Page 49 of Defiant Devotion

“Iknowyou’re worried. I can tell.”

I smirked at his profile. “You think you can claim to know me already?”

He dragged his focus off the road and gave me a slow once-over. “I’ve been learning quickly.”

Oh, whoa.That smoldering look heated me right up. I had been alarmed when he didn’t try to make a move on me after that shower. It seemed that we were so quick to fall into each other’s arms whenever we saw each other, but he didn’t reach out for me with desire again.

Three days, he’d been there taking care of me and giving me no pressure to do anything. He let me call the shots of what it would be like to be in that cabin, and all I had wanted to do was sleep and rest. I needed it, and somehow, he anticipated giving me space and time like that.

When he kissed me yesterday, hope bloomed again. My heart felt so full when he reached over to kiss me while we talked. It was proof that he wasn’t uninterested. Even with that kiss, he was showing me that he could give me space. That kiss was just a kiss, not a prelude to fucking, and that made it all the sweeter. Tender.

I guess if I’m going to fall head over heels for someone, it’d be a man like him.

Tough, no-nonsense, stern. Yeah, he checked all the boxes I hadn’t realized I’d organized.

But this is still not the time for that.

I had to see my family. I needed to know Benson would be killed. I wanted to eliminate any and all threats against me and my baby.

Wait. How?—

“Will Oleg wage war against the Ilyins for how they’d taken me and held me captive?”

Never mind wondering how well Ben could think he knew me. I had to focus.

“I would be surprised if he didn’t. If, for some reason, he doesn’t, then I’ll take them out.”

I blinked. “All of them?”

He glanced at me, almost deadpan.

Well, he did pick off all the men at that warehouse…

Picturing Ben avenging me and killing my enemies was a nice image to hold on to. Yet, at the same time, I hated the smidgen of doubt. Would he, though? He said he was an independent contractor, and taking out a Mafia family wasn’t something an independent would do.

It felt so good to lean on him and trust him, but I worried I was looking at him too naïvely. I couldn’t help but imagine him being with me, staying with me and wanting our child. Like a real family. Like Jenny and Kyle with baby Damon.

Stop.I had to chide myself and quit this silliness. I was getting way too ahead of myself with thoughts like that.

First things first.I had to go home and see my uncle and sister again. They deserved to know and see firsthand that I was okay. All my worries about my return faded the more that I reassuredmyself I wasn’t doing this alone. Ben was here, and it didn’t look like he’d leave me or betray me.

When he neared the city, he turned in a way that wouldn’t lead to the mansion.

“They’re not at the house,” he explained. “I’ll take you there if you want, but in order to see your family, they’ll all be at the hospital visiting Oleg. Or on their way to do so.”

I nodded. “That makes sense.”

At the hospital, I had a fleeting wish that I could be here for any other reason. Like… maybe coming to check on the baby in my belly. I worried about the lack of prenatal care so far, but I had to convince myself that I would soon have access to the medical care I deserved.

Ben snuck me into the hospital with ease. For as tall as he was, it was almost amazing how well he could prevent himself from standing out. Ben blended in like a pro, and I was grateful he was the random stranger I’d found all those months ago. Only him.

“You’ve done this before, huh?” I asked wryly once we were in the elevator going up to my uncle’s floor. “Trespassing and sneaking around.”

He smiled and winked, no doubt proud of his stealth and memory of codes at doors. “It comes naturally.”

Once we reached the correct floor, he took my hand and guided me out. Making sure that I followed him, he proved again and again how protective he wanted to be over me.

Instead of knocking, he used another code on a panel to unlock a door.

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