Page 54 of Coveted By Cupid

She sighs, as if she knows the answer will tickle me pink. “They were married within a month.”

Ha! I’m definitely going to use her grandparent’s relationship as the example for our relationship when she gives me crap about us moving too fast. It clearly worked out for them—it will be the same for us.

I chuckle to myself. “You’re right. I would have gotten on well with your grandpa.”

Vanessa gets lost in her head for a moment, reminiscing about the past. “I never met my grandma. She passed away before I was born, when my dad was a boy. But I feel like I knew her, with how much my grandpa talked about her and how he said I looked just like her. My grandpa loved her so much that he never moved on after she was gone. Can you believe that?”

“Absolutely,” I say, gazing at my Butterfly like she’s the center of my universe.

“He always said if a man doesn’t look at you like you’re his entire world right from the moment he meets you, he is not the one.”

I stare at her, watching her process her grandpa’s words like she’s hearing them for the first time.

When it sinks in, her eyes widen. Slowly, her gaze meets mine.

“You’re finally accepting it, aren’t you?”

“I—l,” she stammers, swallowing hard.

Noticing she’s short-circuiting from downloading everything and not wanting her to have a meltdown, I hold up my hand.

“Think of our living situation as a trial run—it ain’t for me, but to humor you, we’ll say it is. We don’t know for certain who’s behind these abductions, meaning you’re here with me for the foreseeable future. You might as well use the time to see how our life together can be.”

“And if it doesn’t work out?”

It will, but I keep it to myself.

“After we catch who’s behind your attempted abduction, and you’re still not happy staying with me, you can return to your life—in a different apartment. Your old place is not safe, and I don’t foresee the landlord making the pricey and necessary changes to upgrade it to a secure facility. Besides, your lease has been terminated as of this morning, and your deposit will be refunded to your bank app by the end of the week.”

She baulks. “And my landlord went along with a non-tenant who was not me ending my lease?”

My jaw ticks, uncertain how much I should confess. I don’t want to frighten her, but she should understand who I am and the power I have.

“You’ll learn I can be very convincing,” I say cautiously, trying hard to keep the sharp edge out of my tone. “I was more than ready to threaten your landlord to let you out of your lease if he didn’t take my bribe. Lucky for me, he’s a slimy fuck and took the money, no questions asked, and all the more reason for you not to be there. If he’s willing to take a bribe from me, he could easily take one from your attackers.”

“UGH! I can’t believe my slumlord would fuck me over like this! And figures you’d terminate my lease—it makes it harder for me to leave,” she mutters more to herself than to me, aggravated with me going over her head.

There’s no point in denying the obvious. I’ve done everything in my power to make her leaving me more difficult, especially when she no longer has a place to retreat to. Finding affordable housing in Fort Collins is a challenge, especially for someone young without a full-time job and paying for their own healthcare.

Yes, I had Cipher do a background check on her, searching to see if there was anything in her past or present that would make her an easier target for the men who tried to abduct her. Her accounts and socials are locked up and private, making it near impossible for anyone to stalk her through them. There’s no easy way to gain access to my woman that doesn’t go through me and my crew.

A deep dive into her finances showed the sale of her grandpa’s garage and home after he passed paid off the loads of college debt she gained from her schooling. There wasn’t a lot remaining from the sale of the estate after paying off her debts, but it was enough to allow her to work only part-time while finishing school. Still, between insurance, rent, and bills, she wouldn’t be able to find a nicer place to live without working full-time. It makes her staying with me the best option available.

Her eyes narrow, studying me with skepticism. “You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to make sure I stay put here with you. Do you honestly expect me to believe that if we don’t work out you’ll let me leave?”

“If you’re questioning whether I’ll fight for you, the answer is yes. We belong together, and I’ll prove that through my words and actions. However, if we separate, it will be because of your stubborn ass not recognizing a good thing when it looks you in the face. Butterfly, I know you feel like I trapped you in my life by moving you in, but I’m no jailer. I’ll never force you to stay. I want you to choose me willingly.”

“So if I were to leave now…” She shifts to move off my lap, testing me.

My heart stalls, worried she might actually consider moving out. My arms snake around her, holding her in place. “Don’t go. You’re not safe out there alone, at least not right now. I’ll never forgive myself if you choose to leave and something happens to you. If you’re here, I can protect you.”

She settles in my lap, letting out a long sigh. “I don’t doubt you’ll keep me safe, Cupid. But I can’t stay cooped up here. I have classes I need to finish and clinical hours for my internship I need to complete.”

“Who said you couldn’t go to classes and such? As soon as Scalpel clears you, you’re returning to business as normal. Except this time you won’t be alone. Me or one of my men will be with you. We’ll wait for you outside your classes or outside the clinic and escort you to where you need to go.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” she mutters, misunderstanding.

“Not a babysitter. A bodyguard. We will not interfere with your schooling. I understand it means a great deal to you, and I want you to graduate on time. But you need to understand you have a target on your back and there are human traffickers around your campus. Your security comes first—always.”