Page 38 of Unplanned Target

Once again, the man has rendered me pretty much speechless. I don’t have the first clue what to say or how to act when he steps in and helps like this. I don’t know how to express my appreciation. Mostly because I’ve never had to appreciate this before.

Neither has my daughter. Outside of my brother, she hasn’t really had much of a man in her life. Her dad has been gone so long, she barely even remembers when he was around. Some days I think that’s a good thing. Others, I’m not so sure. I don’t remember my dad being around, and look how I turned out.

But Allie doesn’t seem to be weirded out at all by having Owen help her assemble the wrap. Actually, they seem to enjoy being around each other. Owen jokes with her and she jokes back. She gives him the kind of shit she would normally give me, which is nice. They each make a wrap, then they come and sit at the table with me, continuing to talk about all kinds of things as we eat. I just sit and listen, kind of confused at how naturally they’re able to converse.

I’ve got to believe it’s simply because Owen is just remarkably easy to talk to. Primarily because he actually listens. He’s genuinely interested in what I have to say, and he’s treating my daughter the same way. She’s telling him about school and her plans for the future, and he is listening intently. Asking questions, curious for more information. By the end of the conversation, they’re acting like new best friends.

And I’m starting to realize I’ve got a bunch of shit to figure out. Now that the adrenaline rush of the past twenty-four hours is starting to wear off, all the issues it created are starting to percolate in my brain.

Allie and I both need new computers. New cell phones. I have to figure out who I’m going to have clean out my house and repair all the damage that’s been done to it. I have to find out if my car was part of what was destroyed and figure out how in the hell Allie’s going to continue the school year. I’m going to need to get a new driver’s license because it was in my⁠—

I gasp, shooting straight up from my chair. “I have to cancel my credit cards and my bank cards.”

Holy shit those guys could have already cleaned me out. Ran up hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt, and created a mess far worse than whatever they did to my house. Maybe even worse than the one my ex-husband left for me to clean up.

“Heidi already did it. I had her handle that right away.” Owen polishes off the last bite of his wrap, collecting his plate and mine. “She’s also having new cards issued, but it will likely take a few days to get them.”

Holy shit. If we were alone right now I would absolutely be trying to climb that man like a tree.

Again.

I don’t even think he has a clue how hot being helpful makes him to me. How much I appreciate everything he’s done. Continues to do. Once again, he stepped in and took care of a problem before I could even think about it. He took yet another concern weighing around my neck and handled it.

Maybe going to sleep is the best idea after all. Tony can be pissed if he wants to be. I need to give my brain a reset, because I’m not sure what in the hell I’m going to do about the way Owen’s proactive nature is making me feel. I don’t know how to accept how much I like it. After a lifetime of independence, relying on someone shouldn’t come naturally. Yet here I am. Faced with someone I can rely on. And I don’t hate it.

Actually, I’m really starting to like it.

I’m really starting to like him.

On top of that, it seems like Owen kinda likes me back. At least that’s the impression I got when he ground his dick against me when I accidentally made out with him instead of giving him his room back.

And since I like him, I can’t actually go to sleep. Not now anyway. Because my brother is crabby on his best day. I can’t imagine how Tony’s going to be minus a spleen.

However, if my brother acts any sort of weird way toward Owen, he might also be missing an eyeball, because I don’t think I’ll handle that well. So I enlist the person most likely to make the next few hours pass as pain and violence free as possible.

“We should probably get ready.” I give my daughter a smile I hope doesn’t look suspicious at all. “Owen said Uncle Tony’s on his way here.”

FOURTEEN

OWEN

I know I should probably give Miranda and her brother a little space, but I don’t like the thought of leaving her to fend for herself right now. Not after the way the last twenty-four hours have been.

For everyone.

I know emotions are going to be running high, and I’ll be damned if anyone is going to upset her. And that includes her brother. That means, like it or not, Butch is gonna have to look at my face.

After finishing our food, Miranda, Allie, and I clean up the mess in the kitchen, loading up the dishwasher before setting it to run. Then I show them around the rest of the rooming house, giving them a tour of the theater room, the workout room, and the sauna. I also show them where the supplies are kept, in case they need toiletries or extra pillows or blankets. Miranda shouldn’t have any problems—my room is more than well-stocked—but Allie will probably want to make her room a little more comfortable.

We’re just finishing up when a very pale, and slightly sweaty, Butch comes storming into the building with Becca hot on his heels.

“Slow down. I didn’t work so hard to save you, just so you could kill yourself by being an idiot.” Becca is small, so she’s practically running to keep up with him. But it’s clear, he’s a man on a mission.

What that mission is, remains to be seen. It could be that he simply wants to see for himself that his niece is fine. Or he could think he’s physically capable of kicking my ass right now. There’s also the chance it could be a little column A, little column B.

Butch’s eyes land on me, but immediately move to where his sister and niece are at my side. He visibly relaxes, some of the strain bleeding out of his face as he looks them over. “Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine.” Miranda gives him a reassuring smile. “More than fine, actually.” She pats me on the arm. “Owen worked really hard to make sure of it.”