Their eyes met and everything in his gut told him her thoughts were traveling down the same path as his. She too was remembering her youth and all the times he’d taken her home and snuck her to her room so she wouldn’t get busted by her older brother or her folks. Sure, he’d lectured her on the dangers of her rebellious nature, but he’d always had an inherent need to protect her, from everyone and everything. He couldn’t bring himself to let her get caught, even though it might have been for her own good. Then again, as long as he was around and watching over her, no harm would ever come to her.
“Cole—” she began, but he cut her off.
“I know, I know. You’re quite capable of taking care of yourself,” he said to appease her protest. He still wasn’t taking a chance with her safety now that she was living on her own in the downtown core and he was back from overseas. Besides, when Brandon was dying in his arms and there wasn’t a thing Cole could do to save him, he’d asked only one thing of Cole. And no matter what, Cole planned to follow through with the vow he’d made to Gemma’s brother on that dark night, because he never, ever wanted to fail Brandon again.