She didn’t get to probe further since the front door banged open and heavy footsteps and voices came closer.
We both jumped up and went to the door, me running and Mom following at a more sedate pace. I came to a sliding stop in the hallway, nearly slamming into Gabriel. Tiles and thick socks did not mix well.
I studied my brothers and looked behind them, hoping Gunner was with them. When I didn’t see him, my shoulders slumped.
“Everything go okay?” I asked.
“Of course,” Jude answered. “Liam even worked out a new deal for the docks. Told you, violence solves everything.”
They hugged Mom and me and said good night before trudging up the stairs.
After gathering my things, I hugged my mom before going to my room. I checked my phone in case Gunner had sent a message, but the screen was blank. I laid in bed, wondering if our time at the cabin had been a figment of my imagination.
12
There wasa crack outside my window, and my head shot up at the noise. It sounded like a tree breaking, but what animal was heavy enough to cause a branch to crack under its weight?
I wasn’t worried that anything could happen to me here. My family’s place was like Fort Knox. Probably safer. But what if something was wrong? A hurt animal? A branch that was about to fall on someone? We had a security detail that patrolled the grounds at night, and they walked below my window. I was friends with most of them and didn’t want them to have a freak accident.
I’d been tossing and turning for hours and was no closer to getting any sleep, so I figured I might as well get up.
After turning on my bedside lamp, casting the room in a soft glow, I slid off the bed to investigate. I’d locked the window and closed the blinds earlier, intending to sleep. But my mind wouldn’t shut the hell up. The heavy blinds slid to the side easily, and I peered through the glass.
Clouds covered the moon and plunged the backyard into inky darkness. I leaned closer and squinted to be able to see outside.
The tree swayed from side to side, but there was nothing on its branches. I also couldn’t see any obvious breakage. It had been windy all day, and I figured that must have made the branch creak. Seemed like I was paranoid and cranky thanks to my insomnia.
As I reached back to the curtain to close it so I could hide back under the blankets, a hand touched the glass, causing me to stumble back and shriek.
“It’s me,” Gunner’s deep baritone sounded.
I stilled, hands clutched to my chest, eyes wide.What is he doing here? And why isn’t he using the front door like every other sane human on the planet?
“Open the window,” he said, his torso suspended on my windowsill. The tree was a little way away from the house. He’d have had to jump to get to my window.
My heart dropped at the thought of what could have happened to him. I finally rushed to the window and opened it.
I took his arm and pulled him inside. “What the hell are you doing? You could have hurt yourself,” I whisper-shouted at him.
He landed on his back, staring up at me. I held his stare, wondering what I’d ever done to only attract crazy males into my life. I blamed my brothers.
“Hey, spitfire,” he said, his face breaking out into a grin.
“You could have just used the front door.”
He heaved himself up, and suddenly our roles were reversed. I craned my neck to look at him.
“Your brothers made that impossible,” he said and stepped closer until our toes were almost touching.
“My brothers? Why would they refuse you entry into the house? Aren’t you working for my family?”
He took my hand, sending a sizzle shooting up my arm.
“I work for your dad. And your brothers don’t exactly approve of me.”
His hand worked its way up to my shoulder, leaving sparks in its path.
“It’s not up to them who I’m seeing.”
