Page 43 of Guarded By Them

I put my arm around her, and tears shimmered in her eyes. “You don’t know that. We’re doing everything we can to change your life for you.”

She sniffed and nodded, keeping her eyes down, as though she was ashamed. “It shouldn’t be up to you to have to come and rescue me, though, should it?” Finally, she lifted her gaze to mine. “Why couldn’t I be strong enough to rescue myself?”

I lifted my hand to touch her soft cheek. “Fuck, Rue. You are strong. After the hand you’ve been dealt, with what you went through with your mother, and the life you led after, most people would have crumbled. You’re still here, still fighting, and that’s something to be proud of.”

“Thanks, Dillon. I don’t know how I’d cope if I didn’t have you guys with me.”

Chapter Fifteen

Rue

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I NEEDED TO PULL MYSELF together.

A darkness had descended upon me since the men had caught up with us at the house. Perhaps I’d been kidding myself, but I’d really hoped things were going to go our way, just that once. I’d enjoyed being in Timmo’s company, drinking beer and laughing with the guys. It had been one of the first times I’d actually not expected someone to come banging on the door and demand something from me. Even when I’d been back at the apartment, I’d known there was the possibility the Capello brothers would show up and announce that my time was up and I needed to go back with them.

Seeing Dillon shot had also hit me hard, though I hadn’t told him that. It had made me realize that we weren’t all invincible, and Dillon or one of the others could easily have been shot and killed. How was I supposed to live with myself if that happened?

I would never say it out loud, knowing what their reaction would be, but there was a part of me that thought about running away. Without me, they would all be safe. Maybe not totally safe, since Joe Nettie’s men weren’t going to let them get away with having killed some of their men, but safer, at least. But me leaving had put us in an even worse place last time, and I knew they would never allow it. The only way I’d ever be able to convince them to let me go was if they thought it was genuinely what I wanted, and I didn’t think I was a good enough actor for that.

“You guys coming?” Kodee asked, leaning back into the car.

I forced a smile. “Sure.” I turned to Dillon. “I can grab you something, if you’d rather not walk on your leg.”

“Thanks, but I could do with stretching out.”

“You can’t go into the store wearing bloodied jeans,” Kodee said. “You need to change them.”

He went to the trunk, where our bags were, found a change of jeans for Dillon, and threw them to him. On the back seat, Dillon wrestled out of his ruined jeans and changed into the clean ones. We didn’t want to attract any more attention than necessary.

I got out and rounded the car, so I was there for when Dillon opened the door and started to climb out. I reached in and slipped my hand around his waist and wedged my shoulder in under his armpit.

“I don’t need help,” he muttered.

I squeezed his hip. “Maybe I just wanted to get a grope.”

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