Page 37 of Parker

Okaaay…

“You good?” Christian looked to Parker.

With his hand still pressed lightly against her back, Parker turned to her, his eyes passing the question to her. She nodded, hating how touched she felt by his taking the time to check with her first.

Letting his gaze linger with hers a moment longer, he turned back to Christian and said, “We’re ready if you are.”

The other man scoffed, his lips curving into a sideways smirk. “Brother, we’ve just been waiting on you.”

Quinn watched as he and Brody headed toward an impressive looking, totally blacked out SUV waiting a few spots away. She and Parker followed, his hovering oddly comforting as he walked closely beside her.

And that warm, protective hand remained in place the entire way.

6

The next morning…

“So letme get this straight. You literally fly to this woman’s rescue, meet her in some random parking lot where, instead of thanking you, she clocks you…you spent thenightwith her at an apartment Delta Team provided, and youstilldon’t know her real name?”

Parker grinned at Sydnee’s obvious disapproval of his handling of last night’s events. “She didn’t clock me,” he corrected. “It was a slap, and it didn’t hurt.”

Surprised him, sure. Confused him, absolutely. Turned him on a little…

We’re not going to discuss that.

“I don’t care if it didn’t hurt.” Sydnee blew out a breath. “The woman should have thrown herself at your feet for even showing up in the first place. I mean, how do you even know she’s telling the truth about the masked man in the first place?”

“I’ve got that covered, Syd. Trust me.”

“It’s not you I don’t trust.”

Warmth spread through Parker’s chest. Sydnee had always been protective of him, as he’d been with her.

“I know what you’re thinking, Syd. But I promise, I’ve got this under control.”

“Really? Because I’m thinking you’ve lost your damn mind.”

Chuckling, he stood in the apartment’s modest kitchen, willing the coffee to brew faster. “Look. I get what you’re saying, and if the situation were reversed, I’d be saying the same things right back to you. But you weren’t there, Syd. You didn’t see how scared she was.”

“Was that before or after she hit you?”

“I’m serious.” He ran a hand down his face, wishing the motion could erase the terror he’d seen in those amazing eyes when she’d first woken in that car. “And before you say she could’ve been faking, I don’t know anyone who’s that good of an actor.”

And he personally knew several in the business.

“The whole thing just seems fishy.” His worried friend continued. “And how the heck have you not asked for her real name yet? That would’ve been thefirstthing out of my mouth.”

Yeah, that had definitely been at the top of his things to ask last night. But then he’d seen her in that car, looking so scared and vulnerable, and suddenly all that mattered was doing whatever he could do to take it all away.

So he’d introduced himself, first. The thought being if she realized who he really was, she’d feel better. Safe.

Yeah, and how’d that work out for you, eh, Collins?

“Again, I have it covered,” Parker assured her.

“I sure hope so.” A soft sigh filled his ear. “I wish Ash was home. I’d make him go to Chicago and stay with you.”

He rolled his eyes and grabbed two ceramic mugs from the cabinet above the gurgling coffee pot. “I get that I’m not a super soldier like the man you’re about to marry, but I do know how to handle myself.”More than you know.“The only reason I called him in the first place was to make sure Jinx had plenty of protection.”

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