Chapter 40
Rob watched June walk away with her head downcast. He felt horrible about how things turned out. He should have told her that he had been looking into her brother instead of her finding out like this, but he had given up looking into him, so it hadn’t seemed important any longer.
Rob shifted his focus to Liam, the man he had been looking into for weeks and now didn’t care less about. He’d much rather chase after June and beg her forgiveness.
“How did you know?” Not that it made a difference now, but he was curious to know.
“Nick,”—ah, that made sense—“As the leader in counter terrorism, he was a little concerned when my name search popped up on his radar, and someone was trying to dig into my classified file.” Which meant Liam worked for Nick in some capacity.
No wonder June had been so secretive about her brother. If it was ever found out she was related, they could use her to get to him and any government secrets he knew.
“Then you emailed him and started asking questions. He told me you were digging into me. When June told me about you, I put two and two together. Since you broke up, I didn’t worry further about it, but when you two got back together, I couldn’t risk you continuing to dig and risk others looking into me. ”
Rob didn’t bother asking how Liam knew he and June were back together.
At the moment, it wasn’t the most important thing.
“I wasn’t meaning to cause an issue. I do background checks for a living.
When there’s a mystery, I want to solve it.
June was always close-lipped about you. People are only like that when they have something to hide. ”
“Or protecting someone they love.” Fair. “In the words of June, that’s no excuse for what you did.”
“It’s not, but it’s the truth. Care to share why your record is sealed and it warranted notifying Nick I was looking into you?” Finally, he might solve the mystery.
Liam cocked his head to the side and almost looked pleased. “June didn’t share?”
“No, no matter how much I asked.” To his great annoyance and not from lack of trying.
There was a hint of a smile on Liam’s face at that statement. “My sister can hold secrets better than anyone I know.”
Wasn’t that the truth. She’d only ever given him breadcrumbs about Liam. If she was a man, she would have made a hell of a Special Forces operative. “Care to share finally?” Let his curiosity be appeased finally.
“It’s a need to know, and you don’t need to know.”
Rob swallowed his disappointment. He should have seen that coming, but he realized it didn’t really matter.
Everyone was entitled to their secrets. “So, what happens now? Is this the part where you kick my ass?” Normally, he would say try to kick his ass, but Liam looked like he had been in more than a few fights and came out on top.
Rob knew he could hold his own in a fight, but Rob wasn’t just fighting a combatant.
He had offended the man’s sister. Liam would be out for blood.
No holds barred. It was going to get ugly and bloody.
“That depends,” Liam said casually.
“On?” Rob widened his stance, not taking Liam’s nonchalant look seriously.
“Will you leave my sister alone now?”
“No.” Liam looked shocked by his answer. “I love her, and I’m not giving up on her, so if we need to fight to get this over with, let’s get it over with because you’re not talking me out of loving her.”
“As appealing as the idea is of beating you to a pulp for hurting my sister, a fight would only upset her, and I don’t think warning you away will be necessary. June is fiercely loyal, and betraying her trust like that ruined your chances anyway. So, either way, you’re screwed.”
Yeah, he was worried about that. More than once, he had failed her. First, when he’d left without telling her and waiting to get back to explain. And now this time. He would do whatever he had to do to make it up to her.
“I’m not willing to give up.”
“No, Rob, I don’t think you will,” he said as if almost proud of that fact.
Before Rob could ask him about it, a feminine scream rent the air. Both of them turned toward the sound. It had come from the direction June had walked. They took off at a dead run, both determined to protect the woman they loved.
Chapter 41
June mumbled about how much she hated men as she looked up and down the street for her brother’s red car.
Had he said turn left or right? She couldn’t remember now, and she wasn’t going to go back and ask.
Both men were probably in the middle of a brawl in the street, and she would only get yelled at for interfering.
As angry as she was with Rob, she didn’t want her brother to harm him. Rob would hold his own, but her brother was a Delta Force operative. Few could overpower her brother.
June spun around trying to get her bearings when her path was blocked. Two arms reached out and grabbed her shoulders in a tight grip.
“Hello again.” A man grinned ear to ear seeing her plight.
June recognized him. “Haven’t you learned your lesson yet?” It was the guy from the bar and alley that Rob had saved her from. She couldn’t remember his name off the top of her head.
“You still owe me.”
“I owe you nothing other than the beating you already received. Do yourself a favor and walk away.”
His face morphed into a sinister sneer. “No one tells me no.” June didn’t want to think about how many women this man had forced himself upon. No more. She would make it a mission after this to see him behind bars and paying for his crimes.
June placed her hands over his on her shoulders. “Well, I’m telling you no.” She gripped his wrists and twisted them out, exposing his chest. She kicked him low in the stomach because that was all she could reach. They both stumbled back from each other, a look of disbelief on both of their faces.
June’s triumphant moment was short lived though, as he charged her like a bull. She sidestepped him and let him stumble past her. He swung back around and reached out for her. June kicked out at him, but he pulled back before she could connect.
“You little bitch,” he hissed.
June didn’t let his words affect her. Instead, she focused on Rob’s training. His fist came toward her, and June grabbed his wrist and twisted, delivering her own punch to his jaw. He stumbled back and touched the corner of his lip where June could see blood.
The man spat it onto the ground as he glared daggers at her. June widened her stance, ready for him to come at her again, but he surprised her when he let out a whistle.
A moment later, figures emerged from the shadows. June spun around, seeing three men step out and surround her.
June saw she was easily outnumbered. She darted in between two of the men, hoping her sudden move would startle them and allow her to get back to the main street. Rob and Liam still had to be close by.
She had managed to just get past them when hands reached out and snatched her. June screamed at the top of her lungs, praying her brother or Rob heard her before a hand was clamped over her mouth.
June kicked back at her captor’s legs, but they moved before she could connect. “Feisty little thing, isn’t she,” the guy taunted as his other hand slid up to cup her breast.
June fought like a tiger to get out of his grip.
“Feisty indeed,” another chuckled and helped his friend hold her when she managed to get an arm free and was reaching back to claw his friend’s eyes out. “She’s going to be fun to break.”
“No, I get first dibs.” Her original attacker pushed back his friends.
“Come on, Troy,” one of them whined. “You said we could each have a turn.”
“And you will, but I’m first. I want to break this little filly.”
June refused to let these men see her terror. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction, but she was having a hard time seeing herself out of this without some help. “You’ll never get the chance.”
Troy leaned close to her face. “Your little fuck toy isn’t here to save you this time.”
“Get your hands off of her.” June felt her legs shake, hearing the voice of an angel. She looked over her shoulder to see Rob and Liam walking side by side ready to take on these men.
“You guys are so fucked,” she chuckled.