Page 73 of Lethal Infatuation

"Partially. If anything should happen to you, I'll rip everyone in this city apart, Gabriella. I need to know that you're able to protect yourself. You're a woman living alone in New York City."

"I've been safe thus far. I'm always aware of my surroundings,"she said softly.

"Does that mean you don't get drunk with your little friends and hail cabs at random hours of the night?" Her lips parted as if she were going to say something, but she quickly pursed them. "That's what I thought. You need to promise me that you'll stay safe and call me if you need any help." I paused, making sure she was still paying attention to me before continuing.

"I don't want to control you, but if it were up to me, you wouldn't go anywhere without me by your side. I'm always watching, though, always." She nodded, so I gently wrapped both hands around her throat, mimicking her earlier action. "So promise me,mikrí petaloúda. I need you to use your words."

"I promise," she breathed softly, her eyes fluttering. "There is something that's been bothering me."

"What is it?" I frowned, caressing her skin with my thumbs.

"When my colleague, Helena, and I were at the Federal Bureau, I had this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach," she muttered. "We've been there twice, and on both occasions, I experienced the same bad feeling."

"What do you mean?"

"The first instance was when we left the building. It just felt so eerie, as if someone was watching us. The second time, the exact same thing happened, just as we approached the building. I looked around to see if I could spot anyone, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary."

My heart slowly sank and I lowered my head. "Fuck’s sake," I groaned. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"I didn't think it was important, and I also wasn't sure where we stood. Would you appreciate random women sharing this kind of information with you?"

"You're not a random woman, though. You'remy womanandit's my duty to keep you safe, Gabriella."

"Your woman? Since when?"

I tightened my hold around her neck, making her release a soft breath. "Do you really want to play with me right now? I'm already on edge as is."

"I'm not doing anything of the sort. You never asked me to officially be your woman." She bit my lip, making me feel an array of different emotions.

"We should discuss the problem at hand, Gabriella. Don't try to change the subject."

"I'm not changing the subject. I'm only stating the obvious. I'm aware of the severity of the situation and I understand how dangerous it is."

My smile was long gone. "Then you understand why it's important for you to talk to me. If you ever feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or uneasy when I'm not with you, call me immediately, okay?"

"Okay, I'll call you."

"Good girl," I praised. "You call and I'll be there." She smiled brightly, holding onto her necklace. It must've been a habit. "I'll ask Kayden to check the camera footage on the days you were at the Bureau to see if there's anything unusual," I said. "Do you remember the dates?"

"I'll check my emails and clarify that information for you." I grabbed the back of her head and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you so much," she whispered, closing her eyes. "I really do appreciate it."

"I just want to keep you safe," I spoke against her skin. "This is all my fucking fault. Now you might be on a suspect’s radar and I can't even locate him."

"Don't blame yourself. If I were you, the last thing I'd ever think is that they'd be following my every move. Seems to me likehe wants to finish what he started."

I looked away, recalling the night I got shot. "I haven't spoken to anyone aside from my therapist about this. The only reason I have a therapist in the first place is to be cleared for duty."

"I can't imagine what that experience must've been like. Not only is it physically painful, but it causes trauma. Whether we acknowledge it or not," she stated.

"Yeah." I held her tighter, digging my fingers into her skin. "I know," I sighed. "I still have nightmares, and ever since then, Ares constantly checks in on me. It's annoying, but I appreciate it. He's the one who saw it happening and watched me bleed out while he waited for help to arrive."

She frowned, resting her head on my chest. "I'm so sorry that happened to you and him." She gripped my shirt tightly. "That's not an experience I'd wish upon anyone."

"Hey." I grabbed her face on both sides. "It's okay, we're okay. But now my main concern is you. So you call me. I don't care about the hour, I don't care if it's something you think is irrelevant. If you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable, you call me, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded, smiling so sweetly at me. I placed a kiss on her forehead and then pulled her against my chest. "I've got your number on speed dial."

The first time I've gotten close to a woman in years, and this is the situation I'm in? Karma really was a bitch.

---