"For how long?"I pull back and look up at him."How long until he comes back?Until he stops just watching and actually..."
I can't finish the sentence.Can't say the words out loud.
Devin's jaw tightens.His eyes go dark with something that looks like rage barely contained."He's not getting that chance."
"You don't know that."
"Yeah, I do."He cups my face with both hands, makes me look at him."Because I'm not letting him near you.Neither is the club.This ends now."
"Devin..."
"I mean it, Enya.He made his move, left that note, which means he's escalating.And when he escalates, we end him."
The words should scare me, should make me pull away, but they don't.They make me feel something I haven't felt in days.
Protected.
"I'm terrified he's going to hurt you," I whisper."If he knows about you.If he sees you as...as something to me.He'll come after you too."
"Let him try."
"I'm serious.You don't know what he's like.He doesn't fight fair.He watches and waits and finds the thing that'll hurt you most."
"Then he'll find out I'm not someone he wants to fuck with."
I stare at him, at the certainty in his eyes.The deadly calm.And I believe him.Despite everything.Despite the fear.I believe him.
"When this is over," Devin says quietly, "I want to meet your boy."
Everything stops.
My breath, my heart, my thoughts, they just...stop.
"What?"
"Warren.I want to meet him.Properly.Not just seeing him from a distance or hearing about him.I want to know him."
Tears spring to my eyes, hot and immediate."You...you want to meet Warren?"
"Yeah.If that's alright with you."
I can't speak.Can't form words.Because this is huge.Massive.Letting someone into Warren's life.Letting Devin become real to my son instead of just the man from the pub.
"Why?"I finally manage.
"Because he's part of you.Because he matters to you, which means he matters to me."Devin brushes a tear from my cheek with his thumb."And because I'm not planning on going anywhere.So it makes sense."
"You're not planning on going anywhere," I repeat, testing the words, seeing if they hold weight or crumble.
"No.I'm not."
More tears fall.I swipe at them angrily."Christ, I'm a mess."
"You're perfect."
"I'm falling apart."
"You're human."He pulls me close again, and I go willingly.I press my face against his neck and just breathe him in."Tell me about him.Warren.What's he like?"
