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“Perhaps, but why not take a chance? Would it be so bad if you bagged yourself a Guardian?” She nudges me playfully.
“Like I said, you’re impossible.”
“Be that as it may, we’re both going to miss sunset if we don’t get to the roof soon. I came down to see what was keeping you.”
“The second round of pizzas kept me. I also moved the last of my things into Barbi’s room.”
“Awesome. Rosalie is overloaded with everything going on. If she forgets to say thank you, she’s very grateful.”
“She already did. And what about you? How are you feeling after everything that’s happened? Overloaded? Stressed to the max?”
“Processing. Sometimes it feels like it was a dream that happened to someone else, but then Rafe will say something, or the other guys will mention the rescue. That brings it all rushing back.”
“And your father?”
“He didn’t stay in prison long. Not that I thought he would. Too many of the police and prison officials owe him favors.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s just a matter of time.” She glances at her watch. “Speaking of time, we’ve got to hustle.”
Carmen pulls me upstairs to watch the sun go down, but all I can think about is Zeb. What’s he doing? Can he help with the whole Scott thing? Or is he only going to make things worse?
Once we’re on the roof, the brisk evening air greets us. We make our way to where the gang stares out over the city skyline. A few minutes pass, then the sound of someone coming up the fire escape draws my attention.
“Did I make it?” Zeb strides over to where we stand. A smile fills his face.
Carmen nudges me in the ribs and lowers her voice to a whisper. “That energy I was talking about. It’s back.”
My cheeks flush, but the rapidly darkening sky hides it from everyone but Zeb. Somehow, he zones in on it. I focus on the skyline, take a sip of wine, and do everything in my power not to make eye contact with Zeb.
He steps close and the warmth radiating off him makes my knees wobble. I shift to the side, taking a small step away from him, overwhelmed and desperately trying to regain some semblance of control over myself and my emotions.
I swore off men for the time being, and I’m not ready to jump into anything new. Especially when new means a Guardian who will go above and beyond to rescue me.
Zeb closes the distance between us, brushing my arm so lightly I can barely feel it. His warmth pulses through me like an electrical charge that sparks something within me. I bite my lip and hope he doesn’t notice my body’s response to him standing this close.
If I let things progress, it’s not a matter of whether things will get complicated. It’s a matter of when, and things will get not only complicated, but dangerous as well.
TEN
Zeb
The packagewith the dog shit inside sits uneasily on my mind. Whoever this Scott dude is, he crossed a line. From ex-lover to dangerous stalker and now open threats? I don’t think Kaye grasps exactly how dangerous such a man can become.
I do.
I take that seriously.
Very seriously.
I rejoin the rest of my teammates on the roof. Kaye’s roommates, Barbi, Carmen, and Rosalie are there, along with Forest and his unique throuple: Paul and Sara.
It’s quite an eclectic group, brought together by the founder of Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists, Forest Summers. He’s the center of the web that connects us all.
I make the rounds, greeting Forest, Paul, and Sara. I wave to Kaye’s roommates who hold half-empty wine glasses and top off their wine. I hand out beer to my teammates.
This feels nice, but it’s missing something.
