I patted my cheeks surreptitiously, hoping they were less red. I was used to Nan's teasing, but Iwasn'tused to it being connected to a living, breathing man. A shirtless one. After my sheltered upbringing, I'd graduated early and headed off to college for a couple years. There had been a fewboys, then. A few short relationships that hadn't gone far. I hadn't been able to handle the constant socializing and crowds for more than two years before throwing in the towel and devoting myself to the apiary at home. I was glad I had. I loved what I did. I loved my life. But sometimes… well, sometimes I wished I wasn't so easily flustered.
Benjamin flopped his wet shirt over his shoulder and got to work wringing out the insoles of his shoes as we walked. "So. About this 'not serious' predicament."
I winced. "I don't want to worry her."
"Agreed. But, seeing as itisserious," he continued, shooting a pointed look at the bandage on my arm, "we should make a plan."
"Yes," I nodded, trying to set my mind on more important matters than my lack of flirting experience. "Did you hear back from your friend?"
"He left a voicemail, but I was slightly distracted this morning," he replied. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket gingerly, dangling it between two fingers. "I'm not sure rice will save this."
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I cringed. "This is my fault."
"You didn't throw me into the damn river," he chuckled, replacing the dead phone in the wet back pocket. "But if I can borrow yours, we can call Rook and see what he has to say."
"Happy to." I fished my cell phone out from my pink dress pocket and handed it to him. "It's all yours. Literally. Wipe it and take it. I'll get a new one."
"That's really not necessary." He dismissed that immediately, swiping up to unlock my phone. He paused at my front door, frowning down at me. "You don't have a passcode on this?"
I shrugged. "It's inconvenient."
"You are a disaster," he said frankly.
"So you've said."
Shaking his head, he looked up a medical practice, tapped the phone number, and put the phone to his ear, gesturing for me to go inside first. I did, and as Benjamin said, "Hey, Rook, it's Frost," I pulled off my knee-high boots in the entryway. I listened with half an ear while I made my way into the kitchen as Benjamin had a quiet, muted conversation with his friend, but he wasn't saying anything revelatory. Something about a lawyer.
He followed me into the kitchen at an idle pace, tossing his wet shirt over the back of a wooden chair and rubbing the back of his neck as he listened to Rook on the other side. As I rifled around the cabinets for cinnamon bread, he came to stand close to me—still shirtless, of course—and before I could ask, he reached above me to pull down a plate I was trying to get to. I gave him a fast, grateful glance, popped a couple slices of bread in the toaster, and gave him my full attention.
Benjamin put my phone on the counter and tapped the screen. "You're on speaker, Rook."
"Hi, Evie," a low, serious voice said.
"Hello," I replied uncertainly.
"I was just telling Frost that I got in contact with my connections—a lawyer named Azura and some of her associates. She's happy to help track these people down, but as far as sending someone to physically protect you, she needs a little more time."
A sense of rising panic welled up in my stomach. "Oh, no, I didn't mean—no one has to do that. Really." I hated being indebted to people. There had been a time once… when my parents had died, it had drowned me under its weight. There had been so many tears. So many apologies. So many people clamoring to help me. Suffocating me.
"What Evie means to say is, 'Why can't they help her now?'" Benjamin corrected.
"Her man on the ground just had a baby and he's otherwise occupied," Rook explained. "But she does have a tech savvy accomplice she is happy to get you in contact with so we can get a better understanding of who is threatening her. They also have someone named Tabitha who is willing to send two people to protect Evie, but they're on an assignment at the moment. Whatever that means," he added drily. "It would be about two weeks before they can get someone to you."
Benjamin tapped his fingers on the counter, his attention somewhere far away as he seemed to think. "Two weeks?"
"That's what they've got. And you'll have the tech contact who can try to find out what the organization is doing." A door in the background of Rook's line squeaked. "I'm headed into surgery, Frost. I sent you both those contacts. They're in your inbox."
"Thanks, Rook," Frost replied grimly. "We appreciate it."
"He really doesn't have to—" I started to whisper.
"Take care," Rook said, and then he hung up.
I covered my face. "This is humiliating."
Benjamin bent down to peer at me through my fingers. "What's with you? You have issues asking for help even when it's life threatening?"
"It's not that," I moaned, lowering my fingers. "It's…"
