Page 32 of Swerve (Boosted Hearts 1)

I hated imposing on Lulu and Hunter as well, but I didn’t really have much choice. I wasn’t ready to go back to my place, not with Scott still on the loose, and after the pissing contest between Neco and Van, I wasn’t excited about taking up either one of their offers and starting some kind of drama between them. I didn’t know what was going on there, and I didn’t have the energy to think about it, either.

Josh giggled. I glanced down at him and Hunter on the floor playing cars, and a pang of jealousy took me by surprise.

Lulu and Hunter had this great family now. God, they were so damn happy. I’d never seen Hunter like this in all the years I’d known him. He was a different man when he was with Lulu—for Lulu. I mean, he was still the same badass as before, but there was something else, something more. The happiness, the contentment he was feeling had erased the cold-edged pain he’d always carried around with him. The same couldn’t be said for his brother. Van stood across the room, talking on his phone, looking as rigid and as unrelenting as always. There was a hardness to Van that could be frightening at times. Yes, he was an incredibly good man, he cared deeply for those close to him, but there was something . . . I don’t know, a knowledge that he was capable of almost anything. He and Neco had that in common.

I’d never had a real family, and even as close as I was to the guys at the agency, how much I cared for them, only Neco had truly been that for me. Don’t think about him.

I shoved the green-eyed monster down deep and stared out the window.

“Here, take these.” Lulu walked over, handing me a glass of water and two ibuprofen.

I was feeling much better, just a few aches and pains, but I took them anyway.

Someone pounded on the door.

I jolted and a spike of fear shot through me before I could get a handle on it. This jumpiness was making me crazy. This wasn’t me. I didn’t scare easy. I loathed what Scott had reduced me to. Hunter got to his feet and went to answer it. My eyes slid to Lulu then Van, hoping like hell they hadn’t seen my overreaction to a damn knock. No luck. Van was watching me, expression knowing as hell.

Shit.

Maybe it was stupid, but the last people I wanted knowing I was struggling were these guys. Nothing scared any of them. I didn’t want to be some damsel in distress. And despite this little hiccup, I hadn’t changed my mind about my career path. This fear, it would pass. How I handled this situation, how these men saw me handle it, was important.

Hunter was holding the door ajar, talking to someone, then it shoved open suddenly and Neco walked in. As soon as he spotted me, he started in my direction.

“What the fuck, Ruby?” He stopped in front of me. “I went to pick you up and the nurse said you were already gone.” He rubbed a hand over his head. “I was worried out of my damn mind.”

“Van didn’t . . . ?”

Neco’s nostrils flared.

“Oops.” Van muttered.

Hunter had asked his brother to let everyone know where I was when they picked me up. I didn’t know if Van had done it on purpose to piss Neco off, or what the hell was going on. I twisted to look at Van. “What on earth is going on with you two?”

“Why don’t you ask Neco,” Van said.

I looked back at Neco. His teeth were gritted, eyes shooting a death ray at Van. I decided I didn’t want to know.

“I’ve sorted everything for you to come stay with me,” Neco said. “Get your stuff and I’ll take you home.”

Home?

I blinked up at him. “Pardon?”

His eyes softened a fraction. “You’re stayin’ with me.”

I blinked up at him, dumbfounded. “I thought I’d stay here . . .” Stay with him? Nope. Not a good idea. I’d made up my mind to put some distance between us. To give up my childhood fantasy of us together. Living with him would not help me in that decision.

His pale green eyes slid over me, sending a shiver from the tip of my head to my toes. “I’ve got more room. Josh can stay in his own bed if you come to my place.” Neco pulled something out of his jacket pocket and bent down. When he lifted his hands, he was holding my glasses. He leaned in and slid them gently on my face. “Picked these up from your apartment.”

My spare pair, since my others were broken. Everything shifted back into sharp, crystal clear focus. “Thanks.”

He shrugged, even as his eyes moved over my face, the smallest of smiles curling up one corner of his mouth.

“She’s okay here. Lulu made Josh a bed up in our room,” Hunter said beside us.

Neco shook his head. “Nice of you, man, but she’s coming home with me.”

A look past between Hunter and Neco, then Hunter’s brows went high and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Here she’s got someone to help her shower or dress and whatever if she needs it . . .”