Hudson stopped only to grab the duffel bag she’d stashed in the bushes, then raced across the parking lot. She caught up with Connor just as he reached the beat-up Jeep parked in the lot.
“Wait!”
He froze. Turned his head slightly, greeting her with suspicion.
She stumbled toward the vehicle, aware of how foolish she was being. How reckless.
But she knew without a shred of doubt that the answer to all her problems was standing right there in front of her. This man, with his warrior body and cold eyes and military precision – he was the solution.
“Yeah?” he muttered.
“You… What you guys did back there… I just wanted to…”
A soft chuckle sounded from behind her. She spun around as the blond guy with the bloody neck – Ry? – approached the Jeep, tailed by another dark-haired outlaw.
“See, I told you chicks got off on violence,” Ry told his friend. He fixed his blue eyes on her. “But listen, gorgeous, don’t bother with Connor. He’s too bossy in bed. Me, on the other hand… I’ll let you do whatever you want to me.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, but that’s not what I want from him.”
“Your loss,” he said lightly before hopping into the backseat.
“What the fuck do you want?” Connor demanded.
Their gazes locked, and a rush of awareness sailed through her again.
“Say whatever you want to say so we can get the hell outta here.” Irritation crept into his deep, raspy voice.
“I…” She swallowed. “I —”
“Spit it out, sweetheart.”
She opened her mouth, and four desperation-laced words flew out of it. “Take me with you.”
2
Take me with you.
Definitely not the words Connor had expected to hear. They were strangers to her, and in this day and age you didn’t cozy up to strangers. You stayed the fuck away from them.
“Did you hear me?” She rested her hands on her slender hips. “I want to go with you.”
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that you can’t always get what you want? I think someone even wrote a song about it once.”
“I don’t care. I still want to come with you.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, but this is a boys-only club.”
Her agitated expression gave way to indignation. “Wow. So you’re rude and sexist.”
From the backseat of the Jeep, Rylan snorted. It wasn’t every day someone stood up to Connor; no doubt his friends were totally digging this.
He didn’t enjoy it one bit, though. He hated being out in the open like this. Yeah, he and the boys had scouted the area dozens of times, but the Enforcers were unpredictable. They lived in the shadows and ambushed you when you least expected it.
Connor just wanted to get back to base, where he could finally let himself breathe. And he had no intention of taking this woman with him.
“Please,” she implored when he didn’t respond. “I don’t have anywhere to go.”
“Not my problem.” He headed for the driver’s door.
She trailed after him like an annoying puppy. “I saw the way you handled those bandits. Effortlessly. You guys know what you’re doing. You’ve had training.”
“What’s it to you?”
“I’m all alone.” Her voice wobbled. “The people I was with were killed. I need… protection.”
He noted that her expression remained shuttered and emotionless when she mentioned that her group was dead. Not necessarily a sign of dishonesty, but the story didn’t sit right with him.
“Just take me with you. I promise I won’t be a nuisance.”
“You already are.”
She ignored the accusation. “Look, I can help your friend. I’m good at treating battle wounds —”
“So are we, sweetheart. Trust me, he’ll be fine.”
“Then I can cook for you guys, or… I don’t know… clean, be a lookout…” She trailed off.
He almost laughed. Right, because they were in the market for a fucking maid.
“Tempting offer,” he said, “but I’ll pass.”
“We don’t have anything for you to cook, anyway,” Kade piped up, irritating the hell out of Connor. “At least not until the next raid. So your offer for home cooking ain’t needed at the moment. Appreciated, though.”
Her expression brightened. “Raid? I can come along on a raid. I’ve had training too and —”
Connor snorted.