her, and she gave a little jerk in helpless response.
His knowing gaze said he’d caught the movement.
“Want me on your six?” Odin asked in his deep, rumbling voice.
“What is that?” Though Rose had a pretty good idea, she still wanted to be certain. “That mean you’re gonna be tailing us and watching War’s back?”
“I want you talking to your tech buddy.” War reached into his pocket and tossed a phone at Odin. Odin caught it with one hand. “Rose has been getting calls from the SOB, and I think I got a text from him a month ago. That’s my phone—the one he contacted me on. See if you can track him down.”
“On it.”
“You know I have a second phone. The one I use when working certain cases—if you need me, call me on that line.”
A quick inclination of Odin’s head. “What else can I do?”
“You said the cops were at the motel. If they find anything useful, I want to know about it.”
“Done.”
“Thanks, man. I owe you.”
Her gaze darted between the two men.
Odin shook his head. “No, you don’t owe me.” A muscle flexed along his stubble-covered jaw. “The way I figure it, we won’t be even until I save your life. Payback for you dragging me and my bloody body over two miles until you could get me help.”
“I didn’t drag your sorry ass. I carried you. There’s a difference.” A half-smile lifted War’s lips, only to vanish in a blink. “He could be close. Make sure you don’t lower your guard.”
Odin’s stare shifted to her. “And you’ll have her?”
“Yes. I will have her.” When War’s gaze turned to Rose, it was hot. Determined. Possessive. “Count on it.”
***
“You don’t have me,” Rose announced as they made their way to War’s waiting vehicle. The waves slammed into the shore. “That was some weird alpha BS that just will not play with me—”
He angled toward her. “I meant that I was seeing to your protection. You won’t be hurt while I’m here.”
“Then…you could have just said that.”
It was what he’d said. “Odin understood.” Though War most certainly would like to have her, too. That was on the agenda. Having her in any and every way imaginable.
Without another word, she climbed into his vehicle. He slid in after her. Started the car. Had them on the road in moments. She rattled off directions, and he nodded because he knew the area she was talking about.
“I’m sorry…for the scene with Odin.” The words felt rusty. He wasn’t used to apologizing. “He was trying to look after me. Odin thinks he owes me.”
“I got that part.” He could feel her gaze on him. “Did you really carry him two miles?”
“No.”
“Oh, he seemed—”
“It was six, but I would have carried him sixty if it meant I could get him help. Odin and I go back a long way.”
“You…never mentioned him to me before.”
He turned right. Glanced in the rear-view mirror. Dawn hadn’t come yet, and no headlights showed in the darkness behind him. War wanted to make sure they weren’t being tailed. He was not in the mood for surprises. “Before, whenever I was with you, I was ripping off your clothes. Making you scream with pleasure. Driving us both crazy. There weren’t always lots of moments for talking.”
“You wouldn’t let me get close.”
Now he laughed. “Baby, you were plenty—”
“Physically close is one thing. I always felt like you were blocking me off from anything else.”
Trust wasn’t easy for him. Never had been. And someone had used that against them both. You will pay. “I never knew my mom. She skipped out after I was born. My dad stayed around a few more years before he vanished, too. Odin’s family…they are the ones who raised me.” Did she get what he was doing? He was trying to share with her. “I didn’t have the picket fence and the perfect home like you did. I liked hearing more about you and your life than telling you the mess that mine had been.” He risked a glance her way.
Her head was turned toward him.
“But then you started to pull away. At the end, you were keeping secrets, and I could tell. That last night, you didn’t show for our date…you didn’t call for hours. I just had that fucking photograph to drive me crazy.” To make me wild with jealousy because you were mine. “I didn’t know…what was happening. You didn’t let me in.” If I’d known you were in danger, nothing would have pulled me