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Clay’s expression hardened into a granite mask so unreadable she felt the only way to crack him would be to take a hammer and chisel to him.
“Give me your phone,” he roughed out.
She held it out to him, and he took it before shifting to a standing position. She stared at his long, muscled legs that ended in cowboy boots.
Clay looked up from the phone. “He reached out to Andrew?”
She nodded, miserable. “I didn’t even know that heknewmy brother, but he states that Andrew is concerned and asked him how to help.”
“Of course he is coming to your aid, Lark. He loves you. And this guy says he’s worried about you too.” He held up the phone on his broad palm but didn’t look very happy about what he was saying.
“You know my brother. He’s always been protective of me.”
He cocked a brow. “Meaning?”
“I don’t want him doing something stupid.”
“Like hunting down who’s responsible for tossing your apartment and hurting them?”
She nodded.
“Why would Andrew do that? He isn’t a criminal, right? He’s a respectable member of society.”
“Yeah, but that urge still lives inside him. I’ve seen some of the extent he’ll go to in order to protect the people he cares about.”
Clay returned to his crouched position in front of her. His chest was only inches from her knees, and she wantedso muchto slip into his arms and let his strength erase the world.
“Having the urge to seek revenge for someone you love doesn’t make you a bad person, Lark. It makes you human. And that applies to Andrew. Though it doesn’t look like he’ll be able to do much. He doesn’t know who’s responsible.”
She scraped the curl off her forehead.
Clay’s fingers covered hers. The callused warmth of his touch left her spinning from the instant comfort he offered her. Her stomach unknotted enough to allow her lungs to inflate with a full breath.
He lowered their joined hands to the bed. “Andrew is military. He can handle himself.
A shiver sidled through her. “Did you readallof the garage owner’s texts?”
“Yes.”
Her stomach twisted. “You saw what he said about why he contacted Andrew aboutmyplace?”
Clay’s brows pinched.
“Don’t you see?” She plastered her hands over her face. “I didn’t get that apartment on my own! Andrew got it for me. I thought the landlord was just being nice, not making me put a security deposit on the apartment. He didn’t ask for first and last month’s rent either, like most places do. My brother paid it on my behalf.”
Clay’s words came out hesitantly. “And that…upsets you?”
“Yes!” She dropped her hands and glared at him through her teary eyes. His image shimmered and blurred.
He set her phone aside and slipped an arm around her waist, tugging her up against his chiseled body. Being as hard as granite, he shouldn’t be so comfortable, but she melted at first contact with him.
“You’re pretty cuddly for a tough guy, you know that?” she asked.
He jerked his head to pierce her in his stare. “I am not cuddly. I’m hard. And mean.”
She poked a finger into his muscled chest. “Cuddly.”
He groaned. “I’m just trying to offer you some comfort, Lark. Don’t you see that having a brother who loves you enough to help you out that way is what makes the world good?”
