Chapter 11 #2
Well, he had a warehouse full of cars, so she shouldn’t be surprised he also had a cabin. She looked out the doorway of the office at the sexy, red Ferrari parked close by. And his warehouse in South Beach had to have cost him a pretty penny.
“How rich are you?”
He shot her a quick smile. “I do okay. Easton invests for us.”
“Must be nice having a billionaire brother. My brother is a firefighter.” She nibbled her lip. “I’ll have to call my mom and Bard. Explain. They’ll be worried.”
Vander pointed to a phone on the bench. “Use this one. It has encryption. I doubt the Wanderers have any tech-savvy members, but just in case they can trace your phone… Talk to Hunt, too. I’ll put the bike away.”
“We aren’t going to take it to the cabin?”
“The Wanderers know what it looks like. We’ll trade it for another one.”
He walked out and Brynn took a second to admire the back view of him.
She really, really wanted to see him naked.
Soon .
This man had risked his life to rescue her. She was done letting him hold himself back.
She called Hunt first. Unsurprisingly, he was pissed.
“I’m fine. I’m with Vander.”
She heard her cousin’s harsh breath. “You’re not injured?”
“Blow to the face and ribs, nothing’s broken. Vander’s given me an ice pack and pain meds. We’re going to lay low for a few days.”
“I’m going to talk to him. If you get hurt…”
“Can you think of a safer place for me?”
A pause. “No. Vander would die to protect you.”
Her gut tied in knots. She didn’t want Vander hurt or dead. She realized just how deep her feelings were getting.
He’d fight to protect her. Well, she’d fight to protect him, as well.
“I’m going to call Mom now,” she said.
“I’m assigning an officer to her house.”
“Carrin, Naomi, Bard—?”
“I’m on it.”
Relief filled Brynn. “Thanks, Hunt. Can you check on Mom and assure her that I’m all right?”
“You know I will.”
“And can you call Bard and explain? He’ll hate having a bodyguard.”
“Coward.”
“Totally.” Her brother would blow a gasket.
“I’ll talk to him, and Naomi and Carrin. You just focus on you, and staying safe.”
“Bye, Hunt. Love you.”
“Love you too, Bee.”
Brynn spoke quickly with her mom, and tried to downplay the situation. But Ellen Sullivan was a cop’s wife and widow.
“Brynn Celine Sullivan, I know you aren’t sharing the entire truth with me.”
“Mom, I promise I’m safe.”
“I hate thinking of you alone.”
“Well… I’m not.” She looked into the warehouse. Vander was talking on his cell phone, one hand on his hip. No doubt to Hunt. His jacket was gone and he’d rolled up his sleeves again. Did he have any idea what that did to her?
“Now, that’s a tone of voice I haven’t heard you use before,” her mom said.
“I’m with a man. A handsome, dangerous, good, complicated man.”
“Well, well.” Her mom sniffed.
“Mom, you crying?”
“Of course not. He’ll keep you safe?”
“Yes. And I’ll keep him safe.”
“Good. Tell him I expect him over for dinner after all of this is over.”
“Okay, Mom.” If Brynn could convince Vander to let himself off that leash he kept himself on. “I love you, Mom.”
“You too, baby girl. Be safe.”
The painkillers kicked in. She was checking her ribs when Vander strode back in. His brows snapped together.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were hurt somewhere else?”
“Well, I—”
He jerked her shirt up.
“Hey!”
“Hold still. Goddammit, Brynn.”
She looked down. Ah, the bruising was already showing. It was going to be a doozy. “There aren’t any broken bones.”
His scowl deepened. His hand splayed over her ribs.
Sensation skated over her skin and she sucked in a breath.
His gaze lifted.
Screw it. She just survived a shootout and chase. She deserved a little reward.
She went up on her toes and kissed him.
For a beat, he stayed still, then his mouth opened and he kissed her back.
Mmm . It was a deep, sexy, drugging kiss. They were both making sure the other was okay.
Then his hands tightened and he stepped back. She saw his mask slam down on his face.
“This still isn’t happening,” he said.
Frustration bit at her. “Vander—”
“Listen.” His gaze, dark and intense, was pinned on her. There was so much churning in the depths of those eyes. “I take care of my friends, my family, the people who work for me. I do everything I can to keep them safe.”
She knew that. The man was a born protector. He couldn’t switch it off. It was a compulsion.
“It’s why I do my bit to keep San Francisco safe. Not out of the goodness of my own heart, but for them. For the people I care about.”
She nodded. She understood completely.
He leaned in, his gaze running over her face. “If I let myself care too much, fall in love…”
Her chest hitched.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep the woman I loved safe. No line I wouldn’t cross. No law I wouldn’t break.”
Her throat tightened. She couldn’t talk, she could barely breathe.
“It’s a risk I can’t take. A man like me is too dangerous to fall in love.”
Silence fell and he stepped back.
“Get ready. We’ll head out now. The sooner we’re out of the city, the better.”
Then he turned and walked away.
And that’s when Brynn realized that she wasn’t the only one with deepening feelings.
A million butterflies took flight in her belly.