Page 18 of Breaker

The color drained from Juniper’s face. Her breath came in shallow gasps as the full weight of Surge’s words hit her. I pulled her closer still, murmuring reassurances even as a cold fury settled in my chest.

Robert Murray. The man who had destroyed countless lives, including Juniper’s. And now he was about to walk free. We’d known it was coming, but the reality of it was much different.

“He won’t get near you,” I promised Juniper. “I won’t let him.”

She nodded, but I could feel her trembling in my arms, see the fear in her eyes. It tore at me, knowing what this news was doing to her. Nothing we could have said or done would have prepared her for this. It wasn’t something that could be shrugged off.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Surge said, his voice low and serious. “If he so much as looks in Juniper’s direction…”

He didn’t need to finish the thought. I knew Surge would do whatever it took to protect Juniper. Just like I would. And I also knew what he meant about keeping an eye on him. He’d not only put his computer skills to use, but he’d likely find a way to put a tracker on the man. Either in his belongings or his vehicle, assuming he had one still.

As Surge headed for the door, I thanked him again, pouring every ounce of sincerity I could muster into the words. He clapped me on the shoulder, a gesture that said more than words ever could.

When the door closed behind him, I turned to Juniper, pulling her against my chest. Silent tears dampened my shirt as I held her, stroking her hair.

“It’s going to be okay,” I whispered. “I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She nodded against me, her breathing slowly evening out. I hoped like fuck I hadn’t just lied to her. No matter how many times we tried to keep the women in our lives safe, somehow the bad guys always got the upper hand. It was downright embarrassing how easy they made it look. This time it was different. It wasmywoman whose life was on the line. I’d do whatever it took to keep her away from Robert Murray.

Once the dust settled and we had him buried six feet under, I would love her, protect her, and build a life with her. Because she was my world now. And nothing, not even Robert Murray, was going to take that away from me.

We needed a plan, a way to ensure Juniper’s safety while we figured out Murray’s next move. I pulled out my phone and texted Surge.Should we ask Fox to call Church?

The message showed it had been read, then he responded.I’ll fill in Fox on my way home. Just focus on your woman.

He didn’t have to tell me twice. I didn’t know how to take her mind off this. Well, I could think of a few ways, but one was definitely off the table. We hadn’t even kissed yet, so I sure the hell wasn’t about to take her to bed.

“Probably rotten timing, but let’s sit and talk for a bit,” I said.

“About what?”

“Our marriage.” I felt her tense. And that right there was why we hadn’t discussed yet. But I couldn’t have her running scared when we had bigger issues to deal with. I couldn’t do shit about Robert Murray at the moment, but this one thing I could handle.

I led her over to the sofa and sat, pulling her down beside me. I kept our fingers laced together so she couldn’t run, even though I could tell she wanted to.

“What about it?” she asked.

“On paper, everyone thinks we’re a married couple. Right now, we’re more like roommates. We share the house, eat together, watch movies together… but we aren’t actually a husband and wife.”

“Is this your way of getting me to have sex with you?” she asked, trying to break free of me.

“No! Jesus, Juni. When have I ever given you the impression I’d try to force myself on you, or coerce you into doing something you don’t want to?”

She sighed. “Never.”

“I just meant, I’m fine with us going slow. As slow as you need us to. But at the same time, I really do want us to build a life together. I think I found you in that alley for a reason, because you were meant to be mine. I can’t shake that feeling. What I don’t know is whether you feel the same, or if you want to leave and go as far away from here as possible once the issue with your uncle is settled.”

She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. I hadn’t realized my question was that difficult to answer. But I waited, giving her time to organize her thoughts, and possibly figure out what she wanted. There was always the chance she hadn’t even considered any of this yet. I wouldn’t blame her. Not with everything she already had on her plate.

“What exactly does a relationship look like to you?” she asked after another few silent minutes.

“Not really sure. I’ve never been in one,” I admitted. “Not really. Dated around in high school, hell even back in middle school. Haven’t ever had a girlfriend, though, much less a wife.”

She stared at me, her lips slightly parted. “Middle school? Are you serious right now?”

I shrugged. “Yeah. My hormones were all over the place back then. Still were up until my early twenties, then I guess I got it all out of my system.”

“Exactly how old are you?” she asked.

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