And she was just going to ignore the little voice inside her saying it wasn’t gross at all, and she was an idiot for trying to convince herself it was. If that was the best excuse she could come up with for why she shouldn’t check him out, she was so screwed.
But what she’d meant was that she’d woken up thinking about him and the mystery surrounding all of the Enforcers.
And she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She was ready to move on with her life—up to a point, that was. She wasn’t sure she was ready to move on romantically, and didn’t know if she ever would be.
Not thinking about Brandon as soon as she woke up meant that she might be moving on the way she did want, and she felt a little relieved. She was ready to move into her future, but she honestly hadn’t known if she’d be able to. That felt like the first step.
But it made her a little sad, too. For most of her life, she’d known Brandon was her future, and when he died, she hadn’t wanted to let that dream go. Even though it couldn’t come true, she clung to it, grieving just as hard for it as she had for him. That was part of why it took her so long to begin to heal. She’d lost two things the day Brandon died—him, as well as the future he promised her.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Glancing up into Noah’s concerned green gaze, she forced a smile as she nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. So when do we leave?”
His eyes narrowed as he studied her. “Right now, if you’re ready.”
“I am. My bag’s packed. I’ll go get it.”
“I’ll get it. I have to get my own. I’ll be right back down.”
He turned and strode toward the stairs, and she watched the fluid way he moved his powerful body. Frowning thoughtfully, she remembered what she’d been thinking the night before. He definitely didn’t seem to have any lingering issues from his injury, and that just seemed odd, considering how severely he’d been hurt.
And then there was the fact that his eyes changed color. She hadn’t been imagining it when she came downstairs earlier. She’d thought her imagination was going into overdrive when the green seemed to glow, but she’d seen it happen just then. As she watched, they lightened until they were glowing—not as bright as when she first saw them earlier, but more than any normal human’s eyes would.
Maybe he wasn’t human at all.
She wanted to scoff at herself, but there was clearly more to him than a normal person. She didn’t know what he really was, but he had to be more. As absurd as the thought sounded, it was the only thing that made sense.
Maybe all the Enforcers were more. She’d need more time to observe them, which meant staying once they were back from their mission. But if that was what it took to unravel the mystery, then she’d do it.
She didn’t have anything to rush home for, anyway. She worked for a tech firm, but she rarely went into the office anymore. Since Brandon’s death, they’d allowed her to work from home for the most part, and she only went in for the occasional meeting. Her laptop was with her, and she had absolutely no one waiting on her. She could stay as long as it took to figure this—them—out.
Noah was back soon with their suitcases, and as she followed him out to the back parking lot, her eyes narrowed on him. He was carrying them easily, and she wasn’t sure what his felt like, but hers was heavy.
But maybe that had nothing to do with an extra quality he might have, she thought, eyeing him appreciatively. He was built like a brick house, his tall frame heavily muscled. Surely that was the reason he was carrying them effortlessly.
She’d continue to watch him closely, but Lord knew, that wouldn’t be a hardship at all. She snorted with amusement at her thoughts, and he turned his head as he stopped by a big black truck, cocking an eyebrow at her. The idea of telling him what she’d been thinking made her giggle and she just shook her head at him mutely.
He turned to put the suitcases in and she couldn’t resist anymore. “How tall are you, Noah?”
The look he gave her made her think he was suddenly questioning her sanity. Hell, so was she, so she didn’t hold it against him.
“I’m six foot four. Why?”
“Oh, no reason.”
Well, that explained it. The truck was jacked up high enough that she knew she was going to have trouble getting in, and she was average in height. But it looked normal sized next to him. The urge to laugh again came to her, and, wondering if she was going delirious, she cleared her throat, looking around and spotting the row of motorcycles.
“Oh, are those y’all’s? Which one is yours?”
He walked up next to her and pointed to the right. “That blue one there.”
Curious, she walked closer, studying it as she went. It was bright blue and chrome, shining brightly in the sunlight. There was a logo on the side—a grizzly bear wearing a helmet, with bones forming a cross behind it, and the words Blood & Bone Enforcers surrounding it.
“Is that what you guys are called? Blood and Bone Enforcers?”
“Yeah. There are other groups of Enforcers, but that’s our name.”
“Weird name for law enforcement,” she muttered under her breath. “Why a grizzly?”