“Get away from me.”
“No.” He braced his arms to her sides, boxing her in further. “You want answers. I’ll give them to you. Anything you heard about Martin Chilani is true. You had to have heard things about him. He’s a cold-blooded killer, a man with no remorse. We’ve been trying to nail his ass for a very long time. Witnesses always seem to disappear, evidence vanishing without a trace. He’s not the easiest man to convict, but that doesn’t mean we stop trying. We received good intel that a shipment of guns was coming in soon. Where and when remained a mystery. It turned out very convenient when Ryan needed another groomsman and that I happened to know him. Trust me when I say I wanted nothing to do with this. Ryan was my good friend.”
“Was? He’s not your friend anymore?”
“He wasn’t exactly happy to cooperate with us. He didn’t want to ruin Lily’s big day. And we didn’t. I didn’t.”
“No, but you’re ruining her honeymoon. Instead of enjoying herself, she’s crying, calling me that her brother was arrested.”
His jaw clenched. So, that was how she knew. “That information didn’t come from us.”
“No, Mr. C told her.”
“Doesn’t that tell you what kind of coldhearted bastard he is? Did she need to know while on her honeymoon that her brother was arrested? I don’t think so.”
She tried to shove him away, but when his body didn’t move an inch, a cry escaped. “Why?”
He brushed a tender hand across her cheek, letting it fall without holding its position. No explanation was needed for that loaded question. “Why didn’t I keep my distance? Why did I give in to my emotions that you strung out of me? Why didn’t I stay the entire night? Which one would you like answered?”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “All of them.”
“I tried to keep my distance. You know that. Was I near you the entire night? No, I was clear across the room until Lily shoved you my way. When you’re near me, I can’t concentrate. Hearing your sweet voice, laughing with you, how was I supposed to resist that? I tried so damn hard to keep my distance, you have to believe me. I told you I was wrong for you. I tried to tell you.”
“Fine, I’ll give you that. You did. So, why didn’t you stay the entire night?”
“Do you think it was even easy leaving when I did? If I would’ve woken up next to you in the morning, I would’ve never left at all. Nothing can happen between us, Sarafina. That night should’ve never happened. While I should regret it, I can’t find the energy to do that. I don’t regret it. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Continuing anything between us would risk that.”
“What makes you think I want anything more between us?”
Moving closer to her, molding his frame perfectly to hers, he kissed her on the lips. Knowing her exact reaction, or at least praying for it, she wound her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss.
Wanting more to happen in the tiny closet, knowing nothing could, he broke the kiss before all thought left his brain. “That reaction tells me you want more just like I do. But it can’t happen. We need to forget everything that occurred here today.”
Her hands slid down his back, falling limply to her sides. “I can’t forget anything. I can’t forget the look on Travis’s face or the thought of him behind bars.”
“What in the hell is he to you? He was arrested last night for smuggling firearms into the country. Weapons meant to be distributed to the streets. Yet, you sound like you’re ready to defend him.”
“He’s not a bad person. I don’t believe a word. He didn’t do anything wrong. Now, Franklin, I believe—” Silence echoed between them as her face morphed into recognition. “What I told you about the conversation I overheard, that was the exact information you needed, wasn’t it? I helped you. I helped you put the cuffs on Travis.”
“I was striking out everywhere, not that I expected to get the information I needed that night. It was a wedding. But yes, you gave me the exact information I needed. And you should be thanking your lucky stars you told me and not anyone in the Chilani family. Do you have any idea what he would do to you if he knew what you overheard?”
“Mr. C would never harm me. And Travis would never lay a finger on me.”
He slammed a hand against the wall, making her jump. “Damn it, Sarafina, that family is dangerous. Martin Chilani wouldn’t hesitate to take you out. He would kill you without thought and dump your body without glancing behind as he walked away. Stop thinking you’re invisible to that man…or his son. You looked very cozy with Travis at the wedding, and I have to admit, here at the precinct. I’m only going to ask you one more time, and I want a damn clear answer. What is he to you?”
“He is none of your business. If you think he’s someone I’m intimate with where I would go home one night with you, doing the things we did…” Her mouth opened wide as she shook her head. “...just to fall into bed with him...well, you’re a bigger skunk than I originally thought.”
“Do you ever swear? It’s adorable and painful all at once when you use words like skunk instead of asshole.”
“You got the point. Don’t try to butter me up with weird compliments.” Her eyes turned down.
“Stay away from Travis. Stay away from that entire family. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“That’s not possible, Dax. Lily is my best friend. Nobody in that family would hurt me. You’re wrong.”
Calming his racing heart at the thought of her interacting with them would be impossible. Yet, he couldn’t stop her without taking her against her will and fleeing as far away as possible. That was crazy to contemplate. He did, anyway.
“I’m not wrong. I’m so right that I even lied for you. Do you think I want your name associated with this case at all? Do you think I want your name to get back to Martin Chilani in any way? Hell, no. When my boss asked how I got that information, I said I overheard the conversation from Franklin. Not you, but me. Nothing will ever stop me from protecting you. Does that give you a clear picture of what you mean to me? I might not have known you long, and I might have walked away like it didn’t hurt me to do it, but I care about you. I’m asking you, if you care even a little bit for me, to stay away from that family. All of them. Every single one.”
Turning her head down, she barely hesitated when she whispered, “I can’t do that.”
“Are you going to tell them who I am? Because it doesn’t sound like you care what happens to me.”
“Your secret is safe with me. I won’t utter a word to them, but I also won’t stop seeing them. Lily is my best friend. I won’t walk away from her. She wouldn’t understand without me telling her why. You want your secret kept, then I stay friends with her.”
“And Travis? You won’t stay away from him either.”
“I won’t tell a soul, I promise, Dax. I would like to leave now. Please move.”
Damn her for ignoring what he wanted. How could she think about interacting with Travis?
Refusing to let her walk away without one last memory, he kissed her hard, pulling her body deep into his. Like he hoped, she clung to him, knowing as well this would be the last thing between them ever again.