Page 3 of Need (Men of Inked Sinners #3)
“You need to be nicer to yourself. You did something good, Oli.”
It’s not lost on me that she called me Oli and not Oliver. “Anyone would’ve done it, Lou.”
She smiles when I use her nickname. “That’s not true,” she says as she turns her gaze toward the brick building at our side. “I’m ready to get this over with because I’m starving and want that burger. You ready?”
“Let’s do it, darlin’,” I tell her as I reach for the door handle when she does.
I climb out, watching her as she slides out of my truck instead of hopping down. I shake my head as I round the front to meet her on the sidewalk.
It only takes a few minutes before we’re put into a private room, and an officer sits down with us to take our statements. As Lou talks, I search through the dashcam files from today, finding the one they’ll need.
“I found the video,” I tell the cop as I set my phone down on the table.
Lou’s eyes move to the screen. “Can I see it? ”
“Sure,” I tell her, pushing my phone in front of her, and tap on the screen.
I didn’t watch the whole thing before I pressed play. I don’t know how much or how little information they’ll be able to get off the clip. Hopefully the camera worked today because sometimes it is more temperamental than my mother, and that is saying something.
I stare at Lou’s profile as her gaze is pinned on the video.
She’s truly beautiful, with high cheekbones, a straight nose, and big brown eyes that might very well be able to see straight into my soul.
She chews on her lips as she watches the video, and I wonder how soft they are and if she’s a good kisser.
“Oh my God,” she says, her hand flying to her mouth. “You were so close to being hit.”
My gaze drops to the phone as she slides her finger across the screen to replay the last few seconds, the entire reason we’re here. I watch the video this time too instead of staring at her, and it’s not lost on me how very close we both came to dying today.
“You were the one who was close,” I tell her, unable to take my eyes off the car in the video as it hauls ass in her direction like she was the target.
Lou reaches out, placing her small hand on my arm, curling it around my jacket. “Oliver, you literally jumped in front of me as you pushed me down. The car was inches away from you. ”
“And you,” I remind her because I’m not the only one who had a brush with death.
“That was a very heroic act,” the officer says as her eyes move away from my phone screen and back to the stack of paperwork in front of her. “We don’t see that very often.”
“Right?” Lou says to the female officer. “He could’ve let me die.”
“Never,” I grumble. I’m not built like that. “I didn’t even think about it. I just reacted.”
Lou’s hand tightens around my arm. “I owe you more than a burger, Oliver.”
“You’re going to organize the garage,” I remind her of the other part of her thank-you gift. I couldn’t care less about her moving shit around. I just want to spend more time with her.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you.”
“There’s nothing to repay, Lou.”
She turns her eyes toward me and gives me a smile that barely reaches her high cheekbones. “There is, though.”
“I have to agree with her,” the cop says, like it’s any of her business. I wasn’t looking for her input, even if it is nice to hear.
“See?” Lou says, lifting her other hand toward the lady across the table from us. “Everyone will agree with me. When I tell my family…”
“Don’t tell anyone. It’s not a big deal,” I say to her. I’ve never been comfortable with praise, even when it’s deserved.
“Oh hush,” she says to me, and for some odd reason, my cock jerks in my pants.
Fuck. Why does this girl get to me? She’s so bossy and doesn’t give a crap that I’m easily twice her size.
The officer chuckles as she pushes some paperwork in front of Lou. “If you could please just read over the statement and sign at the bottom, Ms. Gallo, we can get this wrapped up.”
“And Mr. Winston, if you could email that clip to the address on my card and sign your portion of the statement, we’ll be all set.”
“Not a problem,” I tell her, taking the phone from in front of Lou, who’s been playing the part where I tackle her on repeat since she first saw it. It has to be burned into her brain now.
“We’ll see if we can pull a plate or something off the video, and we’ll be in touch if we need anything else from either of you,” the officer says.
“Okay,” Lou replies, pulling her hand away from my arm to hold the paper in place so she can sign it.
“I’m here for whatever you need,” I tell the lady cop. “Assholes like that shouldn’t be on the road.”
“Agreed,” she says, giving me a smile, “But as long as there are good guys like you out there, the world shakes out in the end.”
Good guys. It’s almost laughable. I’m not a bad one. I’m not my brother Liam. But good? I don’t know about that.
After Lou is finished signing, she slides the papers my way, and I riffle through the stack until I get to my statement, which is a little longer than hers. I scribble my name on the line marked “witness,” and everything I can do to catch the guy is done on my end and hers.
“Do you need to call anyone?” the woman asks Lou as I push the stack of papers back in her direction.
“No, I’m taking Oliver to lunch. He’ll give me a ride.”
My mind instantly goes places it shouldn’t. Me on top of her, but instead of layers of winter clothes in a pile of snow, we’re in my bed and both gloriously naked.
“You ready to eat?” Lou asks me.
In my mind, I already am, but instead of a burger, I’m feasting on the taste of her sweet skin. “Yeah.”
“Thanks for coming in so quickly,” the cop says. “Hopefully we catch the guy.”
“I won’t hold my breath,” I mumble because although the Chicago cops love arresting people, they’re shit at finding hit-and-run drivers, no matter how hard they try.
Lou’s hands drop to her stomach. “I need food before I get hangry.”
I smile at her, wondering how hangry she gets and what that looks like. I can’t imagine her as anything other than this sweet and sometimes emotionally messy girl beside me.
“Let’s get you fed,” I tell her as I slide the chair back and stand, holding out my hand to her.
“I promise it’ll be the best thing you’ll ever put in your mouth,” she says to me as she places her palm in mine and pushes herself upward off the chair.
“We’ll see about that,” I tell her, but my mind isn’t thinking about a burger.