I burst out laughing.
“Jesus,” Sam muttered as he went belly to the floor, his arm shooting out, he tagged Memphis and rolled to his back, Memphis in his arms and she was wiggling, panting and licking Sam’s sweaty neck. He did an ab curl to sitting with cocked knees, Memphis still in his arms now licking his jaw, his eyes locked on mine and he announced, “I need a gym.”
I grinned. “I’m seeing that.”
“This ‘burg have one?”
“I’ve heard rumors.”
He smiled at me.
Then he declared, “I get showered, I go get my brief from Oswald then talk to that bitch, after, we find food, hit the grocery store and find a gym.”
All humor fled at the idea of Sam talking to Vanessa.
“Baby,” Sam called softly.
“What?”
“Talk to me. What’s on your face?”
“I don’t like the idea of her sharing your air.”
“I don’t either but got no choice.”
“I don’t like that either.”
Sam put Memphis down, pushed himself to his feet and came to me. Memphis, seeing his direction, remembered she had a Momma and bounced over. I crouched, picked her up and was straightened, giving her distracted cuddles by the time Sam made it to me.
He curled a hand around my neck and dipped his chin to look down at me.
“We got a plan, information, yard sale, as many viewings as you can fit in then we’re gone. A week, at most two, then my place, beach, Skippy’s and a king-size bed.”
I nodded.
Then I asked, “Will your badass bodyguard battalion be joining us in North Carolina?”
“Undecided,” Sam answered. “This could be done and at my house we don’t need them at night. My security system is tight, impenetrable, put in by the best in the business. Man lives not too far from here actually, name’s Callahan. But I want you safe and I want extra eyes on you during the day so, yeah, a smaller crew but this business isn’t sorted before we go to North Carolina, we’ll be bringing a few of them with us.”
“It’s nice of them to do this,” I remarked and Sam’s brows drew slightly together.
“Nice?”
“Yeah, to do you a favor like this.”
“Kia, honey, one the boys who’s huntin’ this guy, he’s a buddy. I pulled in a marker with him. The boys who’re watchin’ you and the other hunter, I’m payin’.”
I blinked and my lips parted.
Then I whispered, “What?”
“Private detective, lives in the same town as Callahan, name’s Tanner Layne. Callahan suggested him. He’s on payroll. He’s workin’ with a buddy of mine I met in the Army, Lee Nightingale. Lee’s doin’ me a favor. Lee and Tanner suggested locals they know to look out for you. They’re all on payroll.”
“You’re paying them?”
“Yeah.”
“Paying?”
“Uh… yeah,” Sam replied. “This shit is time consuming, has no end date and could get dangerous. Lee owes me for something big. But with an open-ended situation like this, the skills I needed, the peace of mind I expect them to give, they gotta issue invoices. Why the surprise?”
I didn’t know what to say.
“Is it expensive?”
His face went guarded and he answered carefully, “The best is never cheap.”
“I’ll pay you back,” I said instantly and his fingers flexed in my neck.
“No, sweetheart, you won’t.”
Uh-oh.
He was calling me sweetheart.
“Sam –” I started.
“This isn’t a discussion.”
“Sam!”
His fingers dug deeper, his face suddenly dipped close and Memphis yapped but we both ignored her.
“Right, you need to get this, it’s important, so I’ll lay it out as best I can but you don’t cross this line, Kia. Ever.”
Now I was confused.
“What line?”
“I’m a man.”
Well, I knew that.
“That isn’t news, Sam.”
“And you’re my woman.”
I sucked in breath.
Oh God.
I was thinking this was big.
No, this was huge.
“She gets me,” he muttered.
“Sam,” I whispered.
“I gotta do this and you gotta let me.”
“But, it’s expensive.”
“I got money.”
“So do I, Sam.”
“Kia,” he said warningly, his face getting closer. “Don’t cross this line. I protect myself. I protect my home. I protect my family. And I protect my woman. I do it how I need to do it. No discussion. Are you with me?”
“Are you saying you’re with me?” I asked cautiously.
“I’m saying I want you breathing for long enough to figure that out.”
I wanted that too so that was a good answer… kind of.
“So you’re not with me?” I whispered.
“Kia –”
“Sam.”
He held my eyes.
Then his other hand came up to my neck and he stated, “I feel somethin’ for you, it already runs deep. We may as well get this straight, I don’t know where this is goin’ but I like where it is, I like how it feels and while we figure it out, it’s exclusive. That means you’re mine. I protect what’s mine. That’s where I am, that’s where you are. Now are you with me?”
I wanted to be. Boy did I want to be.