Page 46 of August

“Lemme see.” He flicked on the tap and gently ran her skin under cool water. He smoothed his thumb along the top of her hand. “We might have some ointment.”

“It’s not bad. Please tell me what you were going to say.”

He sighed, wrapped her hand in a dish towel, then leaned against the counter still supporting her arm as if he expected her to fall over. Sympathy made the weathered skin of his forehead crinkle. “Your old house, the one you lived in with Todd... it was burned down last night.”

Gigi gasped. All the blood drained from her face. “Ohmigod. Did anyone live there?”

“No. It was vacant. Up for foreclosure. The cartel is sending a message. That’s all it was.”

Dread seeped into her pores and tears filled her eyes. She didn’t give a shit about the house, had never intended to return. And yet... at one point, it’d been her home. The attack was as personal as it got.

August’s knuckle caught her chin. “Hey, I’m sorry.”

She shook her head and tried to find an explanation for what she was feeling. “I—I don’t know why I’m upset. It was just a house. Wasn’t even mine, really.” She swallowed and searched August’s curious gaze.

Lines of trepidation creased the skin around his eyes. He seemed afraid. Perhaps worried that the news would unravel something. Feelings for Todd, maybe.

She circled her hand around his forearm. “I don’t care about my time there with Todd. I hope you know that. I just—It’s scary.”

August nodded, and some of the tension left his face. “I understand. It’s a pretty nasty message they’re sending.”

“So what’s your plan? How are you going to bait them?” Her stomach twisted, and the bitter coffee sat like swamp water in her stomach.

His knuckle remained under her chin, and he smoothed the tip of his thumb beneath her bottom lip. “I’m still figuring out the details. I need you to trust me on this until I know more.”

“Well, you must have an idea if you think you can dangle something in front of them.” Her eyes went big. “Me?”

His head reared back. “Fuck, no. They’re not coming within one hundred feet of you. No, babe,” he repeated, shaking his head. “But as soon as I’ve got something that’ll work, I’ll share more. Gimme a couple hours. Okay?”

She nodded and lowered her gaze. What choice did she have? Unless she wanted to walk into the cartel’s arms, she was stuck. On top of that, she couldn’t do anything to help. She had nothing to bargain with. Nothing the cartel wanted besides her head, and she really, really didn’t want to hand that over.

Everyone was trying to protect her—August, Rami, Ivy, the guys at Backcountry Protection Services working behind the scenes. She’d become nothing but a burden, and people were putting their lives on the line because she’d gotten into a mess up to her eyeballs.

The tears stinging her eyes started to spill out.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

She sank her teeth into her bottom lip and shook her head. A current of anguish that rivaled the force of the river tugged at her knees.

August cupped her cheeks with both hands, his expression dark and earnest. “Honey, you have nothing to worry about. I’m going to take care of this. I fucking promise you.” His gaze roamed her face.

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” She swallowed the swollen ball of emotion in her throat. “You getting hurt because of me.”

He snorted. “I’m not going to get hurt. I’ve been up against far worse. I even faced the cartel a few months ago, if you recall. I’m still standing, ain’t I?”

Despair closed in around her. He was right. He’d been there all along. Fighting for her when he was fighting for Ivy because the man’s heart was so big he couldn’t stand the thought of her in pain even after what she’d done to him.

“What are you thinking?”

“That I don’t deserve you. That everyone’s risking their lives to fight these demons and I’m here”—she swept her gaze around the fancy penthouse—“living in the lap of luxury.”

She sniffed, and a tear rolled down her cheek to disappear in his massive palm.

“That’s not what this is.” August’s statement rang with finality. “But if you think for one minute that I wouldn’t protect you with my life, no matter what the circumstances, you’re dead wrong.”

She let out a choked, hysterical laugh. “Yeah, and I don’t want you to die!”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

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