Page 96 of Even if It Hurts

He gave me an understanding look when I struggled to continue. “We’ll find somewhere for you.”

I deflated a little despite the relief winding through me. “It’s not being somewhere with you. I’m just worried if I stay there tonight, I won’t leave, and that feels too soon. It’s one thing when it’s for something like last night or for Kaia, but?—”

“I understand,” he assured me with a soft pass of his lips across my own.

Someone cleared their throat near us in obvious amusement, but even though I jerked away to see the lethal couple watching us from across the table, Asher just slowly turned a cold glare their way as if he’d known they were there all along. “Timing isn’t your strength.”

“The food’s getting cold,” Hudson said as he sank onto the bench, smiling at Asher as if he was enjoying every second of this.

Asher watched them for a while longer before shifting his head my way again. “Why didn’t you go to Ada’s when you left your parents’?”

“I thought about it,” I said as I pushed the basket closest to me toward Hudson since he was inhaling the food in his. “But she lives on the other side of the blueberry fields. I figured my parents would look for me there first.”

“And now?” Asher asked. “Would you wanna go there?”

A gentle smile pulled at my mouth as I thought about it. “Yeah. It would actually be nice because I haven’t seen her that much with everything going on.” I started reaching for Kaia’s bag behind me before remembering I didn’t have my phone. “I can’t call her—my phone’s at the hotel.”

“I will,” Asher said, but hesitation warred from him as he continued sitting there. “And Kaia?”

“Asher...” His name left me on a saddened breath because I wanted him to see—toknow—that he was what’s best for his niece.

But before I could try convincing him again, he said, “We’ll do whatever you want, but I’m gonna be gone a lot while I get things figured out with the office. And I don’t want either of you in my apartment. Not right now at least.” His destructive stare drifted to where Hudson and Mallory were pretending not to listen before quickly scanning the crowd. “Maybe not ever.”

“What happened?” Hudson asked around a bite of food, stealing the question from me.

Asher looked like he was going to ignore it again, but after a relenting sigh, admitted, “Enough for me to want Kaia far from my apartment.”

“Asher, she needs you,” I told him softly, silently begging for him to understand that.

“Later,” he nearly begged, his eyes catching on mine for a few seconds before he dug his phone out of his pocket. After a quick call to Ada, he leaned close and asked, “You hungry?”

“No.” I hadn’t had much today other than the coffee Asher brought me, but with the little he’d just told us, my stomach was twisting even worse than before.

“Then let’s get out of here,” he offered as he cradled Kaia against his chest with one arm and reached for me with the other.

Neither Mallory nor Hudson so much as flinched as we got up, seemingly content to stay there as if that’d been their plan all along.

“Meeting tomorrow,” Asher told them. “I’ll let y’all know when and where.”

Mallory nodded. Hudson winked at me.

“Are you dropping me off at my aunt’s?” I asked as Asher led me toward the cars lining the street. At the nearly imperceptible slant of his head, I lowered my voice. “Asher, talk to me.”

“Everything,” he vowed as he pulled me to a stop, his stare darting around before meeting mine in a clear plea. “I’ll tell you everything once I’m not worried about who might be watching us or listening to us.”

I wanted to tell him we were safe; that this was Huntley.

But I had a feeling my assurances would mean nothing to the man clinging to me and his niece because I didn’t know what he’d been through the past twenty-four hours. I didn’t know what he’d seen or been forced to do in either of his careers. And even though I’d been given glimpses, I couldn’t comprehend what he’d experienced in his childhood.

So, if he was worried about eyes and ears in the adorable, safe town we were standing in, I needed to trust his instincts. After all, Asherknewa mafia family in Dallas—had dealt with and been threatened by them before. Until last night, the mafia hadbeen nothing more than entertainment on screens and pages to me.

I hadn’t even known when they’d been standing behind me, going through their practiced motions in preparation to take me.

“Later,” I whispered in agreement, then turned for the cars, more anxious to get to them than before.

“When exactly were you gonna tell me?” Ada demanded later that night once I finished telling her about the past twenty-four-or-so hours.

I glanced over my shoulder in the direction Lainey had gone to put Kaia to bed, then lowered my voice in warning to keep hers down too. “I just did.”

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