“God. That’s awful.”
“It was my fault, Lex. I made the call that day, and she and those two men were killed because of it. I didn’t trust the asset, but Lisa did. I let her talk me into listening to him and going ahead with the plan.”
“And because you feel responsible for what happened to her, you’re afraid to let me out of your sight for fear of something happening to me.”
Her words gave him more relief than he’d ever imagined they could. Not only did she actually seem to understand, she wasn’t looking at him with disgust as he’d feared.
Trevor was already half-way there, but in that exact moment, he fell the rest of the way in love with her.
Lexi bit her bottom lip nervously. “I know you can’t tell me any details, but...did this last job have something to do with what happened to Lisa and your teammates?”
Her question surprised him. “The details are classified, but yeah. The two were related.”
“Your tattoo...you got it for them, didn’t you? Two dog tags for the teammates you lost and...”
“The sword down the middle for Lisa,” he finished her thought quietly, not at all surprised she’d figured out his tat was related to what happened. “She wasn’t military, but she was every bit as much of a warrior as the men we lost. So, instead of the dog tags, I gave her the sword.”
“That was really sweet. I’m sure they all would have loved it.” Trevor nodded in response, waiting quietly as she thought for a moment. Then, Lexi looked up at him and smiled. “Okay, so how about this. What if we compromise?”
That same panic started to set in, but this time he didn’t let it control him. “Lexi...”
She put one of her tiny hands to his chest. “Just hear me out. What if I agree to stay at your place for a week. That will be plenty of time for my window and door to get fixed, and show you and everyone else I just have fantastically crappy luck, and tonight really was just a random home invasion.”
Trevor narrowed his eyes at her. “What’s the rest of this negotiation?”
She grinned. “I still get to go to work.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off. “That part is non-negotiable. I’ve worked my ass off to keep my independence, and whether you like it or not, I can’t always rely on you for everything. I need to make my own way. At least for now. Plus, Joe’s like family to me. I can’t just up and quit on him.”
With both hands, Trevor began slowly rubbing up and down her arms. “I hear what you’re saying, Lex. I really do. But, surely Joe can find someone to cover your shifts for the next few days. If it makes you feel better, I can lend you the money you’d be making and you can pay me back. With interest.”
In a surprise move, Lexi moved back and stepped out of his reach. Crossing her arms in front, she came back with, “I’ll stay here for two weeks, and I still work.”
Despite his warring emotions, one corner of Trevor’s mouth lifted. “You drive a hard bargain, Miss Hamilton.”
She raised a brow, looking too damn cute for her own good. “So, you agree to my terms of the deal?
He broke into a full smile then and began slowly walking toward her. Resting his hands low on her hips, he said, “Counter offer.”
She raised a brow. “I’m listening.”
“You stay with me for two weeks, work your scheduled shifts, but I drive you to and from work every day. And you do not, under any circumstances, go outside the diner while you’re at work. No exceptions.”
He held his breath as she considered his request. He was sure she was going to agree, but then the skin between her brows crinkled together, and she asked, “What about your schedule? I don’t want my mess to interfere with your job. It’s too important, and—”
Trevor stopped her with a finger to her lips. “Baby, youare my job.”
“But,” her protest was muffled by his finger.
“No buts. As of now, you’re officially under R.I.S.C.’s protection.”
Her eyes widened, and she started to shake her head. Good thing he was ready for it. “And before you say anything, Jake takes on a few pro-bono cases every year. He already agreed to give me as much time as I needed to watch over you until we figure this whole thing out.”
She reached up and grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand away from her mouth so she could talk. “There has to be more important things you could be doing for R.I.S.C. than this.”
Cupping the uninjured side of her face, Trevor locked his eyes with hers. “There’s nothing more important to me than you. Nothing.” He leaned down and kissed her slowly then pulled away. “That’smydeal. Take it or leave it.”
She pretended to pout. “You kissed me. That’s cheating.”
