One of Cole’s dark brows rose. “From what I just saw, I beg to differ. You should be honored. Mr. Rothe doesn’t extend his protection to many people.”
Cole made it seem like Gabe was some kind of mob boss. That kind of stuff was cool to watch on TV but not comforting in real life. I didn’t want someone mixed up in that kind of mess to take an interest in me.
“Again, thanks, but I’m good from here.” I walked into the store, shaken by what had just happened, wondering if saving Gabe’s life would end mine.
Chapter Four
Gabe…
“Would you care for dessert?” I looked across the table at my dinner date. The night hadn’t been going great. Fraser was the kind of guy a person would want on his arm at a fancy gala, but there was no complexity to him. He was about as deep as a puddle.
“No thank you. So, do you want to hit a club after this?” Fraser was a trust fund baby, never having had to work a hard day in his life. Not that I begrudged him his life, but the way he’d treated the wait staff had made me grind my teeth.
“No.” I smiled and nodded at the waiter who brought another bottle of wine. I would need it by the time the night was over. In truth, I’d taken Fraser out because we’d had sex in the past and he never attached strings, but all I thought about since meeting him here was Fitch.
The little hothead human who enchanted me for reasons I couldn’t quite understand. I’d tried to figure out why I was so drawn to him when he’d been at the office.
Maybe it was because of my roots. I came from a hard background, had to fight for everything I had. I liked how cautious he was, how he didn’t hold back, and how his heated gaze had appraised me when we’d seen each other in the reception area.
“Are you listening to me?” Fraser set his glass of wine down and snapped his fingers, which seriously pissed me off. “I feel like I’m talking to myself.”
He pouted and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.
“Men don’t ignore me,” Fraser said. “You’ve never been this inattentive before. What’s going on with you, Gabriel? Am I boring you?”
The waiter arrived with our dishes, but Fraser waved a hand at them. “Not now. We’re having a private conversation.”
For the first time since meeting him, I wondered what in the hell I’d seen in Fraser.
“I’ll take my dish,” I said. “Thank you.”
Fraser made a noise in the back of his throat and slouched back with a deep sigh. I would’ve rather been home cleaning my extensive gun collection than dealing with him.
Or talking with Fitch.
When my phone rang, I snatched it from the inner pocket of my jacket.
“Hey, no business when you’re with me,” Fraser said. “That’s always been our deal.”
“I’ll just be a moment.” I got up and walked outside, sucking in the fresh air and thankful for the momentary reprieve. “Hello?”
“It’s Cole. We had a bit of a situation.” Cole told him about Fitch going to the corner store and about three thugs that had harassed him.
“Is he okay?” I put Cole on speaker so I could text Andrew to tell him to bring the car around. “Who the fuck were the men?”
My wolf wanted to get free, but I beat him back as I waited on Andrew. What was I going to do, run to Fitch’s house even though he had no idea I knew where he lived?
“Deon Govetti and two of his cohorts,” Cole said. “I handled the situation, but you’ve been ousted. Fitch knows I’m babysitting him.”
I was surprised Fitch hadn’t called me already, chewing me out for not only knowing where he lived but sending someone to watch over him.
I was also beyond pissed that Deon had tried some bullshit after I’d made it clear, without words, that Fitch was off-limits. I was going to gut the son of a bitch when I saw him again.
Andrew pulled to the curb, and I got in. I’d get an earful later from Fraser, but ensuring Fitch’s safety was my only concern at the moment.
“Where to?” Andrew looked at the restaurant as if surprised Fraser wasn’t with me, but he was wise enough not to ask.
“Is he at home?” I asked Cole.
“He’s sitting on his front porch eating some chips.” There was humor in Cole’s voice. “Funyuns if I’m not mistaken.”
“Any signs of that stranger who’d been following him?”
“No, sir. All is quiet,” Cole said. “Shit, someone’s walking up his driveway. I’ll call you back.”
“Cole,” I snarled his name, but he’d already hung up. I looked at Andrew, my heart beating a bit faster. “Take me to Fitch’s.”
Andrew pulled away as I tried to call Cole back, but he didn’t answer. By the time we reached Fitch’s house, I was ready for war. What I found was Fitch standing in his driveway, yelling at Cole. There was a stranger sitting on Fitch’s front steps, eating from the yellow chip bag as he watched them.
There wasn’t a fight, no blood, no dead bodies. Just a human looking up at Cole with angry eyes and a mouthful of explicit words.
“You.” Fitch glared at me when I got out of the backseat and walked up the driveway. “You’re the reason this gorilla nearly took Asa’s head off!”
Asa had to be the guy sitting on the steps eating the chips.
The fire in his hazel eyes made my fucking dick hard. It was then that I realized that was what I’d been missing at dinner. That passion, the hellfire way Fitch spoke to me.
The front door opened, and a woman, dressed in a green smock and rows of rollers in her hair, looked outside. She had to be Fitch’s mom because they had similar features.
“Fitch, what’s going on out here?” she asked as she stepped onto the porch. “Do I need to call the cops?”
“No, Ma.” Fitch rubbed his brow. “I got this under control. Can you get Asa some water, please? I think the Funyuns are drying out his mouth.”
Asa looked wide-eyed at Fitch but didn’t contradict him.
“I’ve told you boys about eating that junk,” she said before walking back inside.
“Dude, don’t pull me into this mess.” Asa munched on a few more Funyuns. “Don’t get your mother started on me about eating the empty calories.”
Fitch marched toward me, and I was half expecting him to slap me. “I don’t need a babysitter,” he said in a low voice. “How did you even find out where I lived?”
“We can talk in the back of my car.” I walked away, hoping he followed. I wasn’t airing our laundry in front of Asa.
I slid into the car, and Fitch did follow, though he slammed the door. “What the hell is going on, Gabe? I save your life and now you’re all up in mine?”
“Most people would be grateful for the protection, especially after what happened this evening.” I poured a drink from the small wet bar and offered the glass to Fitch. He took it and downed the drink then coughed until I slapped his back and he quieted.
Fitch shoved the glass back toward me. “I hope you didn’t just roofie me.”
“It’s one-hundred-year-old scotch. You’re supposed to sip it, not down it like a cheap bottle of rotgut.”