Cole reached for her hand. His touch sent an electric surge right through her. She tried to pull her fingers back, but he held tight to her. “What are you doing?” Evie asked.
“Making sure you didn’t break any bones when you slammed your fist into his face.” Carefully, he stroked her fingers. “Great hit, by the way. I was impressed.”
“Then my mission in life is complete. I impressed you. So happy.”
His hold tightened a little more. “What can I do to make you not hate me?”
Her breath caught at his low question. “I…don’t.” Truth. “I don’t hate you at all.” Now sadness tugged at her. “In fact, I need to say thank you. You saved me back there.”
“You saved yourself. Nice elbow attack, then perfect follow-up with the fist.”
Silence.
The vehicle rounded a corner and stopped near a large column in the parking garage.
He let her hand go. “I don’t think anything is broken.”
She pressed her palms to the front of her jeans.
“If you weren’t followed, then that means the would-be kidnappers knew where you were going.” His voice was oddly careful, and she knew why, even before he asked, “Just how much do you trust Leopold?”
“He’s a nice guy. One of the really good ones out there. He wouldn’t do this.” A slow exhale. “But we meet at that restaurant every Sunday night at the same time, so if anyone had been watching me for a while, they could have already known my routine.”
A whistle from up front. Then Chase chided, “You should always vary routines. Where you walk, where you eat, where you shop. Don’t ever let anyone know too much about you.”
She knew that. And right after the abduction two years ago, she had varied everything but… “I thought I was safe. I thought that part of my life was all over.” The bad part.
She’d been wrong.
“What happens now?” Evie could feel the tension gathering between her shoulder blades.
“We talk to your brother,” Cole replied. “And I get the go-ahead from you both—you both agree to do exactly as I order on this case, no questions asked. Your safety will come first for me. I will do everything in my power to protect you, and Wilde will apprehend the people who want to abduct you.”
“It’s going to be hard,” she warned him. “I like questions. I ask them all the time.”
“I know.”
She shoved open her door. The driver hurried out and came to her side. For the first time, she got a good look at him. Evie hadn’t exactly been paying attention to him much earlier. Now she saw that he was built along the same similar, tall and muscular lines that Cole was. Only where Cole seemed all dangerous and he oozed that bad boy appeal, Chase had a more clean-cut veneer. He looked like a handsome, sexy version of the guy next door.
He offered his hand to her. “Like I said before, I’m Chase Durant, and I’m at your service.”
She shook his hand. Felt the easy strength there and the calluses that told her his workouts were probably a whole lot like Cole’s. “Evie.”
A door slammed. Cole sauntered around the vehicle. “Oh, great. He gets to call you Evie, too, huh? Figures that you two would become fast friends.”
They weren’t friends, but if she was going to get through this mess, she couldn’t treat the Wilde agents as enemies. She needed them. All of them.
She also needed to find out a whole lot more info about Wilde. Silently, she headed for the elevator. When the doors opened, the men followed in behind her, and she couldn’t help cutting a side glance at Cole.
He was staring straight at her.
I want to hit that emergency stop button. Press you up against the glass. And fuck you.
She dug the elevator’s security card out of her bag, used it, then hit the button for the top floor. Her eyes squeezed closed. “Just so you know, you totally ruined elevators for me.”
“And every time I’m in one, I think about you.”
Her eyes flew right back open.
“Um…” Chase shifted from foot to foot as the elevator headed high, high up. “Is there something I’m missing here?”
Lots. She wasn’t going to enlighten him, either. They ascended in tense silence for a while before she said, “We need a truce.”
His gaze never wavered. “The last thing I ever wanted was to be at war with you.”
Then what did you want?
She’d shook hands with Chase, and now she offered her hand to Cole. “Let’s start over.”
His bright stare dipped to her hand.
“I’m Evie, and it looks like you’re going to be my bodyguard.”
He took her hand. His hand swallowed hers, but he was careful not to put too much pressure in his grip. “I’m Cole. I can be a bit of a dick some days, but when it comes to security and protection, you can be absolutely certain that I will not let you down. I will keep you safe. You don’t need to worry.”
The elevator dinged. The doors opened.
“He can be a dick,” Chase cheerfully agreed as he exited the elevator. “But he does know protection. So do I. We’ve got you covered.”
Cole still had her hand. She wiggled her fingers, and he let go. She hopped off the elevator and hurried toward her brother’s penthouse. She could feel Cole stalking behind her. Heck, she could still feel his touch on her skin. Why did that always happen with him? Her hand fisted, and she didn’t know if she was trying to hold on to the feeling or make it vanish.
Harrison’s door opened before she reached it. He stood there in a rumpled suit, and he seemed to be paler than normal. “Heard what happened.” His hands went to her shoulders. Tightened. “You aren’t hurt?”
She shook her head.
His attention immediately cut to Cole. “I thought this kind of thing wouldn’t happen when she had protection. How the hell did they get close to her?”
“It’s not his fault,” Evie quickly defended. “Cole warned me that I was in danger.” Just like Harrison had been warning her. “I didn’t want to believe it. I was the one who chose to be at that restaurant. I wasn’t paying enough attention to my surroundings and I—”
“It sure as shit isn’t her fault,” Cole cut in to say. “But before we get into the blame game, how about we take this inside, hmm?”
Harrison’s head moved in a jerky nod, and he retreated so that they could all head inside. The place was exactly as it had been when she moved out a year ago. Decorated by the best interior designer in New York to ooze money and taste. Nothing was out of place. Perfect artwork hung on the walls. The white furniture was both stylish and classic. The view over the city showed all the glimmering lights and—
The place felt cold.
Always had. She took a seat on the couch.
“Our team is searching for the van that was used in the near abduction,” Cole said. He moved to stand behind her. Didn’t sit, just stood back there, and for some reason, she found his choice of position oddly protective. “We’ll access the traffic cams and see what we can find—”
“You can do that?” Harrison’s eyebrows shot up. “The city just gives you access to their traffic cams?”