Leaning on Willow’s kitchen counter, I drag my hand down my face. These women are going to be the fucking death of me.
“Why?” Willow stares at me as if I’m being unreasonable. ButI’mnot the unreasonable one here. “Come on, Gid, she’s been stuck on this ranch forsuch a long time. It’s just one night out. One dinner. And I’m not even suggesting we go without you and Ry. I want you both there, armed to the gills if need be.”
“We’ll be with them,” Ryker says, and I stare at him like he’s lost his fucking mind.
“No one knows I’m here,” Lena reminds me and folds her hand into mine, twining our fingers together. “I won’t be dressed up the way I am for the press. No one will even recognize me.”
“It’s just dinner and drinks at the pub in Paradise Valley,” Willow says. “Just a couple of hours, and then we come right back here. It’s yourbirthday. We want to celebrate you, handsome.”
“Great, make me some spaghetti and call it a birthday.”
Lena and Willow both roll their eyes, making Ryker laugh.
I don’t think it’s fucking funny.
“Please,” Lena says and kisses my biceps. “I have a present for you and everything.”
This is a bad fucking idea.Every instinct I have tells me to say no. To stand my ground and refuse them.
But damn it, her gorgeous lavender eyes do things to me, and against my better judgment, I sigh. They’re not wrong. Ithasbeen a while, and there’s been no sign of danger. Paradise Valley is tiny. It should be fine.
“That’s his ‘yes but I’m pissed’ sigh,” Willow says.
“We’ve got them,” Ryker tells me and squeezes my shoulder. “Nothing will happen to either of them.”
“Fuck.”
“Let’s go before he changes his mind.” Willow grabs her purse and wraps her arm around my girl. “We’re having cocktails.”
“I couldsogo for a dirty martini,” Lena says with a nod. “Filthy.”
Why does that word sound so fucking sexy coming out of her little mouth?
“I won’t drink,” Ry assures me. “I know, I’m not an expert, but I’ll keep my eyes and ears open. We’ve got this.”
I’m uneasy during the entire fifteen-minute drive into Paradise Valley, but the girls are excited, chatting it up in the back seat of my SUV.
When I pull into the parking lot of the pub, I park near the entrance and turn to look at my girl. “Stay here until I tell you it’s safe to get out. You know the drill.”
Her face sobers, and I feel like a fucking prick for tossing a wet blanket on her fun, butfuck me, nothing bad can happen to her.
I love her too much.
“Say you understand, Lena.”
“I understand.” Her voice doesn’t shake, and then she smiles at me, and the knot in my chest loosens just a bit. “It’s okay, big guy. Do what you need to do.”
I pull myGlockout of the center console and tuck it into the waistband of my pants, under my shirt, and then I nod at Ryker and we push out of the SUV.
My eyes automatically skim the area. The parking lot is only about a third full, with no one currently pulling in or out, and there are no vehicles currently occupied.
“Seems quiet,” Ryker murmurs beside me, and I nod but take one more moment to look around. “Also, you’re intense as fuck when you’re in work mode. I’ve never seen it before.”
“If anything happens to her, I’ll burn this world to the motherfucking ground.”
I feel his eyes on me, but I don’t turn to him.
“When we go inside, I want you in the front and the two women between us. I’ll bring up the rear. At the table, I want a booth, with us on the outsides. They’re surrounded by us at all times.”
