Asher stands frozen where I left him, watching me go, his brows furrowed like he’s trying to piece something together. Damon stands just behind him, his jaw tight, his expression unreadable.
The moment hangs heavy in the air, and I know I’ve made everything even more complicated than it already was.
Hours later, I’m in the dimly lit kitchen, the only light spilling in from the streetlamp outside. The house is silent except forthe faint hum of the refrigerator and the occasional creak of old wood. I grip the counter, staring at the untouched cup of tea in front of me, trying to calm my racing thoughts.
“Can’t sleep?”
I jump, nearly knocking over the cup. Asher is leaning against the door frame.
“Stop sneaking up on me,” I snap, pressing a hand to my chest as my heart pounds.
“Occupational hazard,” he says with a slight smirk, stepping into the kitchen. He moves to the coffee maker. “Want to talk about what happened with Damon earlier?”
“Nothing happened,” I say quickly, too quickly. The words feel like a lie the moment they leave my lips.
“Right.” He turns, his blue eyes studying me over the rim of his mug as he takes a slow sip. “And nothing happened with Zane on the porch, either?”
Heat floods my face, and I feel the ground shift beneath me. “You saw?”
“I see everything, Mia. It’s my job.” His tone is calm, but there’s an edge to it. He sets the mug down on the counter with a quiet thud, the sound unnervingly loud in the stillness.
I hear what he’s saying, but at the same time, I don’t. My mind races, scrambling for some way to defend myself, to deflect, but nothing comes. Instead, I fidget with the hem of my shirt, unable to meet his gaze.
“It’s not... it wasn’t…”
“You don’t owe me an explanation,” he says, cutting me off gently but firmly. “Not with Zane, or with Damon. I’m not here to grill you with questions. But you do need to figure out what you’re doing.”
I finally look at him, my hands tightening on the counter. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’re in danger, Mia,” he says, his voice sharpening. “The kind of danger where distractions can get you—or your girls—hurt.” He steps closer, his blue eyes locked on mine. “And Damon, Zane, me—we’re all trying to keep you alive. But we can’t do that if you’re getting tangled up in... this.”
“This?” I echo, my voice rising despite the knot tightening in my chest. “You think I don’t know how serious this is? You think I don’t know what’s at stake?”
“I think you’re overwhelmed right now,” he says softly. “And I think Jason knows exactly how to exploit that.”
The truth of his words hits me like a punch to the gut. I turn away, gripping the counter to steady myself.
“I didn’t ask for any of this,” I say.
“No one did,” he says, stepping closer again. His presence is warm, steadying, and for a moment, I let myself lean into it. “But you’re here now,” he continues. “And you’ve got three people who’d go through hell to keep you safe. Just... don’t make it harder than it already is.”
The lump in my throat feels like it might choke me. I nod, unable to speak, the words caught somewhere between my heart and my mouth.
Asher lets the silence hang for a moment. “Get some rest,” he says. I can smell him, something sweet but masculine at the same time. “You’re stronger than you think, Mia. Don’t let him make you forget that.”
I look up at him and nod. My heart stutters.
I need to shut this down. All of it.
But when Asher reaches out, his fingers brushing a stray strand of hair from my face, I find myself leaning into his touch like it’s the most natural thing in the world. His hand lingers, warm and steady, and my breath catches.
This is wrong. I know it is.
“Asher—” I begin.
A throat clears, cutting through the moment like a blade.
I jerk back, heat flooding my face as I turn toward the doorway. Zane stands there, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
