Page 113 of Forbidden Need

“Strat…” She sank to her haunches. “I screwed up. I do that a lot these days. You aren’t used to it by now?”

“Get up from there and sit your ass down. Don’t want the guys talking.”

She rose to the chair perpendicular to his. “I don’t care about the guys.” Who were still quiet, because they still gawped at her. “Private conversation!”

“Give her a break, guys,” Daly said from the kitchen she hadn’t seen until that moment.

People relaxed and she threw up her arms. Direction from a male worked where hers hadn’t.

Strat laughed. “Word is, you don’t mind being watched. You put on a show with the boss last night.”

Her head snapped around. “Who told you that?”

Damn, he read her fast. “What’s the problem? Think these guys don’t know you blow the boss?”

Panic stood down. “Right, that.”

“Why? What else happened last night?”

Things. Things she didn’t want Strat being an accessory to.

“You don’t want to talk about what happened with us yesterday?”

“What happened with us?”

She sighed. “Strat?”

“I’ve got a daughter, Scamp.”

What was this? The moral of the story? The lesson to be learned?

“Yes, we’ve met.”

“You can’t help yourself. Just like her. Neither of you can.”

“We’re tenacious.”

“You’re stubborn. And you set my own son on me, just like Immie would’ve.”

“Yeah, I told him not to let you leave his sight. Nice to know he took me seriously.”

“Oh, he did.” He pointed across the room to Ford and Jagg at a pool table. “Might have to give him a pass or he’ll be on my ass forever.”

“I can’t apologize for wanting you safe.”

“I wanted the same thing for you.”

“Conn kept us both safe.”

He shifted closer, elbows on his knees. “You told him about Jane Doe?”

“Yes,” she murmured. “You were right. I should’ve told him from the start.”

“He know where she is?” She nodded. “How did the Swerve meeting go?”

“The meet?”

“Yeah, gave all the details to Niall. Did Swerve go for it?”

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