Page 74 of Guarded from Treachery

After a midnight snack of churros and sparkling apple juice, plus a second and third round, Isla fell asleep in my arms, and I didn’t have it in me to wake her.

I didn’t want to, either. Not when it felt so amazing to have her snuggled against me, her delicate features relaxed in sleep, one leg tossed over mine and her head tucked under my chin. And then waking up next to her, seeing her sleepy smile and drowsy eyes, making love again as the sun started peeking over the horizon.

When she tentatively asked about staying the second night, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. And last night, she fell asleep on my shoulder midway through episode seven ofHell’s Kitchen, so it just made more sense to carry her to my bed instead of the one in the client apartment.

Having Isla here is wonderful. Sharing news about the people responsible for the trauma she’s been through? Not as much.

But as I walk into my apartment to hear Isla singing in the kitchen, watching her do a little shimmy as she whisks some sort of batter in a bowl I didn’t realize I had, seeing her soft smile as she rubs her belly… it’s impossiblenotto smile.

She doesn’t see me standing by the door at first, so I take a moment to appreciate this incredible gift I’ve been given. I never imagined finding someone like Isla. Smart. Sweet. Funny. Loving. Beautiful. And the woman who’s captured my heart.

I don’t know when to tell her how I feel. That I’m so in love with her, she occupies my thoughts all the time. That I crave her touch. Her presence. Her laugh.

That I love herandlittle Eagle. Or Dove. I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl.

And I really don’t know when the right time is to tell her—is there a right time? I’m not sure—that I don’t just want to be a part of their lives. I want to be a family.

Maybe when all of this is over. Then I can bare my heart to her and pray she doesn’t reject it.

While I love watching Isla, and not in a creepy, stalkery way, I also don’t want to startle her. So I scuff my feet as I walk across the open living space and call out in a low tone, “Hey, Isles. I’m back.”

She only jumps a little, the whisk skittering against the mixing bowl, but she quickly covers it. Her smile brightens, and she sets the whisk down before crossing the room to meet me.

I wrap my arms around her, kissing her softly on the head. Her hair smells like flowers and feels like the softest silk against my lips. Holding Isla is the most perfect thing, like all my life I’ve been missing a critical part of myself, and now I’m finally complete.

Tipping her head back to look at me, she says brightly, “I’m making pancakes. With fresh fruit compote. And turkey sausage, since it’s healthier. If you want some eggs, I can scramble some up pretty quickly. I figured after your workout, you must be hungry.”

“Yeah, I could definitely eat.” Though in truth, my stomach has been unsettled since our meeting. But I’m not telling Isla that. “It sounds amazing. But you didn’t have to cook all that.”

“Well, my boss is on vacation, so my hours are reduced this week. So I have the time. And I like cooking for you. I’m not as good as Sarah, I know, but?—”

“You’re a great cook,” I assure her. “And I love your cooking. It’s way better than mine.”

“You’re not a bad cook, Matt.” Isla stretches up to press a quick kiss on my lips. Then she takes my hand and tugs me back towards the kitchen. “I happen to like yourMatt’s Specialsandwiches.”

Back at the counter, she picks up the whisk and continues stirring. She stares down at the bowl for a second and takes a deep breath. When she looks back at me, her expression has sobered. “I can tell you found out something and don’t want to tell me.”

Damn. I was hoping to get at least a few more minutes before I have to ruin her mood. “Do you want to know now?”

Her gaze is steady. “Yes. I can handle it, Matt. The worst already happened. Now I’m safe, I have you and your team watching out for me, plus Jade and Sarah and Lucy… And Rambo.” She smiles at the mention of Dante and Sarah’s rescue dog, who’s won the hearts of everyone at B and A. “So whatever it is, I know it’ll be okay.”

Oh.

I can’t let her down.

Whatever it takes, I have to protect her.

After a deep breath, I catch her free hand and give it a little squeeze. “Alright. So the good news is, we’ve made some significant progress on your case.”

“Okay?”

“First, we found the woman who shared your medical files. Well. We knew her name, but yesterday, Xavier and Niall found her. And they convinced her to talk.”

Isla’s forehead creases. “And what did she say?”

“Well, we already knew she works for an EHR software company based out of Denver. So that gives her access to medical files all over the country. But what we really wanted to know was why? And who was she working for? Since Niall and Xav were already in Pueblo for a case, it made sense for them to head to Denver to confront her.”

Rubbing my thumb across the back of her hand, I continue, “So they went to this woman—Amy Williams—and explained that we could help her with reduced charges down the line if she helps us. She was hesitant at first, but finally she talked.”

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