Up in Smoke - Tessa Bailey Page 0,69
them had met. How they’d all been marked for death at one point, but come out alive and better than before when any possible outcome had seemed bleak. How they’d formed an unlikely friendship even though they’d been on opposing sides, pitted against one another. For the first time in his life, he’d watched good triumph over evil. They’d come a long way in such a short space of time, and it hit home now, as they made even more promises to each other.
Not surprisingly, he found himself looking at Erin. He’d always given Bowen a hard time for his obsession with Sera and her safety. His constant vigilance and fear of something happening to her. He could understand it now. Jesus, could he ever. As if he’d spoken out loud, Erin looked over at him from her position behind Sera and stuck out her tongue. A smile transformed her face and she ducked her head, as if embarrassed she’d let the show of happiness slip. If it was up to him, he’d be seeing a lot more of that beautiful smile. He wanted to see it constantly, and he wanted it directed at him.
Before the clerk had even gotten finished pronouncing Bowen and Sera husband and wife, Bowen launched himself across the space separating him from his new wife and wrapped her in his arms. Erin gave Connor a meaningful look and backed away quietly, obviously wanting to give the couple their space. The clerk scratched his head, appearing to be at a loss for what to do with the embracing couple, but Erin didn’t seem inclined to stick around and offer her assistance. Connor followed her from the room, checking the urge to rest his hand at the small of her back. All in good time.
Two men in suits entered the elevator with them on the way back down to the lobby. Erin scowled at their backs the entire way and he would have laughed if he weren’t still feeling the evidence of what they’d done earlier. His pants felt tight, his mouth unsatisfied from not tasting enough of her. As soon as they got home, he would remedy that. Thinking of creative ways to get her off without his hands was fast becoming his favorite pastime.
He followed Erin off the elevator and out of the courthouse, enjoying the sway of her hips, the sultry looks she cast him over her shoulder. The girl wanted to get home just as badly as he did, but she had no idea what she’d unleashed. She sure as hell wouldn’t be walking as gracefully tomorrow. When she came to a dead stop at a few yards from the bus stop, he almost ran into her. Connor started to ask her what was wrong, but her whole body started to tremble.
“Erin?” He circled around her to scan her face. Her terrified expression ruptured something inside him. It called to memory the night she’d broken into his apartment to get near a window. The Erin he’d walked out of the courthouse with was nowhere to be found. Protect her. Heal her. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.”
“He’s here,” she whispered. “The face behind the fire. I see him. Do you see him?”
“The face—” He didn’t understand what she meant by that, but to the best of his knowledge, there was only one “he” who could scare her like this. “Your stepfather?”
She stumbled back a step, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. Her gaze was fixed across the street and Connor followed it. A man stood on the opposite side of the traffic. Smiling. Under his arm was a rolled-up newspaper. He would have looked like everyone else passing by, would have blended right in, if it weren’t for the hatred in his eyes. Centered on Erin.
Rage tried to run loose through his bloodstream, but he fought it back. He needed to handle this calmly. Both of them couldn’t lose their heads at the same time. He needed to be strong for her even though his instincts were calling for him to cross the street at a dead run and mow the son of a bitch down. “Don’t look at him. Look at me. Erin.” She wasn’t hearing him, but he couldn’t touch her to shake her. Frustration dug into his gut like tenterhooks. “I’m going to take care of this. But I won’t leave you until you’re okay.” Until I know you won’t run.
Finally, her glazed eyes focused on him, as if