Diesel looks out the window as he listens and I don’t have to be a body language expert to know the news is bad.
When he speaks, it’s a sharp, low growled tone. “How in the hell?”
I’m frozen in place, barely able to breathe.
"They're destroying evidence," Diesel says, his words shaking the ground beneath me. “There was another incident after we left. A drone was capturing video of River in my truck. I’ve got the drone. LSS will be getting it analyzed and tracked.”
Now I understand why he wanted to disable and capture it last night.
I’m adding up all the ugly details when Diesel asks Sheriff Baker, "You get anything from the scene? Tire tracks, debris, anything?"
The reply on the other end of the call makes Diesel shake his head, blowing out a tense breath. "Send me all of it."
He glances at me, gaze hard, expression tight. "Affirmative. She's secure."
“Are you going to tell me?” I press my hands together under the table to keep them from shaking because if I need to be anything right now, it’s strong in Diesel’s eyes or he’ll shield me from the truth.
Leaning a hip against the counter, he considers his options.
“Please.”
He doesn’t hide the way he looks me over and it makes me wonder what he’s seeing.
Finally he meets my gaze, his expression softening. “I want to protect you from this.”
CHAPTER 13
My hackles rise as I push up from the table, taking the mostly-empty plate that held my breakfast to the sink. “Don’t be like Caleb. He made decisions to keep things from me, and I don’t like it. I deserve to know about things that affect me. I’m a grown woman who gets to make decisions about my life.”
Diesel grumbles something and grabs my arm, spinning me toward him, forcing me to look at him. “We’re trying to keep you safe, River.”
“Let me decide what safe means.” I glance down at his scarred, battle-tested hand which is latched around my bicep. “Right now, safe means you not touching me until you’re ready to treat me like an equal.”
Diesel’s gaze narrows, his fingers tightening on my arm.Not painful, just enough to make me feel that touch all the way to my marrow.
“You think I don’t see you as an equal?”
“I think if you did, you wouldn’t dodge the question.”
I twist free, but he doesn’t let me get far. His hand catches me again, this time pulling me in until I’m an inch away from his chest and his gigantic frame fills my vision.
“Why did you do that?” I ask, annoyed—and far too aware of how close he is.
“Because I wanted to.”
That honesty knocks the breath out of me more than the grip ever could.
I scoff, pinching his side. “You’re just trying to distract me.”
Diesel’s mouth curves, the grin slow and unapologetic. “I won’t deny it.”
When I look away, his hand slides beneath the hem of my shirt, fingertips tracing my spine, climbing up my vertebrae, short circuiting me.
“I like seeing you in my clothes,” he murmurs. “Especially across the table first thing in the morning.”
I should push him away. Instead, I stay even though it’s easy to see right through his methods. “You’re really going for broke on this distraction thing, aren’t you?”
“No,” he says, leaning in, dropping his voice to a whisper next to my ear, “If I was going for broke, I’d do this…”
