Bucked (The Invincibles 6)

Buck reached over and stroked my cheek with his thumb. “Yes. That’s part of the reason I’m here.”

I leaned back, out of his reach, and looked away in an attempt to get control over the emotions clogging my throat. I took a deep breath and looked back at him.

“Are you part of the bigger team Decker is putting together?”

He cocked his head. “Bigger team?”

“Jinx Jenkins asked Rock if he’d need Metro’s help with my detail. Rock told him Deck was on his way here and that he’d put a ‘bigger’ team together.”

Buck shook his head. “Rock called me first. I’m the one who told him to call Ashford. As far as your detail or a team, Deck and I haven’t had a chance to speak yet.”

“Were you the lead before?”

He leaned forward. “What are you talking about?”

“You left the wedding. Rock showed up. It was too convenient.”

“I see. You think that’s what the wedding was. I wasn’t your date; I was your bodyguard.”

I nodded and looked at the blue polish on my nails. It was already starting to chip.

“Stella?”

“What?”

“Look at me.”

I looked up from my nails, but not at him. I couldn’t. If I did, I might lose the tenuous hold I had on my emotions.

Buck put one arm behind me on the sofa. With his other hand, he turned my face so I was looking at him. “I did ask Rock to watch out for you when I had to leave on such short notice, but only because I care about you. He wasn’t on your ‘detail.’ It was just a favor to me. He called to tell me that you found Barb and Nancy, and I caught the first flight I could to come here. Again only because I care about you.”

“Please don’t do this,” I begged.

He lowered his arm to my shoulders and pulled me into him. When my eyes filled with tears, I buried my face in his chest. “Let it out,” he murmured as I cried the tears I’d been trying so hard to hold in. Buck stroked my hair with one hand while he held me tight to him with his other arm.

“It’s my fault,” I whispered.

Buck brushed my hair from my face and looked into my eyes. “What makes you say that?”

I shook my head.

“It’s okay,” he soothed. “We don’t have to talk about it now. We don’t have to talk about anything right now.”

I appreciated what Buck was trying to do, but I had to get this out. “She warned me.” I reached for my laptop and handed it to him. “That’s everything I could remember.”

I watched as he read over my notes and then looked at me. “Have you shown this to Decker?”

“He arrived a few minutes before you did.”

Buck pulled out his phone. “Okay if I ask him to come back in?”

“Sure.” I got up and walked over to the window and then thought better of it. I shuddered with the idea that whoever had killed my aunt and her housekeeper could be out there, watching me. I went into the kitchen, got out three glasses, and poured myself two fingers of bourbon. “Join me?” I asked Buck.

“Maybe later.”

He walked over to the door but stepped out rather than let Decker in. Seconds later, they both came inside.

“What was that all about?” I asked, pouring myself one more shot before putting the cap on the bottle.