True, it wasn’t any of his business why Micah had his head up his ass when it came to Angelina, but it didn’t mean Connor was going to turn a blind eye and let her rent a place where she was going to get mugged, raped or killed.
The guys liked to give him a hard time because he was so protective of his sister Faith. Well they could just give him shit for taking Angelina under his wing as well. Because he damn sure wasn’t going to direct a young woman out into the city unprotected.
CHAPTER 12
Angelina left the café at five minutes to two and slid into her car. It was actually a decent temperature for this early in the fall, and she started to roll down her window after she inserted her key.
She stopped and stared around the interior, a frown pulling at her brows. Something was weird. She glanced down at the console and the miscellaneous items she had housed there. A few pens, a pack of gum, a tube of lipstick, dental floss, two envelopes ... Her pictures were gone.
She rummaged through the stuff looking for the two snapshots of her and David that she always kept in her car. Where the hell could they be?
A prickle of unease snaked up her spine. Had someone been in her car?
She closed her eyes, shook her head and then leaned back against the head rest. A rueful laugh escaped. She was being ridiculous. No one had been in her car. It had been locked and there was no sign that anyone had broken in. Plus she was no longer in Miami, and she’d been careful. There was no reason to believe she could possibly have been followed to Houston, and moreover, why would someone make the effort?
The pictures must be with her other stuff. Maybe in her suitcase or one of her purses. Her wallet maybe. She’d find it all when she unpacked eventually.
She cranked the engine and rolled her shoulder in an effort to shake off the sense of foreboding. Scaring herself to death wasn’t high on her list of priorities for the day. Finding a place to live, however, was.
On the way to Micah’s apartment, she took mental stock of her finances. She still had cash socked away in her bank account, but she’d be an idiot to access it right now. Maybe later, when she had a few paychecks under her belt, she could take a weekend trip, drive a few states north and withdraw a large amount from the ATM or just arrange for a wire transfer. She’d research her options when the time came.
For now, she had what cash she’d dared bring with her and today’s wages. As great as it would be to have a nice, safe apartment close to Micah, she doubted it was in the cards. The money just wasn’t there, and she doubted people like Connor understood just what it was to have a hand-to-mouth existence.
Her plan to convince Micah that he needed her seemed pretty silly and more than a little naïve. It wasn’t something that could happen overnight, and it damn sure couldn’t be forced by living in close proximity.
If it was going to happen, she’d have to give him time.
A few minutes later, she pulled into her parking spot and looked over to see Connor standing against his truck waiting for her. She honestly hadn’t been sure he was serious.
He certainly seemed serious now, with the way he was striding toward her car. Any playfulness from lunch had disappeared and been replaced by a stern somberness.
She almost groaned. Yet another male determined to play big brother. Yeah, she appreciated it, but did no one ever look at her and see a hot-blooded attractive woman?
When Micah could actually forget she was David’s sister, he certainly didn’t have a problem with lusting after her. Too bad he had to come to his senses on a regular basis.
“Hey,” she said in greeting when Connor walked up.
“Hey, Angelina, you ready to look at the apartment? I figured Fairh’s old one would be best because it’s situated in the middle of mine, Nathan’s and Micah’s. We sorta put her there on purpose, but that was before Gray came along.”
Angelina cocked her head. “Do all of you have bizarrely overdeveloped protective tendencies when it comes to women?”
He blinked as if that were the dumbest question he’d ever heard.
“Well no, not all women. Just the ones who belong to us.”
She shook her head at him. “I don’t belong to Micah, Connor. He doesn’t claim me at all. I’m just David’s sister, and believe me, he hasn’t spared me a thought over the last few years.”
Connor shrugged. “Just because he’s a dumbass doesn’t mean the rest of us are. You’re here now, and by virtue of your relationship with Micah, whatever that may or may not be, you belong to us and we look out for our own.”
She couldn’t contain the smile as she stared up at him. It was nice to have ... people. People she could count on. She hadn’t had that in so long, and God she’d missed having that connection. Friends. People she in turn could care about.
“Aw now don’t go and cry on me.” A look of sheer male panic crossed his face.
She blinked away the threatening moisture and impulsively reached out to squeeze his hand. “Thank you.”
He smiled and chucked her gently on the cheek. “You looked like you could use a friend. I guess I’m volunteering.”
For the first time in a long while, she felt lighter and a little more optimistic.
“Now come on. Let’s go see that apartment.”
“Serena, swear to God, if you don’t spill, I’m going to hurt you.”
“Ow, ow! For God’s sake, Julie, lighten up on the hands,” Serena yelped. “I’m going to have bruises.”
“Don’t look at me for sympathy,” Faith said from the other massage table.
Serena glared over at Faith, who innocently studied her nails while Julie mauled Serena’s back.
“I can’t believe I cut out on Damon on our day together to come here and be abused,” Serena sniffed.
“What you should have done is cut out on Damon to come here and give us the dirt,” Julie said as she forcefully kneaded Serena’s shoulders.
“What dirt?” Serena asked.
Faith groaned. “Come on. Micah? Bug up his ass? He didn’t show up for work today. Totally not like him. Then he shows up at your house to talk to Damon?”
Serena frowned. “I can’t tell you guys. Seriously.”
Julie’s hands stilled. “What do you mean you can’t tell us? It’s us. Who else would you tell? I mean I tell you guys everything. And I mean everything. Things I totally shouldn’t. Like all those details about my supposedly anonymous threesome that wasn’t so anonymous after all?”