“He said we needed both. Said the system was too big to fall to just one approach.”
“Smart man.”
Sadness was in her eyes, but not the raw grief from earlier. “Yeah, he was.”
We were both fighting for the same thing, just from different sides.
7
NIA
My eyelids were heavy, and I caught myself nodding off a few times.
“Go on. No one is expecting you to be a superhero tonight.”
“You forget, that’s my brand,” I said with a dry mouth.
“Put your head down. Get some rest.”
I stared at Ronan, sure I’d misheard. “What?”
Ronan’s hand found my shoulder, coaxing me to lie down. “Close your eyes for a minute. I got you.”
Hearing him say “I got you” broke through my defenses in a way I didn’t expect. Maybe it was the exhaustion in every part of me. I hesitated for a moment, then let him guide me.
“That’s it, rest,” he murmured.
Ronan brushed a few locs away from my temple. The gentle touch of his fingers sent shivers through me. He was careful, almost like he understood how intimate the gesture was.
I tried to stay awake, but I couldn’t. My neck relaxed first, then my jaw and my eyelids. I drifted off, woke up, then drifted again, each time leaning more against his thigh. I wanted to say something, apologize, but I couldn’t find the words. Besidesexhaustion, all I felt was his thumb moving slowly over my head, patient and gentle, as if he could read my thoughts.
“I’m not sleeping,” I lied, which made him huff out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sigh.
“Sure you’re not,” he said, and I wanted to slap him for that bit of smugness, except I was too comfortable to move.
“My brother told me to never sleep in jail.”
He leaned down, his breath at my ear. “This isn’t jail. And I ain’t letting anything happen to you, Dr. Price. Not tonight.”
That broke the last bit of resistance in me. Maybe it was because no one had ever said that and truly meant it. Or maybe it was his hand at my hairline, soft as cotton, each touch making me feel safe.
“Price. Banks. On your feet. Processing.”
The loud voice made me sit up fast. For a moment, I was so confused I forgot where I was. Then I remembered the holding facility, and my pillow was actually Ronan Banks.
“Easy. You good?” Ronan asked, his voice husky with exhaustion.
I nodded and ran a hand over my locs. I knew Ronan was looking at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to meet his eyes.
“How long was I out?” I asked, clearing my throat.
“A few hours, but not long enough.”
Guilt pulled at me. “You didn’t sleep at all?”
“I closed my eyes.”
“Price, Banks, let’s go. You’re in the first group,” the guard ordered.
