“No, Reno.”
“This is temporary until I get a hold of Sanchez and knock his lights out. You’re not safe anywhere else.”
The engine rumbled angrily when he turned the ignition.
“We can’t leave without Trevor.”
“He’s not coming.”
“Whose decision was that?”
“His.”
I tugged at the plastic bracelet on my wrist that had my name on it.
“He blames himself. Admitted he shouldn’t have left you alone, and he was right.”
“It wasn’t his fault,” I argued.
The timbre in his voice grew harsh and punctuated his aggravation. “Someone used a tire iron to beat the hell out of him with you in mind. Trevor knew damn well that it wasn’t safe to leave you alone last night.”
“It was only going to be for fifteen minutes.”
Reno leaned over and cupped my neck, tapping his forehead against my cheek. “Yeah. Fifteen minutes and I almost lost you.”
He was tugging at my heartstrings. A man who owned a motorcycle and a gun bowed his head, melting me with his kindness. The more time I spent with Reno, the harder it was going to be to leave. How could I have fallen so fast for a man who led such a dangerous life?
“I’ll stay until Sanchez is caught, but then I have to leave.”
A horn honked behind us and Reno pinched my jaw, studying my face. “I wish you’d let me in.”
When we arrived on the property, my nerves were rattled. Lexi had forgiven me, but I didn’t want to face Wheeler and wasn’t sure how Austin really felt about me staying with them.
The October sky was overcast and drizzle smeared across the dirty windshield. Reno draped his jacket across my lap and turned the heater on. The soft leather felt nice against my skin and it smelled like him. I thought about our bike ride that day and smiled.
The truck bumped around on the dirt road as we eased up their long driveway. When I saw a group of people waiting for us out front, butterflies waged war in my stomach and I unbuckled my seatbelt.
Lynn and Maizy were on the porch steps. Maizy blew a few bubbles from a yellow wand, but the tiny sprinkles of rain were popping them before they could take off. She wore a red raincoat with a wide hood, a striking image that stood out in all the dreariness of mud and fog. Lexi and Ivy weren’t far behind us in her car.
When Reno exited the vehicle, I tilted the visor down and glanced in the mirror. I hadn’t brushed my hair or teeth, or put on a speck of makeup. I had a small cut on my cheek, but no bruises. Reno spoke privately to Denver, Wheeler, Ben, and Jericho a few feet ahead. They simultaneously looked up at me and Wheeler pivoted around, walking to my side of the truck.
Oh crap.
I tensed when he yanked my door open. My heart raced, and I kept my hands crossed around my waist as he leaned in and tossed Reno’s jacket to the floor.
Before I knew what was happening, Wheeler hooked his right arm beneath my knees, his left behind my back, and lifted me out of the truck. He glared at me with a black eye and I looked at him, dumbfounded, too afraid to ask him why he was being so helpful.
Reno reached for the crutches and a small bag in the back and walked toward Lexi’s car when she turned up the driveway. The drizzle tapered off, replaced by a gentle breeze.
I rested my head on Wheeler’s shoulder and drew in a deep breath. “You smell like beef jerky.”
His arms tightened when we reached the steps and Lynn patted my arm. “Anything you need, hon, just let me know and I’ll get it for you. I’m cooking up some beef stew for dinner. You just get some rest.”
Wheeler proceeded up the steps and a few bubbles from Maizy’s bottle floated around us. One popped on Wheeler’s nose and he sniffed, shaking his head.
“Do you hate me?” I asked him. “I wouldn’t blame you.”
“That what you think?” he said in a curt voice, moving up the stairs.
Wheeler’s looks were brutal compared to Ben’s, but they were both strikingly handsome in different ways. His jaw was strong and he had sharp cheekbones. A shadow ran down both sides of his face from his carved bone structure, but all that seemed less pronounced because of the circle-beard goatee. He had squinty eyes, but in a good way.
“Reno almost died because of me.”
“Reno makes his own decisions. If you’re asking if I hate you, then no. But I’ll be honest—I sure as hell don’t trust you all the way. That’s something you have to earn, and when you stole that money, it proved you were more concerned about saving your own ass than the consequences of your actions. What if you couldn’t get that money back? What if that was just enough to get Lexi in trouble with paying her bills?”
“I can’t take it back, Wheeler. I’m sorry I ever did it, more than you know. It’s a mistake I’ll have to live with. I’m not trying to get you to accept me; just don’t take it out on Reno. I’m only staying here until Sanchez is caught and turned in.”