Page 28 of Protected from Torment

It’s funny, after a month, I had myself convinced that his eyes weren’t as gorgeous as I remembered. But they are. More green than gold right now, the color reminds me of the High Peaks just before twilight—a deep evergreen tipped with speckles of gold.

But it’s not just the color. It’s the emotion within them. Worry, of course. Affection. And something deeper I can’t put words to.

All too soon—wait, too soon?—his hand drops from my forehead, taking the welcome heat along with it. “How are you feeling, Mel?” he asks. “Really?”

“Okay,” I reply automatically.

“Okay?” He glances around, spots a chair in the corner, and drags it over to the side of my bed. Then he drops into it, so his face is level with mine. “You’re allowed to not feel okay, Melissa. If you tell me what’s wrong, it’ll be easier for me to help.”

Out of the blue, a snort escapes. “What’s wrong? I’m in the hospital after a man broke into my house, demanding drugs I allegedly sold him. He beat me up. I only just managed to get Oscar outside, or he might have been hurt, too. Or worse. Oscar was barking, growling, that man could have killed him. And even though the vet says Oscar’s okay, I can’t believe it. Not until I’ve seen him myself.”

Tyler’s handsome features crease in confusion. “Drugs?”

But I’m on a roll now, and I can’t seem to make myself stop. “Wrong is all the weird stuff that’s been happening to me. The package at work. The flat tires. The missing files. I tried to tell myself they were just flukes. Random bad luck. But how can I believe that when everything is going wrong? And now I’ll probably lose my job and get kicked out of my house and I’ll have to move to South Carolina and ruin my parents’ retirement.”

By the end of it, tears are falling freely down my cheeks. My chest is so tight, I can’t take a full breath. Waves of hot and cold are racing through my body. And since I’m crying, my head hurts even more than before.

Belatedly realizing I just had a mini-meltdown right in front of Tyler, I hang my head as I add quietly, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to unload on you like that. You just asked a simple question, and I⁠—”

“You were honest with me,” Tyler finishes. “I asked you what’s wrong, and you told me.”

“I guess,” I mumble. “But you just got here. I should have been more pleasant. Thanked you for coming.” Daring a look back into his eyes, I add, “I really am thankful. That you’re here, I mean. I just…” My chin wobbles. “I’m scared. And I’m afraid you’re going to leave.”

His face jerks in surprise. “Leave? I just got here.”

“But it’s more than what I said on the phone. All the other things… And I’m not like your clients. I did things⁠—”

“Mel.” Tyler carefully takes my hand. His gaze is solemn as he looks at me. “I’m not leaving. I said I’d come here to help, and I will.”

“But—” I don’t know why I’m protesting when the last thing I want is for Tyler to go.

“You are like our clients, Mel,” he insists. “You’re in trouble. Someone hurt you. From what you just said, it sounds like things haven’t been right for a while. But.”

In the moment before he continues speaking, my heart drops to my feet. Is this when he gently lets me down? Says he’ll stay for tonight, but he’s heading out tomorrow? Or he’s going to pass me off to some colleague?

“But?” I whisper.

“But you’re not just a client,” he adds. “You’re my friend. Which means I’d help, regardless of what my job is. Working for Blade and Arrow helps, of course. But either way, I’d be here for you. Okay?”

It’s everything I wished I’d hear. But I’m afraid to believe it. “Are you sure?” I whisper.

“Yes,” Tyler replies firmly. With his free hand, he plucks a tissue from the bedside table and wipes the tears from my face. “I’m very sure.” Crumpling the tissue, he tosses it into the garbage pail across the room. “Now. Do you feel up to telling me what happened? Or if you’d rather wait, that’s okay, too.”

I sniffle—so lovely—and swallow hard. “I’d rather get it over with.”

“Okay.” His thumb strokes across the back of my hand. “Why don’t we start at the beginning, then?”

So I do.

I tell him about the first incident that happened three weeks ago and the rest that followed, and why I don’t think they were my fault. I tell him about my tires and the scratch on my car and how certain I was that I never downloaded anything suspicious on my work computer. “I’m always so careful,” I tell him. “I never open emails from senders I don’t know. I shut my computer down every night, so the updates install the next morning when I turn it on. I don’t do personal browsing at work. I’m just… I’m so careful.”

Because I don’t want to give my boss a reason to fire me, I don’t add. Even though I don’t have an actual criminal record, I know the background check my employer ran before hiring me had some suspicious things. Gage actually said he had his company’s computer expert, Alec, work some magic so I’d get hired. Which I felt—still feel—bad about, but I couldn’t pass up the help in getting a job.

Then I tell Tyler about everything that happened last night. Keeping my voice low, so no one passing by in the hallway can hear, I tell him about the drugs my attacker accused me of having. “I didn’t,” I insist. “I swear. Aside from experimenting with some weed in college, I’ve never touched drugs, let alone sold them. I don’t even drink alcohol anymore.”

I’m a little scared that Tyler will judge me for my college confession, but when I venture a look back at his eyes, they’re understanding. “Don’t worry,” he says. “We’ve all done our experimenting, especially in college.” A corner of his mouth tips up. “That doesn’t mean I think you’re some drug lord. I promise.”

His small smile loosens the bands wrapped around my chest. “I’m not a drug lord. Or anything close to it.”