Page 70 of Protected from Malice
Webb barks out a laugh, dragging me out of my wandering thoughts. “Thanks, Eden. So I’m the pity partner.” He grins, making sure she knows he’s joking. “I still don’t know why we can’t play Jenga instead. Or Life. Nowthat’sa good game.”
Eden cocks her head. “We could play Jenga. Except you guys always come up with these crazy rules that end up with me drunk.”
“They end up with all of us drunk,” Indy says with a chuckle. “Not just you.”
Belatedly, I realize I’ve heard Indy laugh more over the last few days than I have in the previous two years. I’ve been to visit him out in DC, we’ve called and texted at least once a month, and I think I can count on one hand how many times he smiled. Laughed. Looked anything other than depressed.
And now? He’s not old Indy. I don’t think he’ll ever be. But he’s closer to it.
When I told Eden that coming here would help Indy, I wasn’t sure. I just hoped. But five days later, I think I was right. It was painful hearing about what happened to Eden—shit, I still feel like breaking things whenever I think about it—but the rest of it has been good for him. He has something to focus on other than what he lost.
A side glance shows Eden watching Indy with a thoughtful expression. Probably thinking something close to what I am.
“Well,” Eden says, “I guess all of us getting drunk isn’t the best idea. Not now, at least.” She turns her attention to Webb. “But we can still play regular Jenga. Or Life. Although there’s no skill in it at all.”
He scoops the dice from the game board and gives them a throw. Then he marches his and Indy’s game piece around the board until it lands on a history space. “Great. My favorite category,” he grumps good-naturedly. Then he smiles as he tells Eden, “I know. That’s why I like it.”
Beneath the table, Eden’s hand slides off mine and lands on my leg. My thigh, more accurately. And the slight weight of her hand so close to my?—
Shit. Shit. Think about something different. Gun schematics. Trivia. The layout of the hotel with all the points of ingress and egress. Anything that isn’t how amazing it feels to have her hand there. Or worse yet, wondering how it would feel wrapped around me, softly stroking?—
“It’s your turn to ask the question,” Indy says. He narrows his eyes at me. “Unless you have something else to do instead?”
Hmm.
Maybe hedoeshave an idea about me and Eden.
“Nope.” I reach for the stack of cards and pull one from the top. “I can’t wait to ask you guys a question you’ll definitely get wrong.”
Beside me, Eden giggles.
Her hand inches higher.
My pants go tight.
I had no idea Eden would act like this. But I like it. A lot.
If Indy and Webb weren’t here, in fact…
“We’ll get this one right,” Webb insists. “I have a good feeling about?—”
But he’s interrupted by the shrill blast of an alarm.
A moment later, the emergency light on the wall starts flashing.
Everyone freezes.
Eden clutches my leg, her nails digging in.
“Fuck,” Indy hisses. “Which alarm?—”
Webb jumps up. “Not one of ours.”
The alarm continues to ramp up in volume until it’s almost deafening.
I push up from my chair, pulling Eden along with me. Wrapping my arm around her, I tuck her into my side. She’s trembling all over. Her breath is fast. Uneven. She’s trying to keep calm, but it’s a struggle.
Shit. If I could pull her inside me to protect her, I would.
