Page 74 of Protect Thy Enemy

“You just…” I pause, choosing my words carefully. “You remind me of someone.”

She tilts her head, studying me with those sharp, dark eyes that see too much. “Someone you hated?”

“No,” I admit, my grip on the wheel loosening. “Someone I looked up to.”

Her expression softens, the sarcasm fading. “Who?”

The air in the car feels heavier, like the weight of his name presses down on my chest. I could say it,Leo, but that would open doors I’m not ready to walk through. Doors she’s been waiting outside of, desperately wanting to get in.

“It doesn’t matter,” I say finally, my tone cutting off any further questions.

She watches me for a moment longer, her gaze lingering like she’s trying to piece me together. Then she leans back in her seat, crossing her arms. “You know, for someone who’s a straight shooter, you’re pretty bad at answering direct questions.”

“And you’re pretty good at asking too many of them.”

She smirks, shaking her head. “Fine, no more questions. I’ll let you brood in peace.”

The silence that follows is heavy but not uncomfortable. It’s strange, this back-and-forth, this push and pull. It’s not like anything I’m used to.

It’s... different.

As we approach the pickup point, she breaks the silence again. “You ever get tired of it?”

“Tired of what?”

“Keeping everyone at arm’s length.”

I glance at her, an uncomfortable feeling in my chest. “Do you?”

She laughs softly, shaking her head. “Grumpy, cryptic, and a part-time therapist. Truly a triple threat. Do you charge by the hour or…?”

Before I can respond, Senator Fallon appears, his posture stiff as he approaches the car. Arden straightens immediately, her demeanor shifting to professional. I step out to greet Fallon with a curt nod.

He doesn’t waste time silently sliding into the back seat with a brief nod in my direction and barely sparing Arden a glance.

I don’t bother with small talk. He doesn’t seem like the type who would appreciate it anyway.

“You two are who they sent for me?” Fallon asks, his tone laced with skepticism. When his eyes finally land on her, they linger a beat too long for my liking.

“Is that a problem?” My voice is low and steady. Dangerous.

He looks at me then, his expression unreadable. “No. Just didn’t expect…” His gaze flicks back to her.Say it, motherfucker, I dare you.

Arden stiffens beside me, but she doesn’t rise to the bait. Smart.

I’d hate to have to kill him too before the mission is completed.

Fallon catches the warning in my expression and wisely shifts his focus. “ETA?”

“You’ll know when we get there,” I say.

He doesn’t ask again.

The ride is silent, the previous tension now stretching thin between the three of us. Fallon sits back, his hands resting lightly on his knees, but there’s a coiled energy to him, like he’s always bracing for something.

It’s all of his own doing. His own fault. Men like him are always looking for a shortcut. A way to get more power, more money, no matter who they fuck over on the way to the top.

Arden, on the other hand, is fidgeting. Her fingers tap against the edge of the door, the rhythm quick and uneven. She’s uncomfortable. Nervous, maybe. Probably even both. I doubt she even realizes she’s doing it, even as she tries her hardest to hide it.

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