discussion ”—he glared at her—“with Craven, it’s best if you stay with me at the clan den for the time being.”
“You?”
“Me.”
“But you… I’m… It’s just…” She shook her head. “I really appreciate what you did for me. I mean…” She swallowed past the lump at her throat and stared at the money once again. It wasn’t a lot to some people, but it was huge to her. “Thank you. But I’m not staying with you. I’m not going anywhere with you but to the hotel. You and I being near a bed ain’t happening.”
Ever. Because he was too tempting and probably knew a million ways to seduce someone. Not that he’d seduce her or want to seduce her, but she did have a vagina…
“Uh-huh.”
Trista tried again. “Don’t you remember? You’re supposed to be running me out of town on a misguided concept of authority and righteousness, not leading me to my potential death and dismemberment. Hopefully in that order if it has to happen.”
This time they turned left, bouncing over the rutted road, but she couldn’t be bothered with their surroundings. The important thing was to get him to swing his happy SUV-driving ass around and take her to the hotel. Going anywhere with an Abrams was a bad, bad idea.
Really bad.
“Misguided?” He glanced at her, a single brow raised.
Trista winced. “Misguided may not have been the right word. Maybe ignorant. That’s better. It’s more ignorance and authority than anything.”
Based on his frown, she didn’t think she’d made things better. A closer look revealed she may have made it worse.
“I’m ignorant? Do you know who I am?”
“Is that a trick question? We’ve already established you’re Keen Abrams. Your brothers are Ty, Van, and Isaac. The Itan, Enforcer, and Healer respectively. Also, in case you were wondering, they’d probably enjoy me being on the ‘die today’ menu.”
Suddenly the SUV came to a jerky stop, the action causing her to thump against her seat with a grunt. He cut the engine and shoved his door open, leaving her to gawk at her surroundings. The house that loomed before them was massive and yet it appeared welcoming. It had that old-world, southern charm thing going on with its high pillars and white exterior.
It also had a very large glaring male standing next to a very pregnant female who was bracketed by a familiar, very evil bear cub.
Keen appeared at her door, tugging it open before reaching across her and freeing her from the seatbelt.
“You really did bring me to the clan den.” He didn’t deny it and her doom stood on the porch and crossed his massive arms over his chest. “Please remember: death then dismemberment. That part is important.”
Yup, dying, dead, and gone.
“Hush.”
She shook her head. “Keen—”
He placed his finger over her lips. “Hush. You need a place to stay and, for now, this is where I’m at. So, you’re crashing here. I’ll keep you safe.”
She licked his finger to get him to stop touching her. No matter their age, boys did not like getting licked by surprise. “You’re tying the words ‘you’ and ‘where I’m staying’ together and I don’t like that.”
“Trista,” he sighed. “Right now, I need you to let it go.”
She looked at him then, stared into his eyes that should be brown and were now black. Allowing her gaze to shift to the male on the porch, she quickly redirected it to Keen.
“I’m going to be safe? I’m really not ready to die.” She wasn’t prepared to join her mother.
“You’re going to be safe,” he nodded.
“Even from him and the spawn from the seventh level of hell?”
Keen glanced over his shoulder and then turned back to her, a smile on his lips. “Yes, even from the spawn.”
“Why should I trust you?” That was the big one. When she moved past everything that’d happened in the last several hours there was one thing glaringly obvious.
Token protests. She’d given half-hearted objections when he’d done this
“You?”
“Me.”
“But you… I’m… It’s just…” She shook her head. “I really appreciate what you did for me. I mean…” She swallowed past the lump at her throat and stared at the money once again. It wasn’t a lot to some people, but it was huge to her. “Thank you. But I’m not staying with you. I’m not going anywhere with you but to the hotel. You and I being near a bed ain’t happening.”
Ever. Because he was too tempting and probably knew a million ways to seduce someone. Not that he’d seduce her or want to seduce her, but she did have a vagina…
“Uh-huh.”
Trista tried again. “Don’t you remember? You’re supposed to be running me out of town on a misguided concept of authority and righteousness, not leading me to my potential death and dismemberment. Hopefully in that order if it has to happen.”
This time they turned left, bouncing over the rutted road, but she couldn’t be bothered with their surroundings. The important thing was to get him to swing his happy SUV-driving ass around and take her to the hotel. Going anywhere with an Abrams was a bad, bad idea.
Really bad.
“Misguided?” He glanced at her, a single brow raised.
Trista winced. “Misguided may not have been the right word. Maybe ignorant. That’s better. It’s more ignorance and authority than anything.”
Based on his frown, she didn’t think she’d made things better. A closer look revealed she may have made it worse.
“I’m ignorant? Do you know who I am?”
“Is that a trick question? We’ve already established you’re Keen Abrams. Your brothers are Ty, Van, and Isaac. The Itan, Enforcer, and Healer respectively. Also, in case you were wondering, they’d probably enjoy me being on the ‘die today’ menu.”
Suddenly the SUV came to a jerky stop, the action causing her to thump against her seat with a grunt. He cut the engine and shoved his door open, leaving her to gawk at her surroundings. The house that loomed before them was massive and yet it appeared welcoming. It had that old-world, southern charm thing going on with its high pillars and white exterior.
It also had a very large glaring male standing next to a very pregnant female who was bracketed by a familiar, very evil bear cub.
Keen appeared at her door, tugging it open before reaching across her and freeing her from the seatbelt.
“You really did bring me to the clan den.” He didn’t deny it and her doom stood on the porch and crossed his massive arms over his chest. “Please remember: death then dismemberment. That part is important.”
Yup, dying, dead, and gone.
“Hush.”
She shook her head. “Keen—”
He placed his finger over her lips. “Hush. You need a place to stay and, for now, this is where I’m at. So, you’re crashing here. I’ll keep you safe.”
She licked his finger to get him to stop touching her. No matter their age, boys did not like getting licked by surprise. “You’re tying the words ‘you’ and ‘where I’m staying’ together and I don’t like that.”
“Trista,” he sighed. “Right now, I need you to let it go.”
She looked at him then, stared into his eyes that should be brown and were now black. Allowing her gaze to shift to the male on the porch, she quickly redirected it to Keen.
“I’m going to be safe? I’m really not ready to die.” She wasn’t prepared to join her mother.
“You’re going to be safe,” he nodded.
“Even from him and the spawn from the seventh level of hell?”
Keen glanced over his shoulder and then turned back to her, a smile on his lips. “Yes, even from the spawn.”
“Why should I trust you?” That was the big one. When she moved past everything that’d happened in the last several hours there was one thing glaringly obvious.
Token protests. She’d given half-hearted objections when he’d done this
Similar Books
