“Yes, sir.” The hanging plant didn’t care anymore about my reply than Jay had.
The afternoon was more of the same monotony. In other words, it was a good day.
“Our reservation is for seven, so I’ll pick you up at six-thirty,” I said, walking Madi to her Jeep.
“And I’m not supposed to pretend I don’t know Jay and Cate, just in case Paul knows?”
“It’d take two seconds of searching the internet to find your family history. We’ll assume the attacker knows. Just pretend you weren’t expecting to see him. And I’ll make a show of not wanting to double date.”
Doubt flashed across her eyes. “Okay.”
When she reached for the door handle, I stopped her. “Hey, look at me.” I waited for her to turn and face me. “I’ll keep you safe.”
“I know.” Madi sighed. “I just want this to end.” Hearing Madi sound small pissed me off. She was a force to be reckoned with, and Paul, or whoever was responsible, would pay.
“Soon. That’s why we’re doing this tonight.”
“I know this is normal for you guys, but it’s not for me.”
Because of Madi’s strength and a healthy dose of bravado, it was easy to forget she needed reassurance.
“Come here.” I reached over and, using her hands, tugged her into my chest. “You’ve got this.”
“I know I do.”
I laughed. Even afraid, she had a feisty streak.
“Thank you,” she said, pulling away. “I needed that.”
“I know.”
She slapped my chest before turning without another word and climbing into her Jeep. The engine roared to life, and then Madi wiggled her fingers goodbye.
My heart did a little dance at the gesture, accompanied by a shy smile.
I told my heart to calm the fuck down; it didn’t mean anything.
We’re just friends.
My heart ignored me and kept on dancing like no one was watching.
This job will be the death of me. If I didn’t lose my sanity first.
Lose? I was arguing with my heart after spending the day talking to a plant.
I knocked on Jack's door at six-fifteen, arriving early at his request. Despite being on paternity leave, he still worked two or three hours a day. I couldn’t fault him for wanting to talk to me before my mission. Which happened to be a date with his sister.
“Come in,” Jack said, stepping aside. His eyes scanned the road behind me. “Madi will be ready in a minute, but we need to talk.”
“Shoot.” Probably not the best thing to say to the over-protective brother of the woman I’d tied up with her silky red scarf and made scream my name.
“Jay said you declined comms.”
“Yes, sir.”
“It’s Jack.” He waited for the reply I didn’t give. “Right. Any particular reason you don’t want them?”
Jack was the least likely to rip my head off, so I gave him a more honest answer. “I have to sell being Madi’s boyfriend. I can’t do that if I have to worry about Jay growling in my earevery time he hears something he doesn’t like. Or Nathan and AJ laughing at Jay growling. Or hearing Cate—”
