Badge of Honor (The Town of Pearl 9)

He shouldn’t have been shocked by her reaction to his question, but for some strange reason he felt guilty and kind of upset that he insulted her. It was like he didn’t want her to not like him. Which was strange and it pissed him off. She was so different from other women. She was more than just tough and beautiful. The woman had an appeal he just hadn’t expected.

“Why did your family move from upstate New York to the city? Especially with three young girls?” Gus asked, changing the subject before Galvin said something else to make Lauren cause a scene.

She looked at him and then cleared her throat.

“Well, I’m done. Enough with twenty questions. Let me just pay for this and be on my way,” she said and reached into her backpack.

Gus moved closer and she jumped as if he touched her under the table, perhaps placed his hand on her thigh to stop her from moving.

“Remove your hand,” she said, holding Gus’s gaze.

“I wouldn’t hurt you. What’s the deal? What happened upstate to make your parents move you to the city?” he pushed.

Galvin knew that Mace was working on going back pretty far into Lauren’s past. But he hadn’t heard anything from him yet.

“What is this? What do you want from me?” she snapped at Gus.

Gus looked her over and stared at her lips.

“Before we sat down in this place and started talking, I wanted to know who you were and what the hell happened to you back in New York. But now, well now I’m curious.”

She looked at Gus and seemed at a loss for words.

“Well entertain your curiosity elsewhere. I’m of nothing important. I’m just trying to survive and hide out a while. I don’t need your help or your protection, as you call it.”

Gus squinted his eyes at her then looked over her lips. She lost her focus and then Galvin spoke.

“Darlin’, about those rules I mentioned earlier? They’re inevitable. We are going to watch over you and ensure your safety. In fact, we can discuss where you’re going to store that gun of yours as we leave.”

Galvin stood up and tossed the money on the table to pay the bill. Then Gus and Harper got up and Harper offered Lauren his hand to assist her from the booth but she ignored him.

They headed out of the restaurant and then Galvin held out his hand.

“Give me your gun and I’ll place it in safe keeping.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“The fuck you will. It’s my gun and it stays with me.”

“You’re too on edge. You drew it on Harper without a thought. The sheriff and the rest of us want it in safe keeping,” Galvin added.

She ran her palm along her back and smiled at Galvin. Well it was more like a smirk. Men got their heads blown off for less.

“It’s quite safe right here on me. Thanks anyway.”

She started to walk away when Galvin grabbed her upper arm and pulled her close. Her chest pressed up against his chest and he felt the feminine curves of her breasts and the scent of her shampoo.

“This is not up for discussion, Lauren. You’re our responsibility now, so hand over the gun.”

“Kiss my ass.”

She went to pull back and he gripped her tighter, wrapped an arm around her waist, and hoisted her closer.

Galvin just stared into her eyes as his nostrils absorbed the scent of her perfume and the fragrance of her hair. The soft golden locks whipped around and against him. He took her words as a future invitation to kiss her intimate parts, and boy, did it arouse him. He was nearly entranced by her beauty and the attraction he felt.

He took a breath and gripped her a little firmer to get his point across.

“Oh, we may take you up on that offer real soon. But for now, why don’t you cooperate, so we can make sure that Pearl is a safer place.”