Page 25 of Boss Daddy

“Family typically is,” I reply. “Erin, I want to make thingsnotcomplicated. Stay with me. I’ve got plenty of space, and you can stay for as long as you need to, until this is all taken care of.”

She glances to the side. I can tell her defenses are falling, but she’s still unsure.

I step closer, my voice softening just a fraction. “I can keep you safe, Erin. Let me do that.”

She exhales a shaky breath then nods. “Okay.”

Something beyond relief floods me.

A promise I didn’t know I needed to make.

And one I sure as hell intend to keep.

Chapter 9

Erin

“This is crazy.”

I know I agreed just a few minutes ago, but the reality of what Samuel proposed is suddenly hitting me hard.

“I can’t move into your place.”

“Erin, listen to me. You aren’t safe at your apartment if Misha knows where you live. For now, you need to stay somewhere else.” He glances away as if something just occurred to him. “And your neighborhood…” He trails off, but I know what he’s thinking.

“It’s fine.”

He lets out a sharp laugh. “Fine? Erin, Central West might be an eclectic tourist attraction, but it’s also the most dangerous part of the city. It’s unlikely that something happening to someone there would even get the Denver PD’s attention. Misha could hurt you and no one would ever know.”

He holds my gaze, his expression unrelenting, like he’s made a decision and nothing I say will change it. And the truth sits there, ugly and undeniable.

He’s right.

“But still… staying at your place?”

Samuel’s stance softens just a fraction. “Well, do you have anywhere else to stay?”

The immediate response on the tip of my tongue is a lie. Something about a friend’s couch, a place out of town. The thought of going to my father’s house makes my stomach churn. I can almost see it—the disapproving glares, the suffocating control. Living there would be like locking myself in a gilded cage and throwing away the key.I’d rather sleep on the street. Not only that, but I can’t go back.

I just can’t.

My mouth opens, the lie ready to spill, but Samuel’s eyes narrow. His gaze sharpens, dark and knowing. It’s like he can read my thoughts, like he’s already picked apart the half-truth I’m trying to build.

“Don’t,” he says, leaving no room for discussion. “Don’t lie to me.”

I exhale sharply, the fight draining out of me. My shoulders slump, the weight of reality settling in. He knows. He sees right through me. There’s no point in pretending.

“No. I don’t.”

Saying it out loud makes it real. I have nowhere to go. No backup plan. No safety net.

“Well, now you do.”

A cold shiver races down my spine, but not from fear. It feels more like relief.

Samuel nods. “It’s settled then. I’ll drive you to your place so you can pack a bag, then you’ll stay with me until this Misha issue is dealt with one way or another.”

I’ve heard offers like this before, and the question rises in my mind:What does he want in return?I’ve learned the hard way that nothing is free. Any time a man has reached out a hand to help, there’s always been a catch.

---