Not for Clayton. For herself.
But mostly, when Ro thought back to the seconds before that so-called idiot bumped into her, she pictured the man staring back at her as if he were about to start spitting nails. Because in that moment, he hadn’t been Brody King, former Navy SEAL-turned-Delta Team operator. He was just…
Brody.
The man who’d spent the last several days focused solely on protecting her and keeping her safe. A man whose jaw had nearly dropped when he’d first seen her in her dress.
A dress now stained with blood.
Guess he won’t be taking this off me tonight, after all.
Stupidly that’s what she’d envisioned when she’d made the online purchase. It’s what she’d dreamed of after trying it on to ensure it fit, and it’s what Ro had hoped for when she’d slipped it on earlier tonight.
But now…
“You should be good to go.” Christian began gathering up the trash and supplies from the med kit he always kept in his truck. Noticing the awkward back and forth glances between her and Brody, the other man added a low, almost hesitant, “I’m, uh…I’m just gonna give you two a minute to talk.” To her, he said, “I’ll call Megan and give her an update. I know she’s pissed I wouldn’t let her drive here after I called from the hospital, but I feel better knowing she’s locked in tight at home.”
“Thanks. And me, too. I’m glad you sent Cade to sit with her until you get home.” Ro’s chest tightened. “I’m also glad you convinced her not to go to the party. If she’d been there, she probably would have been next to me when…” Her voice cracked just thinking about it. “You almostwereright next to me.”
That last part was meant for Brody, whose face had blurred behind a wall of unshed tears. Not only because tonight had been terrifying, but because he could’ve been the one to get shot.
He could’ve been killed trying to protect me.
It was the one silver lining in being the shooter’s target. There had only been one shot. One bullet. And one person hit.
Me.
Her lids fluttered with several quick blinks, but despite her efforts to stave off the sudden onslaught of moisture, a few tears still managed to escape. Beneath his breath, Brody mumbled a curse before disappearing into his en suite bathroom.
Seconds later, he was back and squatting before her.
“Here.” His softened voice was in stark contrast to the harsh lines still present on his hardened face. A strong hand offered several tissues.
“Thanks.” Ro sniffled as she took them, looking down as she patted her cheeks dry. “Sorry.”
“Don’t.”
The sharp order had her head rising and her eyes searching his. The intensity there left her heart racing and her lips speechless.
“You don’t apologize for this.” His pupils flared with fury. “Not ever.”
Instinctually, Ro knew his anger wasn’t directed at her but rather the person who’d pulled the trigger.
“I’ll be downstairs with the guys when you’re ready,” Christian mentioned again.
A slight tip of Brody’s chin was his only response.
Sending her a partinggood luckexpression, Delta’s leader walked out of Brody’s bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind him as he went.
“How do you feel?” Brody’s deep rumble pulled her attention away from the door. His expression had softened slightly. Voice, too.
“My arm’s throbbing, and I have a headache. But it’s nothing some ibuprofen won’t cure.”
“What about the other?”
The question confused her. “The other?”
A knowing look fell over him, then. One she supposed only people who’d been on the receiving end of a killer’s bullet could possess.