Page 86 of When He Protects

“That story will only last so long. A house can’t just explode without an investigation following the blast.”

Yes, she knew that. “Clay is stalling.” Though she still had not forgiven the jerk for the cuffs. “He’s controlling the investigation for now. By the time he loses that control, I figure you and I will be out of Asylum. Clearly, it’s not a safe place for us any longer.”

“Clearly.” His stare was unblinking. “You still have the drive?”

She nodded. He’d given it to her right before the hospital staff had stripped him down.

“Keep it on you, Esme.” Low. “Because some bastard searched the house for it, and when he couldn’t find it, he blew up the whole place. I’m not even sure we were his main target. I think he was trying to make sure the drive vanished.”

“Pretty sure that when someone leaves a bomb,” a bare whisper from her, “in your home, that means you’re the main target, but thanks so much for trying to sugarcoat things for me.”

His eyes narrowed.

She swallowed. Her hand rose and pressed to his jaw. The light stubble teased her palm. “You…you contacted Grayson yesterday. You told him everything was fine here.”

“Yes.”

“Not to call you a liar to your face, but everything is not fine here. Things are on fire here.”

“I don’t trust his boss. Not for one minute.”

“Do you trust Grayson?”

“He’s been my friend for a long time.” His head turned. His mouth pressed to her palm. Right in the center. A softkiss that made her shiver. “Someone compromised our location. If Gray is reporting straight to his boss, then I can’t tell him what’s happening.”

“The Feds are after us, my father is…” Esme stopped. Exhaled.

He kissed her palm again. Over her hand, his eyes met hers.

“How can you do that?” Esme asked as a pang shot through her. “How can you still stand to touch me knowing what he did?” The guilt ate her up.

He slowly lowered her hand but didn’t let go. “Baby, I’m gonna do more than touch you. I’m fucking you at the earliest opportunity.”

She sucked in a breath. Well, that had certainly been blunt. And reassuring.He still wants me. Tyler isn’t turning away in disgust even though our past is twisted and dark and bloody.He wasn’t telling her to get the hell out of his life.

He was saying he wanted to fuck her. At the earliest opportunity.

Very promising.

She would also, in fact, like to fuck him at the earliest opportunity.

“I want more details about the bombings,” Tyler informed her quietly. “I want to know how your father connected with my parents. I want to know why they were targeted. I’m not going to take some stranger’s word on a two-minute confession that Jorlan had in his possession. I don’t trust anything coming from Jorlan. I will dig for the truth on my own.”

“And if the truth is exactly what Louis said?” She was far too conscious of each heartbeat that passed as she waited for his answer.

“You aren’t your dad. You aren’t paying for his sins.”

“They were your parents.” He couldn’t just get over this. “You should hate me.”

“Thought I told you already, hate is the last thing I feel. It willalwaysbe the last thing I feel where you are concerned.”

“What do you feel?” And she held her breath as she waited for Tyler to reply.

Chapter Eighteen

A sharp knocksounded at the door before Tyler could answer Esme’s stark question. A moment later, the door swung open. The doctor poked her head inside. “Who is ready to bust out of this place?” Vanessa Raye asked with a wide smile.

Me.

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