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I didn't know what would be worse than being driven off the road, but his annoyance was both genuine and partly directed at me. Should I find that sweet or irritating? It wasn't my fault some dickhead followed me home.
"I should start driving you again," he said half to himself. "It wouldn't have happened then."
"You don't know that," I pointed out. "We still might have been followed." As far as I knew, he wasn't invincible.
"You wouldn't have been alone," he growled. "If anything happened, I would have handled it." He gave me a look like he could have handled anything, including being run off the road.
"Nothing happened," I said lamely.
"This time." He pried my bag away from my chest and folded his arms around me. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Okay? I care about you. The idea of anyone trying to hurt you or take you away from me makes my blood boil."
He exhaled heavily out his nose. "There's a camera at the gate. I'll take a look at the footage and see if there's anything to be seen. A number plate, some distinctive features, something."
"You don't think you'll find anything, do you?" I asked softly. The headlights would have obscured most of the car, blinding the cameras to everything, including the number plate.
"Chances are, I'll see nothing but a nondescript, dark-coloured car. Whoever it was, they were probably too smart to let themselves be identified." I didn't need to see his face to know he was frustrated, his voice was full of it.
"You don't sound surprised that this happened," I said. Angry, but not surprised.
"My family… our family has our share of enemies." He leaned back to look at me. "That's one reason I worry about you being out there by yourself. Some of them wouldn't hesitate to use you to get at the rest of us."
My heart froze. "You think whoever it was, was actually after me?" Was it the three men I saw murder that man? Were they enemies of the Cassani family? Business competitors? What sort of business required murder? What the hell had I got myself into?
"It's possible," he agreed. "Or it was some kind of warning. One I can't ignore."
I looked into his eyes. "What are you going to do?" Should I tell him about that night? Maybe something I saw would be a clue to whatever happened tonight. What had I really seen though? A man killed, three men, a red and black mask. That was about it. Nothing useful. If I thought of anything, I would tell him. Until then, what was the point?
"Don't you worry about it," he said vaguely. "I'll deal with it. I'll keep you safe."
I believed him, but I was worried how far a guy like him would go to do that. He wouldn't kill anyone for me, would he? No, he probably just meant he'd go to the police and talk to them. What would they do, though?
I leaned my forehead against his chest and sighed. All I knew right now was a whole lot of nothing and that was no use to anyone. I hated feeling helpless and useless. I'd have to find a way to help keep myself safe, so I didn't have to rely on Mannix or anyone else. I was an independent woman. I could do this. I had to. Otherwise I'd never be able to sleep at night.
"I've got you." Mannix rubbed his hand up and down my back. "I won't let anyone hurt you, even if I have to keep you here at the house forever."
He meant the words to be comforting, but the fact he even thought that might be a necessity, was the most chilling thing of all.
Chapter Sixteen
Kennedy
"You couldn't make out anything from the security camera?"
Ice looked as pissed off as Mannix had. Although, pissed for him was still a lot less intense than it was for Mannix or Ares.
Ares smirked at me like I was making something out of nothing. Ice and Mannix looked ready to pull off heads.
"Nothing," Mannix said. "Not even Kennedy arriving home. At least half an hour was completely blank."
Ares frowned. He looked more annoyed that he might be wrong than at the idea something might happen to me.
Asshole.
"That doesn't sound like a coincidence to me." Ice rubbed a hand over his jaw.
"No, it doesn't." Mannix scowled. "Kennedy, I need a list of the families whose kids do gymnastics in that last class. In fact, the whole fucking gymnasium. They'd all know when you finish. And that Charlie prick. The boss too."
I gaped at him. "I can't just give personal information out. That's all kinds of illegal."
