Page 54 of Rescuing Nathaniel

“You can't take a cab home by yourself, Ava,” he reminded her gently. If her mind wasn't clogged with a million worries and concerns, she’d already have figured that out on her own.

“Why not?” Her brow crinkled and he knew it hadn't clicked for her yet.

“Because you have a target on your back,” Josiah said, speaking up for the first time since Nathaniel and Ava had come there after leaving the hospital. It was clear the man had some issues, and since they were all from the same world, he knew what had happened to Josiah and his team and couldn’t imagine living through that and coming out the other end unscathed.

Again, Ava seemed to deflate, sinking deeper into her chair, deeper inside herself. “Right. Of course. I should have known that.”

“You’ve been through a lot, cut yourself some slack,” Tobias said, and they all nodded their agreement.

She was acting like she should just snap back to normal now that she was home, but they all knew that wasn't what happened. Ava had lived through something traumatic and had lost pieces, not just of her physical self, but her psychological self as well. It was going to take time to rebuild those pieces, and many of them would never be completely the same again.

“So what happens to me next?” Ava asked in a small voice he hated. He wanted to see her strong and confident as much as he knew these moments when she felt weak were precisely when she needed him to be at his strongest.

Nathaniel had no intention of being anywhere Ava wasn't. He just wasn't sure what kind of resistance he was going to get to his plan. Prey was a family, and he was sure that any of the men or women who worked there would be more than happy to step up and play bodyguard.

Across the room, Nathaniel met Raven’s gaze. Her blue eyes studied him with an intensity he wasn't used to. Before today, he’d never met any of the infamous Oswald siblings, but now he’d met not only Raven, but Eagle had popped by earlier to check on Ava. He respected how the Oswalds had created such a tight-knit group at their company, and he was glad that Ava had found a sense of family she likely hadn't had with her own, the same way he had in the SEALs.

Was Raven going to pull rank now?

Shut him out because he wasn't part of this family?

When she gave him a small nod, he let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding in. He’d passed some sort of test, although he wasn't sure what it was or what he’d done to pass, but he was grateful he was going to be given this opportunity.

“Next, I take you home so you can rest and recuperate. Then tomorrow, if you're feeling up to it, I can bring you back here so you can keep working with your team. Ava …” Nathaniel shifted so his hands were holding hers rather than the arms of her chair, “… no one wants to shut you out or ask you to take a step back. You can be involved in this, but you also need to remember that your body is still healing, and so is your mind. Sometimes you might feel more detachment like you're working this case rather than being a part of it, but other times it might be harder to find that distance, and that’s okay.”

The smile she graced him with was almost shy and it sent a jolt through his length, which twitched as he remembered their conversation on unwrapping while they’d still been in Mexico.

“You're going to be my chauffeur?” she asked softly.

“I’m going to be your bodyguard,” he clarified, pleased when no one else protested. It was clear he didn't just have Raven’s blessing but the blessings of her entire team. He had to assume Josiah included since the man didn't voice a differing opinion.

“Bodyguard?”

“Not going to let anyone get their hands on you, Aves.” Almost absently, his fingers stroked her soft skin, only he wasn't sure if he was trying to soothe her or himself. “These people want you back. I won't let that happen. Which means I’m going to stay with you until we know the threat is over.”

A small part of him didn't want to walk away even then. A part he was pretty sure was going to keep growing the longer they spent together.

CHAPTER14

March 6th

12:34 P.M.

This felt weird.

Not in a bad way, just odd.

In the six years Ava had lived in this apartment with her friends, she had only brought men home a handful of times. Usually when she was dating, which wasn't all that often, mostly when she got lonely and wanted the companionship that came from being in a relationship, she’d stay at his house if they were spending the night together.

Something about living with her two best friends made her feel a little embarrassed about having sex with a guy while they were in the next room. Maybe it was because she was a bit loud when she was in the middle of love-making, and knowing that other people could hear her would always take her out of the moment and ruin any enjoyment she would otherwise have gotten.

She understood this wasn't the same as that, things were still way up in the air between her and Nathaniel, but it still felt strange to be taking the elevator to her floor with him at her side. This time, there would be no team to distract them, it would be just the two of them until later today when Chelsea and Teresa came home.

“You're sure this is okay with your commander?” she asked for probably the tenth time since Nathaniel had pronounced himself her protector.

“I’m on temporary leave, so this will be fine,” he assured her as the doors dinged open and she led him down the hall to her apartment.

Guilt settled heavily in her gut. That was her fault. “I hate that you’re being punished because of me.”

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