Page 50 of Taking Care of the Target

He slid her a dark look that sent the temperature of the car skyrocketing. “No, I’d definitely choose the other, but I’m sort of in the middle of driving, and apparently you’re trying to kill us both.”

She shrugged innocently, and his throat worked a swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

For a few minutes only the radio filled the air, then Vince said, “I know I’m going to regret this, but what do you want to know?”

She barely resisted jumping up and down on her seat like an eager puppy. “Well, I didn’t even know you had a brother until the other day. What about your mom? You never say anything about her.”

“After my dad died, she decided she’d rather join him than stay here with me and Bobby.”

Cassie’s stomach bottomed out. She hadn’t expected that.

“My uncle took us in, but I’d already been getting into trouble. It wasn’t like anyone was there to stop me. Bobby followed in my footsteps, and then I decided to clean up my act. He didn’t. The reason he’s in the place he is now is because of me.”

“You can’t blame yourself for that. You were a kid.”

“I was old enough to know better.”

“I didn’t know about your mom,” she said. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault. But that’s why we don’t talk about me.”

“I’d rather know.” Cassie reached over and ran her fingers through the hair at his neck.

“I’m not a fan of conversations better suited for a leather couch and a doctor who’ll hand you tissues as you cry.”

“Yes, heaven forbid you pretend to have emotions.”

He scowled at her, as if even the word “emotions” made him need to throw something.

“When I lost my dad, I completely shut myself off from everyone,” Cassie said. “For a long time, I thought it made me safe. Then I woke up in that hospital alone and realized it just made me, well, alone.”

Keeping his eyes on the road, he bent closer and kissed her temple. Then he gave her a half smile. “We’re kind of a sad duo.”

She laughed, because while it was true, it wasn’t at the same time. “When you think about it, it’s actually incredible we found each other.”

“I guess that means I must’ve done something right.”

It amazed her how they could go from topic to topic, sad one moment, flirting the next, and having a heart-to-heart right after. She’d never experienced anything like it with anyone else.

She tested the limits of her seatbelt and kissed his check.

He sighed. “I wish I could forget about everything else and start over with you.”

“You can,” she said. “We’ll both start over.”

His hand went back to her thigh, and he gripped it like he meant to never let go. Heat pooled low in her stomach and butterflies swarmed her heart.

For this moment, she’d cover a hundred of Tyra’s shifts.

Yep. Coming on this trip was totally worth selling my soul.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Each turn took them down an even more desolate road with rundown buildings that should be—and probably were—condemned. There weren’t many people out, and the ones who were looked homeless.

What the hell, Bobby?Things must’ve gotten really bad if his brother called this rough neighborhood home.

Cassie’s face remained carefully neutral, despite the fact that she most likely felt the same thing he did—that instinctual tug telling you to get the hell out of there.

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