Page 175 of Bishop

Men have looked at me in many ways before—with lust, greed, hunger…spite, animosity, and hostility, too. Yet the way Bishop currently peers back at me is foreign.

There’s fear in his eyes, glacial and unwanted. Fear he loathes. Fear for me.

His calloused hands cup my cheeks. “If something happens to you—”

“Nothing will happen.” I force strength into my tone. “Geppet is far less intelligent than the men I’ve dealt with in the past. He’ll give me the information I need.”

His expression hardens. “I don’t want you using the tricks Emmanuel—”

“Don’t.” I splay my palm on his chest and gently push. “You have your tricks and I have mine. Let me do what I have to do.”

“Abri…” For pained heartbeats he stares at me, his thoughts loud, his battle not to argue evident in his feral stare.

“Please,” I beg. “I really need to go.”

“Then leave knowing I will torture, maim, and murder him if he lays hands on you.”

I wince. “You’re making this so much harder than it needs to be.”

“Safety is hard, belladonna. If you want to do this your way, you need to go the extra mile to ensure you don’t place yourself at risk.”

“You sure that extra mile isn’t due to jealousy?”

“You think I’m jealous of the men who’ve mistreated you?” He grabs my arms and yanks me closer. “What courses through my veins is a hatred so fucking deep and consuming I battle each second not to slaughter every man who lays eyes on you. Not to mention how difficult it is to watch you act as if you deserve that treatment. Don’t underestimate the sacrifice I’m making in letting you do this your way.”

My splintered confidence gains more cracks. “I need to go. Wait in here a few minutes. Then slip out the back. If he sees you—”

“He won’t.”

“Good.” I take a deep breath and mentally prepare myself to back away from the security of his arms.

“But I will follow you, Abri. I will make sure you’re safe.”

Gratitude warms my chest, yet so much fucking fear surrounds it. Relying on him could risk Tilly’s life. If he’s seen… If he’s heard… “You can be such an authoritative asshole, you know that, right?”

“And just think, belladonna—you’ve got the rest of your life to figure out how to love me for it.”

My stomach gives birth to a mass of fireflies, the heat of them making me burn.

I think it’s too late. I might already love him.

At the very least, I love the way he wants to protect me. The way he worships my safety.

“If you need help, use this.” He reaches into his pocket and claps something into my hand.

I flip the small plastic device over in my palm with its tiny metal chain hanging from the top. “A rape alarm?”

“I would’ve preferred comms and listening devices, but my woman had to go off and do shit on her own without my approval. So this is all we’ve got on short notice.” He gives me a pointed look. “Use it. Once you get to wherever you’re going, I doubt I’ll have eyes on you. I’m going to have to trust you’ll sound the alarm if something goes wrong.”

“I will,” I lie, placing the device in my pocket.

“Believe me, your ass will be mine if you don’t.” He releases me, coldness entering his eyes as his game face falls back into place. “Now go before I change my mind.”

32

ABRI

The giddy fireflies remain in my stomach as I pull open the bathroom door and step into the hall.

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