Risking it All (Crossing the Line, #1)(43)

He had two options. Leave Sera here and hope Connor wasn’t watching, waiting for Bowen to leave her alone so he could potentially carry out Hogan’s orders. Or he could bring her along with him to Marco’s.

Fuck, he hated either option.

Painfully aware of Wayne waiting on the line, he looked over at Sera. She gave him a steady half smile that warmed him immediately. Dammit, he couldn’t leave her alone. The entire time he was gone, he’d be going out of his mind worrying about her. Worried he might come home and find her hurt. Or worse.

No, that wouldn’t work.

“Be there in a while,” he snapped into the phone, hanging it up before Wayne could reply. Sera laid her hand on top of his and it suddenly occurred to him she would want this. If given the choice, she would want to come tonight and absorb as much as she could. About him, his associates.

“Bowen?” Her soft voice soothed him even in the midst of his chaotic thoughts.

“What’s wrong?”

He stared out the windshield. “Will you go somewhere with me?”

“Is it going to be as fun as the beach?”

“No, Ladybug.”

She nodded, as if she’d already known the answer. “Yeah, I’ll go.”

They drove in silence the ten blocks to Marco’s and he parked in his usual spot.

Without asking her, she waited until he came around to the passenger door to help her out. Sera was smart. She had to know the kind of danger she was in. Not for the first time, he wished he hadn’t agreed to keep his involvement from her.

He hated having anything between them.

With a few words, he could ensure she trusted him without question. The relief that would bring was tempting as hell, especially when they were walking into the dragon’s den.

But the commissioner’s words echoed in his head. She’s got nothing to lose.

No care for her own well-being. Bowen didn’t necessarily believe she’d be reckless, but the horror of Sera being in danger kept the truth sealed tight.

Anything to keep her from being hurt.

He took her hand and led her into dark, boisterous Marco’s. The place had been a restaurant at one time, with a connected

lounge

and

bar

area.

Residents of the neighborhood who had been patronizing the eatery since they were children had stopped coming in for dinner eventually, turned off by the rough crowd that now frequented the bar and lounge. If a night went by where a fight didn’t break out, the owners chalked it up to a full moon. At one time, before he’d even reached the legal drinking age, he’d been the instigator of most of those fights.

Several men puffed on lit cigarettes and cigars at the bar, clearly not giving a f*ck about the law. Why would they when they broke more serious ones on a weekly basis? The smoke hanging in the air, the vile words being shouted, they never usually fazed him. With Sera walking beside him, holding his hand, they made him sick. These disgusting people would infect her. Hell, he would, too. Wasn’t he the reason she was here tonight in the first place?

Heads turned at their entrance; conversations quieted. The reaction he typically received, but tonight it was more out of curiosity than respect. They were looking at Sera. Not blatantly checking her out—they knew better than that. He knew what they were thinking, though. Since when does Bowen Driscol walk into Marco’s holding some girl’s hand? Since when does he begin the night with a chick, instead of his usual process of picking one to leave with?

“Bowen.” A hand slapped down on his shoulder. The gold ring winking up at him would have told him it was Wayne if the voice hadn’t tipped him off.

Automatically, he jerked Sera into his side, mentally cursing when Wayne raised an eyebrow at the action. “You going to introduce me?”

Sera reached out to shake his hand.

“I’m Sera.”

Bowen’s skin crawled as Wayne wrapped his hand around hers. “Not your usual type, is she, kid?”

“Is there a reason you’re talking about her like she’s not standing there?”

“I was getting to it,” Wayne returned smoothly. “Where do you come from, Sera?”

“Lancaster,

Pennsylvania,”

she

answered casually. “Moved here a few months back.”

He appeared to weigh her answer.

“Can’t say I don’t find it odd that you chose this section of Brooklyn to relocate.” His eye twitched. “But who am I to judge?”

Bowen’s jaw felt ready to shatter. “I was wondering the same thing.”

Wayne ignored him. “It’s a pleasure, young lady. Sort of feels like we already know each other. After all, I’ve held your panties in my hand.”

A blast of pure rage catapulted through Bowen’s body. Knowing every eye in the room was trained on him, he repositioned his body so only Wayne could see his face. “This is your last warning, old man. If you disrespect her again, I’ll forget all about your relationship with my father. To be honest, my memory is already pretty goddamn foggy. Watch. Yourself.”

Irritation

flared

in

Wayne’s

expression. “Feels like I’m having déjà vu. I remember when your whore mother showed up and Lenny went soft. Took years to pull his head out of his ass. By then, we had to start from f*cking scratch. All over some *,” he spat.