Page 80 of Inevitable
“We’ll all be here for you when that has to happen,” Brock said solemnly.
I swallowed a lump in my throat.
My four male friends had always been there for me when I’d had ups and downs in my life.
“Have I ever thanked you for being a protective friend?” I asked softly.
His grin widened. “Nope. As I recall, you have called me a pain in your ass once in a while.”
“I never meant that,” I blurted out. “Making me check in with you every day from Lania probably saved my life. You worrying about me probably saved my life, too.”
If my friends hadn’t been overprotective, I would have died before I’d had a chance to get rescued.
“You’ve always been there for us, too, Emma,” Brock said seriously. “You befriended all of us without a second thought when we first got to Cherry Cove, and you’ve been there for us ever since. If we were sick, you were there. If we got injured, you were there. If you just thought we needed a friend, you were there. Worrying about you comes natural to us.”
“I’ve always worried about the four of you, too,” I told him honestly. “You scared the hell out of me when you justdisappeared. I never really got used to that, but I knew that I couldn’t force you to tell me what you were doing.”
“Do you think we liked it?” Brock asked gruffly. “I felt guilty every time I saw the relieved look on your face when we got back. We wanted to tell you the truth, but we couldn’t. When we signed up with Last Hope, we gave our word that we wouldn’t tell anyone for the good of the organization. It’s a huge relief for us that you know the truth now.”
“I’m not sure that I’ll worry less now that I know exactly what you’re doing,” I warned him.
I’d probably be more concerned now that I knew that they were going into dangerous situations to rescue hostages.
“At least you’ll know exactly where we are and what we’re doing,” Brock answered. “We can tell you when we have to leave, and Marshall can let you know when we’re coming home.”
I’d always known that Brock, Nate, Gage, and Seth were incredible men, but I had to wonder if they really knew just how special they were for dedicating a large part of their lives to helping other people.
It wasn’t their job or their duty to rescue hostages anymore, but they still took those responsibilities seriously.
I smiled at Brock. “I think I’m pretty lucky to call every one of you my friends.”
“You’re stuck with us,” Brock said jokingly. “We might be a pain in your ass sometimes, but we’ve always been loyal pains in the asses. We care about you and Wren, but I have a feeling we’re about to become secondary protectors now that Marshall is in the picture. He looks at you like he’d destroy anyone who tried to hurt you. I have a feeling he’s going to feel the same way about his daughter.”
I had to admit that Colin was protective.
“I think it’s kind of sweet,” I said with a sigh.
“Sweet?” Brock answered. “It’s not sweet. It’s fucking scary.”
“Not to me,” I informed him. “There isn’t a single thing about Colin that scares me.”
“I have to admit that it’s kind of amusing to see one small woman handle a guy like Marshall the way you do,” Brock replied.
I didn’t manage Colin.
The stubborn man was completely unmanageable at times.
But he cared about me.
He listened to me.
He respected me.
“We’re different,” I admitted. “But for some reason, we’re perfect for each other.”
“You make him happy, Emma,” Brock told me. “And I think he makes you happy, too. It doesn’t matter how different you are. Hell, I think Marshall needs a woman like you in his life.”
I wanted to tell him that all Colin needed was a woman who loved him and accepted him exactly the way he was.
