right Swede?”
“Says you. If there were some here and now, I’d make that nickname stick all over again.”
Mason laughed. “Marielle, he’s called Swede for winning at a Swedish meatball eating contest we held back when we were still in training.”
“Eating meatballs? I’m scared to ask, how many did you eat?”
He shrugged. “Two hundred twenty-four.”
She blinked. “In one sitting?”
He nodded.
“Not possible.”
Swede laughed. “Hell, Dane here ate over two hundred. Shadow came in not far behind.”
“And Hawk and Mason, how did they do?”
“Hawk counted and Mason timed.”
“I’d have loved to see that.” And she would have. The men were a great bunch of guys. She walked over to the couch but with no place to set her coffee down, she was at a loss as to where to put it.
“Give it to me,” Dane said, holding out his hand. He placed it on the coffee table in front of him. Then tugged her down beside him, her back to the window. “Then if you want a drink you can reach from here.”
She smiled. He looked like a lazy cat. And the grin on his face just added to his Cheshire appearance.
Sitting as she was, she was tucked up against his side, and almost wrapped in a Dane blanket as he curled around her giving her enough room to sit but with himself taking the rest of the available space.
The rest of the men had all taken up spots that ranged from the other couch to the floor to Shadow who’d grabbed a kitchen chair and was sitting on the hearth and using the kitchen chair to work on his laptop.
She had no idea what he was doing now. She thought about asking but wasn’t sure she wanted to bring up the topic. It was peaceful here. Work was going to change that energy. Mason turned on the television and checked the news stations for updates.
When there was talk of a serial killer on the loose, he changed it. When there was talk of an uprising in a local prison, he changed it. When a rapist got off with less than six months for his crimes, he changed it. But not fast enough.
“Is there ever anything nice on the news,” she cried. “Or happy?”
“No. That’s not why the news is on.”
“And that’s why I don’t know any women who watch the news. It’s depressing. You’d never go outside if you listened to all the crazy stories.” She shivered and rubbed her arms.
“Easy. You’re safe here, and hopefully you’ve met all the crazies you’re ever going to meet,” Dane said. He reached out and grabbed her hand. “It’s not all bad news.”
She nodded, not convinced, but willing to let him make her feel better. She leaned forward for her cup of coffee when an odd sound rang out. She was slammed to the floor, Dane’s big body covering hers.
“What happened?” she cried out.
“Someone just shot at you.”
*
A ND THAT WAS why she shouldn’t be at a safe house. Like who determined it was safe? Much better to blend into the urban jungle. This was too damn predictable.
He held Marielle beneath him while his team scattered. He never heard a door open but knew his men were already searching outside for answers. The vehicle had taken off in a scream of tires and backfires. Interesting that they used an obvious vehicle. Then again like the other attempts, they’d probably tried to change tactics and hired a local thug. Drive by shootings were very hands off. Of course, not knowing if there was someone even now trying to sneak in, he’d hold judgment. But first he had to get Marielle to a safe place. Too bad there wasn’t a garage with a parked vehicle in it. It would be easier to sneak her out that way.
“Go,” she whispered. “Go find this bastard. Don’t worry about me.”
He snorted. “Like hell.” He lifted his weight up off her incredibly soft body and hauled her up with him. Keeping low, he led her through the living room into the kitchen, with her hidden by his body, he searched the gloom around the outside of the house. Mason’s call through the window
“Says you. If there were some here and now, I’d make that nickname stick all over again.”
Mason laughed. “Marielle, he’s called Swede for winning at a Swedish meatball eating contest we held back when we were still in training.”
“Eating meatballs? I’m scared to ask, how many did you eat?”
He shrugged. “Two hundred twenty-four.”
She blinked. “In one sitting?”
He nodded.
“Not possible.”
Swede laughed. “Hell, Dane here ate over two hundred. Shadow came in not far behind.”
“And Hawk and Mason, how did they do?”
“Hawk counted and Mason timed.”
“I’d have loved to see that.” And she would have. The men were a great bunch of guys. She walked over to the couch but with no place to set her coffee down, she was at a loss as to where to put it.
“Give it to me,” Dane said, holding out his hand. He placed it on the coffee table in front of him. Then tugged her down beside him, her back to the window. “Then if you want a drink you can reach from here.”
She smiled. He looked like a lazy cat. And the grin on his face just added to his Cheshire appearance.
Sitting as she was, she was tucked up against his side, and almost wrapped in a Dane blanket as he curled around her giving her enough room to sit but with himself taking the rest of the available space.
The rest of the men had all taken up spots that ranged from the other couch to the floor to Shadow who’d grabbed a kitchen chair and was sitting on the hearth and using the kitchen chair to work on his laptop.
She had no idea what he was doing now. She thought about asking but wasn’t sure she wanted to bring up the topic. It was peaceful here. Work was going to change that energy. Mason turned on the television and checked the news stations for updates.
When there was talk of a serial killer on the loose, he changed it. When there was talk of an uprising in a local prison, he changed it. When a rapist got off with less than six months for his crimes, he changed it. But not fast enough.
“Is there ever anything nice on the news,” she cried. “Or happy?”
“No. That’s not why the news is on.”
“And that’s why I don’t know any women who watch the news. It’s depressing. You’d never go outside if you listened to all the crazy stories.” She shivered and rubbed her arms.
“Easy. You’re safe here, and hopefully you’ve met all the crazies you’re ever going to meet,” Dane said. He reached out and grabbed her hand. “It’s not all bad news.”
She nodded, not convinced, but willing to let him make her feel better. She leaned forward for her cup of coffee when an odd sound rang out. She was slammed to the floor, Dane’s big body covering hers.
“What happened?” she cried out.
“Someone just shot at you.”
*
A ND THAT WAS why she shouldn’t be at a safe house. Like who determined it was safe? Much better to blend into the urban jungle. This was too damn predictable.
He held Marielle beneath him while his team scattered. He never heard a door open but knew his men were already searching outside for answers. The vehicle had taken off in a scream of tires and backfires. Interesting that they used an obvious vehicle. Then again like the other attempts, they’d probably tried to change tactics and hired a local thug. Drive by shootings were very hands off. Of course, not knowing if there was someone even now trying to sneak in, he’d hold judgment. But first he had to get Marielle to a safe place. Too bad there wasn’t a garage with a parked vehicle in it. It would be easier to sneak her out that way.
“Go,” she whispered. “Go find this bastard. Don’t worry about me.”
He snorted. “Like hell.” He lifted his weight up off her incredibly soft body and hauled her up with him. Keeping low, he led her through the living room into the kitchen, with her hidden by his body, he searched the gloom around the outside of the house. Mason’s call through the window
Similar Books
