Colters' Gift by Maya Banks Read Free Book Online Page A

I knew what you were thinking or why you just wouldn’t tell me the truth.”
    “I’m fine,” she croaked, and cringed at how easily she lied to her brother now. The truth was she wanted to crawl into a hole and die. But she couldn’t very well
say
that.
    “What do we need to do?” Max directed at Noah and Liam. “Are there any precautions that Lauren needs to take? How likely is this guy to come after her?”
    “It’s hard to say,” Noah said grimly. “We need to find out everything we can about him.”
    Lauren trembled against Liam and his grip tightened on her.
    “We aren’t going to let anything happen to you, Lauren,” Liam murmured.
    “I don’t want her left alone,” Max said sharply. “Is this the sort of thing you can have others do for you?” Then he shook his head. “I think you should move back in with me and Callie, Lauren.”
    “Max, no,” Lauren pleaded. “I like it here. I just got moved in. My job’s just across the street. Clyde is a world away from New York City. You heard Noah. They haven’t told anyone where I am. How on earth would he find me, and who says he even cares what I’m doing now?”
    Max looked torn. Seth was frowning.
    “I hate to upset you, Lauren, but I’m in agreement with Max on this one,” Seth said. “You shouldn’t be alone. Especially until we’ve had time to investigate this guy. I’m assuming from your tone that you have no desire to press charges?”
    She shook her head emphatically. “He’d be out of jail in an hour. He’d never do time. I just want to forget he ever existed. I don’t want to give him any reason to care about me one way or another.”
    Seth didn’t look happy, but he didn’t try to talk her into it.
    “She won’t be alone,” Noah said. “Liam and I would stick to her until we are absolutely certain this guy poses no threat.”
    “What do you want to do, Lauren?” Max asked.
    He was staring hard at Liam’s arm wrapped protectively around her. His gaze swept up and down the bigger man as if trying to figure out what it was he was missing in the big picture.
    Lauren sucked in a breath and then glanced at each of the occupants of the room.
    If she swore off any protection, A) she’d be the world’s biggest dumbass; and B) Max would have her moved back in with him and Callie in an hour flat. So much for asserting any sort of independence.
    “I want to stay here. In my apartment,” she finally said.
    “And you’re okay with Noah and Liam shadowing you twenty-four hours a day?” Max asked.
    She snuck a quick glance at Noah. Liam, she was relatively sure of. His hold on her spoke volumes. Noah . . . well, she didn’t know if he was still pissed or if he would be even more so once he got stuck babysitting her on a full-time basis again.
    “Why are you looking at me that way?” Noah asked, his eyes narrowing.
    “Because I’m not sure it’s fair to ask you to take on the job of babysitting me again,” she said bluntly. “I lied to you. I made your job more difficult. I wouldn’t blame you if you couldn’t wait to see the back of me.”
    “How about you let me worry about what I consider difficult,” Noah said softly. “Whether you move in with your brother or you stay here in this apartment, you’re stuck with me.”
    “And me,” Liam interjected.
    “And Liam,” Noah agreed. “So you better just get used to it. Until we know exactly who and what we’re dealing with, you’re going to be tripping over us on a daily basis.”
    “I don’t want any trouble,” Seth said, straightening his stance. “I need to be kept in the loop on everything. If there’s a problem in my town, it’s my problem. Plus, Lauren is family. My entire family looks out for her. I need to know whatever threat there is because you can damn well bet my wife, mother and sister will be in the thick of it.”
    “Understood,” Liam said, his hold never loosening on Lauren. “We’ll give you whatever information we uncover as