“What’s that? I’ll try anything.”
“Move. This neighborhood’s not safe for you, and it sure as hell isn’t doing Sammy any good to associate with the kids around here.”
For a fleeting instant Dana’s expression brightened, then her face fell. “I can’t afford to move.”
Before Jason could open his mouth to offer to help, she held up her hand. “I won’t take a cent from you.”
“Do you really have a choice? If you don’t do something, Sammy’s likely to end up in jail. Let me help. If you won’t take money, then move into my place.”
Her eyes widened. “You have to be kidding.”
Actually Jason thought he might be slightly insane, but the longer he toyed with the idea, the more he saw it as the only solution. Once Sammy was removed from these surroundings, the kid might actually have a chance. As for Dana, at least she would be out of danger. Of all of them, he was the one most likely to be endangered by such a move. The feelings that had slammed into his gut when he’d faced the prospect of losing her would be on the line if she were in close proximity. He had to risk it, though. For her sake. And Sammy’s.
“Just temporarily,” he said, giving both of them a needed out. “Just until you save enough to get a better place in a better neighborhood. There are plenty of bedrooms. You and Sammy can both have your privacy.”
He allowed his gaze to linger until he saw the rise of desire in her eyes. He dropped his voice. “If you want it.”
Dana seemed to shake off the spell she’d clearly been succumbing to. “Not a good idea,” she said, but there was a breathlessness to her voice that contradicted the declaration. She was tempted. He would just have to make her see the logic of it.
At the first stirring of Vinnie and his cohorts, Jason glanced toward them and asked pointedly, “Do you have a better idea?”
“No, but…”
“Just promise me you’ll think about it.”
With her gaze locked with his, she finally sighed and nodded. “I’ll think about it.”
“By the way, are you ready to concede that the police are not headed our way? If so, I suggest we take off before these guys decide they’d like to go another round. If they ask for more, I’m not at all sure I won’t be the one in jail with a murder rap hanging over my head. With any luck, we can make that call ourselves and get the cops down here before these jerks vanish.”
Dana’s chin inched up. “I’ll wait. You call the police.”
“Oh, no,” Jason said. “You’re not staying here another minute. And since we’ve already established that there are very valid reasons for not leaving me within a mile of these guys without witnesses, we’re going together.”
“What if they escape?”
“Then we’ll just have to convince Sammy to tell us who they are. Now let’s go.” He groaned as he leaned down to pick up the bag with the steaks in it. They were about the only thing he could salvage from his romantic offerings. The bottle of wine had broken when he dropped it to go after Vinnie. The bouquet of flowers had been trampled. Dana stared around at the mess, seeing it for the first time.
“Flowers?”
“For you. Sorry they didn’t make it.”
She picked up one spunky daffodil that was less bruised than the rest and held it gently. “They’re beautiful,” she said. “Thank you.”
“I’ll buy you more.”
“No. I like this one. It’s a survivor.”
Jason shook his head wearily and admitted with grudging admiration, “Like you.”
Sometimes Dana’s fight-to-the-end philosophy scared the daylights out of him. Protecting a woman like that took more ingenuity than most mortal men possessed. He was trying, though.
And with a little divine intervention and a whole lot of patience, maybe he’d survive Dana’s stubborn determination to fight him every step of the way.
Chapter Ten
After the incident in the alley, Jason could barely bring himself to let Dana out of his sight. He was astounded by the deep feeling of protectiveness she aroused in him. Again and again he tried to tell himself it wasn’t because he was falling in love with her. He couldn’t be. He was a man who always used his head, and his head had warned him from the outset to steer clear of her. His heart, though, was another matter. He couldn’t seem to control it the way he could his thoughts.
The only thing keeping him from forcing the issue of a move was the knowledge that Dana’s reaction to pressure was likely to be withdrawal. She didn’t seem to trust simple generosity. It had taken him a long time to understand that. It was Halloran tradition to reach out, to give something back to the community, to help those in need. In Dana’s world, though, she’d learned to look for the ulterior motive.
Jason had no idea how to break through that kind of instinctive self-protection except to give her time. Since she was about to start working full-time for the Lansing Agency, and thus for him, on Monday, he didn’t want to do anything that would scare her off. Once they were locked into a day-in, day-out pattern, he could look after her the way he wanted to without arousing her fiery streak of independence.
That didn’t keep him from calling as many times each day as he could justify. It was astonishing the number of excuses he could manufacture. If Dana suspected his motives on this too, she never let on. On most occasions, she actually sounded glad to hear from him, at least until he tried to delve into anything personal. She dodged those questions with the skill of a shady politician. When he brought up Sammy, who’d refused any more boxing lessons, she turned downright testy. Jason
