I whirled around, hands on my hips, changing my mind on the whole ignoring bit. My dad could have sent anyone, yet he chose Gunner. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
He grunted and shrugged, making me think he agreed. Next thing I knew, he’d put his shoulder in my belly and lifted me up.
My head was dangling dangerously close to his firm ass, and my hands went to his back, gripping his shirt.
“Are you insane? Put me down,” I shrieked, outraged at being manhandled.
“Not happening. Now stop screaming. I’d hate for someone to call the cops.”
Apparently done discussing this with me, he turned to Carter and Blake.
“Go back to base and report in. There was a camera across the road and at the flower shop on the corner. Get the footage,” Gunner instructed.
“You got it, boss,” Carter said. They jogged across the road to a black SUV and drove off.
“I can take care of myself,” I declared. “I don’t need you.”
He huffed. “I saw how well you took care of yourself. Almost got yourself kidnapped, spitfire.”
“I would have gotten away if you hadn’t blocked my path,” I hissed.
He grunted but didn’t reply.
Great, I just loved listening to unintelligible grunts. Felt almost like I was back home with my brothers. They seemed to have a problem with the English language as much as Gunner did.
After a short and uncomfortable walk, we stopped next to another black SUV. He beeped the locks and put me in the passenger seat. His face was close to mine when he put my seat belt on, his hand grazing my belly and hips.
The fleeting touch made my whole body tremble. You’d think after five years I’d be over this bullshit, but the body wanted what the body wanted and all that crap. Because from the moment I’d first seen Gunner, he’d taken up camp in my heart and soul, and it appeared he hadn’t let go since.
“Give me your phone.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me, what?”
“Your phone. I need it. Anything that can be traced needs to stay behind.”
I gritted my teeth, knowing he was right. But giving up my phone meant giving up my only lifeline to the outside world. And the worst part, I couldn’t call Quinn to let her know I was okay when I didn’t show up for our weekly catch-up.
Pulling the phone out of my back pocket, I slapped it in his face and watched in horror as he dropped it on the ground and stomped on it.
“Don’t try and run. You’ll just make this whole thing uncomfortable for both of us,” he said as if he didn’t just crush my whole life with the heel of his boot.
I glared at him. “I’m sorry to be such an inconvenience. But I have an idea that would make your life a lot easier. Let me go, and I promise to stay out of your way.”
He closed the door, and my hand immediately went to the handle, finding it locked with no unlock button.
We were pulling away from the curb and on our way before I even had a chance to undo my seat belt.
“So, what now? You’ll lock me away until whoever’s Wheaties my family pissed in decides to either back off or mysteriously disappear?”
“The Irish aren’t just going to go away.”
I sighed, realizing this must have been more serious than I first thought. Usually, my family just made whatever problem they had disappear or threw money at it. Guess this time they’d really screwed up.
And the Irish? Who in my family was stupid enough to get involved with them?
“Dad knows where I am?” I asked, even though he clearly did since he’d sent Gunner to watch me.
“He’s known the whole time where you were. Do you really think he’d just let you disappear? Come on, Freya. You’re a big girl. You know how this works.”
