Chapter Twelve

JAMESON

I collapse back in my seat with a sigh of relief when Gunner doesn't physically toss me from the vehicle for crashing his date—and this is a fucking date, whether he knows it or not. I'm determined to make him aware of it before the end of the day.

If he wanted me gone, he could have done it without breaking a sweat. While I can fight, I'm not trained like him. He's a machine that could pulverize me with a single blow. I'm more of a scrapper who fights dirty and mean. I'll go for the dick shots and bite if it means I'll win.

Thankfully, it didn't take all that much time to convince Gunner to keep his outing with the lovely Rue when I learned about it this morning. The poor guy was pacing the kitchen with indecision, staring forlornly out the window in the direction of her house.

The instant he entered her house, I sprinted for his car. I never had any intention of letting him go alone, not only for Rue's protection, but so I could also push my own agenda—to get all the men to fall in love with her.

While Gunner has a certain Neanderthal charm, he's more of a fuck them and leave them type of man. He has no clue how to actually talk to a woman, so I manned up and decided to go along on his date.

It's the least I can do for a friend.

It also gives me the perfect opportunity to enact my plan. I just need them to fall in love with her first before I share my idea with the rest of them. By then, it will be much too late, and they'll be so far gone that they'll agree to anything to keep her. Sure, they might hate me at first for my meddling, but they will eventually be grateful when they realize she's perfect for our group.

I just have to tread carefully. One small mistake, and it could shatter our group. That's why it's imperative I nudge things along the right path. As we park the car, I wait in the back seat while Gunner walks around the front, glaring at me the whole time.

I lean over the seat and give him a taunting smile, not taking my eyes off him while I chat with Rue. "He might not look it, but he really is a gentleman. He's just rusty and rough around the edges."

Rue side-eyes me, suspicion darkening her teal eyes, but I'm careful not to look too closely and fall under her spell. It's not my date, and I have to be a good boy…for now. "He might pretend he's not as smart as the rest of the group, but don't let him get away with that bullshit. He's brilliant with machines." Just as Gunner reaches for the door handle, I look her in the eyes, then wiggle my eyebrows. "He's really good with his hands."

The most delightful blush dances across her cheeks, but before she has a chance to say anything, the door is wrenched open and Gunner stands over her with an imposing expression. To my absolute delight, when Rue peers up at him with a startled gaze, her blush deepens.

Of course, Gunner goes all hulk and pulls her from the car, tucking her protectively against his side. When he throws me a glare, I just smirk and give him a wink. He slams the door closed, then hits the locks before turning and walking away. Cursing, I scramble for the door, fiddling with the locks before managing to escape.

They are halfway across the parking lot by the time I slam my door shut.

When I see a tired woman pushing her cart back to the corral, I offer her a charming smile and graciously offer to take it. The distracted mom flashes me a relieved, if a bit flustered, smile and touches her ratty bun. Most people wouldn't even see her, but mothers who put in the work like her are warriors in my book. They are given too little credit.

With one last wink, I push the cart and take off running. It's not long before I'm moving at a breakneck speed. I jump on the back and quickly close the distance between me and our lovely lady. Hooting with laughter, I shoot past them, then jump down and put on the brakes.

Rue's eyes are wide with delight, a big smile on her face, and I can't resist stepping back. "Your chariot awaits, my lady," I say in my best snooty voice, bowing to her while keeping my face as serious as possible. "Would you care for a ride?"

Gunner looks like he's ready to strangle me, until he glances down at Rue. His expression softens when he sees the spark of interest in her eyes. Unable to refuse her, he gently nudges Rue forward. "While he's an idiot, he would never let anything happen to you."

Rue nibbles on her lip for a second, then she gives a decisive nod and steps forward. "Show me."

It's an order, and I grin in delight. "We're going to start you off with training wheels. I'm going to hold this end so you don't flip." I step around the far end and hold it down. "You are going to step on the bar at the bottom. Keep hold of the handle and push off with one foot. Gunner will put his arms on either side of you with his hands on the handle of the cart to keep you steady. When you're ready, you just push off. Okay?"

She blinks, tilts her head to the side as if figuring out the logistics, then nods and stands on the bottom of the cart. The instant she steps on the bar, Gunner immediately stands behind her to make sure she doesn't fall off.

He pushes her forward like she's the most precious treasure in the world, barely moving above a slow shuffle, but it's enough to have a giggle escape Rue. She peers up at Gunner with a spark of awe and pleasure in her eyes and the most glorious smile on her luscious lips.

Gunner's chest puffs up like he managed to bench press a car, not push her dainty ass no faster than an old geezer's scooter. I back away from the cart and pretend to look at the aisles full of shit that no one really needs, but I don't miss Gunner's grateful nod or the way that he presses so close to her that his dick is no doubt rubbing all over her ass.

Lucky fucker.

I nod back, then pull out my own list of supplies the guys always seem to leave off the grocery list. It's like I write that shit in invisible ink that only I can see or something. As we go up and down the aisles, I notice the looks Rue draws. It doesn't matter if they are men or women, everyone does a double take when they catch sight of her.

Gunner notices too and scowls at the fuckers who try to get too close, marking his territory. I'm sure if it were allowed, he would piss on her too. It's like others don't see us until we run interference, which is weird, since Gunner is well over six feet and a mountain of muscle. I'm not invisible at just under six feet either, but I can understand the pull. Anyone within her orbit is drawn toward her.

Gunner hands Rue the shopping list, and she dutifully studies it like there will be a test later. She systematically points to the items on the shelves when we reach them. When Gunner moves to grab things off the top shelf, I skip closer to her back, then lean down and whisper into her ear. "What you might not know is that Gunner has a sweet tooth. He loves anything chocolate. He tries to deny himself, but I bet if you make him a cake, he wouldn't be able to say no."

Rue stiffened when I first approached, but she almost immediately relaxed when she saw it was me. She studies me for a moment, then glances at Gunner speculatively. "Will you help me make one?"

"Of course." I smile, loving that she's willing to get into some shenanigans with me, and I wink. "I'll grab the ingredients."

I swear I'm only gone for a few seconds, my arms full of things I think Rue would like to try, when I hear Gunner cursing. When I round the corner, I see Gunner standing behind Rue, while Rue scowls up at a manager or something, her hands on her hips, her foot practically tapping with impatience.

"Ma'am, you can't go back there," the manager says, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "Customers are not allowed behind the counter."

The confrontation is drawing the attention of other customers. Gunner leans down and gently touches her arm. "Rue?—"

"No." She shrugs off his touch, then stares up at him, her teal eyes so pale, they are almost white. "Trust me. We need to get back there."

Gunner looks torn, then his features harden, and a menacing expression takes over his face when he looks up at the manager. "Move."

I nearly snort when the manager looks ready to shit himself at the growly word, not that I blame him. I drop the items I'm holding in the nearest cart, ignoring it when the person curses, then I step toward the manager with a sharp smile. "Is there a problem?"

While the guy is distracted, Rue doesn't hesitate to zip past.

She's so fast that I barely see her move.

"Hey!" the manager yells, but I just push past him and follow Rue. "I'm going to call the cops!"

Knowing Gunner will buy us some time, I hurry to catch up with Rue. The rest of the employees in the back just stand out of her way, some even holding their hands up like she's armed and threatening to rob them of their meat.

It's only when she reaches a wall of metal freezers that she pulls up short. She tilts her head, like she's listening for something. I do the same, only I don't hear anything but the hum of the compressors. She moves from one freezer to the next, her hand hovering over the door latches until she gets to the last one.

"This one." Without hesitation, she rips it open and steps into the chilly air. Huge hunks of beef wrapped in plastic hang from the ceiling with metal hooks. The temperature is so cold that mist swirls around us and my breath immediately fogs the air.

No matter how much I try to keep Rue in sight, she disappears in seconds. Panic immediately tightens my chest, and I shove the meat aside, nearly getting knocked on my ass when it swings back and hits me.

I only manage to take a few steps when Rue emerges from the swirling mist like some sort of apparition. In her arms is a small bundle, and my eyes widen in horror when I realize it's a child.

I immediately step aside, rushing toward the door, then yell for Gunner. "Get an ambulance."

A small crowd appears, including the scowling manager, who has a phone to his ear, when Rue steps out of the freezer. There are gasps when everyone spots the child in her arms. The kid's eyes are closed, her lips are blue, and I'm not even sure she's breathing.

"Oh, fuck," Gunner curses, then he grabs the phone from the manager and begins barking orders into it. I take the kid from Rue and gently set her on the ground. Since I'm so accident prone, the guys and I have all taken first aid classes.

I look at the worthless manager and snarl, "Get some blankets or jackets. Anything warm we can use to cover her."

In less than five minutes—the longest minutes of my life—the paramedics finally arrive. The crowd parts for them, and I gratefully step back. They take one look at the girl bundled in clothing and quickly pull out their insulated blankets. "Where are her parents?"

The store falls silent, and I clench my hands into fists, struggling to contain my rage. I glare at the crowd as if I could find the assholes that allowed their little girl to wander off, enjoying the reaction when people flinch away. Child abuse is a trigger of mine, and if it wasn't for Rue's calming presence, I'm not sure that I would be able to keep my shit together.

"How long was she in the freezer?" the lead paramedic asks harshly, not looking up as he begins putting warm saline bags wrapped in towels around the girl.

My mind goes blank, and I turn toward Rue. She's staring down at the girl like she's seen a ghost. She's so pale, I'm worried she'll keel over. I immediately go to her, then curse when her skin feels like ice. I wrap her in my arms, which seems to help only a little.

"Do you know how long she was in the freezer?" I ask softly, not wanting to startle her.

Rue blinks, seems to register what's happening, then shakes her head. "No, um, I don't…" She pauses as if listening to something, then shrugs. "Maybe thirty minutes?"

Before anyone can ask any more questions, the girl wakes up and immediately begins sobbing. I breathe a sigh of relief and hug Rue closer, knowing my grip is a little too tight, but I can't seem to loosen my hold, not that she complains. She burrows against my chest with a shudder, ducking her head against my shoulder.

When she speaks into my shirt, I barely hear her whisper. "She was hungry. She heard someone coming and ducked into the freezer. When the door closed, she wasn't strong enough to open it. She looked for a different way out, then got lost."

I run my hand over the back of her head soothingly, then I squeeze the back of her neck. "You found her. She's safe now."

It does bring up one question…

We only arrived twenty minutes ago.

How did she know what happened, or that the little girl was even in danger?

Instead of voicing my questions, I keep my mouth shut.

Now is not the time.

I nudge Rue until she turns, and we watch as they rush the girl through the crowd. Before we draw any more attention, I nod toward Gunner and gently pass Rue over to him. "Get her out of here. I'm going to grab our shit and meet you out front. I'll distract anyone if they try to follow."

Gunner nods, his face hardening with determination, then he scoops Rue up bridal style and whisks her away, no one daring to stop the big man. When the manager opens his mouth to protest, I pop up before him with a bright smile. "Since we saved your ass, does that mean we get free groceries for a year or something?"