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“I really, really wanted to be with you,” she started. “And if you’d found out yesterday, then you would’ve freaked and called everyone else, and then, just like you’d said, we would’ve been immediately swamped with wigged-out family members, and we wouldn’t have gotten a moment alone. And that wonderful, magical day we spent together never would’ve happened.”
“Christ, woman,” I laughed out a harsh, cynical sound, and put the truck into drive. “We have the rest of our lives together to have wonderful, magical sex together. Your safety comes first.”
“Yeah, but it was such glorious sex,” she argued, gripping my arm to get me to agree.
I couldn’t help it, I grinned as we stopped at a red light. “Yeah, it was,” I murmured fondly, only to scowl once more. “But how the hell could you have guessed it was going to be that good? For all you knew, it could’ve ended up being shitty,boringsex.”
“It was sex with you,” she answered dryly and blinked at me as if that should explain all. “No way in hell was it going to be shittyorboring.”
“Jesus, stop!” I demanded, holding up a hand. “I’m trying to be pissed off at you right now. But I like everything you’re saying too much. Dammit, you put yourself in danger.”
“But did I really?” she countered, lifting her eyebrows at me. “I stayed inside locked doors the whole day and made sure I was never alone. And today, I had you walk me to my car where I was going to go straight to Trick’s and finally tell someone about Dax.”
“You were going to tellTrick?” I exploded. “Why couldn’t you have at least toldmethis morning?”
“If I told you this morning, you were going to get mad at me for not saying anything sooner. I thought that if I went to Trick, we could play it off as if he’d just found out through his lawyer source, and you’d never be the wiser or have a reason to be mad at me at all.”
“Wow. You really planned on duping me that completely, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she said, her voice full of cringe. “I’m sorry.”
I couldn’t help it; I chuckled, strangely amused by her sudden honesty, and I shook my head. “I should be extremely pissed at you,” I said.
“But you’re not?” she asked hopefully.
I glanced at her and sighed, unable to summon a good, legitimate rage. “I mean, it was really good sex,” I admitted.
She grinned and leaned across the truck to kiss my cheek. “It was the best sexever.”
“True.” Grumbling when my cell phone rang, I fumbled to dig it from my pocket. “It’s your dad,” I said as soon as I saw the screen. “Go figure.” Then I answered and pressed it to my ear. “Yeah?”
“You still with Chloe?” Pick asked.
“I am,” I assured.
“Good. Bring her to the club now. We’re having a family meeting. Trick just got a call and—”
“Freston’s out,” I finished for him and glanced over at Chloe. “Yep. We know.”
Pick paused, then cursed fluidly. “He’s been there?” he guessed.
“No,” I assured him. “Her cop friend told her.”
“Jesus, thank God. Just get my little girl to me, Luke. Get her here now. Get her here safe.”
“Will do, boss,” I said and hung up, already two minutes away from him.
31CHLOE
“Oh my word,” I breathed in shock as Luke neared the nightclub.
The parking lot across the street should rightly be empty at this time of day since the bar was technically closed. But as I peered out the front windshield of the truck, I easily spotted two dozen vehicles, and all of them were familiar.
All of them werefamily.
“This is insanity,” I cried as Luke turned into the alley so he could pull around to the back. “You guys donotneed to make such a big deal out of me. I’m not—”
“Zzt,” Luke broke in, silencing me. “Yes, we do. And yes, you are. So just shut it and deal.”
