“Downstairs for now.”
I pick her up and carry her, and she doesn’t giggle. She doesn’t argue. She just curls up against me and wraps her arms around my neck.
“Baby, you really don’t feel good.”
“I know it’s not sexy. I just have horrible periods. I always have. With everything that’s happened since thelast one, I wasn’t counting the weeks, and it snuck up on me.”
I gently set her on the couch, but I sit in the corner and guide her between my legs, so she can lean back on my chest. I drape my arm down her torso, between her breasts, to rest on her stomach.
“Is this okay?”
“Yeah, it’s warm, and that feels good. Well, shit.”
“What?”
“I forgot to buy a heating pad. I’ll just?—”
“You won’t go anywhere,” I growl into her ear. “I’ll get you a fucking heating pad.”
She relaxes against me. “Thank you. I didn’t mean to make everyone fuss. Why were your guys here when I got home?”
I turn her so I can look into her eyes. “They were here because I was arranging a goddamn search party for you, Eloise.”
“What? Why?”
“You don’t get it. Because youleft.There was blood upstairs, you were nowhere to be found, and you didn’t have your phone. I was out of my fucking mind.”
She cups my cheek. “I’m sorry. I forgot my phone. I just needed to take care of it.”
“Alwayscall me. Always. Even if you’re on your way out the door, you call me. And text for your protection detail. Promise me, Eloise.”
“I promise.” She sighs. “It was nice to get some fresh air, though. I hadn’t realized that I hadn’t been outside in like two weeks.”
“We have a rooftop area,” I inform her and kiss her head. “You can go up there whenever you want.”
“Oh, I like that.” She yawns. “I’m so damn tired. I’d better nap if I’m going to work tonight.”
“You’re not.”
She snorts. “Yes, I am. I can work. I’ll just take some meds.”
“No.”
She starts to argue, so I turn her around to lie on me, stomach to stomach, and I take her chin in my fingers.
“Listen very carefully. I own this business. You’re miserable. You willnotwork tonight. You’ll stay here, and you’ll rest.”
She sighs and bites her lower lip, but I pull it back out with my thumb.
“I don’t like calling out sick,” she admits. “This is my first real job, and I want to do well. I want Rita to know that she can count on me.”
I kiss her lips lightly. “She knows that already. And she’ll understand. We have one more thing to discuss.”
“Okay.”
“I want to put a tracking device in you.”
Her eyebrows climb to her hairline. “What? What the hell do you meanin me?”
