And it was killing him. How could he get over that? How could any of us help him?
“And now where’s his head at?” Vic asked.
I gave them the rest. Even the incident with the alarm guy who he’d almost shot when he thought it was Moreno. I think that was when Deck got pissed because I probably should’ve said something then, but I couldn’t betray Connor.
I finished off with going to the dirt track today and how he dropped me at the bar.
There was silence when I finished and I waited uncomfortably for one of them to say something.
My normal was being blown apart and I was pretty sure going to adopt a cat was on the list of impossibilities.
“Vic will stay at the house with you,” Deck said with a pensive expression.
Okay. I kind of expected more than that because last time they said they’d move me if things escalated. “I don’t know if he’ll come. I told him to go fuck himself.”
Vic’s lips twitched. Kai laughed.
“He’ll come,” Deck said assuredly. “I’ll make sure he does.”
I had no idea what that meant, but the conversation was over as the guys got up to leave.
That’s when the bar door opened and Connor walked in.I QUICKLY SCANNED Avalanche, taking note of my escape routes if I needed them. Alina was standing between Deck and Vic, her eyes wide and shocked at seeing me.
After I’d dropped her off at the bar, I rode for a while, but it still bothered me leaving her. If I knew Deck, he’d have been searching for us all fuckin’ day. But one place she always showed up was work and there was a good possibility he’d be waiting at Avalanche to interrogate Alina.
I didn’t want to be here, but there was no chance I was allowing Alina to be bombarded with questions about me. Probably, the smart thing was to leave town, but her words haunted me because she told me not to bother seeing her again unless I got ‘un-lost’.
I was sure I could work around that somehow, but not when she said, ‘Fuck you, Connor.’
So now I was walking into a bar to tell Deck to back off my girl. If he had something to ask, he could damn well ask me and then leave me the fuck alone.
“Alina. Come here,” I said, keeping my eyes on Deck.
If anyone made a move, it would be him because I was certain he’d given orders for no one to touch me except him. That was how Deck worked, always the one to take the risk. Of course it had been a while since he’d been my team leader but as soon as I walked in the door, he stepped forward, a couple feet in front of Vic and Kai. That was my clear indication as to who was taking lead on this.
Alina rose from the stool she’d been sitting on and stepped toward me. Deck’s arm shot out and blocked her path.
“Don’t move,” Deck ordered.
The air was thick and the only sound was clanging dishes in the kitchen. Rage throbbed as my eyes cut from Alina to Deck. “Let her go.”
“Not happening.” Deck nodded to Vic who moved closer to Alina, not touching, but if she came toward me, he was in reach to haul her back. “Put the gun on the table.”
There was no chance he was able to see my gun in the back of my jeans, but he damn well knew I’d carry one. And he should also know I’d not relinquish it. Fuck that. “You do not use her to get to me. Leave her out of this. You want to talk to me. Talk. This is your one and only chance.” My eyes snapped to Kai who pulled out a stool and sat. The guy barely glanced at me as if unconcerned that I was here. He was ex-Vault and I’d met his cold, heartless mother who had been a queen in the deception of emotions.
“Connor. They’re worried about you and were just asking me a few questions,” Alina said. Vic’s hand reached out and curled around her wrist then he whispered something to her. She stiffened and pursed her lips together, but didn’t say anything.
The urge to kill him played with my mind. It was Vic, I repeated in my head. He wouldn’t hurt her. I tried to focus on the good memories of Vic when we were buddies. Gate. Victor Gate was safe and he’d never hurt her. Slowly, the rage eased and I had my control back.
The territorial feeling around her was unwarranted. I knew that logically, but logic wasn’t always easy to see when men surrounded my girl. It was instinct to protect her even from men who used to be my friends and had rescued Alina out of Colombia.