After I pushed back from the table, I rubbed my stomach. “That was fantastic. Thank you for all the hard work.”

Mrs. Phillips blushed. “I just whipped it up. It’s nothing.”

Georgia rolled her eyes as she tossed her napkin on the table. “She lies.”

I clasped Georgia’s hand in mine. “Doesn’t matter, babe.”

“So, how was work?” Mr. Phillips asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Good. I got a lot done.”

“That’s good.” Georgia ran her thumb along my hand. “Can we go soon? I’m tired and want to sleep in my own bed.”

“Before you do that, can I have a word with you, Frisco?”

Georgia’s eyes narrowed, focusing on me. She knew something was up. My woman was smart.

“Sure.” My eyes never left hers. “Give me a minute to talk to your dad.”

She leaned forward, bringing her mouth to my ear. “You’re gonna tell me what’s going on in the car, got me?”

I swallowed hard, trying to rid my mouth of the sandy feeling that had settled on my tongue. “Yep.”

The chair Mr. Phillips had been sitting in scraped against the wood floor as he stood. “Let’s talk in my office,” he said, standing above me, casting a shadow.

“Be back.” I gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Even though my back was to her, I could feel her eyes on me as I walked out of the kitchen and followed her father to his office.

“What did you find out?” he asked as he closed the door.

“The guy brought his car to my buddy’s garage to be fixed.”

His eyes widened as he sat down behind his desk. “That’s convenient.”

“I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried.”

“What else?” he asked, resting his elbow on the desk and placing his index finger against his lips. “Who is he?”

I reached into my pocket for my phone and checked my email. During dinner, I’d felt my phone vibrate, alerting me that I had a new email, but I hadn’t bothered to look until now.

“Morgan, my colleague at ALFA, looked him up.” I scrolled down the email, reading through the message. With every new bit of information, my hands grew sweatier and my heart pounded just a little harder.

“What does it say?” His tone was sharp.

“Here.” I held my phone out to him. “It’ll be easier than explaining everything.”

He grabbed the phone from my hand and studied the email. Morgan had dug up all kinds of shit on the person responsible for hitting Georgia.

The man wasn’t an angel. He had a record a mile long, in fact. The hit-and-run wasn’t even the most damning thing on his record. Recently he’d been released from prison and was currently on parole. Obviously, incarceration hadn’t taught him anything, but I’d be happy to give him a prison yard beat-down to further his education.

“I fuckin’ know this piece of shit,” Mr. Phillips barked out without looking up. “I can’t believe this.” He dropped the phone onto the desk, letting it wobble before it stilled. “Fuck.”

My eyebrows rose at the twist of fate. “You do?”

He gritted his teeth and I heard him growl. “I arrested this asshole years ago.”

“Maybe you should step back, then.” My hands coiled into fists on my lap. I’d been angry at the prick for what he did to Georgia, but now I wanted to make him pay for every bad deed he’d ever done.

Someday he’d kill someone without remorse. He could’ve killed Georgia if I hadn’t been there. I shook the thought from my head. “Let us handle it.”

“There’s no way I’m letting you go without me.” He bared his teeth at me.

“Listen,” I said, flexing my fists and trying to relieve some of the anger I could feel clawing at my insides. “What’s your plan?”

He blew out a hard breath. “I haven’t thought it all through. I want the bastard to pay. That shit I know.”

I stood and began to pace in front of his desk. “I’ll get a few punches in before we drop him at the door of the police station.”

He cocked an eyebrow at me with a smug grin. “Is that what you’ve decided to do? Maybe I want more.”

I froze and studied him. “You want the bastard dead?” I asked, my voice laced with shock. I’d never thought about killing the man. All I wanted to do was beat on him so badly that he felt the same fear I did when I saw him coming right for Georgia.

Mr. Phillips slammed his hands down on his desk. “Fuck,” he said, letting out a long breath. “I don’t want that on my conscience or yours.”

I nodded, trying to keep calm. Last night when the man had run her off the road, I might have choked the life out of him if I’d been able to get my hands on him. My anger hit a point I hadn’t felt since leaving the service.

“You need to stand down and let me handle this,” I told him, rubbing the back of my neck.

“But I can help.”

“No!” I roared, wincing as soon as I heard my own voice. “I appreciate your need to help, Mr. Phillips, but this has to be done on my terms. The guys and I will handle it.”

“But—”

I held out my hand. “No. I’ve. Got. It.”

His nostrils flared as he stared at me with narrow eyes and a red face. “Fine.”

I picked up my phone from his desk and texted Thomas.

Me: We’re on tonight @ 11.

“You better not fuck this up.” Mr. Phillips spun around in his chair.

“I think I can handle him.”

Thomas: I’ll gather the guys. Meet at the office at 10:30. City’s in too.

I glanced down at my phone, swallowing down the lump that had formed in my throat. I’d have to come up with a reason to leave Georgia tonight without her wanting to kick me in the balls.

“I swear to God, Frisco, if I didn’t dislike you already, going easy on this douchebag will ensure my distaste for you will last a lifetime.” He rubbed his face with his right hand and pinned me with his glare. “Fuck this up, and I’ll make sure Georgia hates you.”

I placed my fists on the desk and leaned over it, hovering above Mr. Phillips. “I won’t fuck it up. Georgia’s mine, and no one fucks with my girl.” I seethed as my chest heaved and my stomach twisted.

“’Bout fuckin’ time you say that.” The brief smile he gave me quickly disappeared.

I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breath. “I will handle this and protect Georgia. You’re being relieved of that duty. Don’t think about getting between her and me. It won’t end well,” I warned him.

He nodded, twisting his lips as if he approved. “Call me when it’s done. I won’t sleep until I know.”

“Fine.” I pushed myself up and squared my shoulders. “It’ll be done tonight.”

Without any need for further conversation, I walked into the kitchen to find a very pissed off Georgia.

“Ready to go, babe?”

She rubbed her hands together and stared, but she didn’t reply. I could almost see the wheels inside her head spinning as she tried to figure out what her father and I had cooking.

I stood in front of her and held her gaze. “G?”

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

“So soon?” Rosie asked, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. “I had dessert ready.”

Georgia held her hand out to me. “Maybe another time, Mom.”

I helped her up and handed her the crutches. “I’ll take a rain check, Mrs. Phillips.”

“Where’s my dad?” Georgia asked, glancing over my shoulder.

“He’s in his office.” I smiled the best fake smile I could muster under the situation.

“Thanks for everything, Mom.” Georgia kissed her mother on the cheek before stalking off toward the door, still wobbly on the crutches. I had to fight the urge to jump in and carry her. “Let’s go, Frisco. We have some talking to do,” she called out over her shoulder.

Mrs. Phillips gave me a sympathetic smile as she waved goodbye. “Georgia,” I called out as she tried to go down the stairs, hopping on one foot without holding on.

“I got this!” she yelled before her body started to fall forward, teetering back and forth as if on a balance beam.

Before she could fall, I grabbed her by the waist and steadied her. “Jesus,” I muttered, pulling her body against mine. “Can’t you wait for me to help you?”

“I’m a big girl, Frisco. I don’t need anyone’s help.”

I looked up at the cloudy sky and cursed under my breath. “We have to talk,” I told her and lifted her foot off the ground, stalking to the car with her in my arms like a rag doll.

She held the crutches against her chest, letting them swing as I carried her. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

When we made it to the car, I set her down on her good leg and used her waist to turn her body to face me. “Georgia, I can’t explain everything. Just know that I would do anything to protect you.”

“Anything?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow and challenging me.

“Anything.”

She leaned back against the car door and crossed her arms over her chest. “Then whatever my dad has cookin’, I want you to ignore.”

My head recoiled and my mouth dropped open. I stared at her for a beat before finally closing my mouth. “I don’t know what you think he wants to do, but—”

“Don’t lie,” she said.

“I’m not lying.” I took a step closer and invaded her space. Reaching out, I ran my finger along her cheek, relishing the feel of her skin against mine. “Listen, your father and I have very different ideas about how things should be handled, but I’ll take care of it.”

She glanced up and stared off into space. “That’s what I’m afraid of,” she grumbled, and her lip began to quiver.

“Hey.” I cradled her face in my hands, bringing my lips against hers. “No one is going to die, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Her eyes darted to mine and narrowed into tiny slits. “But that doesn’t mean you aren’t going after the guy.”

I nodded, knowing I had been busted a long time ago. “I won’t say that I won’t get a few licks in, but he’ll survive the beating that’s coming his way and be arrested before the night’s out.”

“Why do you have to hit him?” she murmured against my lips, staring at me with tear-filled eyes.

“Because he hurt you.” I tightened the hold I had on her face.

“It was an accident, Frisco,” she muttered, my name sounding like a curse coming from her lips.

“He’s not a good guy, Georgia.”

She backed away, and my lips instantly missed her touch. “Take me home.”

I nodded, unlatched the door behind her, and helped her inside. It wouldn’t be an easy sell. I knew where her fear came from. She worried that things would get out of hand and that something would happen to me. It was the same fear that had gripped me last night.

As I drove, Georgia stared out the window and didn’t speak a word. The silence was deafening. Georgia never seemed the type to hold her tongue, but I didn’t dare push her.

When we arrived at her place, she exited the car and headed toward her front door. I watched through the window, shocked by her stubbornness and hating that she was pissed at me.

Before she could open the door, I jogged to her side and took the keys from her hand. “Let me.”

“I don’t think you should come in,” she said, yanking the keys out of my grip.

My body recoiled, feeling the blow of her words as if she’d hit me. “You can’t mean that.”

She bowed her head as her hand with the keys dropped to her side. “I just don’t know. I guess I don’t know you as well as I thought I did.”

I put my arm around her waist, holding her body flush against mine. “I’m still me.”

“But-t-t,” she said, her body shaking in my arms, “you’re going to hurt someone because of me.”

“Because of him,” I corrected her, brushing my lips against her face. “He did this.”

“Why not let the police handle this?”

“He has a rap sheet longer than your arm, Georgia.” I peppered kisses down her jawline, finding the spot I loved most on her neck. “Would City do the same if someone had run Sunshine off the road?”

She tipped her head back as her breathing quickened. “Maybe.”

“Men want to protect what’s theirs,” I told her and sank my teeth gently into her skin. “You are mine.”

Her body shivered in my arms. “Yes,” she moaned, angling her head to the side and giving me more access.

I licked her flesh, feeling her pulse beat under my tongue. “I’ll protect you until my last breath, Georgia.”

“Lie down and hold me for a little while.” Her voice was airy and filled with want.

I nodded because, hell, there wasn’t anything I wanted more in the world than to hold her in my arms.

After taking the key from her hand and unlocking the door, I scooped her into my arms and carried her inside. Letting the crutches drop to the floor, she kissed me as I kicked the door closed.