“For what it’s worth, though,” she continued, “I think this is totally unnecessary. You know the storm’s not going to get that bad. Plus, she’s an adult and can take care of herself.”
Of that, I wasn’t so sure. Who knew how often she left her doors unlocked? Not to mention, her tires were constantly low, and there was no doubt she drove around on a sixteenth of a tank of gas, just for the hell of it. God knew what I’d find if I checked her oil. She had no sense of self-preservation—hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was outside right now, exposed to all the elements, just so she could become one with the rain or whatever the fuck.
My chest grew tighter at the thought, recalling the tourist who’d drowned a few years ago just half a mile from where Luna was parked. She and a group of friends had been standing on some rocks overlooking the ocean, watching the angry swell of the waves as a storm had rolled in. But they’d been too close to the edge. She’d been caught off guard by a huge wave that’d come out of nowhere and swept her straight into the ocean.
That was it. No warning. No mercy. Just gone forever. And no one could do a damn thing about it.
No matter how good of a swimmer you were, no matter if you were a world-class sailor or if you’d lived your entire life steps from the ocean, you weren’t immune to its unpredictability or its ruthlessness.
“Plus,” Addison said, “taking her farther from the resort can only be a good thing while we’re trying to secure this, right?”
Fuck. I rubbed at the pressure in my chest, hating that she was right. Which left me with one option. The rest of my family, save for Levi, lived on the resort, and I sure as fuck wasn’t going to send Luna to his apartment. The last thing any of us needed was those two troublemakers concocting a plan together. God help us all if that ever happened.
I’d swing by her van, let her know the situation, and take her to my place. She could stay there—alone—until the storm passed, while I hunkered down at the station. And then, when it was clear, she could return to her hippie van and continue ruining my life from afar.
After verifying Addison was in for the night and ending the call, I put the car into drive and headed down the path, wipers on full speed to keep up with the downpour. The wind had already ravaged parts of the preserve, and branches were down all over the place, my headlights skating over several littering the road.
Christ, she was far in here—far enough that no one would even know it if they hadn’t been looking specifically for her. That was trouble all around.
I was about fifty yards from her van when a downed tree blocked my path. It was massive—big enough that it’d take several people several hours and a chainsaw to clear it. And considering this was the only road in and out of the preserve and she’d parked at the very end of the dead-end path, that meant she was trapped.
My ire kicked up when I thought about what she’d have done if I hadn’t come out here and she’d had an emergency, or if the storm had picked up more power, increasing the likelihood of damage. She’d have been stuck with no way out. And the thought only pissed me off more. Was she just oblivious, or did she truly lack even an ounce of self-preservation?
It probably wasn’t a good idea to go in guns blazing and barking orders, but she had me so worked up by her total disregard for her safety, it took effort to unclench my jaw as I climbed out of the car.
The rain soaked me in seconds as I strode toward her pale-blue van, my headlights illuminating the way. I didn’t realize how much I’d been hoping she was inside seeking the minuscule protection the vehicle offered until my shoulders went stiff when I found her. Outside, just as I’d thought. She stood under the poor excuse for cover the trees provided, just staring out at the raging sea, a small smile tipping her lips as the wind whipped her hair into a tornado around her.
I stalked up to her, running my gaze over every inch and checking for any injuries. She stood in bare feet—bare fucking feet—her long skirt whipping in the wind, and wore a cardigan over a too-thin shirt, the rain making it stick to her curves in ways that should have been illegal.
Snapping my eyes away from her body, I met her curious gaze. “Let’s go,” I said, loud enough to be heard over the storm and the sound of the angry ocean.
She regarded me with upturned lips so plush they were distracting, droplets of rain cascading over them and making my fingers itch to reach out and wipe them away. “Hello to you, too, grump.”
I made a gruff sound in my throat, clenching my fists to keep myself from reaching for her and throwing her over my shoulder to get the hell out of here. “We don’t have time for niceties.”
She breathed out a laugh that I saw more than heard and shook her head. “Is that what you call the bare minimum of civility?”
Jesus Christ, this woman. It was like she got off on pushing my buttons. Were there any circumstances we wouldn’t be at each other’s throats?
“It’s not safe to stay in your van,” I bit out through gritted teeth.
“It’s fine, Sheriff.” She reached out and patted my chest, the chill of her hand seeping into my skin, even through my uniform. “I’m a big girl and can take care of myself.”
I reached up and caught her hand under mine. It was like covering an ice cube, and I narrowed my eyes, wondering how long she’d been out here like this to be so cold. Was the rest of her body just as chilled? “Big girls usually remember to lock their doors, so I’m not so sure about that.”
She rolled her eyes, but she didn’t remove her hand as she leaned closer so she wouldn’t have to yell to be heard. “I didn’tforget. I just…didn’t.”
Rain had gathered on the tips of her eyelashes, and every blink sent a droplet streaming down the slope of her nose, over the curve of her cheek, before pooling into the dip of the Cupid’s bow on her mouth. A cupid’s bow I wanted to trace the shape of. With my tongue. My gaze was stuck there, even as my frustration ratcheted up another notch at her total disregard for her safety.
I tore my eyes away and met her gaze. “You mean to tell me it was anactivechoice to leave your van open for anyone to slip inside? Do you leave it unlocked while you’re sleeping, too?”
She averted her eyes, which told me all I needed to know, and that only pissed me off more.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I don’t do itallthe time.”
“That doesn’t make it better,” I said through clenched teeth.
