Page 48 of Hidden But Not Safe

Naz pulled his hand away.

“You—” Her eyes were wide and frightened, like he’d only seen once before. She shook her head. “You’re so fucking dangerous.”

She pushed past him, shoving out of the bathroom.

Naz remained rooted to the floor, unable to follow after her.

Chapter 16

Meg began spending more time around Julio. She no longer ever asked for Naz’s phone.

Naz missed their typed conversations.

Each night, she still came to him to sleep. She no longer changed into his shirt, though, and the tension in her body faded more slowly each time.

The night she didn’t leave Julio’s trailer, Naz waited for her, awake and staring at the door from his spot against the warehouse, as if he could will it to open.

When the gray of the morning began to brighten with dawn, Seb found him. He leaned against the wall beside him, silent except for that twist to his lips, the one that said he was amused.

Naz’s jaw locked, making it impossible to tell Seb to fuck off. He gave him the finger instead.

Seb chuckled. “You should get some sleep.”

Impossible. When had it happened? When had sleeping come to mean curled around a soft body that snuggled back into his?

At least Seb was someone he could be frustrated with.

He couldn’t be mad at Meg.

“I know you can’t see it, but this is better.” Seb clapped him on the shoulder. “Watch Julio, and you’ll understand.”

He sauntered off, and Naz only wanted to punch him more.

Naz waited there until the sun dried the dew on the yard’s grass. Rocks had already gone to bed. A perimeter check was better than staring a hole in the door.

He headed toward the woods, but the crinkling of leaves annoyed him.

The text from Ramiro later that day was a welcome diversion, even if it didn’t tell him a damn thing.

‘I can’t deal with this shit. Come take care of it.’

Naz went to let Julio know.

Ramiro had already reached out to him first.

“Nothing’s going on today. I can spare you,” Julio said.

His hand wrapped around one of Meg’s thighs, as if it belonged there. As if she belonged to him.

She did, Naz reminded himself.

Miguel stared at her like usual, a look that created a knot in the back of Naz’s neck.

It was Julio’s job to keep her safe. Not Naz’s. She didn’t even want him to.

He hovered near them, willing Meg to look at him so he could invite her along.

“What?” Julio grunted out, his eyes narrowing on Naz.

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