I knew she’d bring that up eventually. I was surprised it had taken her this long. “We decided against taking you to Chicago. Until it’s safe for you to go back, you’re stuck with me.”
She snorted. “I can take care of myself. If nobody knows where I am, the Irish won’t either. It would make so much more sense for you to just cut me loose and let me keep myself safe.”
My insides twisted uncomfortably at the thought of sending her out on her own. We didn’t know how the Irish kept finding us. There was no way I would let her go before I knew she would be safe. Somehow her safety had become so important, there was no way I’d let her go anywhere without me.
“Not happening. Now, do you want to get food or stay in the car and pout?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not pouting. I’m protesting.”
I suppressed the smirk that wanted to escape. “Can you protest while walking? We’re trying to get away unnoticed, and sitting in a parking lot isn’t exactly doing that.”
She huffed but got out of the car. I couldn’t help but stare at her. I’d only seen her on the monitors for the last two years and wasn’t prepared for the impact it would have on me being this close to her again. After what had happened, I swore to never get near her again.
Yet here I was, protecting her with my life.
“Let’s just get this over with.” She walked off in the direction of the diner, her snapped words ripping me out of my stupor.
I followed, wondering how things had gotten so out of control. I was a professional. I always stayed focused on the task at hand. Yet instead of planning our next step, all I could think about was the curvy vixen currently making her way to the front door of the diner.
The place was nearly empty, only two seats at the back taken. I crowded in close to Freya, not touching her but all too aware it would only take half a step for our bodies to be pressed against each other.
I’d always felt drawn to her, but it was nothing compared to what I was feeling now.
The only words spoken for the next twenty minutes were to order our food and to thank the waitress when she brought it. I didn’t want to make things worse, and every time I said something, it seemed to be the wrong thing. I wasn’t one to hesitate or question my decisions, but Freya had thrown my ordered life into turmoil without even trying.
“Why did you leave Chicago?” I asked, unable to stand sitting near her and not hearing her voice a moment longer.
She snapped her head up from where she was studying the cracked tabletop.
“Is this information going to help you in your quest to keep me safe?”
“Nope. All it will do is satisfy my curiosity. You had everything a girl could dream of. I’m just trying to understand why you would leave.”
Her eyes searched mine. When she’d seemingly found what she was looking for, the unique aquamarine shade turned darker. “All I had was a golden cage that grew smaller and smaller every day. I had to get out or risk suffocating.”
I took in her short nails, washed-out T-shirt, and torn jeans. Gone were the designer clothes and perfectly made-up hair and face. Instead, her blonde hair was wavy and looked like she hadn’t brushed it in days. The pink tips gave her an edge, and even though I’d never thought I’d like that particular color, I found myself liking it on her.
When I didn’t respond right away, she braced her hands on the table and leaned forward. “I know my family loves me. And I love them. But I had to go out on my own. I need a purpose. Freedom to do what I want. When I left, I didn’t think I’d stay away this long, but things got busy. I figured they’d bring me back eventually. When I didn’t hear from them, I thought they’d given up on me.”
“Your dad hired us the day you left Chicago,” I said, watching the fight leave her.
She slumped back into her seat. “I thought he’d forgotten about me.”
“He probably wanted to give you the room you asked for. Didn’t mean he wasn’t watching out for you.”
I was surprised that she’d ever thought they no longer cared about her.
She nodded, her eyes dull. “Aren’t you worried someone is going to catch up with us if we sit around a diner this long?”
I wished she’d insult me instead of looking like she’d given up. “There’s no cameras. And we're far enough out of town. It’s worth the risk to have one last decent meal before we get to our final destination.”
She sat up straighter. “Where exactlyarewe going?”
“To my cabin.”
Chapter9
Freya
