Page 70 of Hemlock

"Maybe Zara should come with me," Hound says, startling her and making her aware we aren't alone in the room.

She sits up in a rush, positioning her body between mine and them. "Who are you?"

Kincaid smiles at her defensiveness, and I feel my own cheek twitch with pride.

I know I'm not in the clear where she's concerned, but at least she isn't begging them for help.

I didn't know if she was going to try and escape when we laid down or if she was really concerned with how tired I looked. I guess I have my answer.

"I'm not leaving," she says. "Anything you say to him you can say in front of me."

With a wince from the pull in my side, I sit up, placing my chin on her shoulder so I can speak softly in her ear.

"I trust these men with my life," I assure her. "Go grab some breakfast upstairs."

She shifts so she can look me directly in the eyes. "You're sure?"

God, I wish they'd just disappear for a few minutes so I could kiss the hell out of her. Although I find it rather difficult not to lean in and brush my lips across hers, I won't lessen that moment by having our first kiss in front of strangers.

"I'm sure," I tell her, pushing a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

She looks disheveled and messy, and it only makes me want to mess her up even more. Jesus, this woman drives me insane in the best and worst ways.

She cups my cheek, a loving touch that feels a little too intimate to happen right now, but that doesn't stop her from leaning in and pressing her lips to the dimple in my cheek before climbing off the bed.

She looks back at me before leaving the room as if she's not certain she's doing the right thing, but I dip my head in assurance, watching as Hound pulls the door closed behind him, leaving Kincaid and me alone in the room.

My eyes dart to the fire alarm on the ceiling, making me realize in all my haste to protect her last night and my inability to resist the pull to her in the bed, I never disabled the damn camera.

"I had Ace cut the feed," Kincaid says as if the man can read my mind. "We aren't being recorded."

Instead of speaking further, he waits for me to speak, but I don't even know where to begin. After several moments of complete silence, he throws me a bone and speaks.

"You said in the message you left that you have a question." He shifts on the chair, leaning forward so he can rest his elbows on his knees. "I think I know what you want to ask, and the answer would be no."

I knew it was a risk to call him, to think that maybe I haven't completely fucked everything up, but his words tell me that there was no need for hope. I think I knew it deep in my gut, that the way I acted, and the things I've done, were past the point of no return. I turn and sit on the side of the bed, hating that I put this man in this position in the first place, but I also know although I could've handled some things a little differently, the outcome would still be the same.

I'd still fight for her. I'd still walk away from everything here in order to be with her, to protect her, to have just a little more time with her.

"I understand," I say, looking him in the eye because that's the level of respect he deserves.

"I don't think you do," he says in an even tone. "You were going to ask if you could come back to New Mexico."

I dip my head. The man has always had an uncanny ability to know what others are thinking. It's what makes him such a good boss.

"Everything has changed."

"I know it has," he says, giving me a wry smile. "I'd hoped it would."

I lock eyes with him.

"She changed everything for me. She's... different."

"A good woman has a way of doing that," he says, and I know he's thinking about his wife of many years, Emmalyn.

"If I can't go back to New Mexico to live with all the happy people," I tell him, trying not to sound insulting to the couples there, "then I'm going to have to resign from Cerberus."

I never wanted it to come to this. Hell, I don't really want to go back to New Mexico. I know my life won't be all sunshine and rainbows if Zara chooses to stay with me. I'm just not the type to grin and laugh while playing in the pool or tell a joke while standing at the barbeque grill, but there are rules about the jobs here in East Tennessee, making it impossible to stay here.

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