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But I had…
And I didn’t like it one bit.
“Wait…you’re not saying anything,” T muttered, and cut me a stare. One jerk of his head toward the massive four-wheel drive and he added, “Don’t tell me you’re not impressed.”
Ryth followed the comment, glancing my way again as I bundled up the mess of clothes tossed into the trunk. “As long as it keeps us safe, I don’t give a shit what I drive.”
I strode toward the thing. “Rebel, come girl.”
The pup scrambled after me as I yanked open the back door and tossed the clothes on the floor, eyeing the bulging duffel bag I assumed was full of money, guns, and new phones. I bent instead, grabbed our girl, and lifted her to the floor. “Need you to look after Ryth, okay?” I murmured in the mutt's ear and gave her a scratch on the head. “She needs you.”
Then I turned around and froze, witnessing something I never thought I’d see in my life. Tobias reached out to take a woman’s hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. Ryth let him, glancing toward Caleb, then me.
Desire flooded me, desire, and fear, and desperation. I had to find us a way out of this, no matter what it took. I stepped backwards, grabbed the dressings and bottles of pills from her hand, and helped her into the four-wheel drive. Tobias rounded the vehicle and climbed in the passenger seat, leaving Caleb to sit beside Ryth in the back.
“Address is here,” Tobias called from the front, “as well as new phones and some cash.”
Caleb opened the duffel bag between the two of them. “Clothes, enough to change into anyway.”
“Good.” I walked back to the sedan, then scanned the area around us before I grabbed the guns from under the false floor, and closed the trunk, then I tossed the keys onto the driver’s seat and left the sedan behind.
Once we left the yard, we were on our own. Benjamin Rossi’s reach only went so far. I climbed behind the wheel, stowed two guns under my seat, and handed the others to my brothers. “Got the address?”
My pulse hammered as I reversed the car and watched Ben and one of his men head toward us. He gave a nod as we left, motioning for his man to take the sedan. We needed no trace left behind, of us or where we were headed.
That thought haunted me as I drove out of the compound and back into the flow of refrigeration trucks. I looked in the rear-view mirror when I turned off and headed for the city. Tobias scanned the cars in the side mirror, a gun in his grip, pressed against his thigh.
Rebel whined, sensing the tension in the car, as I took the quiet backstreets to the address Ben had given us. There were manicured lush gardens and massive houses set back off the street. There was green as far as you could see until I turned the corner and slowed the car, staring at the looming black and gray four-story mansion that sat at the end of the cul-de-sac.
“Jesus,” Caleb muttered from the back seat.
Jesus was right. I pulled into the driveway and rolled down the window as the towering black metal gate opened and two men carrying semi-automatic weapons strode out. I searched their faces, not finding a familiar stare, and muttered. “You know these guys?”
“Yeah,” Tobias answered as one neared my window.
“Briar,” T called.
The guy leaned down and met my brother’s stare without saying a word, then shifted that steely glare my way, then to the backseat. “Tobias,” he said slowly. Ex-special forces, that was easy to see, even before I caught a glimpse of his eagle- globe-and-anchor tattoo. “Mr. Rossi told us to expect you. We’re to provide protection while you’re under his roof, for as long as you need it.”
He met my stare when he said it.
Friendly, I didn’t give a shit about.
But being trained…now that’s something we could use.
“Parking’s around the back. You have the code to access the house in the details Mr. Rossi left for you. There’re panic buttons in each room that send an alert straight to us if anything happens. Rest assured, we’re not letting anyone in that doesn’t belong here.”
A hard exhale and I felt some of the tension ease
“Ms. Castlemaine.” The bodyguard turned to Ryth. Tobias stiffened beside me, and I caught Caleb jerk his gaze from the house to the Marine as he softened his tone. “I just want you to know I’m personally invested in this. Your father…your father was a good friend to me. He was the one who introduced me to Mr. Rossi and who helped me when I needed it. I’ll keep you safe.”
T narrowed his gaze on the Marine. “Thanks, Briar,” he snarled. “We already got that covered.”
The Marine gave him a nod and stepped away. I smothered a flare of jealousy, hit the button for the window, and pulled the four-wheel drive inside.
“He’ll keep you safe,” T muttered under his breath. “What the fuck does he think we’vebeendoing?”
I’d would’ve smiled at the venom in his tone if I didn’t feel the fucking poison in my own chest. I glanced at the rear-view mirror, catching Caleb as he scowled and stared out the window.
