Page 95 of When He Protects

“When you lie, your voice gets extra haughty. You better watch that tell in the future.”

She stopped mid-swipe. “I can’t believe you broke down the door! Seriously, what is it with you and bathrooms?”

“The door needed breaking.” He motioned toward the pile of clothes she’d taken into the bathroom. “I’m guessing a burner phone is currently hidden under there? Did you tuck it under the shirt when you realized I was coming in after you?”

Her hand fell. “I have no idea what you mean.” She frowned. “I havenoidea what you mean.” She clearly had tried to change up her tone. Less haughty. Kinda cute.

But she knew exactly what he meant. “The tears are a problem for me. A big one. I hate for you to cry. Didn’t we cover that?”

“Well, you didn’t have to come in after me. Why can’t a woman cry in peace?”

“Because your tears break me apart, when I see them and when I don’t. From now on, no more crying.”

“You can’tordersomeone not to cry and just make it magically happen.”

Really? He was pretty sure he just had given the order. And it would happen. But, fine, for now… “I’ll just kick the ass of the next person to make you cry. Fair enough?”

“Tyler…”

He reached out and lifted up the shirt. Sure enough, a burner phone was right there. “Who were you gonna call, sweetheart?”

Her hands went to her hips. “You know so much, tell me.”

“Your father.”

She didn’t deny it.

“You were going to call him. Offer to meet him.”

Again, no denial.

So he kept going. “I figure you were probably going to seduce me at some point.”

“You wish.”

Yes, he did. Fervently. “You were going to give me mind-blowing sex. And then you thought I might fall asleep afterwards. While I slept, you were going to sneak away and meet your father because you believe you can convince him to call off the hit on my life. You thinkheis the one who put out the hit. Both on you…and on me.”

“Why would he put out a hit on me? I’m his daughter.”

“Because you were in federal custody. He was afraid you’d tell the wrong information to the wrong people. People not on his payroll. So the hit was placed, and a killer came calling for you. But I was there. I stopped him.”

“I do appreciate that.”

I will always be there.“You still have the drive.” He’d given it to her at the hospital. Not like there had been a lot of places to hide it when he’d had to don the hospital gown.

“I might.”

He waited.

“Ido.”

“You’re going to give him the drive, and, in exchange, you think he’ll cancel the hit on me.”

“That’s a whole lot of suspicion pouring from you.”

“That’s a whole lot of zero denial coming fromyou, sweetheart.”

Her hands dropped from her hips. Her shoulders squared. “Let me make sure I’m following along properly.”

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