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“No, not really. I didn’t want anything too big, that I’d have to take care of. It’s a four-bedroom home, and it’s nice, but nothing like this. My father’s house is a lot like this place, and I’d rather steer clear of anything like it.” He hated how empty and cold his father’s house felt after his mother died and Darcy moved out. She was young when she left home and he was still in high school, so even if he wanted to leave with her, Bowie was stuck with living with his dad. He vowed to never live in a place that made him feel so much sadness ever again. His house was his happy place. It was his safe zone, even if he could use help decorating it. His house had the essentials and felt like home to him. And right now, all he wanted to do was show it to Eden.
“How about after this meeting, you let me take you back to my place?” he asked.
“Bowie, we’ve just spent over a week together. You have to be getting sick of me by now,” she insisted. He didn’t think that he’d ever get sick of Eden’s company—even after a hundred weeks together.
“Is that your way of telling me that you’ve had enough of me?” he asked.
“Not at all, I just worry that I’m overstaying my welcome,” Eden said.
“You can’t overstay your welcome if I’m inviting you. I’d love for you to come to stay with me,” he said.
“So that you can keep me safe,” she breathed.
He shrugged, “If that helps to get you back to my place, then sure,” he teased. “Honestly, I don’t know if either of us is in danger, but those photos that were texted to me, of the two of us together, say that we are. Whoever is targeting my family knows that I’ve been spending time with you. They might come after you to get to me.” He worried that whoever took the pictures was still stalking the two of them and dropping Eden off at her apartment and hoping that she wasn’t in danger wasn’t going to happen.
“I don’t think that I’m important enough for anyone to come after me,” she insisted. “It’s not like they could use me to get to you,” she said. Eden was wrong about that. If someone came after her to get his attention, they’d have it. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her—not now that he had feelings for her.
“You’re wrong, honey. If they came for you, they’d have my full attention. I know that this might seem fast to you, but I care for you, Eden. I’d like to spend more time with you and if it also means that I’ll be able to keep you safe, then I’d consider that a win, win situation,” he said. He wasn’t sure if the surprised look on her face was a good or bad thing for him. He liked that he usually could read Eden like an open book, but right now, he was having trouble doing so.
“I’m sorry, honey,” he said, pulling her up against his body, “but, I’m having trouble reading you right now. You’re going to have to give me something to go on here. Do you want to come back to my place after we meet with my sister?”
Eden snuggled into his arms and nodded, “I’d like that,” she admitted. “But you need to promise that if I get to be in your way, or you get sick of having me around, you’ll tell me,”
“That’s not possible,” he admitted. “I don’t think that I’m ever going to get sick of having you around, Eden. But if it makes you feel any better, I promise. You’ll do the same for me—if you get tired of me hanging around, right?”
“That’s not going to happen, but sure,” she agreed. “Thanks for inviting me over to your house, Bowie,” she whispered.
“Thanks for saying yes to my invitation, Eden,” he said, pulling her in for a quick kiss. “Now, let’s go see my sister. I suddenly want to get this meeting over with so that I can get you back to my place. I’d like to give you a tour of my house—starting with the bedroom.”
“I think that sounds like a great plan, Bowie,” she agreed. “But don’t cut your visit with your family short. I’m not going anywhere.” He liked hearing her make him that promise. He just hoped like hell that she meant it because letting Eden go now wasn’t an option for him.
* * *
Rock answered the door, not leaving him and Eden to stand out on the porch for long. “Hey, man,” Rock said. He and Bowie had never been “Buddies.” Hell, they didn’t have a brother-in-law relationship, even though that’s what they were to each other. Since Darcy had to cut him out of her life, when she gave up the head of household position for the Wrath family, he didn’t have time to get to know Rock at all.
“Rock,” he said, “this is Eden Powell.”
“I know Eden and her father, Captain Powell. Good to see you again, Eden.”
“You too, Mr. Greed,” she said.
“Please, call me Rock,” he insisted.
“Thank you, Rock,” Eden said.
“I’m sorry about what happened to your father, Bowie,” Rock said. “I might not have agreed with the guy about most things, but he was my father-in-law and my daughter’s grandfather. The Gluttony family needs to be stopped, or they’ll come after us all.” Bowie agreed with Rock, but before they talked business, he wanted to talk to Darcy.
“How’s my sister taking the news?” he asked.
“She seems to be okay, but she’d like to see you—alone,” Rock said. “Would you mind joining me in the kitchen for a cup of coffee, Eden?” he asked.
“I’d love to,” she agreed. “Will you be okay?” she asked Bowie.
“I think I can handle talking to my sister,” he teased, “but, I appreciate you asking. I’ll find you when we’re done talking.”
“Okay,” Eden said. He watched her walk down the hallway behind Rock.
“My wife is in the den,” Rock shouted back over his shoulder. “It’s the first door on the left.” Bowie found the door and put his hand on the handle, hesitating before opening it. He took a deep breath and let it back out. He was never nervous to talk to his sister. Darcy was always a sounding board for him, but not talking to her for so long had him feeling more nervous than usual. He turned the knob and walked into the den to find Darcy sitting on the sofa, looking just as nervous as he felt.
