Jacked (Trent Brothers #1)(165)

“I want you here, Erin. I’ll make some room for your clothes. Is that what you want?”

“Don’t go out of your way. I’ll manage.”

Damn it! “Why are you being like this?”

She glared at me. “Why haven’t I met your parents or anyone in your family?”

She wants to meet my parents? “I don’t know.”

“Are you ashamed of me?”

“What? No.”

“Maybe this was all too fast. We shouldn’t have… Trying to live together like this.”

“Erin, listen.” I hooked her arm, halting her mumbling retreat. I had no other choice. I held her, firm but gentle, needing her to understand. “Babe, your dad’s dealership was hit last night.”

Her mouth fell open. “What?”

“Thieves made off with five cars.” She could see I wasn’t messing around. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you, ’cause I don’t want you upset and worried.”

“Is he okay?” She tried to tear out of my hold. “I have to call him.”

I held her fast. “Your dad is fine. Pissed off, but fine. No one was hurt.”

“Oh, thank God.”

I pulled her closer, ignoring everything including the new text message chimes going off in my pocket. “I told him I’d talk to you. But first, I want you to quit thinking I don’t want you here. No more of that, Doc. I love you. You’re my girlfriend. We’re living together. What’s mine is yours, okay? Okay?”

“Okay. I copy.”

That’s my girl.

“I’m meeting him in a little while to continue my investigation. While I’m doing that, rearrange the closet. Put your shit in there. Unpack and settle in. I’m going to find out who did this, I promise you, but you’ve got to give me time.”

She nodded at me but her body was still rigid.

“I can’t risk you feeling unsafe with me, Erin. And yeah, I’m worried this will just be another wedge between us.”

She attempted to step back. Tried, but failed.

“Sweetheart, you’ve got to give me that chance.” I put her hand on my heart, holding it there. “That’s yours. This house is your home. I will protect you with my life. But you’ve got to let me try.”

“Someone tried to kill me, Adam. And now my dad…” The fear choked off her words.

“I have not stopped trying to figure out who attempted to hurt you. Do you for one second think I’ve forgotten or that I know the danger still exists out there? Your dad… well I can’t say for certain if it was personal as we’ve had numerous dealerships hit. Not just here but all over Jersey. But I can’t do my job, I can’t stop this while worrying that the woman I love is going to leave me.”

I searched her eyes, her face, hoping to see her fear and distrust diminish. “I lost you once, Erin, and it nearly killed me. I’d rather take a bullet than watch you slip away.”

“I just want to be normal. To be happily oblivious.”

“I swear I’ll do everything in my power to give you that. Give me your trust and understanding and let me bury these f*ckers. I’m working with the feds to get Jamal Clemons moved into protective custody until Carter Mancuso gets indicted. I don’t want you testifying unless there are no other options. We have units processing the scene at your dad’s lot. I have surveillance tapes and forensics to review. But I’m going to put them all away.”

“Then what?”

She’d lost me.

“You put them away and they come after you for retribution. Where does it end?”

“It doesn’t work that way. I’m not the only investigator on this. And a District Attorney will put them away, not me.”

The worry plaguing her was tangible. “Then you’re safe?”

“Then we’re safe. I can’t change that you worked on Jamal when he came through your emergency room. This shit touched you too, babe. But I promise, I swear it will be over soon.”

Erin nodded, filling me with relief when she rested her head on my chest. “I need puppies and rainbows, Cop.”

I kissed her head. “I’ll get you a puppy, Doc. Rainbows only come after the rain.”

She tilted her chin up and reached to kiss me. I needed that more than she knew.

“I’ll call my mom, make arrangements,” I said on her mouth. “They know I’m seeing you. My mom is over the damn moon and will probably drive you nuts. It’s just been hard to get over there with our schedules.”

I needed to stop thinking about my parents while Erin was tucking her fingertips underneath the elastic band of my underwear.

“We still have one more problem.”

She sagged in my arms and groaned.

“I got the hospital bill for my stitches. Seems my emergency physician charged me six hundred bucks.”

Erin snorted. “Told you I was expensive. Wait until you see the ER bill.”

“I’m not sure I got six hundred dollars worth of service out of you.”

Erin’s lips wrinkled. “Feed me, let me call my dad, and we’ll see if we can work out a payment plan.”





MARCUS PULLED UP a chair next to me, eyeing my monitor. “What’s this now?”