Rev It Up (Black Knights Inc. #3)(28)
“You deliberately manipulated me!”
“Nope. I just chose not to fight about it at the time. I know how overprotective you are and how you get when something threatens Franklin’s schedule.”
“You know why I’m such a stickler about that,” she snarled.
“Just because we had a deadbeat father who dicked up our childhood doesn’t mean you have to micromanage every waking minute of Franklin’s.”
“We. Are. Not. Staying. Here.” She enunciated slowly, meticulously.
“Fine,” Boss said, and Jake’s heart hammered at his easy capitulation. Damnit! He needed Boss’s help in this, and if the big guy was going to give up so—
“If you don’t want to stay here,” Boss continued. “You can take Snake home with you to act as your bullet-catcher.”
Oh, you giant, ugly, wonderful sonofabitch!
“No way.” Shell was already shaking her head before he finished the sentence. “Send another of the Black Knights home with me but—”
“As it happens,” Boss interrupted her, “we’re already stretched thin. He’s the only man available for the job.”
The knife that’d cut straight into Jake’s heart when Shell said she didn’t love him, the one that’d twisted when she claimed she may never have loved him, stopped turning and began to retreat. Because he hadn’t been kidding when he told her he could change her mind. Given the right set of circumstances and enough time, he knew he could win her over.
And it seemed Boss was determined to silver-platter the right set of circumstances for him. If the look of horror on Shell’s face was anything to go by, she knew it as well.
A small smile tugged at his mouth.
“B-but I d-don’t want him to—”
Boss talked right over whatever objection she began to make. “I also think you should tell Miss Lisa to take the rest of the week off. You don’t want to have to explain to her why Snake is glued to your side. It’ll cause too many questions. Just tell her a friend has come into town who’s willing to look after Franklin and that she should use this time to take a much deserved paid vacation. In fact,” Boss whipped out his cell phone and handed it to her, “why don’t you give her a call right now?”
Jake knew by the obstinate expression Shell wore that she was very tempted to throw that cell phone straight back into Boss’s face. Instead, she took a deep breath and grumbled, “There has to be another way.”
“Nope.” Boss shook his head. “It’s either take Snake home with you, or you and Franklin stay here where I can keep you safe.”
“But I have clients and meetings,” she ground out, careful to keep her voice pitched low so as not to wake the sleeping boy. “I can’t just hang around here for however long this will take and—”
“Which is why it’s best all the way around if you let Snake act as your bodyguard for the next few days. He’ll watch your back and take care of Franklin, and you can go about your business as usual. You okay with that, Snake?” Boss turned to him, and if Shell hadn’t been watching, he felt sure the big guy would’ve winked.
“It’s fine by me,” he said, still fighting the urge to run over there and plant a big sloppy one on his former CO’s face.
“Good,” Boss slapped his knee and stood. “Now, there are a few specifics Snake and I need to discuss. Shell, while we’re doing that, why don’t you make that call to Miss Lisa, then get your stuff and meet us by the Hummer.”
“Snake,” Boss turned to him, “you should probably perform a few escape and evasion techniques on the way to her house just to be safe. Oh,” he snapped his fingers, “and on that note, you’ll be taking the river tunnel out of here.”
River tunnel? They had a river tunnel?
Too cool.
Once more he felt a jolt of pride at what Boss and Rock had built for themselves here in Chicago. And once more that jolt of pride was quickly followed by a trickle of regret that he hadn’t been here to build it all with them…
“We’ll have one of the guys ride your bike over tomorrow morning and exchange it for the Hummer.” Boss continued.
“Sounds good.” Sounded better than good. Sounded great, because it meant he’d get to have Shell all to himself.
“Excellent.” Boss nodded, then frowned. “Wait a second. I didn’t ask if you’re okay to drive. How much beer have you had?”
Not enough to keep me from wanting to toss your sister over my shoulder, cart her upstairs to one of those bedrooms, and make love to her until the sun comes up.
Of course, there wasn’t enough booze on the planet to keep him from wanting to do that…
“Only two over the last three hours. I’m good to go.”
“But I don’t want him to—” Shell tried again.
“You know what your options are.” Boss glared down at her, one hand raised in mid-salute by that bright blue cast and the other firmly planted on his hip. Though the stance was highly ridiculous, Boss still managed to make it look menacing. “Which is it going to be?”
Shell turned to Jake then, glaring like this was all his fault. In response, he flashed his dimples and a wink.
“Ugh,” she carefully plopped down in a lawn chair, angrily punching in some numbers on Boss’s cell phone with one hand while she cradled Franklin’s back with the other. “I knew it was a mistake to come here tonight,” she muttered as Boss once more pointed Jake toward the munitions building.