Page 98 of Wasted

“Vicks.” Warm pressure touched her shoulder, his large hand comforting and strong. His masculine scent mingled with cologne wrapped around her, luring her to turn into him and lose herself in his arms.

Oh, Lord, I can’t love him. I can’t. Please help me. He doesn’t believe in You. He was never right for me, regardless, or for my family.

“I’m okay, really.” Cillian’s voice was thick and deeper than normal.

She closed her eyes. She’d given too much away. Given him hope she never should have.

She stiffened her spine and took a step forward, slipping out from under his hand as she swiveled toward him. She pressed her lips together and met his gaze.

His dark irises gleamed, simmering with intensity and passion she somehow had to ignore.

“This is exactly why we shouldn’t be involved in police investigations. They’re equipped to handle danger, and murderers aren’t going to attack them to keep them silent. From now on, we leave this to the professionals.” She walked around him and went to the coat rack near the door. She snatched her coat and Sydney’s, turning with the girl’s outstretched for her to take.

Sydney hurried over, her widened eyes as she took her coat giving Victoria a guilty twinge. The teen experienced enough drama at home. Victoria and Cillian didn’t need to be another example of adults arguing.

Victoria reached for her calm and normal tone as she threw a glance at him. “I assume you must have taken a rideshare or taxi here. If you would like a lift to your—wherever you’re living right now—I would be willing to drive you.”

“Very kind of you.” His sarcastic tone sparked her defenses.

She faced him head-on, letting her silence speak for her. She’d made her decision about the investigating. They were done.

“But I’ll take a ride to your house.” His mouth twitched at the corner. He was amused?

Well, that was a better reaction than anger in front of Sydney.

Victoria swallowed her pride and tried to keep a pleasant inflection as she responded. “My house?”

“I promised to keep you safe.” He suddenly closed the distance between them and grabbed her coat from her hands. “That’s what I’m going to do.” His firm tone matched the hard glint in his eyes as he opened the coat and held it up, apparently intending to assist her like a gentleman. Whether she wanted him to or not.

Heaven help her, but her cartwheeling, foolish pulse said she did want him to. Far too much.

Amusement tugged at Cillian’s mouth as he rode in the front passenger seat of Victoria’s Honda.

She sat ramrod straight behind the wheel, keeping her eyes on the road while she drove. She hadn’t looked his way once or said a word since they’d left the pregnancy center.

She obviously thought she’d won that argument, but judging from her defensive demeanor, she knew her supposed win was shaky.

Weird not driving. The last time Cillian had been a passenger in a vehicle was in a taxi in Seattle. He hadn’t liked it then either.

At least Victoria was a decent driver. Too cautious but smooth, as long as nothing happened to throw her off. Kind of the way she handled life.

“New plan.”

Her fingers clenched the wheel at the sound of his voice. Yep. She’d been waiting for him to challenge her again.

“Since Clinton Glenn has decided to play rough, we have to beat him at his own game.”

“You want to…” she shot a glance at the rearview mirror, probably checking on Sydney, then lowered her voice, “…sabotage his vehicle?”

Cillian chuckled. “Not a bad idea, but no. I think we should sit on him, follow him everywhere he goes so there’s no opportunity for him to try to attack us or kill us.”

Victoria looked at the mirror again.

“She’s fine.” He twisted to see Sydney in the back seat.

The girl stared at her smartphone as she had been doing since they’d gotten in the car.

“Still busy with her phone.”