Chapter 1 #2
She turned her head and saw Easton first. Her older brother wore a tuxedo and looked gorgeous.
Their Italian-American heritage showed through in Easton’s dark hair and good looks.
He had an air of authority, every inch the big brother and successful businessman.
He frowned at the attacker, then scanned her, relief on his face.
But it was Vander who’d spoken. He stood half in the shadows, like the darkness wanted to cling to him.
He stepped forward. Vander had badass deeply embedded in his DNA, and it had been there even when he was a kid. Despite loving him to bits, there were times when he scared her.
He was intense, and he thrived on control, and she was well aware that he was dangerous.
His tuxedo didn’t hide any of that.
Saxon gave her a little shake. She looked up at him and she gave a start.
She realized that he had the same dangerous glint in his green eyes. He just hid it better than Vander.
She cleared her throat. Time to face the music.
* * *
Saxon Buchanan was pissed as hell.
He saw the man on the ground move and shot him a glare. The guy stilled. The asshole had fired on Gia. Tried to abduct her. Had put her in danger.
Saxon’s fingers flexed on her arm. Big mistake.
He looked down at Gia. As always, her stubborn jaw was lifted as she faced down Vander. And as usual, Saxon felt the competing urges to hit that jaw, or bite it.
The thought of biting Gia Norcross—in many and varied locations—fired his blood.
Fuck .
He shut the thought down as best he could.
He’d had years of practice. He tried to remember her as the opinionated, twelve-year-old from the first time he’d met her.
At sixteen, after being booted out of his expensive private school, Saxon had been sent to a local high school.
Despite their differences, he and Vander had clicked.
He’d spent as much time in the Norcross family home as he could.
It had been much better than the stifling mausoleum his parents called home.
He’d watched Gia transform from his best friend’s pesky sister into a gorgeous, feisty, smart woman.
It’d been uncomfortable at first—the flashes of lust he’d had for her when she’d grown breasts. Definitely not appropriate.
But as always, she’d been off-limits—far too young, and Vander’s little sister.
Vander wasn’t related to Saxon by blood, but they were brothers in every other sense. Saxon had vowed that he would never, ever cross the boundary with his best friend’s sister.
It didn’t help that he and Gia seemed to irritate each other without barely trying. Damn, Saxon loved seeing her chocolate-brown eyes fire up.
She was no longer underage, but after ten years in the military, and a lot of those in Ghost Ops doing the dirtiest, meanest, and hardest jobs the government needed done…
Saxon blew out a breath. Not to mention his fucked-up family. He had baggage he’d never, ever unload on a woman. He liked his relationships brief, uncomplicated, and simple.
And Gia would always be Vander’s little sister.
But seeing that asshole draw a gun on her…
Seeing her in danger.
Something inside Saxon had cracked open. He would pull out all the stops to keep Gia safe.
“Willow has a thing,” Gia said.
Vander cursed and Easton looked up at the night sky, jaw tight.
Saxon knew it. That woman was trouble.
Vander cocked his head. “Willow dragged you into this mess, which ends up with you getting shot at and almost snatched.”
“Yes.” Gia’s chin lifted another inch.
“Cut her loose,” Vander bit out. “I’ll get word out to whoever’s after her that you are not involved.”
The man on the ground finally shook off his grogginess and raised his head. He looked at Vander and went still. “You’re Vander Norcross.”
Vander just stared at him.
“And she’s his sister,” Saxon added.
“Fuck,” the man breathed. Then he gathered himself. “It won’t stop my boss. He wants his gems back.”
“Gems?” Saxon cut a glance to Gia.
She sighed. “Willow was seeing a guy. They had words—”
“He dumped her drug-addicted ass,” the man said.
“She took a bag of precious stones from him,” Gia said.
“Jesus,” Vander scowled. “Cut her loose.”
“Vander, no.” Gia grabbed her brother’s arm. “You know she had a rough childhood. She—”
“Is an adult,” Saxon said, interrupting her. “She can’t keep using that as an excuse to fuck up.”
Gia’s eyes narrowed. “You might’ve grown up with a set of silver spoons shoved in your mouth, but she didn’t.”
“She’s trouble, Gia,” Easton said. “Always was, even though you couldn’t see it. Your loyalty is admirable…”
“No, it’s not,” Saxon said. “It’s stupid.”
Those brown eyes—surrounded by ridiculously long lashes—flared hot. “You never miss a chance to tell me I’m stupid.”
“Contessa—”
“No.” She cut her hand through the air. “Willow has no one. Anyway, she’s gone now. If she calls, I’ll tell her to return what she stole.”
Shit . Saxon did admire Gia’s loyalty, but he was still mad. He knew that whoever Gia loved, she protected them fiercely.
Vander crouched by the man. “Who’s your boss?”
The man didn’t hesitate. “Kyle Dennett.”
Saxon barely controlled his sneer. An upstart trying to make a name for himself in the San Francisco drug trade. The guy had a few legit businesses—bars, a club. But you didn’t have to dig far below the veneer of businessman to find filth.
“You tell him that Gia is off your radar, otherwise he’ll deal with me,” Vander said.
The man nodded.
Saxon stepped closer, then noticed something. He gripped Gia’s chin and tilted it up.
“Hey, hands off—” She tried to jerk out of his hold.
“Your cheek is swelling.”
Three sets of male eyes swung to the man. He looked like he was hoping the ground would open and swallow him up.
“Did you hit her?” Saxon asked softly.
Gia cleared her throat. “Guys—”
Saxon gripped the back of the man’s shirt and started dragging him across the courtyard.
“Saxon!” She moved to follow.
Then Saxon heard her make a sound.
“Let go of me, Easton!”
Saxon delivered a hard punch to the man’s face. He groaned. Saxon felt icy, deadly calm spread over him.
Suddenly, the man leaped up and attacked. He kicked Saxon’s knee and Saxon staggered, but caught his balance.
The man launched at Saxon. Clearly, the guy had been play-acting, and wasn’t as hurt as he’d seemed.
“Do something!” Gia cried.
“Sax has it,” Easton murmured.
Dennett’s man lunged forward, and Saxon let him get a hit in. His fist rammed into Saxon’s gut. But that got the man close, and Saxon followed through with a hard jab to the face, then a chop to the back of the man’s neck. Saxon put all his strength into it.
With a groan, the man went to his knees, blood streaming down his face and soaking into his shirt.
“Hurt her again, and this will seem like just a bit of fun,” Saxon warned.
Then Saxon turned, tugging the hem of his jacket and dusting it off.
Gia was staring at him, her gaze running over his body like she was looking for injuries. Then she looked behind Saxon. Her face changed and he tensed.
Suddenly, she broke free of Easton. She was right near the construction and scooped up a hunk of rock. She threw it.
For a second, Saxon thought she was throwing it at him.
The rock sailed right past him and as he swiveled, he saw the chunk of stone hit Dennett’s guy right between the eyes.
He howled, and dropped the gun that he’d pulled from somewhere.
The Norcross brothers raced forward, and soon had the man on his belly, hands zip tied.
Saxon stared at Gia. He saw fear on her face before she quickly hid it.
“ Bastardo .” She spat at the man on the ground.
Saxon’s lips twitched. Mrs. Norcross was Italian-American, and had clearly passed on some curses to Gia.
God, she was beautiful. A tiny Italian goddess.
“Gia.” Saxon desperately wanted to touch her, but couldn’t risk it.
He’d want more, take more.
He was pretty sure her brothers wouldn’t like him kissing the hell out of her in front of them.
“Lucky you were so damn good at softball, Gia,” Easton said.
Vander and Easton heaved the man up.
“I’ll take care of this.” Vander shot Gia an unhappy look. “You fucking deal with Willow, Gia. She’s out of your life.”
With one hand clamped on the groggy thug’s arm, Vander dragged the man away.
“I’ll check on Rhys,” Easton said. “He’s with Haven, and mom and dad, keeping an eye on things inside. I’ll let everyone know that you’re okay.” Easton swiveled and headed up the steps back to the gala.
“I’ll take you home,” Saxon said.
Gia wrapped her arms around herself, her face pale. “I have my driver.”
“I’ll take you home,” he said again.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’ve had enough for tonight. I want to be alone.”
“You need to cut Willow off, Gia.”
“Don’t start, Saxon.”
He grabbed her arm. “Her mess could have gotten you killed. Tonight could have turned out very differently.”
Gia looked sad and tired. “She’s my friend.”
“She’s not a very good one.”
“Enough. God . You’re always questioning my judgment. Back off, Saxon. I’m not a brainless doll.”
No, she was one of the smartest, savviest people he knew. But he didn’t want her hurt. Willow would take advantage, like she always did.
“I never said you were brainless, but sometimes you make bad choices when it comes to those you care about.”
“And you never let me forget it.” Her hands balled into fists. “Quit picking on me!”
He reached out and tugged on one of her curls. He loved her thick mass of curly, dark hair. “Contessa, if I didn’t pick on you, you’d feel deprived.”
She made an annoyed sound and knocked his arm away. “Leave me alone, Saxon Buchanan!”
He waited a beat. She usually got creative when she started ranting. “That all you’ve got?” Damn, arguing with her got his blood pumping.
Her nose wrinkled. “I was hoping for something more dramatic than that, but that’s the best I’ve got. I’m tired and sore.” She stormed off, her dress flaring behind her.
Saxon shook his head. It was getting harder and harder to ignore how he felt about Gia. He’d been trying to leave her alone for years. His hands flexed.
Gia Norcross had been off-limits for a long time.
But tonight, that changed.