Page 24 of Provoke You

“Logistics. I think it’ll be better if I bring in my own pilot.”

I cleared my throat and tucked my legs under my butt. “My dad is very lucky to have you. I’m lucky to have you. Thank you for tonight.” I hit play, hoping the gore and the screaming would diffuse this fear at the pit of my stomach.

“Just doing my job.” He shifted his weight on the sofa to face me.

“What is it?”

“I can’t stop thinking about what would have happened tonight if I hadn’t come looking for you last night at the bar.” He glanced down at his hands.

“Say it.”

“I wanted to see you. In person.” He met my gaze. “When you went live, I told myself that I needed to make sure you were okay, that it was my job.”

“You wanted to see me?” I placed my hand on his lap, and he didn’t push it away. He nodded in some sort of surrender.

“If I hadn’t been there, you wouldn’t’ve cuffed yourself to me, and Jennifer would have never assigned me to protect you.” His eyes were so full of meaning.

“What now?”

“I want to know who would want to hurt you.”

I let out a breath and swallowed my tears. “My grandmother’s lawyer. I’m sure he’s still alive. I need to talk to him. Maybe there’s a way to still save my hotel.”

“Jennifer asked me to keep you safe. Maybe she was in a rush to hire me on because she knew you’d need protection.”

“Utica is practically on our way to Paris. I don’t think it would take us long to find Old Ben. From what I remember, it’s not a big place and he was well known.” I let the desperation show in my eyes. If begging would get him to agree, I was ready to do that too. This place was everything to me. “Dad doesn’t have to find out we took a little detour.”

He shook his head and cradled my face. “We can’t just show up.”

I faced the TV screen, focusing my attention on the show instead. Truth was, I didn’t have it in me to fight Matt on this anymore. Not when I knew very well that if it hadn’t been for him, I’d be dead right now.

Several episodes in, when Carl was reunited with his family and everything seemed as if it’d be all right for the characters, I leaned my head on the arm of the sofa and let my eyelids droop close. A few seconds later, a dream played in my head like a movie. Matt said something, but his deep and soothing voice had already fused with the moaning and shuffling feet of the zombies.

When I didn’t respond, Matt hooked one arm under my knees and the other under my neck. He carried me to the bed, holding me tight against his chest as he pulled the covers back. The cool sheets touched my skin, and then a fluffy pillow propped my head, soft against my cheek. This wasn’t part of logistics. The big bad marine was tucking me in. This felt better than if we’d fucked all night. Well, almost.

“Thank you,” I mumbled.

“You’re welcome.” His voice was calming but somehow laced with sadness.

When he pulled the comforter over my shoulder, my eyes fluttered open. I gripped his fingers and brought them to my chest. “How did your dad die?”

He’d mentioned it before, during dinner. I couldn’t stop the question from spilling out. Maybe I was looking for a connection with this man who’d been so kind and patient when I’d done nothing to deserve it.

He sat on the bed next to me, chest rising and falling as he tried to form the words. I shifted my weight to face him. With a sigh, he pushed the hair away from my face and rubbed my temple to make me close my eyes again. His fingers were deft and soft, as if he’d done this a million times before.

“He died of a broken heart. After Mom died.” He squinted his eyes in that way that was so familiar to me now, as if he were trying to memorize my face. “You really think finding Ben is worth the shot?”

“It’s the only shot.”

“I take you to New York, and you’ll come willingly to Paris with me?” He raised his hand when I opened my mouth to say yes. “And stay there for as long as your dad needs you to?”

“Yes and yes,” I said without hesitation and stuck out my hand.

“Your dad is a busy guy and that might buy us some time, but we have three days tops before he notices you’re not where you’re supposed to be. Are you okay with that?”

“Still yes, Matt.”

He took my hand in his. Something as small as a handshake shouldn’t make me this happy.

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