Page 47 of Claiming Veronica

Eli crossed his arms but held himself close enough to block the traffic around us. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes. “I guess I am.”

The question hadn’t been directed at him, but she steeled herself and said, “Good to finally meet you. Ronnie’s been talking all about you while she hunted around for information.” Her words were cautious, but her hands gave her away. They were shaking, and I wasn’t the only one that noticed.

“Nice to meet you, too. Veronica has been looking forward to your visit.” Eli’s posture hadn’t changed, but he kept his tone low and measured. I caught the fact that Reed seemed to struggle to look at him. What the hell was going on with her?

“Come on, babe.” I looped my arm through hers. “Let’s find that bag of yours. Eli here has themuscles, and he’s our driver. We’ll blow out of this joint before you know it.” Gratitude shone in her eyes as her hand gripped mine.

In no time, we found her battered suitcase—I was surprised it made it through handling and the transfer—and we were back in the car.

I asked her, “Do you want to stop for food? Are you hungry, or should we wait until we get to the house?”

“Let’s wait.” She was preoccupied with looking out the window at the terminal as we exited the airport, but there wasn’t much to see. Honestly, this part of Phoenix was pretty boring.

“They’ll be sights to see once we get closer to my house. The desert is pretty there, especially right around the house. We live out kind of by ourselves. It’s beautiful at night.”

“I don’t think that’s what she’s looking for,” Eli said under his breath as he signaled a lane change onto the freeway.

I was confused; looking over my shoulder at Reed, I could see she was still looking out the back window. Eli shook his head, indicating that I shouldn’t ask, so I shut my mouth, and he turned on the radio.

During the entire ride back to Haverboro, Reed alternated between looking out the window as if the devil himself were chasing her and answering my questions distractedly.

She wasn't her usual carefree self. Instead, her eyes kept darting to the rearview mirror, like she was expecting someone to pop up behind us. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, and the lively energy I was used to from her was replaced by something wan and tired.

I glanced over at her as we pulled into the driveway, and she quickly averted her gaze, her fingers tapping nervously on the edge of her seat. Reed never fidgeted. This was new.

Something was wrong.

Eli noticed it, too. He stayed quiet the whole ride back, his eyes always sharp, watching everything, including her.

"Hey, are you okay?” I asked as we parked, turning toward her. My voice was light, and I tried not to push too hard.

Reed forced a smile. "Yeah, just tired. It’s been a long week." Her voice was flat, and I wasn’t buying it.

"You seem...different," I pressed gently. "More than just tired."

I saw the panic flash across her face for a split second before she smoothed it over. "I’m fine, Ronnie. Just a lot on my mind. Let’s go inside."

I watched as she climbed out of the car, her shoulders tense, and then glanced at Eli. He met my eyes briefly, giving me a subtle nod. He was on alert, too, probably more than me.

As we walked into the house, the noise hit me instantly. Male voices rang out from the courtyard from the open patio doors. I could see Natasha lounging in Pike’s lap, her bare legs draped over his, and I was amazed to see Maxim and Dimitri across from them.

What alternate universe was I in?

“Gangs all here, I guess,” Eli said with a smile, his hand firm on the small of my back.

Reed stepped forward gingerly. “Wow. Who are those guys?”

“Family. I’ll introduce you.”

She’d seen photos of a few of them, but I guess she was too stressed out to remember. I pulled her forward. It was best to get it over with.

“We’re back. This is my friend Reed. Everyone Reed. Reed everyone. Those are my cousins Maxim and Dimitri. My sister Natasha, you know already from before. That’s her boyfriend, Pike.”

“Nice to see you again, Reed,” Natasha said. “I’m so glad you came.”

The men all gave their required pleasantries, and I moved to pull her from the courtyard. She was already making me nervous about the way she was acting. The sooner we got out of the testosterone-fueled environment, the better.

"Nice to meet everyone. I promise I won’t take up too much space."

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