Read Online Texas Takedown by Barb Han - Free Book Online Page B

okay?”
    He nodded.
    â€œSit down.” He pointed toward the eat-in dining table and chairs.
    â€œI’m not hungry.”
    â€œEat anyway.”
    Giving short answers was another bad sign. Maybe she could get him to open up and talk a little bit. It had always helped when her brothers were angry.
    One look at Dylan, at his almost savage expression, told her he’d tear apart an animal with his bare hands if it meant getting his daughter back.
    â€œWhat is she like? Maribel?”
    â€œA ball of energy. More like a three-feet-tall tornado.” A brief smile crossed his lips before he seemed to catch himself. “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
    Okay. She’d have to try a different tack. “Have you given any thought to our next move?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œAnd?”
    He pointed to the chair. “Sit.”
    â€œOkay.” She did. So much for getting him to open up.
    He walked over and set down a bowl of food and a fork in front of her.
    â€œYou know how to cook pasta?”
    â€œIt’s Maribel’s favorite. I learned.” He picked up Samantha’s arm and held it out. “You’re losing weight.”
    That much was true, so she didn’t argue.
    â€œAnd you could barely hang on to me during the ride. I was afraid you’d fall off half the time.”
    She was almost surprised he’d noticed. Her grip around his broad chest had broken a time or two, but she’d quickly recovered. “Yes.”
    â€œSo make the food in that bowl disappear,” came out on a grunt.
    She doubted the old Dylan would’ve noticed any of those things. He’d been all bad boy and, in a word, self-absorbed. But then, he’d had a lot of reasons to be. Life hadn’t been easy or kind. The new Dylan, the one with a softer side, tugged at her heart even more. He’d always been handsome in that rugged, edgy, not-sure-what-to-expect way. And he’d always been unbreakable. Seeing this side to him—his Achilles’ heel being his little angel—speared Samantha through the chest.
    Since the reformed Dylan seemed determined to stand over her until she got a few bites down, she did so for the sake of show. The food tasted as good as it smelled, so she managed a few more. And she didn’t want to like the small smile he conceded at the corners of his mouth that didn’t reach his eyes—eyes that were tormented and angry.
    That he seemed genuinely concerned about her well-being made her unable to disappoint him. He’d been a good friend so far. He’d put himself on the line to help her and she’d treated him like the enemy early on.
    â€œSince we’re throwing out apologies and all, I’m not sure if I thanked you earlier,” she said, then forced down another bite.
    â€œThat’s not an apology.”
    â€œThank you anyway,” she quipped.
    He turned and walked to the counter near the sink, leaned his slender hip against the cabinet and scooped pasta into a second bowl. He stabbed the fork inside and then chewed the first bite. “If you’re going to be strong enough to fight back, you need to eat.”
    She blinked up at him. Right again. And even though she absolutely knew that he had to be dying inside, he was just this tower of strength on the outside. His eyes gave away his pain, and she figured he was allowing her to see it. If he wanted to, he could go blank so as not to give away his advantage.
    â€œFor the record, I don’t want to eat, either,” he said, anger rolling off him in palpable waves, heating the room as he forced the fork into his dish again.
    Dylan was right. She hadn’t eaten a proper meal in the past week or had a decent night of sleep. As it was, her left hand could scarcely hold the fork, let alone fight off an attacker. As much as she didn’t want to eat or go to bed, a full belly would make her stronger and her head needed to hit that