Page 96 of Ridin' True
“Frittata?” He quirked an eyebrow and checked the time. He hadn’t bothered to set an alarm clock, but it wasn’t even seven in the morning yet. “Lex, how long you been up?”
“Not sure. Maybe an hour?”
The timer on the stove sounded, and she was quick to turn off the water. She grabbed a nearby towel, dried her hands, then used the same cloth to extract the frittata from the oven.
“Do you want coffee?” she asked, headed for the cupboard where he kept his plates. “I made myself a cup of tea earlier, but I might want another one.”
Wrangler reached up and raked his fingers through his hair, his eyes following her as she set aside two empty plates before pulling open the silverware drawer. At the pace she was moving, he wasn’t sure if she needed another cup of tea—though, he was smart enough to acknowledge her current state likely had very little to do with whatever caffeine she ingested and everything to do with the restlessness she felt following the shooting.
Before he could voice his response, she faced him and added, “By the way, I thought about it, and I’m going to go with you to the garage today. I know I’m not due to start my new role untilafterthe holiday, but I don’t think there’s any harm in getting a head start. At the very least, I can spend the day getting the lay of the land.
“Is it Benson who oversees the IT stuff? I mean, I’m sure it’s not the most complicated system in the world, you guys are mechanics not software engineers, but youdohave a digital footprint, and I remember—”
Wrangler came unstuck just as soon as she mentioned going to the garage. Even as he made his way toward her, Alexia didn’t stop her word vomit until he took hold of her chin and tilted her head back.
“Gorgeous—take a breath,” he demanded softly.
Obediently, she sealed her lips closed and drew in a deep inhale through her nose. He swore he saw a little tension leave her shoulders as she slowly exhaled.
“Again for me, Lex,” he insisted.
Rather than argue, she repeated the act. This time, as she emptied her lungs, her amber eyes seemed to soften, and he nodded encouragingly.
“Good girl. Now, what’s this about you workin’ today?”
“I can’t be here alone all day. I’d like to say otherwise, but if you left me here, I’d probably end up going stir crazy or deep cleaning your entire house. I’m not very good at doingnothingon a good day. So, now, more than ever, I could use the distraction.”
“Darlin’, you want me to stay home, all you gotta do is say the word. Circumstances what they are, nobody would be surprised if I played hookie.”
Alexia shook her head as much as his hold would allow and took a small step toward him. Wrangler freed her chin, merely moving his hand to rest at her nape as she confessed, “No. I don't want you to be my babysitter. It’s not just about being alone. It’s—it’s all of it, Jed.
“Do you knowwhyI wanted to stop at home last night? Because I wanted to pick up a cute outfit to wear. I wanted to go out and celebrate the end of a really important chapter in my life and the beginning of the next one. But, instead, I’m always going to remember my last day at the firm as the same day someone tried tokillme.”
Wrangler scowled, squeezing the back of her neck as he muttered, “Darlin’—”
“I won’t cower,” she interrupted resolutely. “Whether it was Hoffman or someone from the cartel, it doesn’t matter. They tried to scare me away from this job once, and it didn’t work. I’m sick of being kidnapped or threatened. I just want it all to be over. Unfortunately, there’s very little I can do to put an end to it. But what Icando is the job I was hired for. Roy already agreed to my contract, which means I can look under the hood, or whatever.
“I don’t want you to stay home. I don’t want to be babysat anymore. I want to be useful. Besides, I can’t think of a safer place to be than on the compound, surrounded by the men I represent. Can you?”
He stared at her for a moment, equally in awe as he was proud to call herhis. She really was something special. They hadn’t known each other long, but he was certain he didn’t have any desire to live a life without her in it. He couldn’t have been more grateful that not a single bullet aimed her way had hit its mark.
Now, if what she wanted was to get out of the house, he couldn’t fault the logic in her choice.
“No, gorgeous. You want to spend the day at the compound, that’s what we’ll do.”
“Great. So, do you want coffee?” she asked, turning out of his hold.
“Yeah. I’ll make it.”
Whentheyarrivedonthe compound, Wrangler escorted Alexia to the auto-parts store, where Twister spent most of his days. The look on his face when the two of them walked in said it all. He was just as surprised as Wrangler had been to hear of her insistence to be put to work, but he didn’t question her. Rather, he got her set up in the small back office where Wrangler left her for most of the day.
He couldn’t deny, as he got his own hands dirty, it was a relief to have something else to occupy his thoughts. Though, he would have been lying if he said he hadn’t been thinking about revenge every time his mind began to wander.
What he said to Bull the previous day was true. Club business had never made it to any brother’s home. Even when they were in the midst of a civil war, families were kept out of it. It was a matter of respect and honor. Anyone who crossed that line was asking for a whole lot more than trouble. They were asking to die.
But Alexia was different. She was both. She was one of them as much as she was his. When he first approached her about the job, not once did he ever imagine her acceptance of the Stallions’ general counsel role would put her life in danger. He’d regret having made the offer had she not been so stubborn about seeing it through. Now, the only thing he regretted was not making it perfectly clear to anyone who looked her way that she belonged to him, too.
It seemed wild to think after only a month, he was ready to make Alexia his ol’ lady—but it was true. All the life he’d lived, all the women he’d known, he never wanted anyone more. And it wasn’t the constant threat on her life that made him certain—it washer. The woman she was. The way she carried herself. The way she loved on him and doted on his kids. She was pure. She was rare.
