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“Why?” The word came out as a demand.
“The obvious. If I look like an easy target, it will be easier to screw Dad over—”
“No,” he said, setting his little pile of chips on the counter and placing his full, unwavering stare on her. “Why do you veer away from my species?”
Her breath stilled in her lungs, and she set down the berries. Words grew heavy on her tongue. For the first time in three years, she wanted, no, needed to tell someone.
“Sav, did someone hurt you?” There was a tremor in the loaded question. He didn’t touch her, but her body hummed in tune with the current of his energy field. The nickname should have made her pause, but it didn’t. It sounded right on his lips. Like it belonged there. “I—”
Ring,ring!
Toth froze then cursed and pulled his phone from his back pocket. “It’s Rami,” he said, apologetically.
“Go ahead.” She waved her hand and returned to the groceries.
“I’ll just be a sec.” He moved out of the kitchen.
She let out a pent-up breath. Saved by the bell. She’d been dangerously close to spilling her secrets, and that would only further bind her to Toth emotionally.
Other than her father and Lach, no one knew.
And she’d keep it that way.
***
“Yeah,” Toth answered,not hiding his impatience. Savannah had almost opened up to him. Whatever shit had happened in her past was clinging to her still, possibly even trying to kill her, and for fuck’s sake she’d been close to trusting him. He might not get that chance again, and that pissed him off. Not just because he wanted to find out what Danny was doing, but because of reasons he didn’t want to examine. Plus, he suspected Savannah wasn’t close to anyone outside of her family and maybe, just maybe, she needed someone like him on her side.
But he couldn’t help her if she didn’t let him in.
He moved through the living room and onto the front porch. He had nothing to hide from Savannah, but Rami could have information about Lionsgate, and he needed to tread carefully until they figured out more.
“Catch you at a bad time?” Humor danced in Rami’s words. Which said a lot because the guy smiled about as often as a badger.
“Any time you call is a bad time,” Toth retorted.
“Don’t take out your blue balls on me.”
“Did you call about something in particular?” Toth asked sharply. All he wanted was to get back inside and pretend Rami hadn’t interrupted their conversation.
“Just to tell you I came up empty-handed on a lead for Lionsgate. I don’t want to push Lach. He got pretty defensive—”
“Who gives a shit? The job comes first, right? Lach’s friendship isn’t part of the equation.”
“I get that,” Rami said curtly. “Thing is, I don’t want to piss off Danny or make it seem like we’re being nosey. You said yourself these are dangerous people. And the more details we have, the more our asses are on the line.”
Toth sighed and stretched his neck from one side to the other. Inhaling the crisp mountain air, he forced his agitated nerves to settle. Rami was smart and one step ahead. All the time. It wasn’t like Toth not to trust his friend’s instincts, but Christ. This job was getting to him.
Savannah was getting to him.
He scrubbed his free hand over his face. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“’Course I am. Did you talk to her?”
“A bit.” He swung his gaze over his shoulder. Part of him didn’t want to expand on what little he knew. Didn’t want to betray her trust. But at the end of the day, Rami was his partner—everything going on with Savannah affected them both.
“She told me Danny killed whoever he had beef with from Lionsgate three years ago.”
“Hmm.” Rami mused. “Who was that?”