“Please don’t. I—”

I shook my head slowly, indicating I was uninterested in what she had to say for him. I turned away, heading for the door. The sooner I got this over with, the less chance I would have to back out.

“Stop,” she shouted, surprising me. The force behind her order was far more than I expected from the tiny slip of a woman. I forced myself to face her again and met stormy eyes in a sea of blue.

So much like Lake when she was upset.

In this case, she was furious.

“I asked you not to, but now I’m telling you. You’re not going to kill him.”

I charged forward, but she held her ground. I gritted my teeth to keep from shouting and spewing threats and obscenities.

“Why are you protecting him?”

“I’m not protecting him.”

“Bullshit.”

“Maybe at first, but now I’m protecting you.”

My vision of her narrowed as suspicion took over my instincts.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the same reason you’re hell bent on protecting us?” She turned away to pace. “I don’t know why, but I do know he’s not worth it. I don’t know you very well, young man, but something tells me you’ve overcome a lot and fought a hell of a lot of demons to do it. Don’t give that up for someone like Robert. Do you think your lady deserves that?”

No.

Fuck no.

But killing was the only way I knew how to make problems go away. It was all I knew.

Wasn’t it?

“You didn’t kill me two nights ago,” she reminded, and I wondered what she was getting at. She didn’t leave me guessing for long. “Think about why.”

I knew why, or at least, I thought I did.

“You’re not a killer anymore,” she continued.

“You don’t know me.”

“I don’t have to. If you were still a killer, you would have killed me and made your job much easier by two days and fifty thousand dollars.”

When I had convinced Laurie to leave her home and husband with her daughters, I promised them a new life and fifty grand to get her started, along with a house far away from Robert. After only a split hesitation, she accepted my offer and quietly stole away in the middle of the night with her girls.

“You may not see it yet, but you have a future. Robert stole mine. I won’t let him take yours, too.”

I didn’t move or speak for some time. Every dark part of me leftover from my past wanted to ignore her plea.

“Fine.” She looked relieved, and I hated it. I wanted him dead. A part of me felt as if killing Robert would restore the balance between the stolen revenge against my own. I ignored that part and focused on the present. “But I won’t always be around. If he comes after you—if he kills you— I want you to remember the decision you made to let him live.”

* * *

It was a dick move but necessary. She may not have changed her mind about her husband living, but at least, she would be on guard. I just hoped that if the need arrived, she would find the courage to protect herself and her daughters.

I finished installing the security system and made sure they had everything they needed with the promise to return and hauled ass back to California.

I had an infuriating girlfriend to find, and I think I knew just where to look.

I didn’t make it back until two in the morning. Exhausted, I climbed into our bed alone, which seemed bigger and colder without her. I resisted the urge to pout and slid my hand in underneath the sheets instead, finding the hardness beneath. I gripped my dick and reached for my phone with my other hand.

I needed her.

I was determined to get her any way I could at this point.

I clicked on the icon of her naked form as she slept one morning after a night of fucking, engaged the speaker, and laid the phone on my lower stomach just above my cock. I waited—anticipating the moment I would hear her melodic voice.

“Yes, Keiran,” she answered sounding sleepy and defiant.

Such a handful.

“Where are you?” I demanded even as my hand began to stroke.

I heard her sigh and imagined the feel of her breath on my dick. It hardened in response.

“It’s almost three in the morning. Besides, I told you before. We need time apart to think.”

“And I told you that you belong here.” With me.

“So you can try to scare me?”

Fuck. Why did the thought of feeling her tremble beneath me in fear cause me to lift my hips with need?

“Oh, wait.” She laughed but it was filled with sarcasm rather than humor. “You want me back so you can protect me.”