Page 50 of Steel

“Nah. Trust me. You were spot on the first time. I’m generally known as an asshole.” I couldn’t help myself, rubbing my thumb back and forth across her soft skin. Seeing her inside the locked vehicle had just about kicked my ass. I’d saved a few victims in my life even though my job was generally surrounded by a forest full of trees.

But there’d been a few campers I’d rescued along with my team.

None had felt so personal.

“Hey,” Axe said as he rounded the corner and I didn’t need to be looking at him directly to know he was confused with what he was seeing. “Um, the police have arrived. They want to talk to… Violet. Right? Violet?”

She nodded without looking at him.

“Yeah, her name is Violet,” I answered for her, even though he already knew.

“So, I’ll just be going,” Axe said, all while standing right where he was.

I finally broke myself away from staring into her eyes and tossed him a look. “Tell them she’ll be right there.”

“I’m pretty sure they’re gonna want to talk to you as well, bro.”

“Fine. I’ll be there in just a minute.”

She slowly turned her head toward him, her back now leaning against the vehicle. “You’re the rodeo star. Right?”

He puffed up, his eyebrows hitching together. “Yeah, I am. How did you know?”

“Social media.”

“I told you those pictures would be a pain in our ass,” I growled in response while he was still beaming from someone recognizing him.

“I don’t know,” Axe said in a way that had me glaring at him. “Could be a good thing.”

After laughing to himself, he finally left. “Sorry about that. He enjoys being the center of attention.”

“You don’t like having people fawn all over you?” she asked.

“Not even a little. Social media is nothing but a platform for vain people to act as if they’re important.”

“Ouch. So he’s your brother.”

“Yeah. He’s my younger brother.”

Her exhale was calmer than before and she let go of my shirt, pressing her fingers down my chest while her eyes flitted to follow the trail. “I guess I need to talk to the police.”

“I’ll take you home after that. Okay?”

“Okay. I would appreciate that. Thank you for saving us. I don’t mind telling you that I was terrified.”

“You didn’t act like it.”

“Yeah, well, when you have a child, you try and pretend that every situation you find yourself in is easily handled. Even when the worst happens. As a single mother, I became his surrogate father and protector, his challenger and his prison keeper while watching him struggling just to find his identity.”

Violet had a faraway look in her eyes, her eyelashes sweeping low then lifting so her heated gaze could meet mine. “His fatherisn’t around? Shouldn’t he take part of the brunt in parenting him?” A personal question that I had no right to ask.

But I wanted an answer to more than I did about almost anything else about her.

Her scoff was clearly a defense. “His father is a rich deadbeat who couldn’t care less he has a son. I honestly don’t want the bastard anywhere near his son. Although I can’t lie to you that when I’m at my lowest point, which seems to be a lot lately, I wish I had someone to lean on.”

Every laugh was different, but all were completely encased in a practiced control.

Silence stretched between us that was as agonizing as when trying to save her.