But the truth is already there, burning under my skin.
I care about her.More than I should.More than makes sense after such a short time.
And anyone who tries to hurt her is going to have to go through me first.
I pull out my phone and text Rush.
Need to talk.Got a name.Declan Fahy.Need everything you can find on him.
The response comes back almost immediately.
On it.You good?
Yeah.Just getting ready for war.
Let me know when you need backup.
Will do.
I pocket the phone and look up.Enya's watching me from behind the bar.Our eyes meet.
I nod once.A promise.A vow.
I've got you.
She doesn't smile.But she holds my gaze for a long moment before going back to work.
And I sit there, jaw tight, fists clenched, planning.
Declan Fahy made a mistake coming back into her life.
And I'm going to make sure he regrets it.
12
ENYA
Iwake to gray light filtering through the curtains and the immediate awareness that something's different.
It takes me a second to place it.Then I remember: day off.No shift at O'Hara's.No early morning rush to get Warren ready and myself out the door.
Just...quiet.
I lie still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, waiting for the familiar panic to hit.The tight chest, the racing heart, the need to check every lock and window before I can even think about getting up.
It comes, but softer than usual.Duller around the edges.
I slept.Not perfectly.Not deeply.But I slept more than a few scattered hours punctuated by nightmares and hyper vigilance.
And I know why.
Tank's voice echoes in my head, low and steady and certain as he walked me home last night from work.Declan's not touching you again.He's not touching your son.
The memory of his arm around me.Solid.Safe.Letting me break without trying to fix me.
I hate that it helped.Hate that thinking about him now, lying here in the gray morning, makes my chest feel less tight.
Hate that I'm starting to need him.
