“Seriously. It’s just a scrape. Nothing to worry about.”
“You’re courageous and unpredictable. Some would call you a hero.” While her words were strong, there was uncertainty in her tone. “But you’re extremely stubborn.”
“Stubborn I’ll accept, but I’m no hero.”
“Then what kind of man are you?” With a slow shift in her head, she stared down at her fingers as if expecting to see them covered in blood. They weren’t. She wasn’t backing down nor was she afraid.
As soon as she crowded my space I was instantly captivated by her sweet scent. A touch of floral with a hint of… barbeque sauce. My warped mind fixated on what it would be like to drag my tongue through the spicy liquid covering every inch of herbody. My actions remaining deliberate, I placed the gun on the dryer. Her eyes followed my action, her breathing immediately more labored. “I don’t have a perfect answer for you, Valentina, but there are those who would say I wasn’t a good man. Not by anyone’s standards.”
“I don’t need perfect anything, Hudson, but you’re wrong about being a good man. You’re protective and honest, caring and kind. In my book, that makes you someone very special and unusual. Maybe there’s something wrong with me because when I left the diner, all I could think about was how safe I felt being under your protection.”
“I’m glad and I hope that’s something you remember.”
“But that’s not all,” she half whispered as I moved closer until I was only a few inches away. “A part of me rallied behind whatever retaliation you selected. I envisioned different scenarios in my mind. Tell me something. What kind of person does that make me when I hope, even wish for some unfounded hero to solve a situation vigilante style using whatever methods necessary? I love Miami. The electric vibes, the incredible views of the ocean. South Beach is incredible and the food… Oh, the food is amazing, let alone the vibrant music and eclectic people, but I don’t recognize it any longer. What happened to morals and values? What happened to right versus wrong?”
She peered up at me with so many questions, truly believing I had the answers. If only that were the truth. When I lifted my hand toward her face, I was certain she would find both me and the situation reprehensible. She was somehow even stronger than I’d originally believed.
Even though the moment between us was more awkward than ever before, the closeness was undeniable. She’d already placedher full trust in me. The cross of her conviction was a heavy weight to bear.
Especially since I was wading through murky and toxic waters.
“That makes you very human, Valentina. Perfectly human and completely beautiful.”
“Somehow, I don’t feel beautiful. I’m tired of fighting every day of my life. I’m exhausted from just getting up in the morning, working two jobs. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining about my life. I’m lucky I have my daughter and good friends. And now you.”
Without hesitation, I cupped the side of her face, shaking my head very slowly. There was some tension between us, mostly caused by the difficult situation, but the chemistry outweighed both the horror of what she’d been through before and the concern about what the future would bring. At least it seemed she knew she was safe in my presence.
“I intend on doing everything I can to protect you and your daughter. She’s special to you, which means she’s special to me.”
“Why?”
Chase’s question from before loomed in the back of my mind. “No woman or child should ever stop enjoying their lives because of monsters. Like I said. While I’m around, I will do what it takes to protect you.”
She gently brushed her fingertips down my chest as if fearful I would stop her. The wall of keeping a distance between us out of decency and necessity was crumbling, falling fast to the burning desire that had fueled my recent actions.
“I know you will,” she said, her upper lip curling. “Are you going to tell me what you did with those goons?”
“It’s not necessary for you to know.” In fact, I didn’t want her to discover any details. She was the victim and I would also do everything in my power to ensure the media and all those involved with the case remembered there was more than one victim from the horrific crime.
She was right in that everything about Miami had changed over the years. When I’d started out as an attorney, there had been rules on both sides of the law. While cartels existed, they handled business in the shadows, typically reserving their reprehensible acts of violence for those already corrupted by greed and hunger for power.
There were lines even they wouldn’t cross, including the murder of innocent women and children. Now, any concept of ethics or morality seemed like a lifetime ago. They had no limitations, but in my mind, those taking an oath to uphold the law and being lured by corruption had been part of the reason for the change.
Brutal crimes without any respect or remorse had risen ten-fold.
“That means you won’t tell me.” There was a glint of defiance in her eyes, a challenge that I hadn’t expected. She’d just found my bloodied clothes and had rightfully assumed I’d used violence as my method of protection. She should fear me as much as she did those who’d altered her life, but instead of distrust I saw gratitude.
I brushed my fingers down her cheek, marveling in the softness of her skin. “There are some things you simply don’t need to know.”
She shuddered visibly, closing her eyes and leaning into my hand. “Sadly, I don’t know if the blood will wash from your clothes. Maybe it will and you’ll have a perfectly white shirt again. But even if you don’t, you can always purchase another or wear the tarnished one as a badge of honor. However, you will never be able to remove the blood from your soul. It will linger, lurking in the dark places of your mind, altering the course of your life forever.”
“How very profound.” Her words were haunting. They were also very true. I’d opened the door to a level of darkness I’d once despised. But what she didn’t understand was that I would do it again happily.
For her.
“I hope that’s something you’ll remember. Maybe before it’s too late.”
“Maybe it already is.”
