But we’d also given something back.
Tonight proved how much we cared.
We protected what was ours. Business or personal—it didn’t matter.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, returning my focus to the road.
“It was one punch,” she said quietly.“I’ve had worse.”
My jaw tightened. My fingers curled harder around the steering wheel.
“Your dad?”
“Him,” she sighed.“Or his friends. Or people he owed money to. He got good at disappearing. Wouldn’t come home for days.”
What a piece of shit.
“I think you should work in my office from now on.”
She turned to look at me.
“It won’t happen again, will it?”
I slowed as the lights ahead turned red and glanced at her.
“We can’t protect you on the floor unless one of us is with you all the time.”
She stared ahead, her expression blank.
“Uh. Okay.”
The swelling beneath her eye caught my attention again, and the anger flared—fresh and sharp.
What could I even promise her?
We’ll protect you?
Even I could hear the hypocrisy in that.
The lights turned green.
???
The door opened, and we both turned to see Nick.
“She’s asleep,” he said with a smirk.“An orgasm helped.”
“Dickhead,” I muttered, shaking my head in disgust.“And you just had to rub it in?”
“And you don’t?” Nick scoffed, handing us our beers.
“She’s used to getting punched up,” I said flatly.
“What?” they both said at the same time—but Nick understood before Alec caught up.
“James,” he said, drawing the name out before smiling.
“Whatever you do to him,” I said, picturing a bloodbath,“do it quietly.”
