“Perish the thought.” Gabe collapsed back in his seat, blessedly quiet for the moment.
Emerson drove the last few miles to the take-out place. He rarely went there on his own, but he’d dropped so much money at Gino’s feeding his guys, he ought to have the restaurant on retainer. There was no way in hell he’d say it out loud, especially not in front of Gabe, but he’d reached the age where he couldn’t pack away the greasy cheese and pepperoni like he used to—not and keep up with the rest of his men. He was already working at a deficit with ex-military guys like Liam.
It took him hours in the gym every week to stay on par physically with the guys on his team, but he wasn’t about to let the standards drop because he was the boss or because he worked more with his mind than his body. The same thing was true for the gun range. He’d spent hours stacked on hours honing his skill until he was a good a shot as the guys who worked for him. He wouldn’t ask any of his employees to do something he couldn’t do himself. In his business, the only way to command respect was to earn it. If it meant a little less pizza in his life, he’d deal, just not today.
He pulled into the packed parking lot at Gino’s, hesitating a moment before opening his door. He trusted his brother to keep Sophie safe. It wasn’t that; it was more that he didn’t want to leave her. He planned on ignoring the way it felt to have her fingers twined with his, but he couldn’t seem to shake the fact that he wanted to be able to see her and make sure she was okay, which was seven different levels of fucked up.
“I’ll get it,” said Gabe, opening his door. “You always do stupid shit like get them to put vegetables on it.” He gave an overly theatrical shudder as he climbed out of the car.
When Emerson turned back to face her, Sophie was smiling at Gabe’s receding figure and jealousy nipped at him again. It didn’t help that she was closer in age to his younger brother than to him or that they seemed to have more in common, a kind of lightness of spirit he’d never seemed to have.
“You okay?” She shifted in her seat to face him, her smile turning into concern.
“I’m fine. I’m the one who should be asking you that. How are you holding up? A lot happened today.”Hello, Captain Obvious.
“I’m okay. Really.”
She nodded, and he realized she must be feeling some of the same kind of nerves he was. It wasn’t like him to let a woman knock him off-center. It made him sound like an ass, but he didn’t usually care enough. Sophie had him completely derailed. There was a small comfort in knowing she felt something similar. That probably did make him an ass.
“You don’t have to take me to your place. We could just get pizza, and you could drop me off at my apartment. I’m sure I’ll be safe there,” she said, sounding anything but sure.
It didn’t matter. Her suggestion didn’t merit a response. Keeping her safe was non-negotiable. Taking her to his place was the easiest way to accomplish that.
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, Sophie. So until I know what’s going on and the police catch whoever took a shot at you, you’re staying with me.”
“Why?” Her voice shook, and she blinked wide eyes, making her look vulnerable, younger than she was.
His heart clenched in response.Why notwas a better question.What kind of person saw someone in need and didn’t help? What kind of life had she lived that she didn’t automatically assume that?Never mind the fact that he seemed drawn to her beyond any rational explanation.
“Because I can. Because I care about you. You pick the reason. None of that changes the reality.”
The words hung in the air between them, and he felt himself leaning toward her as if they were somehow tethered together. She sucked in a breath, but she didn’t back away and when she licked her lips, heat hit him like a punch in the gut. This woman had him seconds away from running over lines he had no business crossing.
The back door opened and they pulled away from each other as if they’d been shocked. Gabe climbed into the SUV, holding a large white cardboard pizza box. He glanced between them and a grin split his face.
“Tell me you didn’t do something crazy, like get pineapple on the pizza?” Emerson said, feeling like he’d dodged a bullet. Given the day he’d had, the irony was not lost on him.
“It’s like you don’t know me at all,” said Gabe, feigning hurt. “I went one better. I got this.” He flipped open the lid of the box revealing a large pizza covered with a cornucopia of vegetables, including grilled eggplant.
There was only one reason Gabe would order a veggie lovers pizza and that was if he had no intention of eating it with them.
“You guys are on your own. Berlin caught an earlier flight. Drop me at the office. If I hurry I can be at the airport by the time her plane lands.”
