“Are you all right?” I asked when she wobbled a little bit, getting out of the car.
She nodded and started to say something but was cut off by her yawning. “I’m fine. I guess all the adrenaline is wearing off.”
I nodded, taking the suitcase she packed and motioned with my head for her to walk ahead of me toward the front door. I pressed my thumb against the lock, and a moment later, the locked disengaged. Pushing the door open, I stepped aside, allowing Jodi to enter ahead of me. Before I could step inside after her, Hound practically pushed past me to get next to her. I watched from behind as she lowered her uninjured arm to her side, petting his massive head. Right then, I couldn’t tell who was more attached to her, Hound or myself.
“What’s that laugh about?” she questioned, turning to me with a small smile on her face.
Again, seeing the bruise on her face resulted in a tightening in my chest. Whoever the shithead was that entered Jodi’s home was going to feel my wrath.
I gestured toward Hound. “He thinks he’s better for you than I am.” I surprised myself with my confession, but I didn’t feel the need to take it back either.
Jodi glanced down at Hound, who remained dutifully perched at her side. He wouldn’t let her out of his sight since I’d arrived back at her place after she called me.
A slow smile crossed her lips. “Someone’s jealous.”
I snorted and moved forward, pulling her into my body. “Maybe a little.” Lowering my head, I brought our lips to touch. I didn’t let myself get too carried away, however. I realized that she was injured, and it was still the middle of the night. McNamera had told us that we didn’t need to be too worried about a concussion or anything.
“Are you going to give me a tour?”
“In the morning. You need to get some rest.” I took her hand in mine, and I knew she was especially drained from the night’s events when she didn’t insist or refuse to follow me up the stairs.
“That’s one of the guest bedrooms,” I pointed out as we passed on the right. “The other two are downstairs. Usually, Gabe or Ace crash in one of those when I’m out of town, or they’re nearby.”
“That’s nice,” she stated through a yawn. The tiredness in her voice was evident.
I lead us down the hall to my bedroom.
“Hound stayed downstairs?” she questioned as I led her to the bed.
“He’s not allowed upstairs.” For that reason, his ass remained at the bottom of the stairs, pining.
I knelt before her as she sat on her edge of the bed. Her eyes drooped as she propped her arms over my shoulders.
“That’s mean.”
“That’s life. He’s fine down there.”
I untied and removed the sneakers she’d put on before we left her house, tossing them to the side. My hands then moved to the hoodie of mine that she still wore, lifting it over her head. All that remained on her was a pair of black spandex pants and a grey T-shirt.
My gaze rose to meet hers when I heard her laugh. “What?”
She shook her head, grinning. “I was thinking it’s a good thing I don’t sleep naked or only in my underwear. Could you imagine me running out of my house to my neighbor’s in a pair of panties? That would’ve been embarrassing.” She laughed, but I scowled.
“It shouldn’t have happened in the first fucking place. You shouldn’t have to worry about what you wear in your own damn home.” I found myself growing pissed all over again.
“Relax, Micah,” she said, patting me on the cheek with her palm. “I handled it.”
“Speaking of which … where were you trained?” It was a question that’d been burning in my mind ever since she first described how she got away from her attacker. It wouldn’t have been an easy feat for anyone, let alone a sleeping woman, to get away from a six-foot-three guy, in the middle of the night—one who was intent on attacking and possibly killing you.
Her face beamed as she sat up a little taller. “In Brooklyn. At one of the best Krav Maga schools in the city, in my humblest opinion.”
“Krav Maga, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s what they call it officially, but my instructor taught a combination of self-defense techniques which included Krav Maga, Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, boxing, and some wrestling.”
“Impressive. How long?”
“Five years now.”
