Page 51 of Watch Me
He grabbed my waist, bringing me onto his lap as he fell back onto the couch. “Whatever you want. I just want to shower and hold you all night. It’s been a long day.”
“Tell me about it. I assume you know I got served with a restraining order?” I wrapped my arms around hisneck.
“Yeah, I know.”
“Well, I read it, and I agree with what she wrote. I don’t want anything to happen to your boys because of me.”
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. “It’s not just you, Buttercup. I was served with one too.”
I furrowed my brows. “What does that mean? You can’t see your kids?”
“Nope.”
“What?” I shrieked and tried to stand. “She’s seriously trying to make it so you can’t see your own children?”
He tightened his arms around me. “It won’t fucking happen, but unfortunately, because it’s an emergency protection order, there’s nothing I can do until the hearing.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Trust me, I’m pissed. I called my attorney, but he confirmed there’s nothing I can do except stay away until the hearing.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I know. I fucking know.”
“This is all my fault.”
“What? Of course, it isn’t.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly. “It is.”
“Because a serial killer is after you?”
My eyes sprang open. “Um, yeah.”
Ethan didn’t say anything as we stared at each other for several moments. “Look, I don’t want to argue about this with you. We’ve had a shitty couple of days, and I feel like everything is one step back instead of forward.”
“You know I’m here to help, right?”
He kissed me softly. “I know you are, but I can’t tell you anything about the case.”
“Because I’ll be in even more danger,” I said, repeating what he’d told meearlier.
“Yes, but also, I don’t want to get thrown off the case because if anyone is going to solve this quickly, it’s me.”
I smiled warmly at him. “I know you will, but if a killer hadn’t entered my condo, you’d still have your boys.”
“I still have my boys.”
“But the court order—”
“A piece of paper isn’t going to keep me from my kids, Reagan.”
“What are you going to do?”
He sighed. “Honestly, nothing right now. I hate to say it, but having a few days to focus on the case will be good for all of us. I’m going to spend every waking hour working this.”
“I understand.”
