Page 7 of Dangerous Proposal

“So, what if I did,” I say, straightening out and frowning at the restrained men. “I’m getting Mike. Take care of these guys.”

Jace, thankfully, doesn’t press the issue. He has a look on his face, a look of determination that I know is going to cause a fight later. He knows a job like this takes precedence over family matters.

As Jace starts taking care of one of the guys, I make my way toward the office. I knock in a pattern Mike will recognize—quick, rhythmic, unmistakably mine. After a few seconds, I hear the locks disengage, and then the door swings open with Mike’s gun pointed straight at my face. It drops the instant he realizes it’s me.

“Boss,” Mike says, giving me a brief nod as he switches the safety on. “Everything good out there?”

“It is,” I confirm, glancing past him to check on Brandy.

She’s still at the desk, counting money, unfazed by the chaos that just unfolded. This woman has seen it all, and I’m still in awe of how she keeps her composure in the middle of it. Our old president took good care of her, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been in shootouts. Brandy’s a badass, and she deserves a life of peace.

“Don’t worry about me, Red,” she says, not even looking up but sensing my gaze, probably from the way I linger. “Is Evie okay?”

“She’s safe,” I reply gruffly. “Mike, help Jace take care of these guys. We’re taking them back to base and questioning them one by one.”

“Whatever you say, boss,” Mike replies, stepping aside to get to work.

Now, all I have to do is make sure Brandy has everything she needs, then I can get back upstairs to Evie. I need to make sure she’s okay, explain what just went down. I’ll comfort her and swear to her that I’ll never let her get caught in the crossfire again.

“Can I–” I start, but Brandy cuts me off.

“Red, if you don’t stop fretting over me, I’ll shoot you myself,” she says with an unimpressed look. “I know you want to go check on Evie. And she definitely needs it more than I do. Get out of here. And close the door.”

“Lock it behind me,” I instruct, pulling the door closed with force and waiting for the click of the locks before heading back upstairs.

Once I’m out of view of my guys, I break into a run, taking the stairs two at a time. I reach the office where I hid Evie and, with steady hands, unlock the door and throw it open. A wave of relief hits me when I see her still sitting there. I know she couldn’t go anywhere but seeing her with my own eyes soothes the anxiety I didn’t even know I was carrying.

“Red?” she asks, her voice small and terrified.

I feel terrible and guilty that this happened on my watch, while she was just upstairs. I left her scared, confused, andalone, but I didn’t have time to explain. I just needed to make sure she was safe.

“Hey, Evie,” I say, crouching down in front of her and offering her my hand. She takes it, holding onto me with all of her strength. “Sorry about that.”

“Are you okay?” she asks, and I can’t stop myself from chuckling.

“You’re really asking about me?” I say as I pull her to her feet. “Sweetheart, I’m fine. I’m more worried about you.”

She flushes deep red, murmuring, “You’re worried about me?”

“I am,” I tell her, rubbing my thumbs over the back of her hand. “In fact, I want to get you out of here. I’m going to take you somewhere safe, okay?”

“Okay,” she says, agreeing easily. I’m glad for it, because I was going to take her with me regardless of if she said yes or not. This makes everything so much easier.

“Alright,” I say, leading her out of the apartment. “I’ll have one of the guys get your stuff. We’ll take my car. It’s parked right out front.”

Chapter Six

EVIE

My hand stays firmly nestled in Red’s, his palm steady against my back as he guides me toward a sleek black SUV parked on the curb. A man opens the back door for us, and Red helps me inside. I settle into the middle seat, a smile tugging at my lips when he wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to his chest. We sit there for a few minutes in comfortable silence as the man who opened the door rushes inside to grab my things.

When he returns, he climbs into the front seat and hands them to me before starting the car. The engine hums to life, and soon, we’re pulling away from the sidewalk, the world outside slipping by as I lean into Red, feeling his warmth and the weight of everything that’s shifted between us.

“I can’t wait to show you your new home,” Red says, giving my shoulders a little shake. “You’re going to love it.”

“New home?” I pull back from him slightly to look at him properly. “I– what do you mean? I already have an apartment.”

“It’s not safe,” Red says with an undeniable finality, his tone leaving no room for argument. He’s firm in his decision, but I can’t help feeling the tug of my own obligations.

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