Page 105 of The Reluctant Hero

“Did you hear me?” Her voice has dropped into a whisper as if she’s hopin’ I didn’t. That makes me feel good, too. Shedoesn’t want to hurt me, and she doesn’t want to lie. My mom would have loved her.

“Yeah. You mouth fucked Gabe.”

“What the fuck?” She cries out in disbelief. “Don’t ever put it like that again!”

“Sure,” I shrug and start the truck.

“I.. uh,” she flounders, and I let her as we take the short drive to her place.

I want her out of that complex for a million reasons. Not just her safety or the shitty security. Not because Blake knows she’s there, and the fucker has been tryin’ to woo her in the most pathetic cowardly way possible.

Because I want her drivin’ home with me to our place. I can already picture the snide comments she’ll make when she sees Gabe’s house. We all live there. We’d all get time with her away from the bullshit of the office. God only knows what each of us could get up to with her if we had her twenty-four-seven.

“I’m sorry.”

Her faint mutter comes as I pull to a stop in front of the complex.

She’s in a hurry when she unbuckles, so I lock the doors.

“Darlin’, it’s ok.”

The fierce look she gives me widens my eyes. That fire in her is fuckin’ addictin’.

“What, am I just a distraction for you too?” She snaps in a tide of rage I wasn’t expectin’.

“What?” I can’t help but feel baffled. And then I glower.

Gabe and his big fuckin’ mouth. Is there anythin’ he won’t fuck up with her?

“Unlock the door,” her voice has lowered to that threatening tone that gets me hard.

“We’re talkin’. Hold up,” I protest and clear my throat.

“The talk is over.”

I slide my eyes to hers with a glare.

“Talkin’ is done when we sort shit out, darlin’.” My gentle approach makes her turn petulant.

“I don’t want to,” she straightens to give me a haughty sniff that makes me want to smile.

“Me, Gabe, and Mik share women sometimes.”

I put it out there flat and give her time to process.

Her pretty pink lips are open, and her eyes are stunned.

“We’re all interested in you and don’t care about any of that shit. As long as we each get some affection, we’re good.”

That simplifies it a lot but I think that’s all she can handle for now. I’ve just blown her mind. The only way I can tell is because she isn’t runnin’ her mouth with accusations or questions yet.

The quiet settles over us, interrupted by the sound of the air conditioner. I watch her face twitch through different emotions with a smile: confusion, anger, curiosity, anger, hope, anger, dread, anger.

I’d tell her she needs to let the anger go, but I’m livin’ proof that it doesn’t work like that. She can be pissy right beside me. And she won’t put up with it from me at all. The knowledge is heady.

A woman that will see me lose my shit and smack me on the forehead to get me back to myself is one in a million. My girl has enough fight in her for ten men and I like it that way. I plan on makin’ sure it stays, too. No more of that meek bullshit from last week. If I see it again, I’m gonna piss her off until she’s stranglin’ me.

“Like South’s friend?” She asks in a daze.

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