Page 41 of Take a Hike
Bennett heaved a huge sigh, and Charlie recognized the sound. The groveling was about to commence. “I’m sorry, Fifi,for trying to exclude you from the action, and I feel terrible if that dismissal made you feel like I was trying to diminish you or your abilities in any way. My only intent was to protect you from danger, which was misguided on my part, since I am well aware that you are very capable of protecting yourself—as well as those around you—in almost all situations.”
Charlie bit down again on her now-sore cheek as another laugh tried to escape. His apologies always sounded like they’d been drafted by an attorney. In fact, knowing Bennett and his difficulty with social interactions, he very well might have hired a lawyer to write up a boilerplate apology. Charlie tried to see his palms, to check if he’d written notes on them in Sharpie for when he got himself in trouble, but his hands were under the table.
“And?” Fifi demanded, although she was making eye contact with her husband again, which was a good sign.
Bennett’s contrite expression turned slightly panicky, and he darted a look across the table at Charlie, who discretely pointed at herself. “Oh! And I apologize to Charlie, who can also take care of herself, unless it involves caring for electronics of some sort. Then she’s probably screwed.”
Charlie’s plan to graciously forgive her brother-in-law dissolved as she scowled at him. Apparently, Fifi found that dumb apology addendum acceptable, because she yanked Bennett by the front of his shirt into a kiss.
Holding up a hand to block the lip action across the table from her view, Charlie turned to Kieran, who was scowling—which was normal—but also looking slightly panicky—which was unusual. “What?” she asked him.
“Do I have to do…that?” He waved a hand at the couple Charlie assumed was still attached at the mouths. She wasn’t about to drop her hand to find out.
“Do what? The apology or the kissing?” As soon as the words were out, she felt her face get warm and hoped that the low restaurant lighting hid her blush.
The intent way he stared at her didn’t help cool her down, but she managed to hold his gaze. After an indeterminate amount of time of staring into Kieran’s gorgeous blue eyes, she knew she had to say something or self-combust into a fiery inferno of embarrassment and lust—mostly lust—but she also knew that she wouldn’t be able to form words if she was looking at him.
Going against her better judgment, she dropped her hand and looked over at Fifi and Bennett, knowing that there was no better lust-killer than watching her sister make out with her husband. Unfortunately—or fortunately? Charlie wasn’t sure—the two were no longer kissing but were instead talking quietly with their faces close together.
“No,” she said to Kieran without looking at him. “You don’t have to do that. It’s not like we’re a couple, much less married.” She kept her long-term plans regarding him to herself. Feeling a bit more composed, she turned back toward him. “If you’re smart, though, you’ll learn from this. No taking over my investigation.”
“But it’smyinvestigation?” Since he sounded more bewildered than belligerent, Charlie smiled at him fondly, reaching up to pat his prickly cheek.
“Sweet, innocent Kiki. You’ll learn.”
“Who wants dessert?”
At the server’s cheerful question, Charlie jumped, turning to glare at the couple across from her. “That’s it. Next time,myback’s to the wall, even if I do have to sit on B’s lap.”
A quiet growl from Kieran brought her head around in surprise. Feeling a warmth spreading through her insides at the realization that he wasjealous, she leaned back in her chair and smiled.
It wasnicebeing wanted.
Nine
Charlie sighed happily as she watched the explosions light up the night sky. “Fifi and B do thebestdistractions.”
Kieran grumbled something too quietly to hear, even though he was crouched right next to her. She figured he was still salty about not getting to wear his ski mask. To give him credit, he’d abandoned it quickly when she’d explained that it would make them look more suspicious if any of the militia members spotted them during the break-in. Since the incident at dinner, when Kieran and Bennett had attempted to make their manly, protect-the-womenfolk plan, the two men had been very well-behaved, suppressing their takeover tendencies quite admirably.
Thanks to Fifi’s plotting and Bennett’s personal arsenal, the militia guards—and everyone in the compound, actually—had been thoroughly distracted as Charlie and Kieran slipped in through the front gate. Charlie had already called lock-picking before they’d even left Kieran’s truck, so they hadn’t had to tussle over who got to do the actual breaking in. She doubted he’d ever needed lock-picking skills, however. As a firefighter, he would’ve just used an ax or the Jaws of Life or something if he needed to get into a locked building.
They’d made it all the way to the main building, and thelight show was still ongoing.
“That’s a lot of exploding, even considering Bennett’s stash,” Charlie whispered with a slight frown, mentally revising exactlyhow prepared her brother-in-law was at all times.
“Think they targeted the militia’s weapon stockpiles.” Kieran was smiling a little at the thought.
“Oh, how absolutely lovely.” She adored the idea that the militia supplied their own distraction materials. “Ready?”
When she received a clipped nod in response, she headed for the side door, excitement fizzing through her. To her disappointment, the only lock on that entrance was a simple button on the knob, so her skills were wasted.
“Not even a dead bolt she huffed under her breath, glancing over her shoulder at Kieran when she thought she heard his quiet laugh. His expression was back to his usual scowl by the time she’d turned her head, but the cranky look was so familiar and endearing that she offered him a huge grin. “Breaking’s done. Let’s do some entering.”
Slipping inside just far enough that Kieran could follow her, she stayed close to the wall and let her eyes adjust to the dimmerinterior. Even though she was expecting it, the feel of his wide, warm hand on her shoulder startled her. Again, that reassurance of having this large, capable man at her back was unexpectedly comforting, even though it would’ve never occurred to her that this—thathe—was something she’d ever need.
Surely not need, she corrected herself, brought up short by the unfamiliar thought.Want, okay. Enjoy, sure. But need? Really?
Focusing on the felony she was in the process of committing, she pushed all the squirmy emotions Kieran awoke in her to the very back of her mind to deal with later. Her eyes had adjusted to the dimness, so she crept forward into the empty industrial-style kitchen. The appliances hunkered against the shadowed walls, and the quiet seemed unnaturally deep after the improvised fireworks show outside, settling heavily over Charlie. She could still faintly hear thecracks andbooms, but everything was muffled by the thick walls.
