Page 15 of Rush
"You need to be careful, brother," he says. "This isn't going to end well."
"I know what I'm doing."
"Do you? Because from where I'm standing it looks like you're one step away from doing something stupid."
"I've got it under control."
"Right, control." He wipes his hands on a rag. "Just remember what Pyro said—she's off limits."
"I remember."
He walks away and I start working on my bike. My hands are steadier when I've got something to do.
But my mind keeps circling back to Everly, to the way she looked at me Friday night, to the challenge in her voice when she asked what I'd do if she wasn't safe.
Whatever I need to.
I meant it.
I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even if that means keeping her safe from me.
Wednesday night, there's another gathering at the clubhouse. Everly shows up around eight.
I'm at the bar and I track her movement across the room. She's wearing jeans and a black sweater. Her hair's down and it catches the light.
She sees me and raises her wine glass slightly, acknowledging me.
I nod back and force myself to look away.
Ciara appears beside me a few minutes later. "You're staring again."
"I'm doing my job."
"Your job is to watch Diesel's daughter all night?"
"My job is to make sure she's safe."
Ciara takes a drink of her beer. "She seems perfectly safe to me."
"That's the point."
"Right." She's quiet for a second, then she says, "You know she's only here temporarily, right? Once her program's done, she'll go back to South Carolina."
"I know."
"Just making sure you remember that."
I don't answer and she walks away. I can feel her annoyance, but I don't have the energy to care.
My attention's already back on Everly. She's laughing at something Gráinne said and the sound carries across the room.
I want to know what's funny. I want to be the one making her laugh.
The thought makes my chest tight.
An hour later, Everly gets up to use the bathroom. I track her movement across the room and down the hallway.
She's gone for maybe three minutes, and when she comes out I'm standing near the hallway entrance.
