Chapter 10

Clara won't look up from where she's holding her head in her hands. I can hear the reluctance just in her stance.

We're still surrounded by too many people for her to think straight. Being crowded never helps anyone think.

So, I guide her away for a moment. When she sighs, rolling her eyes up to mine, I smirk—knowing I've already won this.

"Talk to me, doc."

She folds her arms, cocking her head as she glares at me.

"About what? About how you're so dead set to have me stay with you? Yeah, I'm sure that would work out just fine."

Chuckling, I gesture with my hands, making a come on signal. "All right, out with it. What's the hang-up that has you hesitating?"

She blows out a long breath, looking off toward the street.

"How's that supposed to work, Luke? I can't just randomly move in with you. People will talk, and I am not getting into this with anyone at work. I won't risk them."

Clara doesn't know she's already lost some ground here. She just called me Luke.

With a grin, I mirror the arm cross. "Easy. We're dating."

Her eyebrows fly up to her hairline as her lips part. "Excuse me?"

"You tell people that we're dating. We hit it off so well, and I swept you off your feet. Problem solved."

"My coworkers will think I've lost my damn mind. Or was replaced by a body snatcher."

She shakes her head, her nervous pacing starting up again.

"If you're my girlfriend, I'll have every reason to hang around. Visit you at work. With updates, of course."

Clara scoffs at me, her eyes so fucking wide, it's comical.

"It's wildly out of character! I don't date!"

"That's a damn shame, darlin'."

She rolls her eyes at me, stepping away again.

"Look." I walk up behind her, taking her shoulders and spinning her around. "I'm going to level with you."

Frowning, Clara barely nods and meets my eyes.

"The Cobras have already lost to me and my brothers once. And I have a bit of my own vendetta against them. Fucking up their plans would be damn satisfying."

I can see the cogs turning in her head. I'm getting somewhere.

"When their anger dies off, you can go back to your life."

"Luke." Clara exhales so long and slow, I can't imagine there is a scrap of air left in her lungs. "I need my independence. This is my life we're talking about. I need to be hyperfocused while working. I'm a doctor. Things go wrong when I'm not on my A game at the hospital."

I hold up my hands in surrender. "I won't mess with that. I swear. I know what it's like to have people's lives in your hands. If you lost someone at work, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. Honestly."

I don't mean to let that all slip out. But the need to keep Clara close, keep her protected, is too strong.

Otherwise, I would realize how damn near I am to spilling way too many secrets at her feet. No chick wants that kind of baggage this fast, even if we aren't dating.

The back of my mind itches with the imaginary sounds of gunfire, and I really need a fucking drink right now.

"Interrupting my routine puts a huge damper on my skills. I'm a creature of habit. I need stability."

"I hate to tell you this, doc, but stability is out the fucking window right now. If it's not me, you're really going to be stuck at a hotel or something."

Clara curses, throwing her arms up as the pacing starts again.

"What in the absolute fuck is my life right now? I didn't do anything to them. Can't they just arrest the guy? I told them he was the same person from the hospital."

I rake a hand through my hair. "I'm no lawyer like Cam, but I've listened to the guy go on about this kind of stuff. From my understanding, no, it's not enough. They'll look into it, but witness accounts are considered the most unreliable evidence there is."

"Are you kidding me?" Clara frowns as she stops with her hands on her hips.

"I wish I was, babe."

She eyes me. "Do not call me that."

I hold up my hands again. "Sorry. No offense meant."

Clara stalks off, sitting on the curb outside the antique store, the two squad cars parked just to her right. I can't help but sag as I look at her.

It's damn true that she didn't sign up for this bullshit, and unfair seems like an inadequate word to describe the situation.

I go sit down next to her.

"Hey." I nudge her with my shoulder. "I want to help, okay? These assholes fucked with my family. I don't want to see things with you get anywhere near as serious as what happened at that warehouse."

"What did happen at the warehouse?" She looks over at me, resting her head on her folded arms where they're perched on her knees.

"That's a long story, doc. Not sure this is a great place to tell it."

She looks back down at the street, her chin resting on her forearms.

"This sucks, you know. I have a very promising career at the hospital, and it's all I've ever worked to achieve for years."

I can see the distance of memory cross over her eyes.

"I didn't have a great upbringing. This job, being a surgeon, is everything to me, and it feels like it's being ripped away in the blink of an eye."

My voice gets low, and I think back to dear old Dad and the raging shithead he was.

"Don't let them." Clara looks over again. "Don't let them ruin it for you. Get safe, help Cam and the cops catch them, and let's get them locked up where they can't do this to anyone else."

She narrows her eyes at me.

"By living with you? Do I have that right?"

I cock a nonchalant grin, shrugging. "It's not the worst idea I've come up with."

She laughs sarcastically. "Oh really, and what would that be?"

"Tequila shots right after Jell-O." I exaggeratedly grimace. "I puked a really horrible green color almost instantly."

I get her to truly laugh at that one, and damn, the sound of it is like angels singing while they're fucked by the devil.

Way too damn sexy for her own good.

Forcing myself to remember this little arrangement is supposed to be about keeping her safe and not about getting in her pants, I hold my hands up and shake my head.

"Look, I'm not your dad. I'm not your keeper. You can do whatever the fuck you want. But—" I take her chin, forcing Clara to look at me, and I swear to fucking God there are sparks when I do "—you need a safe place to lie low, and I'm offering. You're not taking advantage, and I have plenty of room to ensure we barely cross paths. If that's what you want."

Clara's eyes flick away as the corner of her mouth tilts up. "If, huh? That a jab at our kiss?"

"You didn't seem to hate it."

When her eyes come back up to mine, she sits tall, taking my hand off her chin gently.

She doesn't drop the thing like a bad habit. Instead, she places it softly over my heart. And it does something to me.

"I just don't know." She chuckles, clearly emotionally exhausted. "I don't jump into things like this. I'm a planner, down to the last detail."

I lean back on my hands, glancing idly over at where Cam is talking with the cops.

"Well, can't say I'm fantastic at planning this kind of thing. Once I'm clocked out, I'm more of a see what happens kind of guy."

"That doesn't surprise me in the least."

I look back over at Clara and stand up off the curb, helping her onto her feet to join me.

"At least let me take you out of here now. We'll go get some dinner."

We're holding hands, and she's staring into my eyes, and fuck. I'm not supposed to feel like this about a woman I just met a day ago.

And yet, here the hell I am.

I wait a good ten seconds before the deep lines in Clara's forehead ease off. She's stopped frowning at me, and then she sighs.

"Fine. All right. I'm hungry and cold, and I can't exactly go home, now can I?"

"No, you can't." I gesture toward my car, giving Cam an eye to let him know we're out of here. "I'm buying."

"You have to. I don't have a wallet." Clara's tone is even, and then we're both chuckling.

Life can be real freaking weird sometimes.