Chapter 10
Iwoke up the next morning with a soft, familiar weight at my feet. I looked down, smiling at finding Able watching me intently from the foot of the bed.
“Made yourself comfortable, didn’t cha?” I teased.
He cocked his head to the side as though he was trying to understand what I was saying. I swore half the time he did.
Travis wasn’t in the room, and I sat up slowly, stretching stiff muscles. A glance at the clock told me it was 11:00 a.m., not surprising given how late we’d been up and how many times Travis had woken me up during the night.
My head ached, and I knew I’d be taking some painkillers once I had some food in my belly.
After a quick shower and changing into the clothes Cade had dropped off, I wandered downstairs with Able at my heels.
I didn’t see Travis in the main room, but could hear male voices down the hall. I wandered that way, finding Sid, Theo, Travis, and an unfamiliar man engrossed in something on a computer screen.
Travis looked up at me immediately, his eyes going soft. “Morning, baby. How are you feeling?”
“Okay,” I replied, suddenly feeling self-conscious with all those eyes on me.
“Emerly, meet Declan Hale. Declan, meet Em,” Travis introduced the handsome dark-haired man to his left.
“Hi, nice to meet you,” I greeted with a small wave.
He offered a chin lift before his eyes returned to the laptop in front of him.
“Hey, guys.” I nodded toward Sid and Theo.
“Hey, Em. Glad you’re okay.” Theo returned, surprising me by being so serious and sincere.
I offered him a small smile before I looked to Travis. “Quite the command center you have in here,” I noted, looking around at the countless computer monitors and pieces of equipment I couldn’t even identify. One screen was a live feed of the outside of his property. Clearly, he took the security of his home seriously. Not surprising, given what little I knew about his profession.
“Yep,” he agreed. “Did you eat?”
I shook my head, suddenly starving.
“Let’s get you something.” He placed his hand to my lower back and guided me out of the room.
“Good thing I like eggs,” I teased once I got a good look at his fridge. The man ate like a caveman, with eggs, chicken, fish, and vegetables the only things in the fridge. A quick glance at the pantry confirmed there was nothing to be had in there aside from protein powder.
“You must have been horrified that I forced pizza on you that night!” I exclaimed in mock horror.
He chuckled. “I keep it simple at the house—I’m usually only cooking for me. But I eat what I want when I’m out, unless I’m training to head out on a job.”
“And how often is that?” I asked, pulling out the eggs.
“Less often now,” he replied, watching my movements. “A couple of times a year.”
“Ah,” I said absently, cracking the eggs into the pan.
He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, surprising me with his display of affection. “I’ll take you to the store later if you’re up for it,” he murmured in my ear.
“Won’t you just be taking me home?” I asked, confused. “Not that I have much in my fridge either.” I laughed.
I felt him tense before he gently turned me in the circle of his arms, looking down at me intently. “I want you to stay here,” he informed me, effectively shocking me. “With what happened, I’m concerned you’d be vulnerable at your place. Until I look into that asshole, I’d feel much better with you under my roof.”
“B-but…,” I stammered, too shocked to formulate a coherent thought.
“Em, you can’t tell me you’d be comfortable going back there so soon,” he challenged gently.
