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Toth paced along the grass in front of the cabin. “We didn’t get that far. She shut down the conversation.”
“Well that’s not very helpful.”
“I know. Look, I’ll see if I can get more out of her, but in the meantime, maybe you can ask around. I get the feeling this is something personal for her.” More like it was glaringly obvious. The haunted look in her eyes and the fact that she “veered away from his species” were major indicators that whoever was after her now had something to do with her past.
“Wanna share?” Rami pressed.
“Nope, that’s all I’ve got.” Regardless, that was all he would have been willing to say at this point. Even though Rami was the most dependable person in his circle, it wouldn’t be right to tell him anything more about Savannah without her permission. He just hoped like hell it didn’t come down to him having to betray her trust. They needed answers, and quickly.
“I was thinking,” Rami said hesitantly. “It’d be really good if we had some intel on Lionsgate. Someone who might have connections inside.”
Toth froze. “You mean Nash?” He knew very little about his four brothers, but Nash had once been an enforcer for Lionsgate. Nash hadn’t confirmed that information, but that was the word on the street—Rami had asked around as soon as Toth told him about his long-lost siblings.
“Yeah.” Rami’s cautious tone told Toth that his partner wouldn’t push him to reach out or blame him if he didn’t.
Temptation tugged at his heart. All he’d ever wanted was brothers. He’d given them the space they’d asked for, but Nash had seemed somewhat open to communication. Nash wouldn’t ghost him if Toth went to him for help. Well, probably not. His nerves jumped. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Wrapping up the call, Toth returned inside. All the food was on the kitchen island and Savannah was washing vegetables at the sink, her back to him. With the water running, she probably couldn’t hear him.
Light coming in through the window touched her golden strands, and he could see part of her profile. Small, turned-up nose, high cheekbones with a few scratches and bruises from yesterday’s accident. He let his gaze wander over her back. She wore a fitted long-sleeved white shirt and light-gray yoga pants that hugged her hips. Desire kicked inside his belly and his skin heated. He needed to keep his thoughts in check. Just walk a straight fucking line for six more days and he’d be in the clear.
Easier said than done. His palms burned to touch her, his mouth tingled with the need to kiss her neck. He wanted to fold his body around the defined sculpture of hers and breathe in her calming jasmine scent.
She glanced over her shoulder. “What did Rami want?”
After placing a handful of raspberries onto a piece of paper towel, she turned to face him. She’d tied back her hair, and the effect made his heart trip. Her bright green eyes stared at him expectantly, and although her body language was casual, something else sparked in her gaze.
He’d had way too many women not to recognize that she was attracted to him. And damn if that didn’t drive him wild. Her full lips were a deeper shade of pink than they’d been earlier, as if she’d been eating the fruit before he came in.
His cock tightened. Jesus. He was jealous of a berry.
A dent formed on her brow. “Something wrong?”
God, she was beautiful. “Nope. Still trying to figure out the connection to Lionsgate.”
She shrugged. “I’m telling you, it’s a dead end.”
It took all his control not to drill her for answers. If she clammed up again, he’d lose all the progress he’d made getting her to open up. He picked up an apple and took a bite, then a couple more. The crisp, tart fruit squeezed his tastebuds but did nothing to distract his mind from her lips. “You could be right,” he said, between bites. “But I don’t want to overlook something. If your dad goes out and starts a war with Red Eyez and meanwhile the real enemy is someone else, we’ll have bigger problems.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “He knows what he’s doing.”
That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.Toth bit back the comment. Savannah didn’t need to know he was questioning Danny’s motives. He lifted a shoulder. “Just being careful.”
She nodded, and her gaze drifted over his chest then shot back up to his face. A pink tinge touched her cheeks and her throat moved on a swallow.
This was too much. He couldn’t spend all week fighting the urge to touch her, wanting to kiss her, to see her naked body. He either had to give in to the pulsing need to have her or get his head on straight. There was no in-between.
Her teeth dragged over her bottom lip and his blood turned to flames.
“So,” she began. “Tell me about you and Rami. Was he in the Marines with you?”
Toth opened and closed his fist at his side and chomped another bite of the fruit. He pulled his feet from the spot on the floor, dumped the apple core into the trash can, then went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of sparkling water. He needed something stronger to calm his nerves but didn’t dare add alcohol to the equation. “Yup. We’ve been friends ten years. He left a year after I did and we went into business together.”
“Does he have family here?”
A burst of jealousy struck him. He shook off the sensation. Stupid. He had nothing to be jealous about. Savannah wasn’t his and he shouldn’t give a flying fuck if she was interested in his friend. But for the love of god, he’d kill Rami before he let the guy touch her.
Whoa.