“Putting your trust in someone who did you wrong isn’t easy. It’s never easy.” I know the truth of that. “But we took an oath during our service to protect the innocent. We never go back on our word, and we want to prove ourselves to you, Rosalie.”
Her brows draw, and I can tell that she’s mulling my words over. I see the slight crack in her rigid ice wall, and it’s eating away at me to get to the center. I want to see it all—her hopes, her dreams, her fears.
I want it. Every. Last. Drop.
The door to the meeting room opens, and when Charlie walks in with an apologetic smile, I know there’s no other option available.
We made sure of that on our flight up here, but she doesn’t need to know what lengths we’ll go to for her.
Songbird’s shoulders wilt before she takes a deep breath and faces us. She folds her hands in front of her, the picture of poise and elegance. “You start tonight. Who can be on the first shift?”
“I can,” I volunteer.
Roman cuts me a glare, silently warning me.
Rosalie clears her throat, holding her head high. “Follow me this way, and I’ll show you to your rooms.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Rosalie
My alarm blares beside me, and as I pry my eyes open into the darkness of my bedroom, the events of last night slap me in the face.Hard.
My three bullies from high school are now a part of my direct security team. They’re calling all of the shots when it comes to my safety, and honestly? I want tostrangleElijah.
No, he didn’t know any better, but come on! How is this my luck? Am I doomed to never escape those three? Forced into a corner once again after I fought so hard to get out of it…
No. They won’t send me back to that dark void. I promised myself long ago that I wouldn’t go back. This is just a minor bump in the road, but as soon as we find another company to take over, I’m kicking them to the curb.
I rub my eyes, sitting up in bed. Everything is as usual, but when my neck prickles, I realize something is wrong.
I swing my legs around, squinting into the darkness. I scan my bedroom, and my heart slams when I see a large figure seated in the decorative chair across from my bed. I scramble back, the air evacuating my lungs as my pulse revs.
“Whoa,” Maddox’s gentle, deep voice coos. “It’s just me, Song—Rosalie.”
I place a hand over my patterning heart, closing my eyes as I swallow back my fear. “Maddox? What the fuck are you doing in my room?”
He stands, causing the leather chair to crinkle. “Watching.” He says casually as if it’s just another day.
I place my hands on my temples. “I meantoutsidemy bedroom.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “It was my mistake.”
I get up, grumbling as I pad over to him. I take his ridiculously big shoulders in my hands before steering him towards the doors. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but get out.”
He looks over his shoulder at me, his expression impassive. “Where am I supposed to watch you from?”
I wave my hands exasperatedly. “Not here! This is an invasion of privacy.”
He frowns, those dark, dangerous eyes searing into me. “How am I supposed to know if someone breaks into your balcony?”
I open the door, shoving him out into the hallway. “I don’t know, dude! Figure it out.” I slam the door in his face, pressing my back against it until I hear his receding footsteps. When he’s finally gone, I sink down to my ass on the floor.
A delirious laugh tumbles past my lips as I shake my head in disbelief. “Oh, my god! I can’t get away from them even in my sleep.”
I lock my door before turning on the shower in my connected bathroom. I scrub my skin until it feels raw and bare. Even the scalding water isn’t enough to erase the vulnerability I feel right now.
Of all the god damned people who could help me with this…
