Page 15 of Whiskey Run Heroes

“No, I’d actually like you to stay, please.”

I can’t stop myself. I reach for her in the darkness and pull her to me. I tangle our legs together and wrap my arm around her, tucking her head under my chin. “Is this okay? Am I hurting you?”

Her voice is muffled. “I’m fine.”

She turns her head and rests her cheek against my chest. Her breath tickles the hair there when she starts to talk. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Why are you here?”

I start to answer, but she stops me. “I mean, why aren’t you chasing the bad guys? That’s what you do. I mean, even when you’re not out on missions, you’re at the office, running things from there. You never stop until they’re caught.” She shakes her head. “So I’m just trying to figure out why you’re here.”

“The team can handle it.”

Irritation is clear in her voice. “I know they can handle it, but I don’t understand. You... this is not you.”

“Maybe I’m changing things up.”

She snorts. “You? You hate change. What’s really going on?”

I don’t want to scare her, but she’s not going to stop. “I’m not leaving your side until the men are caught.”

“But...”

“No, I’m sorry, Brook, but you’re stuck with me.”

Silence fills the room.

“Okay?” I ask her, which is totally not like me. I’m never unsure of myself, but with Brook I just don’t know. She means too much to me.

“Why did you say tonight was your fault?”

“Because those men are my enemies. They were trying to get to me through you. And well, I’m the reason that you had to go on a dating app to get a date.”

She pulls back and looks up at me. Even though I can’t see her face, I know she’s confused. “What does that even mean? You’re being ridiculous. It’s not your fault I can’t seem to get a date.”

I close my eyes. All this time, I was jealous and didn’t want her dating someone else and I was ruining her self-esteem. How could she believe that nobody wanted to date her? Hell, half the team would have tried to date her if I hadn’t put a stop to it. “It is my fault.”

“No, it’s not.”

I run my hand up and down her hip soothingly, as if touching her is going to make what I’m about to say easier. “I’ve warned all of Whiskey Run to stay away from you, Brook.”

“You what? Why would you do that?”

I clench my eyes shut. “I’m not sure you’re ready to hear that.”

Her hand goes across my chest and wraps around my shoulder. “I don’t understand.”

I guess it’s now or never. “I couldn’t have you, but I couldn’t just stand by and let another man be with you.”

I don’t know if she realizes it, but her hand grips on to me tighter. “What does that mean, you couldn’t have me?”

My heart is still racing from everything that happened tonight. I never dreamed it would come to this, and I’ve never let myself hope that I would have her in my arms like this. I don’t want to say the wrong thing and have her leave me. I need her in my arms.

“Can we talk about this in the morning?”

“Walker...”

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