Dante turned her around and embraced her. “Don’t worry, sugar. He’ll come around.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Come around?” Surely the man couldn’t read her mind.
“He’s not very demonstrative with his affection, but in his case, actions speak louder than words.”
“If you say so.”
“If he weren’t so intent on catching Couch for your sake, he wouldn’t have spent a few hours last night planning his next move.”
That cheered her. “Oh.”
“Come on. Let’s chow.”
She helped him bring the food to the table and the domestic scene wasn’t lost on her. She could get used to living with someone as supportive as Dante. Trax was another issue all together.
She placed a cube of pineapple in her mouth and let the sweet juices wake her up. “I was hoping you might be able to find the time to drive me to my car and then escort me home so I can get more clothes.”
“Sure. Let me call Randy to see if he can work for me today.”
Inconveniencing him wasn’t her goal. “You don’t have to do that.”
He smiled. “I’ll take any excuse to spend time with a beautiful woman.”
Her stomach flipped. “Just any beautiful woman?” She couldn’t believe he thought she was even pretty.
“No, just you.”
“Aw, that’s sweet.”
While she dug into her meal, Dante called this Randy guy who didn’t appear to need much encouragement to come to work.
“Done. I can be your bodyguard for the day.”
That excited her. “I’ve been thinking.”
He shoved a forkful of eggs in his mouth then washed them down with juice. He held up a finger while he finished chewing. “Always a good idea.”
She loved his humor. “I want to learn to shoot a gun.”
His cheer disappeared. “Sugar, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She figured he’d say that. “Even if you, or rather Trax captures Couch, he could have other members of his team follow up on his desire to harm me.”
“I’ll admit there are a lot of Colters running around.”
“See? What if after Couch is in prison, he calls his men and tells them to come after me. I want to be ready.” This time she held up a finger. “And don’t say carrying a gun is dangerous. I know it is. That’s why I want to be prepared.”
He blew out a breath and leaned back in his chair. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”
“Really? And since I have to go back to work soon, could I get a few of those werewolf-killing bullets?” She feared she’d be spending her life looking over her shoulder wondering if one of Couch’s men was out to exact revenge for her part in bringing him down.
He burst out laughing. “You are something else.”
She hoped he liked her aggression, though Trax wouldn’t. “Is that a yes or a no?”
“Let’s take it one step at a time. I’m afraid the bullets we have won’t fit that peashooter of yours. Hell, I might as well bring a spare gun of Trax’s. That way, if he’s willing to lend it to you, you’ll know how to use it.”
“Thank you.”
He leaned closer. “I hope you’ll figure out a reward for my generosity.”
“Absolutely, and as you know, I can be very generous.”
#
“Have you ever been to a gun range?” Dante finished buying two boxes of ammo for them at the indoor shooting range.
“No. Guns have always scared me.” Being indoors seemed easier than outdoors as a wall separated them from the other shooters.
“Good. They should, but I totally get that you want to keep a gun in your glove compartment in case Couch approaches you again.”
Or in case I get pissed and decide to shoot first and ask questions later.
She remembered what happened the last time she was in the car. Trax’s car had bulletproof glass, but hers didn’t. “What if Couch sends someone else? Is there a way for a laymen to tell if someone is really a you-know-what?” She had to lean close as the gunshots made it hard to have a conversation.
For a second Dante tensed. “No.”
“Then how did you know Couch was a shifter?”
His mouth opened then closed quickly. “I saw him shift.”
That made sense. “So if a Colter never shifted in front of you, you wouldn’t know to keep watch on them. Right?”
He tapped her on the nose. “I thought we came here to learn how to shoot.”
Dante had a smooth way of avoiding pointed questions. For now, she wouldn’t pick. Maybe it was better not to know all the details. “Okay, hot shot. Show me what to do.”