“Um, there’s a separate enclosed garage at our apartment building. I’m happy to drive it there for you. You and Halligan can catch up,” Quinton suggested with a grin.
Loni shook her head. They had to be mental to think she’d allow that.
“I get you’re his family, but I don’t let just anyone drive Dottie,” she said.
“Quinton, cover the bar for me. We’ll go together and park her car,” Halligan said.
“Son, you and she get the car settled and then be back for a family meeting in an hour. It seems like you’ve been keeping a secret,” the man who had to be his dad, based on their resemblance, said.
“Thanks, Dad,” Halligan said. Halligan was in his forties, but his voice gave away how much he respected his dad. Loni appreciated that because family meant everything to her—at least it used to.
Chapter Three
Loni tossed the keys to Halligan. His grin as he slid behind the wheel sent flutters to her core. She had fond memories of that grin as he pleasured her during the night.
She figured if they were going to make this work—and she needed him to make it work—trusting him with Dottie was the first step. She’d be trusting him with a lot more than a car if this worked out the way she planned.
Halligan backed the car out.
“I know we have a lot to talk about, but let’s start with, why are you here?” he asked.
And that was the freaking million-dollar question, wasn’t it? Did she share it all and trust him immediately or test him with just a little information?
“I needed somewhere to be safe,” Loni said, watching Halligan’s face as he processed the information.
“Is someone after you?” Halligan asked, reaching to hold her hand across the console. When was the last time anyone comforted her?
It had to be while Gigi was still alive. Just the warmth of his hand and his words relaxed something inside her.
“I’ll protect you, but I’ll need to know more to figure out how best to do that. If you don’t want to tell this more than once, then we should probably drop the car off and head back to my family,” he said.
“Are you saying they’re nosy?” she asked.
“In the very best way. In a fight, I can’t imagine anyone better,” he said, pulling up to a gated entrance. “Code is 26627,” he said, driving the car through the entrance once the gate opened.
“I need to write it down to remember,” Loni said.
“Just remember BOOBS and spell it on the keypad,” Halligan said.
Loni chuckled. “Noted.”
“Quinton may be a lawyer, but he has the humor of a thirteen-year-old boy sometimes,” Halligan replied.
Halligan drove through the garage toward the family’s secure area. He input another code in the keypad and waited for the steel gates to open. Pulling through, he headed toward one of the spaces for their high-end vehicles.
He hurried out of the car to hold her door for her.
“Let’s grab your bags and take them up to my apartment,” he said.
Loni took the keys he’d handed her and opened the small trunk. Halligan grabbed the two larger bags, leaving a smaller one for Loni.
Once at the door to her enclosed parking space, he turned to her.
“Pick a code that you can remember,” Halligan said.
“4564364,” she replied.
“Do you want to write it down?” Halligan asked.
