Burning Up

previously pristine wall. “Bullet.” His jaw was a brutal line, his eyes . . . his eyes .
    Stepping instinctively closer, she put her hand on his chest. “Emmett.”
    He glanced down, those incredible green-gold eyes, leopard eyes, looking out at her from a human face. His hand cupped her cheek. “You have a scratch here.” A thumb stroking gently over a hurt she didn’t even feel, his gaze predator-cold.
    She didn’t know how she knew what to do. She just did. Instead of fighting off his hold as she had earlier, she leaned into him, slipping her arms around his waist. His own came around her at almost the same instant, and he squeezed her close, until she could barely breathe. But she held on, held tight.
    She didn’t know how long they stood wrapped around each other, but when he did finally release her, the fear in the restaurant had turned to speculation. Likely, her grandmother and mother would be hearing all about it in the time it took to type a text message. She didn’t care. Because the leopard was gone from Emmett’s eyes, his rage under control.
    He tapped her cheek. “Grab your purse. This place needs to be looked at by our techs, and I want you safe at home.”
    Realizing he wanted to start tracking the shooter as soon as possible, Ria didn’t argue. Emmett’s eyes were hyperalert as they began to head out of the restaurant, his big body vibrating with protectiveness.
    “Please!”
    Startled, she looked over her shoulder. It was the waitress Emmett had taken down—the woman ran over, a bag of take-out containers in hand. Her smile was a little wary as it flicked to Emmett, but her gratitude clear. “Thank you.” She shook her head when Emmett, the majority of his attention clearly on ensuring no more nasty surprises, went to grab his wallet. “It’s a gift. My father was in the army. He says that bullet would’ve hit me first.” She pressed the bag into Ria’s hands. “Please take this.”
    Ria accepted it, understanding the family’s need to give something back to the man who’d saved their child’s life. “Thank you.”
    The woman smiled and looked up at Emmett. “You’re welcome at our table at any time.”
    Emmett gave a short nod. Ria wondered if he understood the value of the invitation. She could’ve let it go, but that wasn’t who she was—she asked him about it as they walked home at a rapid clip.
    “I know,” he said, his voice tense as he scanned the area. “We’ve been working on building relationships with the folks around here, but it’s been a slow process. You’re very insular.”
    “Talk about the big, fat charcoaled pot calling the kettle black.”
    An unworried shrug, no smile. “Didn’t say we didn’t understand.”
    “People like DarkRiver cats,” she said, wondering why that damn arrogance was sexy on him. “You’ve cleaned things up so the shopkeepers feel safe.”
    “We’re starting to get friendlier smiles,” he told her, “but that’s all going to be fucked to hell if Vincent and his gang of thugs start shooting holes in defenseless people.”
    “I have a feeling they don’t know what they’re up against.”
    A hard glance. “You got that right, mink.”
    She opened her mouth to respond but they’d arrived at her family home and Amber was waiting in the doorway, cell phone in hand. “She’s home!” her sister-in-law said into the slim white device as soon as she spotted Ria. “No, she’s safe. Emmett’s with her.”
    All but lifting Ria inside, Emmett ordered Amber to shut the door. “And stay inside.” He was gone before Ria could say anything else.
    Blowing out a breath, she took the phone Amber was holding out. “Mom, I’m fine.” She repeated that for the next ten minutes, until Alex finally calmed down. By that time, her grandmother had prepared tea, brought out two giant hunks of Mr. Wong’s famous Divine Madeira Cake, and begun to make her special sweet black-sesame soup, one of Ria’s favorites.
    “Sit!” she said when Amber began to stand up as if to help.
    Amber sat with a thankful groan. “The baby’s kicking so hard. Want to feel?”
    “Yes!” Ria scooted over. Amber was a great sister-in-law, but she was also intensely private. This kind of an invitation didn’t come often. Placing her hand on Amber’s abdomen, she stayed very still. Miaoling’s future great-grand(gender unknown) didn’t keep Ria waiting. She felt two very distinct thuds. “Wow, I think I felt the shape of a