away from me. The loss of his body heat made his absence even more palpable. Even though I’d made an idiot of myself in his presence more than once, I still felt safer when I was with him.
“Let me see your phone,” Crow said.
Juggling the coffee tray and paper bag of pastries, I fished my phone from my pocket and passed it to him.
“Call me at any time, day or night,” he said. “For anything. All right?”
He handed my phone back to me with his number in my contacts. For emergencies, I thought. In the back of my mind, I wished this whole situation had been very different. But Crow was only looking after me because my father asked him to. He was stuck with babysitting duty and I couldn’t imagine he was happy about it.
“I should get going,” I said, tipping my head toward my apartment door.
Crow waited while I retreated inside before I heard the heavy tread of his boots fade away.
Chapter Five
Crow
Thankfully, Dani stayed in her apartment for the day. Vandalism was harmless enough, but now that she was being followed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Pete was right. Things were escalating fast and I just hoped Dani didn’t get caught in the crossfire.
I camped outside the apartment building with my bike. Stakeouts were always boring as hell but I would take the quiet while it lasted.
I certainly didn’t expect Dani to call. Giving her my phone number was meant to make her feel safe so she knew she always had someone she could rely on if things turned ugly. Around one o’clock in the morning, my phone buzzed with a text from Dani.
Can’t sleep.
I was a grouchy old man and I didn’t have the patience for picking out a reply on my phone’s keyboard. So I hit dial and waited for Dani to pick up.
“Why are you calling me?” Dani asked. “I texted you.”
“Exactly. Why are you awake?”
She didn’t answer right away. The silence told me all I needed to know. She was spooked but she was trying to be brave about it.
“I’m too skittish to sleep,” she whispered. “Can you just…talk to me for a while?”
I faltered. Talking wasn’t my strong suit. I was more familiar with brute force, blood, and action. So, I did the next best thing I knew how to do.
“Go into the kitchen.”
“Why?” Dani asked.
“Trust me.”
Soft rustling echoed on the other end of the phone as Dani followed my directions.
“Okay, I’m here,” she said after a moment.
“Find yourself some chocolate chips, milk, and cinnamon. Also, grab a mug.”
More movement. Cabinets opening and closing.
