Schumacher stumbled back a step and caught himself.His face hardened.Looked for a moment like he was thinking about coming at him.
Tristan mentally dared him.Bring it, asshole.Come at me.
“I’m reporting this to your boss,” Schumacher threatened.
Tristan didn’t give a fuck what he reported as long as he left Cassie alone.“Go to bed.Now, before I put you in it.”It was like talking to a drunk frat boy.
Schumacher gave him one last sneer and slammed the door in his face.Satisfaction slid through him when he heard the bolt shoot home and the chain slide into place for good measure.
Exhaling, anger receding, he turned around.Cassie was leaning against the opposite wall, arms folded across the front of her leather jacket.“I said I would handle it.”Her voice was quiet, but it cut through the silent hallway.
“It should never have gotten to this point.You should have—”
Her humorless laugh cut him off.“Don’t tell me what I should’ve done.I’ve dealt with that kind of shit my whole career.I was a cop, remember?You think I can’t handle a drunk guy making unwanted advances?”
Of course he knew that.
The urge to protect her made it feel like his ribcage was too tight.“I know you can, but the point is, you don’t have to handle it yourself.Not anymore.”Not with him here, or any of the other CPS agents for that matter.Every single one of them would have intervened on her behalf.
Her expression and tone softened.“While I appreciate the sentiment...with a guy like that?Ignoring his behavior and playing nice is the best way tohandleit, and I’ve got his texts if he does try to file a complaint.I would have gotten the same result as you, but without the threat of reporting us.”
She held up a hand when he opened his mouth to argue.“I’m not mad at you.I appreciate that you have my back.Truly, it means a lot.But it’s been a long day on top of a shit week for me, and I’m going to bed.See you in the morning.”She entered her room and shut the door before he could say anything else.
Standing there alone in the hallway, Tristan clenched his jaw, berating himself.Shit.He could have handled that a lot better, and this unprecedented mix of territoriality and protectiveness wasn’t a good enough reason for his behavior.
He went into his own room, took a hot shower, and then stretched out on his bed, thinking about her in the darkness as sleep evaded him.Thinking about her lying in her own bed on the other side of the wall between their rooms.
Thinking about how he’d give just about anything for the chance to be in there with her.
Chapter Nineteen
––––––––
For the first timein almost a week, Cassie slept straight through until morning.She woke when her phone alarm went off, slightly disoriented until her brain clicked into gear as the hotel room came into focus.
Then she thought of having to face Schumacher again.The way she’d left things with Tristan last night.She groaned, closing her eyes and burying her face in her pillow.
