He stepped in my direction, and I moved away again, sliding against the banister, hand hovering over my weapon. Even though he’d come to my defense, it didn’t mean I could trust him, not after what had just happened.
Derek flashed a row of white teeth and leveled me with a steely glare.
Shivers spiraled down my spine at the feral force reflected in those pools of crystalline blue.
Danger.
He moved with the air and confidence of a man who commanded authority and respect—one accustomed to always getting what he wanted—a walking red flag.
“Hey, I’m sorry about that.” He held both hands up, his hard features edging toward amusement. “You’re not going to kick me in the dick if I get closer, are you?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, my traitorous gaze strayed to his crotch, where gray slacks highlighted an impressive outline of what the man was working with.
Damn.
He chuckled, and I snapped my eyes to his equally striking face. Thoroughly embarrassed, a flush of heat crept up my cheeks, and I suddenly felt vulnerable against the strange storm of emotions swirling inside me.
“So, what can I do for you?”
That’s when I saw it. Pieces of James staring back at me. The way he looked up through his lashes, dark brows pulling together, one hand buried inside his pocket while the other rubbed against his angled jawline. The image was a gut punch.
Maybe my father was right. I shouldn’t have come here. Was I even ready for the proverbial Pandora’s box I was about to open?
“I can’t… I can’t do this right now.” I hurriedly slipped past him and leaped off the porch, skipping three steps.
“Evangelina.”
His tone’s sharpness and the way my name rolled so smoothly off his tongue cemented me in place.
Without turning around, I swallowed hard. “You know who I am.”
CHAPTERFOUR
DEREK
Evangelina’s shoulders trembled, her body frozen in place when I called her name. Having underestimated her curiosity and attachment to the bastard who had once been my father, I hadn’t expected her so soon.
For the last four weeks, I’d watched from a distance and got to know her routine and daily schedule while also giving her time to grieve. The last thing I needed to deal with was tears about the death of that son of a bitch.
There hadn’t been much movement at her home besides the occasional food run or delivery. A young woman, who I later learned was a cousin, visited often and was sometimes accompanied by another female. Franco Cruz had been the only male to come and go from the property, which made things easier for me. Tracking down and dealing with unwanted suitors would have been an unnecessary inconvenience.
“Evangelina,” I called a second time, my tone gentler.
While I wanted to get this introduction started, I couldn’t help admiring the view. Her toned thighs were wrapped in tight jeans, coupled with a fitted brown leather jacket that hit just above her hips. I’d never been more thankful for a piece of clothing as it gave me a full view of her plump little ass. And while I’d always thought there was nothing sexier than heels on a woman, preferably of thefuck mevariety, her black combat boots were changing my mind.
She whirled around, confusion and a pinch of anger marring her features.
“How do you know my name?” Her dark eyes flared with fierceness as she demanded answers.
But the truth had no place here. And so, she’d get the story I’d spun a hundred times over in the last four weeks.
“Would you like to come inside?”
“No.”
I tipped my head to the angry skies above us; its rage rivaled only by the determined figure of the woman standing in front of me. “You’re sure?”
“Answer the damn question,” she said, folding her arms across her chest. The movement caused the hem of her jacket to lift, revealing a badge and the handle of a Sig Sauer—a sobering reminder of our circumstances.
