“I have to call and let Jude know what happened…”
The fear and worry in her voice make it crack slightly, and Bishop walks over to her and wraps an arm around her back, urging her away from the front windows.
And now that they’re all together, they close ranks completely.
Shutting me out.
Preventing me from hearing what any of them are saying as several of them text or whisper on their phones.
It feels like a massive intrusion watching them handle their family business, but even worse, witnessing their panic and fear and not being able to do something about it makes me feel useless in a way I haven’t in a long time.
I scrub my hands over my face and shove them back through my hair.
Fuck this.
Of all the stupid things I’ve done in my life, stalking over to Bishop right now might be at the top of the list, but I do it anyway and grab her arm, tugging her away from the girls.
“Let me help you.”
There isn’t any way to keep the plea from my voice. No way to hide how desperately I need her to say yes.
She locks her gaze with me, holding it steady. “You don’t want to be a part of this fight, Gage.”
“You’ve seen me in the ring. I like to fight.”
That’s one thing she absolutely should have learned about me in the brief time we’ve known each other.
I will not back down from a challenge or a threat.
Bishop shakes her head, sending her braids flying over her shoulders with the sheer force of how hard she does it. “This isn’t about wanting to fight, it’s about needing to, and that’s a totally different thing. You don’t need to.”
“I’ve been in more firefights than you can count. I’ve taken bullets and been blown up on two different continents…”
She recoils slightly at my confession, but I’m not telling her this to brag or try to somehow get her to feel sorry for me. I’m telling her so she understands that I won’t just walk away from this.
“I’m not afraid of the danger, Bishop, but I am afraid that eventually it’s going to crush you; this need to be the one who solves the problem and protects everyone. It’s going to get you killed.”
Her jaw hardens, and she wears the same look she did the other night before she left me alone on that blanket, but Astrid steps over to us.
“Sorry to butt in to what is clearly a private conversation, but maybe he’s right, Bishop.”
Her head rolls toward her cousin. “What?”
Astrid shrugs. “Maybe you should consider bringing him in to meet your dad and Gabe. To join the security team.”
Bishop doesn’t even take a second to consider the suggestion. “He has a job.”
Her cousin glances at me. “What do you do?”
“I’m a mechanic, but I own my own shop. I make my own hours. If you need help, let me help.”
For the love of God, let me help.
I may not be able to convince Bishop on my own, but with Astrid standing right here, clearly on board with bringing me into the fold, it has to be harder for her to say no.
Bishop weighs the options for a moment before shaking her head. “I don’t like it.”
I dip my head low, close to her ear, so Astrid won’t be privy to what I’m about to say to her. “Of course you don’t, because it means you’re going to have to be around me even more, but put that aside and think about your family. Think about what having someone else who’s trained and skilled on your team could do for you.”
