too.
“We’ll move her to your place, Jace.”
“No.”
Quinn and Gemini spoke together. She found his gaze with hers. “I like it here.”
Clay was unmoved. “It’s too hard to defend.”
“Defend?” Gemini sat up, pulling insistently out of Clay’s grip. “What do you mean?”
Clay sat, too, so they were side by side on the chaise, their feet on the deck. “Honey, he’ll want to come for you from a position of power, yeah? He’s not going to walk into the bar one night with the hope that you’ll walk out with him. He’ll either come in force, when you’re vulnerable, or he’ll try to take Jace and Quinn and me out of the picture.” He looked at her, letting that sink in. “Or both. Probably that.”
“Take you out of the picture? How would he do that?”
“It depends. How mean do you think he is?”
Very , was the answer. Gemini stood, having to pull her wrist from Clay’s grip to pace away. “Are you saying he could hurt you?” She looked from Clay to the others. “All of you?”
Clay stood up and followed her, planting himself in front of her with his arms across his chest. “I’m saying he could try.”
“No,” Gemini said. “I’m leaving.”
Quinn and Jace flanked Clay now, three big, broad-shouldered men penning her in against the deck rail.
Quinn smiled indulgently. “You’re not leaving, babe.”
Suddenly Gemini wanted to punch him. All of them. She pushed back against Clay’s chest, looking for more room, but, of course, he wouldn’t be budged. “What are you saying?” She looked in challenge at all three of them. “Am I captive here? I can’t leave by my own will?”
Quinn wasn’t smiling anymore. He lifted his hands, no doubt hoping for innocence. “Clay.” He nudged his forearm against Clay’s chest and, just like that, Clay backed off. With a look to Jace, he had that one backing up, too.
Gemini huffed in frustration.
“Let’s all take a breath,” Quinn said. “Gem.” He reached a hand out to her, but didn’t touch. “Come sit down.”
She shook her head. There were three chairs there on the sitting area of the deck, and she wasn’t sharing again.
Quinn sighed. He walked over to the table and grabbed one of the cushioned wicker chairs. He set it so it faced the others and left his hands on the back of it. “Please,” he said.
He kept his gaze patiently on hers until she heaved out a breath and complied. Briefly, he rested his hands on her shoulders. Then he pointed Jace and Clay to the other chairs and took one himself. All earnest concern, he leaned forward, elbows on knees and hands clasped.
Gemini thought about standing up and making a break for it. She’d had enough of giving up her will to the male of the species. She couldn’t believe she was in this position yet again.
If her presence in Colorado Springs was putting these men at risk, then she would leave. They could posture all they wanted, but they wouldn’t stop her.
“What would Cap do in this situation?”
Except with words, apparently.
Gemini sighed and had to work to meet Quinn’s gentle gaze. He waited, lifting a brow, letting her know he expected an answer.
She bowed to the inevitable. “He’d keep me with him. He wouldn’t let me leave.”
“Even if that put him in danger of some sort?”
“Yes.”
“Because?”
She really didn’t like this. “Because it would unman him.”
Quinn nodded. “So, whatever else is between us”—he gestured to the other men—“all of us, any of us, you can assume we are acting on your brother’s behalf in this regard. There’s no way we can let you go unprotected. Beyond that, of course, is the fact that we don’t want you to leave us.”
“And you don’t want to leave us . That’s right, isn’t it, Gem?” That was Jace, who spoke gently but with a certain, clear intent.
She looked around at each of them. “I don’t want to. But if—”
Clay pushed to his feet, his impatience obvious. “We’re not
“We’ll move her to your place, Jace.”
“No.”
Quinn and Gemini spoke together. She found his gaze with hers. “I like it here.”
Clay was unmoved. “It’s too hard to defend.”
“Defend?” Gemini sat up, pulling insistently out of Clay’s grip. “What do you mean?”
Clay sat, too, so they were side by side on the chaise, their feet on the deck. “Honey, he’ll want to come for you from a position of power, yeah? He’s not going to walk into the bar one night with the hope that you’ll walk out with him. He’ll either come in force, when you’re vulnerable, or he’ll try to take Jace and Quinn and me out of the picture.” He looked at her, letting that sink in. “Or both. Probably that.”
“Take you out of the picture? How would he do that?”
“It depends. How mean do you think he is?”
Very , was the answer. Gemini stood, having to pull her wrist from Clay’s grip to pace away. “Are you saying he could hurt you?” She looked from Clay to the others. “All of you?”
Clay stood up and followed her, planting himself in front of her with his arms across his chest. “I’m saying he could try.”
“No,” Gemini said. “I’m leaving.”
Quinn and Jace flanked Clay now, three big, broad-shouldered men penning her in against the deck rail.
Quinn smiled indulgently. “You’re not leaving, babe.”
Suddenly Gemini wanted to punch him. All of them. She pushed back against Clay’s chest, looking for more room, but, of course, he wouldn’t be budged. “What are you saying?” She looked in challenge at all three of them. “Am I captive here? I can’t leave by my own will?”
Quinn wasn’t smiling anymore. He lifted his hands, no doubt hoping for innocence. “Clay.” He nudged his forearm against Clay’s chest and, just like that, Clay backed off. With a look to Jace, he had that one backing up, too.
Gemini huffed in frustration.
“Let’s all take a breath,” Quinn said. “Gem.” He reached a hand out to her, but didn’t touch. “Come sit down.”
She shook her head. There were three chairs there on the sitting area of the deck, and she wasn’t sharing again.
Quinn sighed. He walked over to the table and grabbed one of the cushioned wicker chairs. He set it so it faced the others and left his hands on the back of it. “Please,” he said.
He kept his gaze patiently on hers until she heaved out a breath and complied. Briefly, he rested his hands on her shoulders. Then he pointed Jace and Clay to the other chairs and took one himself. All earnest concern, he leaned forward, elbows on knees and hands clasped.
Gemini thought about standing up and making a break for it. She’d had enough of giving up her will to the male of the species. She couldn’t believe she was in this position yet again.
If her presence in Colorado Springs was putting these men at risk, then she would leave. They could posture all they wanted, but they wouldn’t stop her.
“What would Cap do in this situation?”
Except with words, apparently.
Gemini sighed and had to work to meet Quinn’s gentle gaze. He waited, lifting a brow, letting her know he expected an answer.
She bowed to the inevitable. “He’d keep me with him. He wouldn’t let me leave.”
“Even if that put him in danger of some sort?”
“Yes.”
“Because?”
She really didn’t like this. “Because it would unman him.”
Quinn nodded. “So, whatever else is between us”—he gestured to the other men—“all of us, any of us, you can assume we are acting on your brother’s behalf in this regard. There’s no way we can let you go unprotected. Beyond that, of course, is the fact that we don’t want you to leave us.”
“And you don’t want to leave us . That’s right, isn’t it, Gem?” That was Jace, who spoke gently but with a certain, clear intent.
She looked around at each of them. “I don’t want to. But if—”
Clay pushed to his feet, his impatience obvious. “We’re not
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