Page 15 of Forged in Peril

“Absolutely not,” Cameron said. “I’ll drive you, and while I do, Ben and Asher will be here taking a more thorough look around and meeting with tonight’s duty guards.”

“And I’ll see if I can salvage any security footage,” Ben added, as Asher nodded in agreement.

“Thanks, guys,” Bristol said.

There was a brief pause, and Cameron gave his brothers a look, hoping that he was able to adequately convey ‘thanks, now get lost’ without speaking.

Finally, the twins headed off toward the staircase, leaving him and Bristol alone with the ruined vehicle.

“Thanks for driving me home,” Bristol said, still standing with her back to the pillar, as though she feared a sudden attack from behind. “I’d say no, but honestly, I’m pretty shaken up.”

“Anyone would be,” he said, gesturing toward the far side of the parking lot. She fell in wordlessly at his side, and he resisted the urge to rest a guiding hand gently on her shoulder. Everything about her body language screamed vulnerability, and he feared that even the most innocent physical contact might be misconstrued.

“I know you’re tired,” he started, pulling his keys out of the pocket of his jeans as they reached his forest green Jeep. “But I have a feeling it’s gonna be hard to go home and sleep, and it might do you some good to talk about it.”

To his surprise, she didn’t blow him off immediately. Maybe she would tell him something about who was behind this after all.

When he moved to pull the passenger door open for her, she stepped ahead of him and took hold of the handle herself, climbing up into her seat.

“You could use a coffee and maybe some dessert,” he added quickly before she shut the door, trying to ignore the beating of his heart as he walked over to his own side and got in.

“I hate coffee,” she pointed out as he settled in behind the wheel and put the Jeep into drive.

“I know,” he said, pulling forward until he reached the code-operated gate. “But I love coffee, and you love dessert. So it’s a win-win.”

“What kind of a weirdo drinks coffee at nine at night?”

“Me, apparently,” he said, sneaking a quick glance in her direction before pulling out into the still-bustling San Antonio night. He could see the slightest hint of a smile tugging at her lips. “So, that’s a yes?”

She let out a sigh.

“Honestly, I was exhausted, and I do have a mountain of files to look at before tomorrow, but I think I’ve gotten a second wind.”

“Yeah, terrifying situations have a way of causing that. Better to go to bed when you’re actually tired instead of laying in bed worrying all night.”

“That’s true. Fine. But I’m totally expecting some top-tier dessert after all of this stress.”

“It’s a deal.”

BRISTOL

Bristol leaned back against the soft leather of Cameron’s passenger seat as he wove through the downtown traffic, noticing just how nice his new Jeep smelled compared to her own old beater.

Not that it mattered any more. At this point it was no longer worth fixing, which left her without a way to work.

Great.

“So, where’s your place?” Cam asked, not taking his eyes off of the busy intersection in front of him. She was glad to have an excuse to stare out the window as she answered, not wanting to let him see the blush rising to her face.

“I’m staying with my mom for a while. She’s working nights and a lot of overtime at the nursing home, though, so I don’t see her much. Being a personal support worker doesn’t exactly pay that great, so I’m glad I can help her out a little with rent in the short term,” she said, surprised at the defensive tone that she could hear in her own voice.

She hated the shame she felt about her living situation, but she couldn’t deny it. After all that she had done to foster an independent life on her own, having to crawl back home to her mom was humiliating, especially sitting next to a man with millions in the bank.

“She’s still in the same neighborhood, near the hardware store?” Cameron asked, omitting the fact that said neighborhood was in fact a trailer park.

“Yep, same place.”

“That’s perfect, then. My bungalow isn’t far from there. I bought it last year, actually.”

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