“I’m Stash Bailey.” Velvet held out his hand. “You are?”
“Ember Lerrus.” We shook in greeting.
“Nice name.” He pointed at D&D, who nodded at me. “That’s Zane Harris.” Stash’s lips twitched as he tilted his head toward Cole. “I believe you’ve already met Cole Donovan.”
“Yeah, we met,” I murmured, blushing.
Stash coughed over a laugh, turning his attention to Brent, who was wrenching a suitcase out of the SUV.
Brent gnashed his teeth. “Here’s your bag, Cole.” He chucked it right at Cole’s head.
Catching it, Cole glared. Quick hands.
Stash pulled another bag out, lifting the handle so he could roll it. He eyed Ally where she stood tapping her foot, waiting for us. I could almost see the smoke bellowing out of her ears. “What’s her name?”
“Ally Sue Fields.”
He gave her a slow perusal. “She single?”
Even angered, that was freaking funny. “You’re not her type. Sorry.” I patted his arm in bogus sympathy before pulling out my own duffle I had spied on the backseat.
“So, how do you guys know Brent?” I inquired while the remaining bags were unloaded.
“We own a security business together. We’ve known each other for a long time. Army, and all. Funny that we never heard about you.” Stash, along with Zane, watched for my reaction.
I didn’t disappoint. My eyes closed and I groaned softly. Cripes. So not good.
I deflected his pointed curiosity when the last door was slammed, by none other than Brent. “Do you normally drive around with a car full of luggage and a woman you don’t know?”
Zane answered, his voice cold, “No. The woman insisted on coming. We’re flying out for a different job tomorrow and because of the special circumstance of tonight,” he thought a gunfight wasspecial?, “we’re going to stay close to one another. The norm. Protection in numbers.” He paused. “So how do you and Ally know our man Brent?”
“Let’s go people,” Brent ordered, interrupting through clenched teeth. I wondered how long until he exploded. Then, these men, who thought they knew him so well, would see a whole other side of him.
Trudging toward the elevator Brent tried to take my duffle from me. I yanked it away from him. “I’ve got it.”
“Give me the bag, Ember.” He glared down at me.
“No.” I kept on walking.
“Darlin’, let me carry your damn bag.” His arm reached out.
I skirted away. “No.”
With both our mouths open to argue, we didn’t notice Ally come up behind us.
She smacked us upside the back of our heads. “Save it, you two.”
Zane and Stash watched on in amazement. Cole watched the play-by-play like he was learning trade secrets. I got the impression he was scary intelligent. And I’d had sex with him. Luckily, I was distracted enough not to think too hard on that.
Brent and I shut our mouths and walked on in silent fury. That seemed to surprise Zane and Stash even more while Cole just tilted his head, still scrutinizing us, and pressed the up button for the elevator. Ally’s tapping foot was the only sound echoing throughout the garage as we waited. It probably would have felt awkward if I wasn’t contemplating everything I wanted to yell at Brent for.
Ding.
I snapped out of my red haze as the elevator doors opened. Thank goodness it was a large elevator, but even at that, it was a tight squeeze. I ended up plastered against Brent’s hard chest and the elevators buttoned wall. I tried not to melt into him too much. He had Supermodel for that.
They were all watching us as Brent snaked his hand around my waist to the buttons. I turned my head away and stared at the wall. I didn’t particularly enjoy being stared at. And they were examining every move Brent and I made.
He leaned his head down and asked softly, “That asshole hit you hard. Is your stomach all right?”
