Page 44 of Let Me Protect You

“Anything for the men?” the brunette bartender asks.

I shrug, and she laughs. She doesn’t waste any time starting on our drinks. Elias turns back to me and there’s enough heat in his eyes that it warms me to my core.

I motion toward the guy who’s hitting on Abigail. “Do you know him?”

The bartender places two plastic cups on the counter, and Elias pays. When he turns back to me, he says, “I’m not sure, but I’ll keep an eye on them the best I can.”

Something flutters in my stomach that I’m not ready to identify. I take a much needed sip of my drink and enjoy the slight burn that trails down my throat. “You’re still the same sweet guy from before no matter how hard you try to convince me that you’re some grumpy man.”

“I don’t need to convince you when it’s who I am.”

“We’ll see about that.” Gulping down another big sip, my shoulders relax. No need to worry about random cars, texts, or my family being in danger. If I’m not with Serenity, she and Summer should be safe. And I trust Elias to keep me safe.

He nods at my drink. “So, cranberry vodka, huh?”

“This is my go-to. It’s hard to mess it up.” I trail my free hand up his arm. If I’m allowed to touch him tonight, why not take advantage of it? “Why aren’t you drinking?”

His eyes don’t leave where our skin connects. “I’m on the clock.”

I lean in close. “Oh, so you’ve turned into a workaholic while I’ve been gone.”

He finally looks up, our faces only inches apart, and he gives me a look like he doesn’t find me amusing. “I have motivation right now.”

The music continues to pound around us. A plethora of colors flash across Elias’s face. People move to and from the bar, but I keep my eyes only on Elias. His button-down shirt hugs his lean muscles just right—enough to give me a taste but not enough to satisfy my craving. The dark color of his shirt gives off a mysterious vibe, and I want to unravel the parts of him I don’t know.

I tug on my tight, short dress as if it will magically get longer. His gaze bounces around our surroundings, and his grip tightens on my hand when I try to pull away.

Sipping my drink, I blame my cheeks heating on the alcohol. Maybe it will give me the courage to ask if he knows anything about what Sully was saying to Vicki. Heart pounding, I take another huge gulp. When that doesn’t help, I swallow three more sips.

As his eyes land back on me, he asks, “Are you in a rush?”

I shake my head. “Can I ask you something?”

He eyes my now empty glass. “And this requires you to down the rest of your drink? You do remember it was a double, right?”

I flash him a flirty smile. Or at least that’s how I hope I look. “Do you know anything about Sully and why he would pay for my protection himself?”

Elias scratches the side of his head as if in thought.

“Or what he has to tell me now that my mom, um,” I pause and swallow. The alcohol isn’t working as much as I want. His eyes are gentle as he waits for me to continue, the bit of support I need. “Well, now that my mom has passed.”

The bartender finishes making a drink, and I signal to her. She sashays down to me and flashes me a fake but kind smile. “Another?”

I lean forward and yell, “Yes, please. Another cranberry vodka.”

She gets to work making my drink. I go to turn back to Elias, but my head spins for a moment.

Crap. I should’ve eaten before I came.

A strong hand grabs me, and it takes everything in me not to lean into him. Yes, we’re pretending to be a couple, but it’s all for show. Us holding hands is enough to convince others. We don’t have to actually hug or kiss. Hopefully.

“Are you okay?”

I meet Elias’s intense gaze. “Yes. It kind of hit me all at once. I promise I’m okay.” I cringe as I slur the last sentence.

Abigail leans over Elias. “I’m going to dance with Patrick. I’ll be back.”

Before I can respond, my “boyfriend” says, “You know what to do if he does something you don’t like.”