“I’m bringing Sadie back with me now. Apparently , Fessy has older
friends. I didn’t get a good look at them, but it wasn’t safe to leave her
there.”
Lorenzo’ s head lolled to the side with a moan, and I gave him a sharp
look to shut up. The acoustics in the shed just made it louder, and it didn’t
es cape Vince’s notice.
“... You busy , boss?”
“Just finishing up an appointm ent.” I handed the knife to Shane and
signaled for him to take over, then slipped out into the warm night. Two of
my men stood guard outside the door, and it clicked closed behind me as
my mind reeled. “How’d they have her address? I didn’ t see any tails.”
“Hell if I know,” Vince said. “Your girl mentioned the shelter was
broken into, and they ke ep files on all the volunteers. It wouldn ’t be hard to
get an address.”
My chest had no business swelling at him calling Sadie my girl .
I cleared my throat and shoved whatever possessive reaction that was
de ep, de ep down. “Is she scared?”
Vince snorted. “Seriously , what happened to you? ‘Is she scar ed ?’ Do
you hear yourself right now?”
“Piss of f.”
“Nah, this is worse than just thinking with your dick. You’re actually
worried about her .”
If I couldn’ t explain this whole Sadie thing to myself, there was no
chance he’d understand. “Answer the question, Vince.”
He grumbled under his breath. “She’s in the back with her dog. The
screen’s up, but she wasn’ t sobbing hysterically or anything.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before you picked her up?” I asked, trying to
ignore the tightness that’d taken up residence in my chest.
“There wasn’ t time. They were already in the lobby .”
I glanced at my watch. “What’ s your ET A?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“Make it fifteen. Pull up to the front.” I hung up. Pocketing my phone, I
pulled the door open to update Shane. “Sadie’ s on her way. Finish up here,
then use the back door so she doesn’ t see you.”
He looked up from Lorenzo in surprise, but nodded curtly .
“It’s not too late to talk,” I added to Lorenzo. One of his eyes was
swollen shut, but the other narrowed at me. “Tell us who you’re meeting
with, and we can work out the rest.”
“I’m not meeting with anyone,” he spat through the blood caking his
face. “Y ou know I wouldn’ t do anything against the family , Reed.”
Normally , I’d believe him. But money was missing.
And we had pictures of him at clubs on the other side of town.
I gave Shane a subtle nod before leaving. It’d take at least five minutes
to jog through the woods and get back to the house. Then I needed to hop
into the shower and change into something not stained with blood before
Sadie arrived.
Even though things had gone sideways, my mood lifted.
Turned out my little bunny was spending the night here, after all.
D a v i a n
Fifteen minutes after Vince called, I jogged down the front st eps—freshly
showered and in a change of clothes—to meet the dark SUV pulling to a
stop.
The back door flew open, and Sadie stumbled out—pale as a ghost and
shivering in a pair of tiny pink pajamas. An instinctual need to hunt down
whoever had scared her overwhelmed me.
Bear hopped down after Sadie, sticking close to her hip. I ignored him
and strode straight up to her .
“Come here,” I said, trying to sound comforting, but it came out as
more of a growl.
Oh well.
I lifted her until her soft body was cradled against my chest. The
pajamas barely covered half her ass, but I wasn’t sure she even noticed how
much skin was on display .
Sadie’s arms automatically wrapped around my neck, and her cheeks
reddened.
“You don’t need to carry me,” she whispered. It grated on my nerves
that her voice sounded so small. I needed to know what had happened at her
apartment. “I can walk.”
I tightened my grip and started up the stairs. “Just let me. It’s my fault
this happened.”
Her brow furrowed. “It’ s not your fault —”