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She rolled her eyes. “Must you always criticize my apartment?” River was a total neat freak, the exact opposite of her. “You will never get used to my clutter, huh?”
He cocked his head at her. “Are you secretly a hoarder or something?”
“River,” she warned.
Her tone told him he was treading on dangerous ground, but he never had learned to censor himself. However, he didn’t want her getting angry on top of being in pain, so he tried to smooth over his words. “It’s not disapproval, just curiosity.”
“Uh-huh,” she mumbled as he took her to the couch and sat her down.
River started to argue, but the phone rang. Jeanette grabbed it off the end table. “Hello?” River watched a frown appear. “Who is this?” Whoever was on the line, it wasn’t a friend. Jeanette jerked suddenly, as if someone had slapped her. “Ew,” she muttered before hitting the END button and slamming the phone onto the table.
River knelt in front of her. “Who was it?”
She blinked several times and said, “The guy who stole my purse.”
“What the hell did he say to you?”
“He repeated my street address. Twice.”
“How do you know it was the guy who mugged you?”
“The voice.” She shuddered. “He has a really weird, screechy voice. I’d know it anywhere.”
“Damn it!” River shot to his feet. “When I get my hands on that son of a bitch, I’ll kill him.”
Jeanette stood. When she didn’t feel any pain in her ankle, she went to River and forced him to stop pacing and look at her. “No, you will not touch the guy. We’re letting the police do their job.”
He glared at her. “Fine, but you’re coming with me.” His voice was as cold as ice. “You can’t stay here alone. Not now.”
“It’s not really practical for me to live with you, River. We don’t have any idea how long it’ll take to catch him.” Her nose shot up in the air in a show of defiance. “I’m capable of handling this on my own.”
“He’s taunting you, Jeanette. What’s to say he won’t come here?” He shook his head, unwilling to think of what all could happen if the freak got his hands on her. “No, it’s too risky.”
Fear crept into her big brown eyes. “Do you think he’s dangerous?”
“Who knows, but I’d rather you not find out the hard way.” She was starting to get anxious, and River could feel her panic rising. He wanted her calm. Safe. He tamped down his new protective instincts and focused on the task at hand.
He took hold of her shoulders and brought her close. “Please, for me,” he murmured. “I won’t sleep knowing this guy is calling you, harassing you. It’ll only be temporary. And you’ve stayed with me before, so what’s the problem?”
She bit her bottom lip and looked away. “I feel like a complete fool. A child in need of protection. I’m tired of everyone treating me like I can’t stand on my own two feet.”
“No one thinks that, sunshine, least of all me. We simply care about you, that’s all. Is that so bad?”
She let out a deep sigh. “No, I suppose not.”
“So you’ll stay with me?”
She nodded. “But don’t think for a minute that you can keep me locked up. I have a life, River. I can’t put it on hold.”
“No, of course not.” Just the thought of her in his apartment day and night sent his libido straight into overdrive.
Within an hour, Jeanette had packed a bag and they were at his apartment. Sammy had called the second River had walked in the door, asking him to come in to the restaurant. When River thought of the family restaurant, an image of his father, Chet Jennings, standing behind the counter with his apron tied around his waist and laughing with the customers sprang to mind. His dad had been a barrel-chested man with a mustache and deep-set eyes that always saw everything. He’d worked himself to the bone to keep the place running. After his death, the place had lost business and come close to bankruptcy. Too close. River and his four brothers had stepped in. They’d turned the old diner into a successful bar and grill, because letting the restaurant go wasn’t an option. Not for any of them. It was their legacy. It was a part of their family. They’d all been willing to fight tooth and nail to keep it.
Although, it had taken a ton of work to remodel. His brother Vance owned a construction company, and he’d offered to do the work free of charge. One of his other brothers, Brodix, with his keen mind and financial expertise had managed to bring in the maximum profit, keeping the restaurant safely in the black. It was his oldest brother Sammy who took on the daily running of the place and oversaw the rest of the operation.
Sammy had always been more of a father to River than a brother. For whatever reason, River had always had a hard time talking back to Sammy. They all did. It wasn’t out of fear but rather respect. Oh, he and Sammy had left bruises on each other plenty over the years. That was just what brothers did. But before Wanda and Chet had come along and adopted the five of them, they’d all looked to Sammy for guidance. Even though he’d only been a kid himself, Sammy had done what he could to watch out for the rest of them. Sammy still carried around a truckload of guilt over the abuse River had suffered at the hands of Larry Briggs. Didn’t matter that Sammy had just been a kid at the time too, and placed in a different foster home as well. The situation hadn’t been something Sammy could control. But Sammy still felt responsible. It was just the way he was made.
Now, Sammy needed his help and he wouldn’t leave him hanging. Apparently the walk-in freezer was on the fritz, and there was melted food and spoiled meat to deal with. With Brodix out of town with Sarah—she was off doing research for the newspaper she worked for—they were down one. Still, knowing Jeanette was upset, River couldn’t leave. He could never handle it when she was angry with him.
