I open my arms, and she doesn’t hesitate. She moves against my chest, and I hold her. I feel the wet tears stain my shirt, the anger inside me rising to a boil.
“Babe,” I say, not able to hold back the word. I think I’ve known from the moment I set eyes on Poppy that I wanted her. Wanted to make her mine. And whether it becomes more than this or not, she’s mine to protect right now.
I lean back and cup her face with my hands. I wipe away her tears with my thumbs, and I lower my head to look deep into those devastated brown eyes. “I’m going to find out who did this, and I’m going to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Do you understand me? I’m going to keep you and your boy safe.”
She sniffles and stares into my eyes, her lips parting softly. “Why?” she whispers. “Why do you want to help us?”
I won’t answer that. Because what I want to say will scare this gorgeous woman away, and the only thing I want is to bring her close.
I say nothing as my thumb moves from her cheek to her lower lip. I stroke the bottom edge, and my cock twitches when she gasps and flutters her eyes closed in response.
“Poppy,” I breathe, my dick going hard and my pulse thundering in my throat. “You helped me. A fuckload more than I could repay with one dinner.”
She opens her eyes and licks her lower lip, almost catching my finger. Heat flashes in her eyes, and for asecond, one excruciating second, I think she might kiss me. But as soon as I see it, it’s passed.
“I’ve never felt like this,” she says, stumbling away from me and wobbling on her heels.
I don’t know if it’s the drinks, the fear, or something else, but she goes pale suddenly.
“Phantom…” she says.
I see her knees buckle, and I catch her before she goes down. I scoop her up in my arms and hold her against my chest. “There’s nothing you need from inside?” I ask.
“It’s all ruined,” she says weakly. “There’s nothing left except Jax’s things.”
I say no more and balance her in my arms before setting her carefully back on the passenger seat of her car. I whip out my phone and shoot off a series of texts. Within an hour, this place will be crawling with my brothers. They’ll clean the mess and pack up Jax’s room and bring everything to my place.
Until we catch whoever the fuck did this, I’m not letting Poppy or her son out of my sight. And when I catch them, the motherfucker who did this is going to pay.
9
POPPY
I thinkI’m in shock. That’s the only thing that makes sense. I let Phantom hold me, wipe away my tears, and then pick me up and carry me to my car.
I don’t even know who I am right now, but in some ways, that’s a good thing. I don’t want to be a woman who is experienced in this kind of situation. The break-in, the police.
So many things in my life changed the night we lost Michael, and my sense of safety in this world, the bubble I’ve created for Jax and me, just popped.
We don’t speak during the drive, but Phantom’s fingers are laced tightly through mine. He doesn’t let go, and I don’t want him to. I’m already growing used to the rough feel of his skin, the size, heat, and strength of his hands.
I’m a mess, but if I have to go through this, is it really so wrong to accept help? What makes me most worried isn’t just the fact that I am accepting help from this man I hardly know, but the fact thatI’m liking it. I’m not used to leaning on anyone anymore. I thought I’d been through it all in the last eight years, but this… This is uncharted territory.
I watch Phantom as he stares straight ahead, steering with his left hand while he holds mine with his right.
His lips twist as if he’s muttering curses under his breath, and wrinkles form around his eyes as he glares. I feel like he’s as angry for me as I am, and something about that makes me feel better. He’s not just doing this for me. He’s going through this with me.
I look away and stare out the window, trying to make sense of how I got here. But the gorgeous view distracts me. I recognize the neighborhood as we make the fifteen-minute drive from my side of town toward an area I never even dreamed I could afford.
When we pull into the driveway, my breath catches in my chest. My house is a run-down but well-maintained little place. But his place is an absolute fantasy.
While Phantom gets out of the car and rushes around to my side, I look at the two-story glass-and-concrete structure. The home has a mid-century vibe to it, with sharp angles and big windows.
“This is your home?” I ask, marveling again at who this man is. “It’s stunning, Phantom.”
“And yours for now too. Come on.” He holds his hand out to me and, feeling steadier, I take it, but then I release it. I’m getting way too comfortable holding on to this man.
He punches in a code, and the garage door opens toreveal the motorcycle I saw him on the other day. The garage is perfectly organized and neat, with tools and equipment lined up on shelves on one side and an impressive home gym setup on the side opposite where the bike is parked.
