Page 21 of Break My Fall

“Then I’m your plus-one.”

“You—you’re—what?”

“I like it.” A slow smile crept across Cal’s face. “They wouldn’t dare do anything with Gray there.”

Gray ignored them. His eyes were focused on her. “Well?”

This was a bad idea. Going to a wedding together? “I’m going to need to make a couple of trips to Neeson over the next month or so.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“Gray.” She didn’t mean to whine. She cleared her throat. “I promise not to go alone. But you don’t have to go. I’m sure my brother would be willing to be my plus-one.”

She looked at Mo. The traitor shook his head. “Not a chance, baby sister.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t do weddings.”

“You were Cal’s best man!”

“It’s a recent decision.”

“Mo isn’t a good choice for this. It has to be me.” Gray’s tone said it was decided.

“Why?” She was panicking. She could feel it. She’d been spending way too much time with Gray lately. If she had to go to a wedding with him? Dressed up? Gray in a uniform nearly undid her. Gray in a suit?

She wasn’t a sadist. Spending time with him was a form of torture. She wanted to be with him, and she dreaded being with him. What fresh disaster would happen while she was in his presence? How much more would it hurt to want him and see for herself just how much he didn’t want her?

She’d done her best to avoid him. And now?

“I have reasons.” Gray held up a finger. “The first one is that if I go, they’ll know I’m carrying. They’ll know I’m prepared for anything, and they’ll be less likely to try something. It might not hold them off forever, but it should make the wedding safe for you.”

She wasn’t convinced.

“Meredith, if I go, there’s little chance of danger. If Mo goes? Not only will you be at risk, but you’ll be putting him at risk as well. I know you don’t want that.”

“Of course not. But I don’t want to putanyoneat risk.” She couldn’t very well tell Gray that puttinghimat risk made her feel queasy.

“Then don’t go to the wedding.”

He had her and he knew it. Jerk. “Fine. You can be my plus-one for the wedding.”

He nodded. It wasn’t a date. He hadn’t invited himself because he was falling for her. He’d invited himself because he was worried about her.

“And you won’t go to Neeson alone?” This came from Mo. For a man who might not survive the night, he was being awfully pushy.

“I won’t go to Neeson alone for any reason.” It wasn’t hard to make that promise. Going to Neeson terrified her.

Not that going to the wedding with Gray wasn’t also terrifying. But her choices were limited. She either risked her life or her heart.

She was pretty sure she was going to lose one or the other.

Gray wanted to lock Meredith in a padded room for her own protection, but locking innocent people up was frowned upon. “I do have another reason for going to the wedding.” His announcement pulled everyone’s attention to him.

“I’ve already talked to Donovan, and what I’m about to tell you can’t leave this group.”

Everyone nodded.

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