Page 65 of The Woman with the Wallet

“I’ll ask Tyler,” I said, reaching for my phone for the first time in what felt like ages.

“That was quick,” Miko said when my phone dinged almost immediately.

“He’s on his way to the airport,” I told Miko. “Said the girls are sad. This kind of… really works out.”

“Good,” Miko said, nodding. “That’s one less thing to worry about.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine there myself.”

“The fuck you will,” Miko said, making me look up from my text.

“What?”

“You’re not staying there. No fucking way. It’s not safe.”

“Miko, I’m a grown-ass woman. I can stay in my own home if I want.”

“Look what happened in your own home,” he said, gesturing toward my face.

Admittedly, it was easy to forget about my face since I so rarely caught sight of it in the past day or so. But Miko was always looking at it, always remembering what had happened to me.

“That was before I knew there was a threat,” I reminded him. “It’s different now.”

“I don’t care. You’re not staying in your apartment until I know it’s safe.”

“I’m not wasting money staying at a ho—“

“You’re staying with me,” he cut me off.

“I’m… no, I’m not,” I said, even as heat bloomed through my body, that warm blanket-hugging sensation wrapping tightly around my shoulders and chest.

“Sugar, this isn’t up for debate.”

“What are you going to do, cuff me to the bed?” Even as the words escaped me, I knew exactly how they were going to be received.

Miko struggled to keep his lips in a straight line. And failed pretty miserably. “I’m not opposed to that idea,” he said, a wicked glint in his eyes. “But I am choosing to believe that when you stop being stubborn, you will see it is the smartest, safest option.”

He wasn’t exactly wrong there.

We would be better as a pair until this was over. Especially since he was trying not to use his family on this case.

“What about Chuck?”

“What about him?” Miko asked, glancing over just in time to catch Zeno slapping Chuck’s hand away from one of his keyboards.

“He needs to be somewhere safe.”

“Yeah. So?”

“So you only have one extra bedroom,” I reminded him.

“We’re both adults,” Miko said, the beginnings of a challenge on his face. “We can share a bed.”

“Hey, if you want to share a bed with Chuck, I’m not one to judge,” I said, loving the way his eyes crinkled as he turned away to smile.

“Unless you’re worried you won’t be able to control yourself in the same bed as me,” he said, leaning close, his voice a secret just for the two of us.

He knew exactly what he was doing, damn him.

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