Give Me Love (28 page)

Finally reaching breaking point, I turned and promptly lost the two crackers and glass of ginger ale I’d forced down before the show in the street.

* * *

Changed into a white tank top, cotton shorts, and hair still dripping wet from a shower, I paced the lounge room back and forth like an OCD sufferer in the throes of a meltdown. Water droplets flung from the dripping strands at each turn, showering those who couldn’t be bothered to move from my path.

I stopped suddenly when Coby hung up the phone. “Well?”

He stood up and tossed his phone on the dining table where the Rice Bubbles were playing cards. I felt like picking up the deck and flinging it in a wild hissy fit because Jared was out there and they were playing poker.

“They have the shooter in holding,” he reassured me.

“Thank fuck,” Henry muttered from his prone position on the floor.

Sprawled out like a starfish on the couch, Mac lifted her head. “And?”

“Everyone is fine.”

Mac seemed to sag in relief and closed her eyes, but unlike her, I knew there was more.

I folded my arms. “And?”

“It wasn’t Jimmy.” He began checking the locks on the windows and the front door, and I heard him say something about a perimeter check under his breath.

“What?” I asked loudly.

“Nothing. Everyone should get to bed. Evie, honey, I’m gonna stay here the night, okay? Just throw some blankets and pillows on the floor of your bedroom.”

I pointed my chicken flavoured rice cracker at him. “It wasn’t just some random crazy assclown, was it? It
does
have something to do with Jimmy, and he had someone aiming for me.”

Henry stopped his lunatic channel flicking, the Rice Bubbles put down their cards, and Mac opened her eyes until we were all eyeing Coby silently.

Coby put his hands on his hips, looking annoyed. “Okay, yes. Jimmy wasn’t the shooter, but he was the one who arranged it.”

I flopped my backside on the couch at Coby’s confession, landing on one of Mac’s legs. “Bloody hell.”

“Christ!” Henry yelled, tossing the remote at the wall. “The bastard is still in the picture, and he’s shooting at her now? This shit is getting so much worse. That asshole needs to be found.”

Coby nodded. “You don’t need to tell us that. Jared, Travis, and Casey are out there right now along with the police, and we’ll have everyone working around the clock until Jimmy is picked up. Everyone please just go to bed, okay? We’ll know more in the morning.”

I was sitting a set of sheets and blankets on the bedside table when Coby came in and sat on the edge of the bed wearing a pair of Henry’s sleep pants.

“How are you feeling?”

While I didn’t feel like I would be eating properly any time soon, the nausea which I’d sworn felt like it would hang around until the end of time was gone.

“Better. Thanks, Coby.”

“Maybe we need to send you away until Jimmy is off the streets.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

I shook out the fitted sheet and tucked it over the air mattress Jake had set up on the floor while Coby was in the shower.

“No, I’m not kidding.”

He picked up a sheet and started helping me.

“Coby we have a shot at reaching everything we’ve ever dreamed of, and if you think I’m going to bugger off to some warm tropical island and drink piña fucking colada’s all day, then you’ve got a screw loose.”

“I don’t know, I think it sounds kinda nice right about now.”

“Coby!”

He grabbed my arm from where it was busily stuffing a pillow into a pillowcase. “Stop. Just fucking stop.” He shoved me over until I was sitting on the bed, and then stood back to rake a hand through his hair. “If you think I’m going to sit by and leave you as a target, then you’re the one with loose screws. Dammit, honey, I almost lost you twice. I can’t take that shit again. I’m scared okay? Fucking scared and I’m not the only who feels that way.” He blew out a shaky breath. “I won’t lose you.”

“Coby, I understand your reasons, I really do, but I’m not going to give up everything I’ve ever worked for because of some assclown lunatic. I’m sorry, I just can’t and I won’t.”

I finished tucking the pillowcase on and chucked the pillow onto the makeshift bed.

“Do you have some grand plan to go out in a blaze of glory? Because this isn’t the movies, Evie, and you don’t come back from a bullet in the head.”

Tears threatened to strangle me, and I choked them back but when I spoke my voice trembled. “You’re my brother, Coby, and I love you so much, but you put yourself in danger for your job every day and not once have I ever told you to give that up. Please don’t ask me to give up my dream.”

He pulled me to my feet and wrapped me in hug so warm and so comforting, the tears I’d been swallowing down reached my eyes. I squeezed back as hard as I could, but I felt one spill over.

“Okay,” he agreed, “but I know you. Just please promise me you’ll be safe. No reckless moves, no silly risks.” He pulled back and held his hands tight on my shoulders as he looked at me intently. “If this is what you really want, I’ll beef up security. No going anywhere without either, Jared, Casey, Travis, Mitch, or me attached to you like fucking velcro. Velcro, okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

He sat down on the air mattress and climbed under the sheet. “Now turn off the light and get into bed.”

I did both, all the while hearing him grumble under his breath about not knowing how I managed to talk him into this shit.

Coby’s phone buzzed, and after a pause, he called out softly from the floor. “Evie?”

“Yeah?” I mumbled from under the white fluffy covers that were smothering me in a soothing, comfortable way.

“I’ll be gone by the time you wake up in the morning, but Jared will be here, okay?”

“Okay, thanks, Coby. I appreciate you all taking such good care of me.”

It was silent for a few moments.

“Coby?”

“Yeah?”

“Be safe.”

“Always.”

Chapter Sixteen

I woke the next morning feeling like an old, wrung out dishrag. My head was fuzzy, and my stomach, having finished eradicating whatever bug invaded my system, churned with anxiety. It let out a feeble grumble for food, but the events of last night rushed my head, leaving me shaky and not in any rush to move, let alone get up and make breakfast.

Peeking over the edge of my bed, I found Coby gone. I felt equal parts relief, because I wasn’t up for a rehash of last nights chat, and worry, because a shooting had now entered the equation. Seeing it all from this perspective made it that much harder knowing that Coby and Jared were out there dealing with this type of thing every day.

Voices could be heard from downstairs, but oddly enough, I hadn’t been disturbed. The bedroom door suddenly opened, and Jared’s head poked through. Seeing me awake, he came in and shut the door behind him, the door clicking shut. He still looked tired, and I couldn't remember a time where he hadn’t looked tired since the whole Jimmy thing began.

He started slowly peeling off his t-shirt and jeans as he stalked towards the bed, and I sat up on my elbows to watch the unwrapping.

“Feeling better?”

I nodded silently because now that Jared was here it was as though the sun had broken through the gloomy clouds hovering above. My tummy, sensing the rapid transformation, began to grumble in earnest, so I promised it good tidings if it would just shut up and let me enjoy the moment.

Clad now in nothing but a pair of black boxer-briefs, he knelt on the end of the bed and playfully tracked his way up on all fours until he was hovering above me.

His eyes locked on mine, turning hard and sombre, and I wondered what was swirling behind their green depths. Not leaving me hanging, he gently brushed the hair off my face with one hand. “I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

“I’m okay.” He didn’t look reassured, so I leaned up and kissed his lips softly. “Really.” I placed a hand on his shoulder and let it trail down his bicep, revelling in the feel of his hard body. “You didn’t message me last night. I was worried.”

He took in my reproachful frown with a pleased expression. “You were worried about me?” A cheeky grin lit his eyes and getting off the bed, he rummaged in his jeans, pulled out his phone, and pressed a few buttons as he stood by the bed.

“What are you doing?”

He shrugged innocently as my phone buzzed.

I gave him what I liked to think was an intimidating glare and picked it up.

J: Baby, I am ok and wishing I was in bed with you right now.

My eyes whipped up to his, the glare rapidly shifting to desire, and I smiled slowly as I began pressing buttons.

E: Thanks for letting me know. I wish you were too, but alas you aren’t, so I will have to begin without you.

The playful smile died upon his lips as he read my message. He lifted his eyes to mine, and I sucked in a breath as their heat damned near singed my skin off. He threw his phone over his shoulder and pounced.

I giggled as his mouth swooped down on mine, smothering my laughter as he kissed me thoroughly. He pulled back, slightly breathless, and did a quick check of the time.

“We’ve only got ten minutes.”

“Seriously?”

I sighed as his lips travelled down my neck and his hand skimmed around my hip, trailing down until his fingers slid inside my knickers. “I don’t have anything scheduled. We have all day.”

He shifted and pulled my shorts off impatiently. “You’ve got shit to do today.”

“I do?”

He nodded and kissed me quickly, pulling back to remove his own underwear.

As his lips found mine, I ran my hands up and down the smooth skin of his back, bringing them around to push at his chest until I’d managed to roll him over and straddle his lap.

“Fine,” I growled, peeling off my top as he grabbed my hips, fingers digging in when bare skin was revealed. “But I’m in charge.”

He grinned wickedly, pulled me down, and rolled me back over. “Sometimes, I let you think you’re in charge, but there’s no time for pretending this morning, baby.”

I should have pushed him off the bed, but in one fell swoop, he hooked his arm under the knee of my right leg, lifting it over his hip, and I sucked in a breath as he slid inside. After our allotted time was up, Jared collapsed his weight on top of me and rolled us back over. “Now you can be in charge.”

I wanted to laugh at his antics, but as I put my hands on his chest and looked in his eyes, I felt my heart pound fearfully knowing that I was slowly falling in love with him. The fear must have left me looking pale because Jared gave me a quizzical look.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

I let my breath out in a slow whoosh. “Yeah.”

He moved one of his hands from my hip to rub gently across my belly, his eyes tracking the movement before they met mine. “Baby, you’re not pregnant, are you?”

I held my breath at his soft words and the care he took in touching me. I shook my head and when he swallowed and looked away I could have sworn it was disappointment I saw on his face. “Just a tummy bug, so no cause for alarm.”

In light of last night’s chat with Coby, I changed the subject by taking a pre-emptive strike about being told to pack my bags for safer ground.

“Jared, you should know that I’m not going anywhere.”

He slapped me on the backside, not hard, but not soft either. “Yes, you are...to the shower. Quick,” he ordered.

I glared down at him. “Don’t flip me off. You know what I meant.”

His eyes went fierce. “I’m not losing you, Evie.”

“No, you’re not. I’m just telling you―”

“I spoke to Coby this morning,” he interrupted. “I know there’s no point in trying to change your mind so rather than―”

The front door slammed loudly and a ”yoohoo” interrupted our little talk. I jumped in shock from my straddled position and flew off the bed, my legs tangling in the sheets as I fell to the floor with a thud.

Jared let out a shout of laughter, gasping as he peered over the edge of the bed. “Are you okay?”

“Oh my God,” I hissed. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I scrambled to get off the floor and made a mad dash for the wardrobe, flinging the door wide and racing inside. “Where’s my robe?” I muttered as I flung clothes about wildly. I careened back out the door. “Where’s my goddamn robe?”

Jared pointed to the chair in the corner as he untangled the sheet, pulling it up to his waist and propping a pillow behind his back.

“Is anyone there?” The voice appeared to be trekking its way up the stairs.

“You are so dead,” I said, pointing a finger at Jared furiously as I made a grab for the robe off the chair.

“I tried to tell you to get in the shower.”

I tied the belt and flung open the bedroom door to make a break for the bathroom when Jenna pulled back in shock, arm raised at the ready to knock.