I hadn’t asked what had become of Allen Parker. If I asked, Sal would tell me the truth and I didn’t know if I wanted that information. I could take an educated guess, but that was as far as I wanted to go. Maybe it was naïve of me, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
What mattered to me is that the danger had passed. My friends were safe and for the most part, happy. The guys were still protective; they always would be. But I had more freedom since they’d brought Parker and his goon in.
Even Jeb was back in the fray. He was here tonight with his lady, drinking beers.
I looked over to my future sister-in-law, gauging her carefully. Sophie still remained a mystery to us. Sal was growing frustrated with her resistance to share. I encouraged him to let her be; she’d share when she was ready.
As I watched, she took a call on her cell, her face growing pale at whoever was on the other end. “Sal,” I warned, nodding in her direction. He was at my side in the midst of a conversation with Hank.
His head snapped over and his eyes narrowed, moving to head in her direction.
Axel got there first.
He grabbed the phone out of her hand. “Who the fuck is this?” he growled as Sal and I got near.
“Hello?” he demanded. He snapped the phone shut in frustration.
“This is the third time, Soph,” he growled at her.
“What do you know about it?” Sal demanded, angrily glaring at Axel.
“You want to focus on that right now, really?” Axel demanded.
He had a point.
“Sophie?” I pressed quietly, trying to cut through the testosterone weighing the air.
“It’s my problem,” she answered quietly.
“Honey, around here there’s no such thing,” I told her gently.
“Then I’ll leave,” she replied simply, though I knew it pained her to say it.
“The hell you will,” Sal argued, his eyes fierce.
She shrugged and looked away. “Kat’s lease is almost up. You guys have done more than enough already. I don’t have a job. Soon I won’t have a place to live,” she sighed.
“We love you, Soph. Nobody wants you to leave. We’ll all help you,” I assured her.
“We’ll see,” she replied as Axel glared down at her.
One thing was for sure, sometimes our guys could stand to tone down the intensity a bit.
“Let’s go get a drink,” I suggested, taking her arm and guiding her away to where Scar and Connie sat under the trees.
“I don’t know why they want me to stay so badly. They seem so pissed at me all the time,” she muttered, sitting down with a huff as I handed her a beer.
I fought back the urge to laugh. “They’re not angry, babe. They’re controlling, passionate men who can’t handle not being in control, especially where our safety is concerned,” I explained quietly. “You’ll learn how to hold your own. Lord knows we all have,” I grinned, nodding toward the ladies surrounding us.
“I guess,” she agreed somewhat reluctantly.
“You ready to head out?” Sal asked, appearing at my side later that night. I looked up into his gorgeous face and nodded with a grin.
He grabbed my hand, leading me out to the bike and I grinned at the gesture. Day by day he staked his claim more and more with physical affection, and I loved it.
“Let’s go to Spain,” he murmured through the dim light of our bedroom. We’d gotten home, torn each other’s clothes off, and now lay wrapped up in each other
“Yeah?” I asked dreamily, propping my chin on his chest and looking up into his dark eyes.
