Page 5 of Hers to Control

“I brought my passport,” I tell her. “We’re headed to a safe location near Rochester—for now, anyway.”

Mia’s startled eyes meet mine in the mirror. Hers are a beautiful dark blue, though they look more like a brewing ocean storm rather than calm lake waters. “You can’t decide where we are going.”

I shrug. “You’re the one in the backseat, if I’m not mistaken.”

I let her stew over that for a moment before I add, “Gianna told me to have your back. I can do that best if you let me make the calls. From what she told me, you ticked off the Bratva. If that’s the case, you’re right, we’re better off crossing the border. If you want to blunder through New York state, be my guest, but if you want me to keep you safe, we’ll go to Rochester.”

It takes Mia a full three minutes to decide.

“All right. Let’s head towards Rochester then.”

It’s a reluctant agreement, and I recognize easily what’s bothering her. She’s losing control. First she needs to flee her home, now she can’t even determine her escape route.

Well, too bad for her. If I’m supposed to play babysitter, I’m going to damn well keep Gianna’s friend safe.

Except, there is that little voice in my head that demands I fuck her instead.

Another look in the mirror shows me the way her tank top stretches over her breasts. She’s wearing a sports bra, but eventhat does little to hide the soft mounts that are just big enough for my hands to cup them. She has a slim figure and is more muscular than most women, but the gentle swell of her breasts is all woman. Sexy as fuck.

Spending a few nights in our safe house with her? Well, there could be worse fates. After all, Gianna is the one who got us entangled in this mess, so staying away from Mia now accomplishes little.

And just maybe, a small part of me doesn’t give a fuck what Gianna will say if I fuck her friend. I’ve done everything I could to help my dear cousin and still had to put up with her doubts. I don’t really blame her, and I’ll be loyal to her the same way I’ve been loyal to her since we were kids, but I’m also in no mood to be more circumspect than necessary.

I’ve got tension to unleash, and if I’m not mistaken, the sexy martial artist in the backseat might just turn out to be a perfect opponent between the sheets.

Chapter Three

Mia

The drive to Rochester takes us four hours. By the time Eric pulls into the driveway of a two-story colonial home, I’ve pulled my thoughts together. Taking Gianna up on her offer wasn’t a bad idea, but tomorrow, I’ll need to come up with a game plan.

For tonight, though, I’ll allow myself to take advantage of my best friend’s resources, including her taciturn cousin, whose protection she thinks will keep me from acquiring a bullet to my brain.

Without a word, Eric opens his door and gets out of the car. I follow suit, grabbing my pack and swinging it over my shoulder. My bladder is about to explode since we didn’t make any stopson the way, and I start towards the house, where Eric is already unlocking the front door.

“Bathroom is that way,” he announces as we step into a small mudroom, pointing down a short hallway.

He might not talk a bunch, but the guy obviously has some decent observational skills. That ought to be an advantage in a makeshift bodyguard.

Unlike the living room and sunroom, the bathroom isn’t painted in the same plain white. Instead, the walls are a light blue, making the house immediately feel less like a showpiece and more like a place that could be a home. I quickly take care of business before returning to the front of the house.

Eric isn’t in the living room or the sunroom, nor is he in the kitchen, but I finally hear him moving around upstairs, so I climb the steps to the upper floor, where I find him in one of the bedrooms. There is a small black duffle bag on the bed, and it’s the first time I realize that Eric must have packed about as quickly as me for this unexpected trip.

“Did you bring everything you need?” I ask. The last thing I’m interested in is to take responsibility for another person. Ever. Even in such a small way as to ensure they have everything they need for an overnight trip. My father showed me just how easily you can screw someone over by taking on any sort of responsibility for another person, but I would feel bad if Eric was stuck here without the essentials, just because Gianna commanded him to come with me.

“Yeah, I’ve got everything, but we’ll need some food.”

I nod. “I saw a grocery store on our way here. If you want, I can drive there and get some stuff.”

Eric shakes his head. “I’m not leaving you out of my sight.”

The way his eyes trail over my body as he says that makes my insides quiver.

I watch as he moves, his hand diving into the pocket of his black jeans, and an errant thought makes me wonder what he might be packing behind the rough fabric. Other than a gun, that is.

Damn.The adrenaline of the day must be messing with my head.

But, no, that isn’t it. I simply haven’t allowed myself to have any fun lately. And by lately, I mean in, what? Has it been two years since that guy I met at the coffee shop?

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