Page 57 of Rescued Faith

Her jaw dropped.

Yup. He’d rattled her. And he couldn’t help but grin. Because that meant she felt it too. She’d tried to push him away, pretend that there was nothing there between them, but he had proof now. She’d kissed him back.

And then some.

But before he could tease her about it, she slapped him across the cheek. Hard. Pain shot through the side of his head.

“Wow. I did not see that coming.” He worked his jaw to loosen the sting still there.

“Well, you should’ve. I told you to stay in the van.” Her voice went low, lethal.

“Better watch it, Slugger. The angrier you get, the prettier you are.”

“Argh! You’re impossible. You could’vedied!”

“So you’re worried about me, is that it?” He quirked an eyebrow.

“This isn’t funny, Bryce. You were supposed to stay in the truck. You don’t have a gun. You?—”

“I couldn’t watch and do nothing.” Didn’t she realize that?

“It wasn’t your job to go after him.”

“What was I supposed to do? I saw him.” He pointed toward the street. “He was getting away. And I don’t know who he is, but if there isanyconnection to Diego Sosa, I’m sure as heck not going to stand by and let him run off. Not after what he did to my family.”

Not that it had done a lot of good.

Penny backed away from him. “You’re too impulsive. You’re gonna get yourself hurt one day.”

“At least I’m doing something.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m not gonna pretend anymore.” He moved closer to her. He wasn’t going to let her run again.

She swallowed. “I’m not pretending anything.”

“You’re pretending right now. Pretending I don’t matter to you, that you don’t care. But you can’t fool me, Penny. There’s something here between us. Something good. Something real.”

The quick catch of her breath said he was onto something.

Of course, that’s when Anthony, Izan, and Olivia rounded the corner.

“Did you see him?” Olivia asked. She panted like she’d been running. “He wasn’t out front.”

“He was here. I almost had him, but he had a gun and a motorcycle stashed. I took cover when he shot, and he got away.” Bryce nodded toward the narrow alley between the neighboring buildings.

Penny released a long breath, hands planted on her hips. “You guys got Emma?”

“Jude met us out front and is taking her in right now. He told us to find you. Said we could meet him at the station and do the interrogation there,” Anthony said. He glared at Bryce. Like it was his fault that the gunman had gotten away. But where had Anthony been all this time? He was the one that let the man slip by him in the first place.

The ride in the back of the food truck was quiet and tense. Penny wouldn’t look at Bryce. She even let Tony drive.

That was fine. Bryce would simply bide his time. He may be impulsive like she said. But he also knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t going to give up without a fight. She would see he could also be patient when it was called for.

Patient and persistent. Serious.

Mom was right. He and Penny were good together. He just had to figure out why she ran. Why, even now, she denied their connection and tried so hard to push him away.

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