Page 81 of Unwrapping Deviance

“But—”

He presses his thumb over her lips still plump from my attack. “We only have a few days. Then we never have to come back here.”

To my surprise — and Daniel’s, apparently judging from his startled expression — she smacks his hand away to glower up at him.

“I can’t do that. I won’t sit there and let them say those things about you and Christian. I don’t owe these people anything and I’m not scared of them. If you’re worried I’m going to start a fight, you better leave me at home until we leave this shithole because I will stab the next motherfucker who even mentions your names.”

With a final glower at both of us, my little brat stomps to her side of the truck and gets inside. The entire bulk rattles viciously with the slam of her door.

Daniel and I don’t move for several painstaking long seconds where I’m biting back my snicker and he’s taking long, measured breaths. Apparently, unlike me, he’s not overwhelmed by her delicious possessiveness.

“I’m going to spank her ass raw,” he mutters at last.

“Why? Because she wants to protect us?”

Daniel huffs. “At the risk of her own safety. There’s only two of us, Chris. We stand zero chance if she pisses off the wrong person. If they...”

If they wait in the bushes in the dark.

He doesn’t say it, but it’s a lot to hope that the people who killed me won’t come after Mira.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

DANIEL

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I’m not an asshole.

My only purpose in life is to protect Mira. It’s my job. My responsibility. I swore to her mother, my best friend, on her deathbed that I would keep her baby girl safe.

Then I broke that promise by bringing her to Jefferson. A town with all the wrong laws. Skewed morals.

A place that turned a blind eye when they killed my brother over lies.

Now, Mira thinks it’s her job to protect us.

Christ, I love her.

I love her strength. Her passion. Her love. I love that she’s brave and loyal, but damn it, it’s going to get her killed and I will burn this town to ashes with everyone still inside. I don’t give a fuck. If they hurt my baby, none of them will be safe.

Maybe she’d be less careless if she knew the truth, if I unpacked my past for her and emptied everything into her lap. But I doubt it. It won’t make her any less angry or determined to protect us. Knowing Mira, it will make things worse.

Still, I have to say something.

“Mira.”

The tiny creature is still and silent in the seat next to mine. Her face is turned to the window, watching the picturesque town sweep past in a hue of approaching fall. There’s a hard knot in her slender jaw that reflects in the anxious picking of a hangnail on her thumb.

“I know,” she replies with none of her earlier rage, but her sigh is bottomless. “I know why you’re upset. I know there’s something wrong with the town. It’s evil and the people in it are...” she gives her head a small shake. “There’s something wrong with them.” Her face lifts and she meets my gaze. “I know the Sheriff won’t help if something happens. I know you’re trying to protect me. But...” she growls deep in her throat. “I hate them. All of them.”

I bite back the amusement threatening to take over. “I know, baby. I hate them, too.” I reach across to capture her hand in mine and pull it across to kiss the knuckles. “Chris and I have a plan. We just need to wait until after the weekend. We’ll be out of here as soon as I can get the paperwork rolling.”

Mira nods slowly and pulls our clasped hands into her lap. Her head drops back against the headrest, and she goes back to watching Jefferson in all its beauty.

Jefferson is beautiful. Always has been. Like the firm hand of God, every corner is stubbornly maintained, trimmed, painted and polished to protect the rot festering just beneath the veneer.

“I’d like to live somewhere like this,” Mira says softly. “Not here, but a small, cute town like onGilmore Girls.”

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