Page 22 of Challenging Her Protector

“And I’m Addy.” The willowy woman with round glasses and rich golden hair moved into the entryway and hugged her. “Welcome into the fold. We are all so thankful you’re here and safe.” Addy gestured toward the other women. “We’re friends of Hannah. Brynn is engaged to Ransom and Sam is with my brother, Julian, or Joker, as everyone else calls him.”

“Are you with Silver?” Maybe this was the woman who had her other rescuer grinning down at his phone.

A furious blush pinkened Addy’s pale cheeks. “We’re just friends. My connection to everyone is through my brother.”

She couldn’t stop the smile from forming on her lips but nodded politely. Silver would totally fall for a woman like Addy. “Why don’t you all come in?” She glanced at Iron. He probably didn’t appreciate her offering up his house. “If that’s okay?”

“’Course. If that’s what you want, that’s fine.”

The women moved farther inside and shut the door behind them. Brynn shuffled forward with the shopping bags and placed them to the side. “We wanted to bring you some supplies to hold you over until you’re able to go shopping. Hannah said you couldn’t leave with much.”

There was a tingling sensation behind her lids. “Thank you,” she whispered softly looking from the bags to the women and back again. These people didn’t even know her. They knew of her from Hannah alone, and yet they’d gone out of their way to help make her comfortable. Everything about Iron’s world seemed so surreal. She was almost afraid it was too good to be true. She hadn’t encountered any hidden agendas, demands, or malicious intents since running away from her rehearsal dinner. Well, except for her parents’ visit to the hospital in Texas and the constant text messages that were no longer a problem because Silver and Iron had taken that burden off her shoulders.

Iron’s cell phone started ringing and he fished it out of his pocket. “Iron Auto,” he answered and turned toward the kitchen, listening. “Of course. I’ll have two tow trucks meet you a quarter mile from exit twenty-three. If there’re no injuries, we can drive the car owners and passengers right to the shop. Okay. They’ll be enroute in no more than five minutes.” Iron ended the call and started another.

“Danny, we’ve got a three-car crash on exit twenty-three. All cars and passengers need a tow back to the center.” A frown settled on his face. “Shit. You’ll need another set of hands then. I’m home. I can be there in fifteen. Right. See you then.” Iron tucked his phone back into his side pocket and scrubbed his hands over his face.

“Vee, I hate to do this, but I need to go into the shop.” He touched her arm tentatively, searching her face. “My team is up to their ears in crashes and body work today. You can either come with me or stay at the house if you’re comfortable. I don’t want to leave you stranded here, though, without a car.”

“We can stay here.” Sam’s face lit up.

Brynn tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and sauntered into the kitchen. “When we’ve worn out our welcome, we can bring Vivienne by the collision center.”

She wasn’t sure how Iron would feel about the women staying in his home while he was gone. The last thing she wanted to do was take advantage of his hospitality. It was bad enough that he felt responsible for her.

“Can I have a minute?” Iron asked, offering her his hand. His rough palms shouldn’t feel so good against hers, so gentle.

“Of course.” When they turned toward the living room, his fresh scent caught her off guard and made her want to bury her face in his soft cotton shirt.

“I wanted to talk to you privately to make sure you were comfortable with Sam and Brynn’s suggestion. You’re welcome to come with me to the shop or you can stay here with them. I also have no problem telling them to get lost if you need some peace and quiet.”

“No, please don’t. If you’re okay with us being here alone, I wouldn’t mind them staying. I’d like to get to know Hannah’s friends.”

“All right. I trust them. They’re nice people. I wouldn’t leave you in a bad position, stuck with women who weren’t being genuine.”

“I know that.” She gave him a soft smile. Despite what he thought about himself, he’d shown her with his actions that she could trust him. “Would it be alright if I took them to sit out on the deck?”

Iron let out a chuff. “Vee, while you’re staying here, this is your space too. I don’t give a shit what you do.”

“Thank you for trusting me too.” Her parents wouldn’t have dreamed of saying something similar about their own home. “I promise we won’t snoop through your closets or put our feet up on the furniture, or—”

“First, you want to go through my drawers, have at it. Same with the furniture. I don’t know if you’ve looked around, but this isn’t exactly a showplace. I have the basics. Haven’t had the need for much more. If there’s something you want to help you feel more comfortable though, you’ll tell me, right?”

The uncertainty warring in his eyes had her grabbing his hand and giving him a quick squeeze. “I’m more at home here after one night than I ever was in the estate.” She reluctantly released his hand.

“Pleased to hear it. You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”

She really believed he meant that. At least for right now. “If you decide it’s not working though, or you’d be more comfortable having your space back, you’ll tell me, right?”

“I don’t do anything I don’t want to, Vee. You wouldn’t be in my house if I had doubts about you staying here. Have fun with the girls and if you get sick of them, don’t be afraid to show them the door. I’m sure that they’re going to talk your ear off.”

“I can’t wait, and I’m excited to see your business later too.”

“Looking forward to giving you the tour.” Iron turned to walk away, but she reached out and grabbed his arm.

“What you’re doing for me isn’t typical. I want you to know how much I appreciate it. You’ve given me a place to stay where I feel safe. Honestly, the thought of staying in Hannah’s home by myself was terrifying. The thought of being away from you at all is a bit scary. You’ve made me feel comfortable here. So much that I got a full night of sleep and didn’t even wake up once. My stomach was full, and I was content and cozy, so thank you.”

A wave of emotion filtered over his face before he masked his expression. “No need for you to thank me. I certainly never mind helping a friend.”

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