Page 26 of Newton

"I think so," she says, folding the blanket before offering it back to me.

She waits on the lounger while I return it to the pool house, only standing once I'm back in front of her.

"Thank you for bringing me out here," she says. Before I let thoughts of betrayal and manipulation enter my head, I'd probably make other suggestions. I'd ask if she wanted to walk along the sidewalk and stretch her legs a little, but I don't think that getting her closer to Kincaid's house is a good idea.

"You’re welcome," I say, once again walking ahead of her, wondering if she's going to grab something and hit me with it.

I pull in a deep breath, frustrated with myself for letting those racing thoughts take over.

The woman has no need to infiltrate Cerberus. She couldn't have predicted this is where she'd end up. When she was brought to Farmington over a year ago, she wasn't taken to the clubhouse. She hasn't had conversations with Em. Em offered her a place at her home, and Brielle didn't take it. If she wanted to get in the middle of Cerberus and figure stuff out, she would've taken Em up on the offer.

"Is it okay if I go in there first?" she asks once we make it back to the bedroom.

"Of course, " I tell her, staying close to the door leading into the hallway as she gathers the things she needs from her two suitcases.

While she's in the bathroom, I grab pajamas out of the closet so I can be ready for my turn when she's done.

I listen as she runs the water, probably brushing her teeth and washing her face.

When she comes out, I'm not surprised that although she's in pajamas, she has on her sneakers. The woman has to be prepared to run and escape at all times. I was the same way when I was younger.

"Are you trying to get information on Cerberus?" I ask before I can stop myself.

She doesn't flinch. Her eyes don't dart to the right to indicate her trying to formulate a lie.

"What?" She shakes her head as she stands in the middle of the room, looking at me with confusion. "Of course not."

"There are other rooms in the clubhouse if you'd like more privacy," I tell her as she puts her dirty clothes into a bag near her suitcase.

She doesn't speak until she’s settled back into the closet.

"Do you want me out of here?"

I never expected her to turn the offer back on me.

"No," I tell her honestly. "It doesn't bother me that you're in here."

It isn't exactly the full truth. I've slept like shit with her being in there, and I still haven't determined if it's because another person is in the room with me or if I hate that I'm on a comfortable bed and she's curled up on the damn floor.

She frowns at me, and despite that whisper that she could be dangerous to me and the club, I can't help but also want to see her smile at me rather than look at me with disappointment.

I grab my pajamas rather than continuing the conversation. I spend longer than needed in the bathroom. Part of me wishes she would've taken me up on my offer. I'd probably get a better night's sleep, but there's another part of me that is glad she didn't look like she was planning on leaving the closet any time soon.

The closet door is still open when I open the bathroom door. She turned off the lights, so the room is cast mostly in darkness when I turn off the one in the bathroom.

I feel restless as I climb into bed. I knew my inactivity was going to catch up with me eventually, and it's no surprise that I'm questioning everything. A mind that never rests tends to do that.

Unlike the cracked closet door last night, the door is standing fully open tonight, and knowing that makes my skin itch.

Darkness swirls around me, making me grow even more restless. After an hour, I question whether the noises I'm hearing are in my head or real.

The third time she whimpers, I know I'm not losing my mind. She's having a nightmare.

I know better than to reach into the closet and shake her. I'd never violate her trust that way. Instead, I pull my blanket and pillow from the bed and lie down just outside of the closet door.

I don't know if it's the rustling noises I made that calmed her down or if she could sense in her sleep that I was near, but the whimpering stops. For reasons I can't explain, being closer to her also quieted my own mind, allowing me to finally fall asleep.

Chapter 14

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