Page 88 of With A Little Luck
She hasn’t decided if she’s going to file a police report. It’s clear she’s struggling with what she thinks is the morally sound call, and she’s saying what she needs to say to ensure I don’t kill her.
“I know you don’t,” I say, placating her. “And I won’t allow that to happen, but again, to ensure her safety, I have to be in a position to protect her. These aren’t the kind of men who run when sirens get close. They won’t hesitate to take out a cop or two if that’s what it takes to complete their contract.” Seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars is a motivator like noother, but I keep the financial details to myself. “Quincy is at risk. We’re not talking about low-level thugs or a pissed-off ex-boyfriend. These are contract killers. They don’t knock. They don’t warn you that you’re next, but now that you know what’s happening, you’re at risk too. They will come for you if they eventhinkyou have information thatmightlead them to their target.”
Her hand flies to cover her mouth, and I prepare myself to duck out of the way if she vomits.
There we go.
It seems Sutton is finally realizing what she walked herself into while trying to return Knox’s beanie.
“I understand that you’re a good person. You want to do what’s right. That’s an admirable trait.” I reach out and awkwardly pat her thigh. “The hard part comes when doing the right thing on paper translates to the wrong thing in reality.”
“Do you always talk in riddles?”
I nearly snort.
I’m much better at making direct threats than veiled ones, but I’m trying to handle this situation in a way that won’t make Quincy hate me if she hears about it.
“Let me put it to you this way,” I say, letting the mask of civility fade. “Would you rather experience a few moments of guilt or a lifetime of looking over your shoulder?”
“Who’s going to protect me?” she snaps. “You said I’m involved. If I don’t call the cops, who is going to watch my back?”
Shit.
She has a point there.
There’s every possibility that I should have called Easton the moment I saw her. That would have made her his loose end to tie up. I intervened, and now this is my mess.
“You’re fond of Knox.” I bring the bag up, shaking it to show his beanie. “He’s highly trained in personal security. You can leave your car here tonight. You’re rattled and in no stateto drive safely. I’ll have him accompany you home, and he will stay with you until I can speak to someone about having a team assigned to you. They’ll protect you while this plays out.”
“And if I say no?” Her chin tilts in the air.
“Then you take your chances on your own.” I shove myself to my feet. “Best of luck, Sutton. Hopefully the police response times will be up to your standards if you truly need to call upon them.”
“Hey, wait!” she calls out as I turn. The sound of her seat belt being flung off fills the air. “I changed my mind.”
A slow smile crosses my face.
I’ll just bet she did.
The drive to drop me off at Ridge’s is awkward.
Sutton’s fear permeates the air, making my nose wrinkle. She’s an omega, by the smell of it, and I’m baffled how I failed to notice until now.
Knox doesn’t seem heartbroken to know he’ll be keeping a close eye on her for at least a day or two. Easton opens my messages and leaves me on read. Perhaps he’ll call later, since I was sparse with details in text, but he knows Knox is now responsible for keeping Sutton quiet.
I’m mildly amused how wide her eyes get when we pull into Ridge’s neighborhood. She scoffs as she spots the gate guards, but I probably would too if I didn’t understand the severity of the situation.
“I’ll stay with Sutton while you run in to grab your belongings,” I tell Knox before twisting in my seat to face the omega. Bringing the jewelry bag to sit on the armrest between the front seats, I grab out his beanie and toss it on thedashboard. “Now, I was rushed a bit, but I’d like your opinion on a few things I purchased for Quincy.”
Knox shuts the door, grumbling about something, and I ignore him.
“Okay,” she says, leaning forward. “But you said you would prove to me that Quincy is okay.”
I frown.
Did I say that, or is that just how she interpreted things?
Either way, I collect my phone and pull up the cameras. “She’s setting up her nest. Pregnancy increases the instinct even more strongly than her just being an omega. She is fine.”
