Page 22 of Just My Ex

*Don’t travel at night … stick to the curfew.

*Don’t walk (or run) alone.

*Devise a simple, plausible cover story.

*Provide a typical daily itinerary and any modifications to the itinerary in writing within twenty-four-hour’s notice.

“I have a curfew? And I have to give you an itinerary?” A laugh springs from me. “Is this a minimum-security prison?” I snort and shake my head. He gave up any claim to asking me to be home at a certain time when we split up.

The entirety of the room is staring at me. Do they see the ridiculousness of this as much as I do?

Henry squints. “These are modified. I usually ask more of my clients.”

“I’m not a client. At the risk of sounding like a child, you’re not the boss of me, Henry.” It’s a juvenile remark, so I laugh. I mean it to be breezy, silly. Something to garner sympathy. I glance around the room. Doesn’t anyone around here understand what an insult all of this is to me?

But I can tell that my brothers-who-aren’t-actually-my-brothers-anymore have some mixed feelings going on. I can’t read the vibe.

“Quinn, you have to take some responsibility for your own safety.” Henry’s pacing now. “I can do a lot to help you, but these are the bare minimums we need from you.”

Finally, Oliver hedges. “It’s a little weird that Henry’s coming in here all double-oh-seven on us.” He gives him a hard look. So much passes between them. Oliver turns back to me. “But this stuff your uncle’s doing? That’s messed up. I think there is cause for concern.”

“Yeah,” Oakley places a hand in front of her on the table, leaning forward. “Have you contacted the police about this? He can’t harass you.”

“The police say until a credible threat has been made, there’s nothing they can do.” I slump in my chair. “They seemed to believe we were having, as they called it, a minor family squabble.”

Itisa worry. Idoneed to be cautious. But I don’t need my ex-husband giving me a curfew. And I can run or walk by myself whenever I want. The runner’s high I crave? That won’t work if my ex-husband is my chaperone.

“Sorry to drag you all into this,” I say. “I was having a hard time knowing who I can trust in California, you know? But to ask me to come up with a cover story? Geez, Henry.” I chew on the inside of my cheek. “I’m going to file a protective order when I get back.” I squeeze my hands together, covering my nose and mouth. I can’t believe Navie and I are in this situation.

“Protective orders are flimsy, at best,” Sebastian says with a grimace. “He’s obviously not afraid to do things like breaking and entering.”

“And a past assault and battery charge,” Elianna reminds.

“This really sucks,” Sophie offers. “We want to help.” She turns to Henry. “We’ll be on your team. We got you.”

Stella, who’s been sitting quietly with her hands folded calmly in her lap, says to Henry, “This seems like overkill.”

But just as I lean in to fist bump her and tell her, not for the first time, that she’s the smartest person in the whole family, she adds a “But.”

“But I don’t want us to look back and have regrets that we weren’t more cautious. And hopefully this is all very temporary.”

Oh.

Henry seems buoyed by Stella’s support. “We might even file a civil suit against him, but in the meantime, we have to go about this on our own.” Henry crooks his eyebrow. He’s a smug one.

A civil suit?

“Something you should have talked to me about first, Henry.” I fold my arms across my body. This man. He’s stubborn. Hardheaded. A royal pain in the neck.

“I’mthinkingwe should. Or you, I guess.” He looks back at his siblings. He raises his chin. I recognize this version of Henry. This is the take-no-prisoners version. I imagine he’s used it against all the bad guys he comes across in that mysterious job of his.

“I can handle this,” he says to his siblings. “Raymond’s trying to intimidate.” His gaze bores into my own. “And I don’t tolerate any form of intimidation. If he tries anything, he’ll regret it.”

Chapter 9

Henry

It’s past midnight before I’m even remotely ready to start thinking about sleep. Because of all my travel, my sleep is disordered anyway. Add to that, the nightmares I started having when I was in the Army and that still show up sometimes, and the … okay, I can say it … depression I’ve had on and off, and sleep is not my strong suit.

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