Page 60 of Protect Me
Startled, I leaned back. “I haven’t heard from Kinoshi once I dropped it off, and he said he’d let me know.”
Vini smiled. “Good. Now you can focus on more important things, like when you’re going to marry my brother. So you haven’t seen Timothy again?”
“Just that time at the grocery store that I told you about,” I murmured, thoughtful now.
My mind wandered over the last week. Since Tempest Lake, I’d been in a sort of summery, happy daze. Hours at work flew by, and the time at home with Vik wasn’t long enough. A low-level thrum of euphoria glazed each hour together, even the boring ones. Though we had no formal agreement, and touches were frequent and fleeting, his attention and laughter brightened every aspect of my life.
Yet when had I let Timothy glide into the background? Somewhere in the safe shuffle of living, kept away from the ills of the world by Vik’s home.
His very presence.
“Well, I need to go,” Vini said with a sigh. “I have an online appointment coming up in ten minutes. Just wanted to hear about Tempest Lake and make sure you weren’t still living in denial over how you feel about my brother.”
“I’ve never denied how much I loved him.”
“True. But now you’re protecting yourself and, in this case, it may not be needed. You’re denyinghimloving you, and that’s the same thing.”
A smile slipped across my lips. “Thanks, Vini. I’ll keep you updated. Love you. Kiss the baby for me.”
With a smile, she ended the video call. I turned back to the rest of my laundry, piled at the bottom of the dryer. One of Vikram’s shirts that I’d thrown into the washer with mine tangled into a pair of pants. Both came out next. I stopped, lifted the shirt to my nose, and drew in a deep breath.
Sunshine.
Leaves.
Wild things.
A thought occurred to me with stunning clarity: I hadn’t reviewed my rules in days.
A manilla folder landed on the desk in front of me, pages fluttering like bird wings under the heavier shell. My name was written across the top in neat, black lines. Kinoshi smiled.
“Your restraining order is filed.”
“Really?”
“All done. You now hold a restraining order against Timothy Hanover.”
Relief tripled through me. “That’s . . . a huge burden off of me, Kinoshi. Thank you for acting so quickly.”
He frowned. “I would have liked to see it done faster, but there’s no pushing the courts. It’s through now, so you have some legal recourse against him should he attempt anything. Perhaps not tangible protection, but it’s something.”
“Better than nothing.”
Kinoshi tilted his head. “Yes. Preparation, for sure. We’ll be able to act more decisively should he violate parole. I’ve seen him once or twice around Pineville now. Have you?”
I nodded.
Compassion filled his gaze. “Did he see you?”
“Once that I know of.”
“Are you handling this change all right? It must feel invasive to have him near your hometown, where you were once safe.”
His concern startled me. Kinoshi had been more kind than I expected from such a professional attorney, with sincere compassion for his clients. Never had I once felt afraid with him, and that meant so much.
Answering his question was more difficult than I expected. The safety Vikram provided had created a buffer against Timothy’s return to my life. Now, I wasn’t sure how I truly felt about the situation.
Everything else was so . . . nebulous.
