Page 5 of Tempting Gabe
"He showed up at our mother's funeral last month. Before that was when I went to the airport with my mom to pick him up. He walked away from medical help when he was recovered from where he was tortured."
The bomb that exploded in that moment had caused every bad thing in his life, but the smell of roses kept his mind clearer. "That's partly my fault for leaving him."
She packed the folder in her pocketbook and turned like she was going to leave. "I'm sure you did what you could. I can't imagine you'd just ignore calls of help."
"I want to make a deal with you."
They stood fast, and she turned on her high heels and stared at him with her lips parted. "You do?"
If there was one thing his father, the lawyer, would say was 'don't treat the innocent like the guilty.' His father wasn’t around to ask for advice, but the words haunted him. He stared into the brown eyes of Megan and knew she was innocent. "You trusted me to come here."
She lowered her lashes. "Yeah."
He took a step closer. "And I remember every detail of that day in the desert."
With a soft breath, her shoulders slumped. "Then you know more about his motives than I do."
His sisters had James and Conner. If Megan walked out the door after she spoke with the police, she helped him but put her own life in danger. Nothing about her seemed like a setup, but he'd be stupid not to check out her background. "We meet the police together and after you’ll stay with me until your brother's in jail and can't hurt you."
She stepped backward but never turned. Her entire body trembled. "He won't hurt me."
"You believe he attempted to murder my parents outside of a homeless shelter but that he won't come after you?"
Her face was white and her teeth chattered. "He's my brother."
"He's been tortured. There is no telling how he will act toward you."
Despite her words, she understood. He came closer and placed his hand on her shoulder. He'd not let her shake like that, when he could hold her.
Her hands trembled as she reached out and grabbed his arms. "I was so scared today. I have no idea what I'm doing. Maybe this isn't the best idea, but I would like to sleep knowing someone is watching my back tonight other than my cat, Anakin Skywalker."
"Yes, your cat will be fine for the night." Her fingers locked on him made him sure. "You are way more reasonable than my sister. Until your brother is in jail, you're with me."
"Thank you." She clung to him and in that moment, nothing else mattered. He'd help her and bring his parents’ attempted killer to justice. With evidence, this might all be over today.
Chapter 3
Her entire bodyfelt rattled and empty while the door closed. Megan glanced out the window at the moon and darkness except for the distant cruise ships in the ocean. She slumped in the chair she'd been sitting in for hours and let her head drop backward. "I half believed they were going to arrest. What time is it?"
"It's after nine."
"They questioned me for eleven hours?" That was later than she imagined. Her lips were parched but she hardly had time to sip water. She glanced up and saw how his blue eyes sparkled as he stared at her. She grabbed onto the arms of the seat and at the same time her face felt hot so she turned away.
He stood and walked in front of her. Then he offered his hand and asked, "Yeah, they did. Are you hungry?"
The muscles on his body made him swoon-worthy as did that thick blond hair of his. She blinked because there was no way her mind should go down that route, but she took his hand and stood to join him. His skin was warm, but she tried to pretend indifference so she took her pocketbook and smoothed over her wrinkled work skirt. "I don't think I should go to a restaurant, not if the police are en route to arrest my brother. I should probably go find a rock and hide there."
He offered his arm. "Then let's go home."
Home wasn't something she’d had in years. Her apartment was suitable, but not a home. She blinked and let the thought dissipate as she took his arm. "You don't have to protect me. I appreciate the offer and how you stayed with me today. That should be enough for any man."
He petted her hand like she needed soothing. "Your brother is on the loose. I'm not leaving you alone."
No. He should not be that nice to her. She reached into her bag and took out her mother's ring to hold in her palm. He opened the door for her and she met his stare while she passed him. "How do you know I'm not some criminal mastermind?"
The halls were barren so his employees must have gone home for the night, including his secretary. His eyebrow shot up. "Then how did you get a 'C' in sociology?"
He hit the elevator button and dropped her arm as her gaze narrowed. "How thorough of a background check did you do on me?"
