someone else. Is that because he wants to be violent? Or because he wants to protect me? The roiling mess of emotions inside Emily rose up as she tried to work that out, and she shivered.
There was too much to think about. Too many questions without answers and it was shutting her brain down.
"You could have cost me my job," she said, and stopped. She hadn't meant to say that; it had popped out while she was trying to work out how to respond. Lucas' eyes narrowed as he focused on her.
"I don't think losing this job would be that bad a thing," he told her. Emily surprised herself by sobbing.
"You don't understand, do you? You can keep me safe while you're around, but without a job I can't afford to pay you!" Her voice was rising, but she couldn't control it. She felt hot tears running down her cheeks, from anger and fear, frustration and helplessness. "I need to work, and this was the only place I could find in a hurry that would pay under the table!"
Lucas growled again, eyes flicking up over her shoulder to the diner and back again. She couldn't read the emotions that played across his face, but he was plainly uncomfortable discussing this in public.
"We need to talk about that, but not here. I'm taking you home," he told her firmly.
7
L ucas' knuckles were white on the steering wheel as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Emily's home. It wasn't easy for him to go, leaving Emily's asshole manager still intact behind them.
I can't believe she's going to go back there, he thought, glancing aside at the woman beside him. She was staring angrily out of the window, and he saw the determination on her face. The fact that she'd put herself in that position was enough to convince him that her need for protection was real. Obviously, there was something worse than an abusive boss behind her going into hiding.
Whatever was threatening her must be dangerous, he decided. Lucas found that he didn't much care if it was the kind of problem he and the rest of the Guardian Bears were there to face. She needed his help, and that was enough.
"You don't need to worry," he ground out eventually. His anger was still raw and obvious in his words, and he felt Emily flinch beside him. Inwardly, he snarled at himself, trying to get the anger under control. It wasn't easy. His temper was always hot, and now his inner bear was angry too. He took a deep breath and tried to regain his calm.
"You're going to have to be more specific," she said, angry as well. Good. Better angry than afraid , he thought. It might have been a motto for his life. "I'm worried about so many things."
That was a fair point, he had to admit. Focusing, loosening his grip on the wheel, he tried again.
"I mean, if you lose that job, it doesn't matter. I'm here to protect you now, and I'm not going to stop just for that." He glanced sideways at her, saw her looking back at him. She was squeezed in as far as she could get from him in the van, her arms crossed defensively. But the anger in her eyes wasn't for him, he could see that. And he could see, underneath it, the fear she was trying to hide.
Seeing her afraid but determined to deal with whatever frightened her just made him want to protect her more. To keep her safe from whatever was after her, and all the Harrys of the world, from anything and anyone that wanted to do her harm.
"How can it not matter," she said, voice tight and controlled, "if I can't pay your company?"
He shrugged. "We'll bill you later, when you're safe. When you can get back to whatever your proper job is, because it's pretty clear you haven't been a waitress long."
She laughed at that. It wasn't a happy laugh, but it was a start. "Am I that bad at it?"
"I didn't mean it like that. You just don't seem comfortable in the job, that's all."
"Maybe that's because I had a giant staring at me all day, did you think of that?" The words were angry, but he could hear the hint of a smile in them. Glancing over again, he saw her
There was too much to think about. Too many questions without answers and it was shutting her brain down.
"You could have cost me my job," she said, and stopped. She hadn't meant to say that; it had popped out while she was trying to work out how to respond. Lucas' eyes narrowed as he focused on her.
"I don't think losing this job would be that bad a thing," he told her. Emily surprised herself by sobbing.
"You don't understand, do you? You can keep me safe while you're around, but without a job I can't afford to pay you!" Her voice was rising, but she couldn't control it. She felt hot tears running down her cheeks, from anger and fear, frustration and helplessness. "I need to work, and this was the only place I could find in a hurry that would pay under the table!"
Lucas growled again, eyes flicking up over her shoulder to the diner and back again. She couldn't read the emotions that played across his face, but he was plainly uncomfortable discussing this in public.
"We need to talk about that, but not here. I'm taking you home," he told her firmly.
7
L ucas' knuckles were white on the steering wheel as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Emily's home. It wasn't easy for him to go, leaving Emily's asshole manager still intact behind them.
I can't believe she's going to go back there, he thought, glancing aside at the woman beside him. She was staring angrily out of the window, and he saw the determination on her face. The fact that she'd put herself in that position was enough to convince him that her need for protection was real. Obviously, there was something worse than an abusive boss behind her going into hiding.
Whatever was threatening her must be dangerous, he decided. Lucas found that he didn't much care if it was the kind of problem he and the rest of the Guardian Bears were there to face. She needed his help, and that was enough.
"You don't need to worry," he ground out eventually. His anger was still raw and obvious in his words, and he felt Emily flinch beside him. Inwardly, he snarled at himself, trying to get the anger under control. It wasn't easy. His temper was always hot, and now his inner bear was angry too. He took a deep breath and tried to regain his calm.
"You're going to have to be more specific," she said, angry as well. Good. Better angry than afraid , he thought. It might have been a motto for his life. "I'm worried about so many things."
That was a fair point, he had to admit. Focusing, loosening his grip on the wheel, he tried again.
"I mean, if you lose that job, it doesn't matter. I'm here to protect you now, and I'm not going to stop just for that." He glanced sideways at her, saw her looking back at him. She was squeezed in as far as she could get from him in the van, her arms crossed defensively. But the anger in her eyes wasn't for him, he could see that. And he could see, underneath it, the fear she was trying to hide.
Seeing her afraid but determined to deal with whatever frightened her just made him want to protect her more. To keep her safe from whatever was after her, and all the Harrys of the world, from anything and anyone that wanted to do her harm.
"How can it not matter," she said, voice tight and controlled, "if I can't pay your company?"
He shrugged. "We'll bill you later, when you're safe. When you can get back to whatever your proper job is, because it's pretty clear you haven't been a waitress long."
She laughed at that. It wasn't a happy laugh, but it was a start. "Am I that bad at it?"
"I didn't mean it like that. You just don't seem comfortable in the job, that's all."
"Maybe that's because I had a giant staring at me all day, did you think of that?" The words were angry, but he could hear the hint of a smile in them. Glancing over again, he saw her
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