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“You did the right thing,” I gritted out. “Next time—”
I didn’t even get to finish before Rupert was in my face, his anger as palpable as mine. Warning laced his tone when he spoke.
“There shouldn’t be a next time, which brings to the table what I already told you earlier. She shouldn’t be living with us. She shouldn’t even be working with us or anywhere near us, not when we’re under threat like this and she’s most likely going to be the next target.” A hiss came out of him. “They knew she worked in your restaurant. They were probably watching her clock out before they followed her.”
Oh, if only I could get my hands on those people and hurt them for terrorizing her like that. My hands curled.
“You’re right. I should have thought of that when I invited her to stay in our apartment.”
“Yes.”
I looked at him next, meeting his gaze. “But I can’t drive her away now. Not when she’s been attacked like that and there’s no guarantee to her safety when she moves away.”
Rupert didn’t like my answer. “She’s a distraction, Matt. You know that.”
“She’s staying. As my friend and as someone I need to protect from all of this.”
Silence washed over us, but it didn’t quite eliminate the tension that hung in the air. I braced for an argument, maybe even a fight considering how tense the man was. In the end, he glared at me and sighed.
“It’s your funeral.”
The insult held no venom, and I knew that the real reason he wanted Sophie gone was that he was starting to care for her, too. The man might be hard on the surface and a menace to his peers when he was in a thunderous mood, but he was also the first to fight for what was right and protect those who needed protection. I knew without a doubt that with my decision in place, he would do his best to watch out for her, too.
When he was gone, I returned to where I left Sophie behind with Marianne, one of our older female members and the unofficial mother of the group. Sophie was no longer tense, and I knew Marianne had a lot to do with that.
“Now, you need to keep this recipe a secret and not throw it away. When you get the chance, cook it and taste it. I want to hear back from you about your feedback because no living soul has ever said that it didn’t work. You hear me?”
That tugged a smile out of Sophie’s lips. “Yes, I hear you. I’m not the best cook, but I’ll give it a try. Thanks, Marianne.”
“Anytime, my dear. Now let’s exchange numbers so I can still hear from you even when you don’t visit us anymore.”
I waited for them to finish the exchange before I stepped into view. Sophie looked up, her smile changing at the sight of me. It became less relaxed and more hesitant, but also… hopeful.
“Is that Marianne’s famous chicken soup?”
“Allegedly,” she said when Marianne left to give us privacy. “From what I gather, it’s guaranteed to heal my soul and rejuvenate my senses.”
“You’d be surprised how she’s not exaggerating, but I’ll let you find that out for yourself.”
I studied her, gaze roaming her body and trying to detect the smallest bruise. She caught on and shook her head.
“I’m okay. Really. No injuries. Not even a scratch. Rupert made sure of that.”
“That’s good.”
The hopeful look remained, and I realized that despite what she found out about me, she still trusted me. It shook me up. Not wanting to alarm her, I maintained my calm as I drew near and offered my hand. She took it without hesitation.
“Are you going to introduce me to the rest of your gang?”
My lips quirked, but I shook my head.
“No. I’m taking you home.”
***
It was a long drive accompanied by silence and Sophie mulling over her thoughts all over again, so I let her be. When we arrived at the apartment, neither Sebastian nor Rupert were there, and I figured Rupert hadn’t told Sebastian yet if Sebastian wasn’t barging in to fuss over her.
“Get some rest,” I said. “I’ll answer your questions tomorrow.”
