Page 54 of My Silver Fox Savior

“She’s the reason I’m here.”

“Whoa. Really?”

“If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here,” I say honestly. “I might’ve tried to get a case going, but I wouldn’t have hired security. I wouldn’t have done what I did last night. She’s the reason I keep going. I inspired her to get into social work, butsheinspiresme.”

Grace laughs again. “Is Lily yourgirlfriend?”

“I wish,” I say, getting another laugh. “Do you want to watch TV?”

“Yeah. Can I choose?”

“Sure.”

“They’re sleeping right now,” Ethan tells me thirty minutes later. I’m making myself some coffee in their little rundown kitchen. There are pill bottles in half the cupboards, some with pills,others for the trash. “I’m pretty sure they are, anyway. I can knock lightly if you want to talk to her?”

“No, don’t do that. Let her sleep.” I force myself to say this, but it’s not easy. The urge to hear her voice is real. “How did she seem?”

“Shaken up, but she’s strong. I can tell that. I might’ve said more than I should have.”

“How so?”

“Vivian asked about your dating life. I think she was in mother-bear mode, you know. I told them the stuff you said to me once about never being able to find a lady.”

“Until Lily,” I growl. “Maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe she’ll know how special she is now.”

“What are you doing, Landon? Exactly?”

“It’s better if you don’t know,” I tell him. “Just try to get your cop buddies interested in that video. Somebody has to care.”

“I’ve sent it to two friends from … the time before.” He’s talking about the apple tree. “But this is different. This is the mob.”

“Just let me know what they say,” I snap.

He sighs. “I will, but don’t get your hopes up. I can’t make any promises here.”

“But she seemed okay?”

“Yeah, man. She did. Maybe you should call her.”

“She can’t be part of this,” I snap. “It’s too dangerous. As long as she’s okay.”

“Yes, Landon, she’s okay.”

I sense the sarcasm in his voice. I must’ve used the wordokayabout twenty goddamn times.

“Good.”

“Just be careful, brother.”

“Or what? I’m dead anyway.”

“Jesus, Landon.”

“I’m sorry. That was too much.”

I hang up, feeling glum and way too ready for more violence. It’s like my frantic energy comes from knowing that I have to handle Damon and his goons if I’m going to spend time with my Lily.MyLily? I don’t care how it sounds, dammit. I’m going to think of her that way. It feels true. When she broke down last night, holding me, I felt closer to her than I ever have to anybody.

Ethan was right to tell her I’d sometimes look at the happy few married couples in public, on some level, wishing I could have the same. Though on another level, even more profound, I knew I never could. Something in me makes me cold, and Lily sees it. She accepts it.

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