Page 46 of Ice Cold Liar

“It’s been a big night.”He glanced back toward the hallway.The bedroom.“I think I was wrong about Naomi.”

“Youthinkyou were wrong?Back up.Is this your mind talking, your heart talking, or your dick talking?”

“Someone is trying to hurt her.That can’t—won’t—happen on my watch.”

“I’m coming down there.Consider me your backup.I’ll be there as soon as I can get that jet wheels up.”

“She needs protection.She needs help.”A low exhale.“She needs me.”

“Wait, wait, wait.Think with your head, man.You were the woman’s executioner.”

He flinched.“No.”

“Bad choice of words, but you were the one who was going to bring her down.Less than twenty-four hours after arriving, you’re shouting her innocence and proclaiming your partner’s guilt?Dude.Slow down.Don’t get taken in by a beautiful face.I figured you’d be better than this.”Hunter cursed.“Yeah, I’ll be borrowing Declan’s private plane.Definitely.Getting my ass down there ASAP because you clearly need me.Should I call in your brother, too?Maybe he can talk some sense into you.”

“Did you miss the house-torching part?Someone is after her.”

“Yeah,youwere after her, like, yesterday!She has enemies because people believe she is a killer!”

He had been after her the day before.Had arrived in town with plans to wreck her world.

And now…

Now he wanted to keep her safe.To make her smile again.

Yeah, okay, I am seriously compromised.

No, compromised probably wasn’t the right word.

He finished talking to Hunter.Made more plans.Even hauled out his laptop from the bag he’d snagged with help from his new firefighter buddy, Jeffrey.Then he went back to the little bedroom.Opened the door.He needed to check on Naomi, after all.Make sure she was okay after the seizure.

She slept peacefully.She’d turned on her side.One hand curled under her chin.

He headed for the bed.Not quite a big enough bed for him.

But he still slid onto the mattress.Got right beside her as exhaustion swept through him, too.In order to keep her safe, he had to rest.Not like he could continue running on fumes.And he could have slept on the couch, provided that he didn’t mind his ass half hanging off it.

There was also the option of sleeping on the floor…

“Eb…” Naomi rasped his name.Her hand reached out.Curled around him.

Yeah, his ass was staying right there.In bed.With his target.

She’s not the target.

He kicked off his shoes.Kept on the rest of his clothes.Settled more comfortably against the bed.

She drifted closer.

“It’s okay,” he told her.“You’re safe.”

No, she was not the target, but he might be the one in danger because Eb damn well knew he was becoming obsessed with her.

ChapterTen

Fatal mistake.

She was in bed with the enemy.

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