Page 19 of Light It Up Red

“You okay?” he asks. Picking up my hand and bringing it to his mouth, he kisses my knuckles.

“I’m pretty sure I should be asking you that question,” I tell him.

“I asked you first, babe.”

“Travis, my dad was this close…” I hold up my free hand, indicating the tiny space between my thumb and index finger. “This fucking close to blowing your head off, and you’re asking if I’m okay?” I laugh. It’s not funny. I’m not laughing because it’s funny. It’s more of a I don’t know what’s fucking happening to my life kind of laugh.

“Babe, answer the question. Are you okay?” he repeats.

“I don’t know,” I admit.

“Okay.” Travis nods his head. “What can I do to help you be okay?”

“You’re serious?” My neck snaps around to look at him so fast I’m surprised I don’t pull a muscle.

“As a heart attack, babe. Tell me what I can do to help.”

“I’m sorry. I should have said that first. I’m sorry my family is… a little intense.”

Travis stops at a red light. He looks across at me with raised brows. “A little intense?”

“A lot intense,” I clarify.

“It’s fine. I’m bullet free and so are you. We’re fine,” he says.

“Just so you know, if we do keep seeing each other, it’s likely to happen again. My dad has issues with letting go.”

“He loves you, Lili. That’s not an issue. Don’t worry about it. It’s gonna take a lot more than a gun aimed in my direction to scare me off.”

“So it seems.” I shake my head. “You should know his threats are not empty. Whatever you’ve heard or read about my family is more than likely true.” Which is pretty much the same as telling him my family is involved in the criminal underground. And not just involved. They run shit.

“No one gets to choose their family, Lili. You just happen to have one that loves you, wants to protect you by any means necessary,” Travis says. “Plus, if I had a daughter, there’s not a chance in hell I would have let her walk away with someone like me. I mean, the things I want to do to that body of yours, Lili… Fuck…” Travis drops my hand and adjusts himself in his seat.

I want him to do all of those things to me. Damn it, why does he have to be going out of town today?

I pull out my phone and message Harper.

Me: Are you going to Nashville with the team?

Before I can shove it back into my purse, my cell vibrates with a response.

Harper:

Sure am. Why?

Me:

I’m coming but don’t tell anyone. I want to watch the game.

Harper:

Okay. Who are you and what have you done with my friend? You should know, if this is a kidnapping, it’s not going to end well for you…

Me:

Funny. What can I say? I have a newfound appreciation for the sport.

Harper: