Page 28 of Under His Watch

She started to shake her head but stopped midway. “I guess Elliot would be curious, but he’s notmyconcern. I don’t care what he thinks or guesses.”

I liked the sound of that. Even though there were more pressing things on hand now, like the Devil’s Brothers trespassing on Constella property and killing one of our guards, I didn’t intend to give up on figuring out how I could help Tessa with this crooked lawyer she had no interest in.

“We’ll head out to the other location now. And once things settle down,” I promised as I looked her directly in the eye, “I will resume working on how to sever any obligations or connections you have with Elliot.”

She stared at me, seeming to search my face. For what, I didn’t know, but I hated the possibility that she might not believe me.

“If that’s what you want,” I added.

She huffed a light laugh. “Oh, I want. Not having to even think about being with Elliot would be a dream come true.” Furrowing her brow, she seemed to rethink her words. “I don’t mean… I’m saying… You…”

I raised my brows.

“I’m not asking you to, um, remove him for me.” She rubbed her jaw, sheepish now. “Not like you removed those three men last night.”

But it’d be my fucking pleasure to.“Killing Elliot Hines would be a different endeavor from killing those three bastards last night. Hines would be missed, and with the connections he seems to have by representing some of our rivals, it would be a complicated mess.”

She nodded.

“However,” I said and stepped closer, “Iwilldo anything and everything to help you and keep you safe, Tess.”

Her smile was slow and sexy. “I like when you do that.”

“What?” I’d do it again to get that smile.

“Shorten my name. I always wished more people would. I like the sound of it better.”

“I like it too, Tess.”And I definitely like what you and I could be if you lower your guard to do more than let me take care of your safety.

An hour later, we were packed and heading out of the house. A soldier followed us in another car. It had to be the backup security Franco arranged for after Joseph was killed.

Tessa didn’t talk on the ride, but I was aware of her looking out the window and watching me through her peripheral vision. The silence wasn’t awkward, but I wanted to make sure that she’d didn’t spiral or fall back to a quieter, shell-shocked numbness.

What she went through wouldn’t—and shouldn’t—be dismissed. Trauma is a difficult thing to manage, and I had a suspicion she’d never faced anything like it before. My method of dealing with trauma or anything heavy was to hide my emotions and let a high and thick wall block me from anything else impacting me. It wasn’t the healthiest coping mechanism. I knew it was a terrible flaw, but even worse, right now, I felt clueless and inadequate to know how to help Tessa cope.

“I can still contact Danicia if you need her help,” I said.

She flinched, and I realized neither of us had spoken for at least a half hour.

“Okay. I don’t think you need to ask her to drive far or anything like that. I packed all the clothes she dropped off, and all the medicine.”

“Good.” God, I hated how stilted I sounded. I wasn’t sure how to read her when she acted like everything was fine. There was no way she’d moved on past her trauma yet, so I had to assume she was either ignoring it and shoving it aside or trying to mask how it controlled her, that fake, stoic attempt like I did.

It was easier when she asked me for help. I knew how to care for her when she requested that I hold her. I wasn’t confused when she ran toward me to be in my embrace. Maybe it was thedistance in the car, the center console separating us as though it were a ten-foot-high wall. But I dreaded that she might be trying to shelter herself from needing anything from me.

If she’s determined to be aloof and shut me out, then why would she say she wanted to stick around with me?

By the time we reached the cabin, I was more confused, on edge to be alone with her here.

What if she’d be better off with Nina, someone she knows and cares about?

What if she needs meds or counseling that I can’t help with?

What if she changes her mind about leaning on a Mafia prince for protection?

What if?—

“I can take the couch,” she protested, again, in the living room of the cabin.

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