She laughs softly. “That was a copout answer.”
“No. It’s no problem. Big bastard’s easy to love. He was a great teammate.”
“You miss the Teams, don’t you?”
Now I’m really feeling that icepick in my throat. A moment ago it was a prick, now it’s embedded good and deep.
“Yeah, I do. And because I know you’re going to ask, I got out because my sister needed me.”
Her fingers give a gentle squeeze before they pull away and tuck under the blanket. “What do you know… the big mean bodyguard is soft under all that armor.”
Fuck.
She’s more right than she can know. And I’m starting to feel more layers of my shield falling away every damned time River looks at me.
“Don’t get your hopes up, cowgirl, I’m more asshole than hero.”
With a chuckle, she says, “I agree with you for the first time.”
The truck falls silent, the rumble of tires changing when I hit the next paved road, taking us far, far away from all the shit that’s gone down today.
“G-night, Diesel,” she murmurs, tucking her cheek against the seat, looking impossibly soft and dangerously like mine.
“Night, Rhinestone.” There’s a fucking frog in my throat alongside that icepick now.
She barely stirs when I park outside the barn on the outskirts of Oleander Station and carry her to the new truck.Gray has multiple vehicles stationed in hidden locations for emergencies.
“What’s going on?” she whispers, nuzzling against my chest as she rubs her eyes.
“Switching rides, go back to sleep.”
I tuck her into the seat next to me, and hit the road again, keeping all my senses on high alert.
Time is ticking. River’s big event is in five days. Either we solve this problem before then, or she’s not going.
CHAPTER 7
Something wakes me. I jerk upright and find that indeed it wasn’t a bad dream. Diesel is looking at me.
“You’re staring.” I roll my neck, every muscle protesting.
“Just glad to see that frown. Means you got some rest and got your fire back in you.”
I shake my head and rip the band out of my hair, groaning roughly as I massage my scalp. “I need a shower, my hair smells like smoke.”
“Hold your horses a little longer. We’re almost to the first safe house.”
First. I don’t like the sound of that so I slump in the seat and put my boots on the dash, just to annoy him.
Heavens. I’m usually not so childish, but it seems I woke up on the wrong side of the truck.
The kink in my back doesn’t help.
“Any word from the sheriff’s office on the cause of the fire?”
Diesel pops a piece of gum into his mouth. “Nope. Those things take time. Want some?”
It’s cinnamon and gives me a flashback from my childhood when I chomp on it. It also makes me think of Red Hots.
