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Then he’d handed her an alarm button that, if pressed, would emit a loud screeching noise, and a necklace with a GPS chip.
If she hadn’t wanted to come tonight so badly, she might have argued with him. But she had given in. Not graciously, but hey, what did he really expect?
She gave him a salute.
“Juliet,” he warned. “This isn’t the same as wearing high shoes or getting into the swimming pool on your own. I get that I’m overprotective. Always been that way of people I care about, of which there aren’t many. Maybe because I’m stifling.”
She slapped his thigh and pointed her finger at him warningly. She caught his grin.
“But this is your safety. You fail to obey me, and I won’t hesitate to haul your ass out of there. And I guarantee, you won’t be back there until I know the risk to you is eliminated.”
He grasped hold of her chin, it was firm without being threatening. “Understand me? Your safety comes first. Above everything else.”
Butterflies moved through her tummy, growing bigger and bigger until she could barely breathe. But in a good way.
A really good way.
She nodded. Then like a good girl, she waited until he came around and lifted her down.
“Still think you need a booster.”
That was the sort of thing a Daddy might say, right?
Suddenly, she felt exhausted from all of the secrets she held. Why couldn’t life be simple? Then again, simple would be boring, right?
When they reached the door to the bar, it opened and someone half-stumbled out singing a bawdy Irish song.
Irish Mick.
He wasn’t actually Irish, but he had red hair and when he got drunk, he sang this really vulgar song with a bad Irish accent.
Brick clamped his hands over her ears just as he got to the good part. Like she hadn’t heard it a thousand times before.
“This place seems like fun.” Elias rubbed his hands together. She didn’t know where Sterling had gone, maybe he had to pee.
“Juliet! Ye better get in there, darlin’, it’s about to start.” Irish Mick wobbled away.
“That was the worst Irish accent I’ve ever heard,” Elias stated as he moved ahead to open the door.
When the door opened again, the noise hit her. Nerves jangled, the way they did every week. She both loved and loathed quiz night. She enjoyed being with her friends and the quiz itself. But being surrounded by all those people made her really anxious.
Moving towards Brick, she twisted her hand in his shirt under his jacket. He paused and glanced down at her. “You want to go home?”
She shook her head.
He didn’t move so she gave him a nudge. She could handle this. She just got really anxious in these situations.
He moved her hand off his shirt and she let out a distressed noise.
“Easy, Duchess. Just hold on to the other side in case I have to go for my gun.”
Right, she remembered that instruction now.
Brick moved forward and she slid up so close to him that she was bumping into him as he walked. She was probably putting wrinkles in his shirt.
Elias stepped in behind her and she had to remind herself that she knew him. That she was comfortable with him. It was only because of the situation that she felt so on edge. She glanced around.
“There’s Sterling.” Elias pointed to a table near the back, but she couldn’t see anyone over this crush. Had Sterling come in to find her friends?
