Page 117 of The Price of Forever

“I did. Just thought it was odd my close protection officer was nowhere near me yesterday and today.”

He didn’t flinch, or even react, to my barb. “Your close protection officer was advised of your whereabouts and safety, which falls under the protection plan that’s been outlined for you.”

His words felt like nothing but friction. “Well you were invited as a friend, too, you know. Why’d you bail?”

He finished drying his hands and set the towel down. “Thought you might want some time alone with your brothers. I thought I was being considerate.”

I gnawed on the inside of my lip, unsatisfied in the extreme. Seven walked away from the kitchen, toward the hall. His sudden departure felt like a cold slap. So that was it? No conversation, no catching up, no nothing? Not even a kiss. I’d sensed that things were frosty, but now they were just downright weird. Ranger mewed from the living room as I stormed after Seven, stopping in the threshold of his bedroom.

“So that’s it?” My heart beat a mile a minute.

“What do you mean?” He stood in front of his closet, rummaging through clothes.

“You’re just gonna leave me hanging like that? Not even a ‘what did you guys do’ or, I don’t know, something more?”

He blinked a few times, sliding hangers along the rod. “What do you want me to say? I asked you if you guys had fun. I was under the impression that qualified as conversation.”

“Yeah, but…” I jerked in a quick breath, unsure how to express what was bothering me. I wasn’t in the habit of expressing anything with anyone. I just knew that it felt weird, and that Seven had to feel it too. “You got really weird yesterday,” I finally blurted. “And I feel like you’re still weird.”

He pulled out a button-up shirt from the closet, inspected it, and then put it back. “I’m not sure what constitutes ‘weird’ for you. I had things to do yesterday, I did them, and then I came back to my apartment so you could have some quality time with your brothers.”

My stomach knotted up, and I didn’t know how else to make my point. Maybe I didn’t even have one. After all, what were we? We’d never talked about it. He was my bodyguard turned fuck buddy. I knew it was destined to dissolve. Not just because of the circumstances here, but because nobody ever stuck alongside me for the long-term. And I knew better than to expect it.

This was why I didn’t let people in. Because they hurt me along the way. Whether it was with their hands, their words, or their actions, something always happened that showed me why it was better to stay on my own.

And Seven was showing me again that I’d been right.

I examined my nails, trying to conjure an air of indifference. “Well, do you have any plans tonight? Because I have something I need you to help with.”

“I do have plans.” He pulled out a pair of pressed black pants and laid them on the bed. “But I can get Chico to tag along no problem.”

I dragged my eyes up to his face, preparing myself to drop the bomb. Everything inside me clenched. “Okay. Let Chico know we’ll be going to Eli’s tonight.”

Seven stared at the pants on his bed for a moment before turning to face me slowly. Lethally slowly. His face was a mask of neutrality that told me it had to be hiding a storm. Silence pulsed between us, heavy as lead.

“No.” He sniffed, turning toward his closet. “Absolutely not.”

“I am,” I told him. “I’ve already got clearance for a bodyguard, because I’m being smart. You know why I’m doing this. Why not just let me do it?”

His jaw flexed as he assessed the interior of his closet, hands on his hips.

“You think a couple extra thousand dollars is worth going into that den of vipers?” His voice came out a bark as he turned to me, real frustration finally tugging at the edges of his composure.

“I think that den of vipers is worth securing my future if that’s what I need to do, yes,” I spat, crossing my arms.

“That’s not how you secure your future.” His voice was an angry rasp, and if we weren’t in the middle of a blossoming argument, I’d have collapsed at his feet in a needy puddle from how sexy he sounded. “The price of making it in this world does not include putting yourself in harm’s way.”

“Are you kidding me?” My voice came out more like a shriek, and I hated that I couldn’t hide the emotion welling up in me. “That’s the only price I know how to pay, Seven. I’ve been paying it my entire life. I lost my big sister to sex trafficking and a drug overdose. I lost my brothers to the foster system. I lost a lifetime with my parents due to a drunk driver. I lost my virginity and all my fucking dignity along the way, too many times to even mention. I’ve lived through it all. Besides, I’m not just talking about my financial future. I’ve finally found something I’m afraid of losing—I have my family back—and I’m not going to let this overly wealthy airline industry douche take it away from me.”

He watched me for a long moment, clenching and unclenching his fists. “All money aside, you’re risking too much on a bet that has almost zero chance of paying out. You think you’ve seen it all but you haven’t. You’re not naïve, but you’re still young. It can get worse. Don’t tempt fate, Jordan. Don’t ask it to deliver more heartache to your doorstep.”

I shook my head, but Seven wasn’t done.

“These guys have their own dark side. You might recognize some of it, but it’s different when there’s so much money involved. They can get away with whatever they want. They can do more and worse than you realize. You shouldn’t get involved. Please, Jordan.”

I recognized the real pleading behind his words, and I softened for a moment. But lowering my defenses only allowed the emotion to flood in. My throat got tight, and I began to shut down. It was more than just the money, though that was a big part of it. My gut was telling me to go. To check it out. And Seven would never understand, much less approve.

I tore myself away from him, beelining for my bedroom. I spent a long time pressed up against the wall, drawing deep, cleansing breaths that did nothing to calm the storm inside me.

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