Page 21 of Saved from Deception

“Not really, I’m not a litigation attorney,” I tell him. “I do corporate law; it’s mostly contracts, investments, kind of boring stuff, really.”

Rylan tilts his head, his brow furrowing. “You didn’t like what you were doing?”

“Honestly, no.” I’ve never admitted this before, but his eyes somehow prod me into telling him everything. “I never wanted to be a corporate attorney. When I started law school, I wanted to be a public defender or a human rights attorney.”

“So what happened? Was it the money?”

“No. It was my parents.” Shame seeps into me, heavy and chilling. “Which sounds so stupid. They didn’t even want me to be an attorney. They wanted me to go into real estate, to join the family business.”

“But I went to law school anyway; I wasn’t going to let my parents dictate what I did anymore. And I was so proud of myself. But I guess there was still a part of me that wanted their approval. So when they started dropping hints about how a corporate attorney was so much better, more successful, I caved.”

And I’m embarrassed at how weak that makes me sound.

“Charlie.” Rylan taps my chin, feather-light, prompting me to look up from my lap. “You didn’t cave. You went to law school regardless of what your parents wanted. You picked your own profession. And it’s not easy going against your parents—trust me, I know.”

“But my parents aren’t even nice people.” Another thing I’ve never admitted before. “We were never close. They care about appearances and making money and what social events they’re going to attend. I don’t know why I would want their approval.”

Holding his gaze, I almost whisper the next part. “That’s why I used to play video games so much. My parents wanted me to go to the right private school, choose my friends, my activities, to make sure everything I did was socially acceptable. But I didn’t fit in with the people they wanted me to be friends with.”

“It was easier to keep to myself, stay home, talk to people online. So my friends were the ones I met through my games. And my parents didn’t have to know, didn’t have to rail at me about embarrassing the family. I know it wasn’t brave, but it was easier.”

Rylan stares at me, his mouth pressed into a line. Then he sighs, and says, “I think you were brave, Charlie. You didn’t go along with what they wanted. You stayed true to yourself.”

I’m shaking my head, but he gently stills my chin. “I mean it. From what I know of you, you’re incredibly brave. Not just with your parents, but how you’ve held yourself together, you’ve faced everything head on… I don’t know many people who could push through what you have.”

Taking a deep breath, he says, “After I was injured, there was a time when I didn’t want to do anything. When I thought it would be easier to give up.”

My heart jumps, slamming painfully against my chest. “Ry—”

He keeps going. “That’s how I got into playing video games, while I was recovering. At first, they kept me from going stir crazy. And I talked to people while I played, too. Vets who had been through similar situations. It gave me hope. And it gave me the determination to push past the pain to regain my strength.”

“So when Cole came to me, asked about joining Blade and Arrow, I felt strong enough to say yes. And I’m so glad I did. But I know it could have gone the other way, those first few months.” He pauses, holding my gaze. “Bravery comes in all forms, Charlie.”

“Rylan.” I hurt so much for what he went through, the pain, the hopelessness, and I’m overwhelmed by what he said about me, his conviction—I don’t know what to say.

Finally, I cobble together enough words to form a coherent sentence. “I’m so glad you’re here, Ry.”

And I mean it in more than one way.

The intensity in his gaze softens as a smile curves his lips. “So am I.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

RYLAN

I shouldn’t be having these thoughts about her.

I should not be thinking about Charlie as anything other than a client.

It’s not that we aren’t allowed to date clients. That ship sailed sometime between Leo deciding to date Georgia while he was guarding her at the safehouse, and Zane getting involved with Elle while he was protecting her from traffickers. So if I wanted to date Charlie, none of my teammates would complain.

In fact, after Zane proposed to Elle, Finn wanted to take a bet on who would fall next. Other than him, of course. He swears he’s going to be single forever.

But I shouldn’t think about Charlie that way for a lot of reasons.

She’s vulnerable—yes, she’s brave and strong, but the amount of crap she’s dealing with could break anyone. She could mistake gratitude for affection. Forced proximity could make her think she feels something that isn't real. I don’t want her to feel obligated just because I’m the one protecting her.

So yeah, I should be shutting it down and backing off and not spending as much time as I have been with her.

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