Page 36 of All of Me

That was a threat if ever I’d heard it. Not that I would give him the satisfaction of any sort of reaction. “Why are you so bothered about this place? Not like you spent any time here in the last few years,” I taunted, which might have been a mistake, I realized, when he slammed his hand down onto the table hard and yelled in my face.

“It should have been mine!”

We both heard Maxie bark, clearly frightened at the noise.

“The fuck?” he snapped. “You housing her dogs here?” He smirked again. “The ones stillaliveanyway.”

And that would do it.

Despite telling myself I would behave, I realized when he was pressed against the wall, my hands around his throat and him scrabbling to loosen my fingers, that I might have lied.

“What did you just say?” I asked coolly.

“He can’t say anything much unless you let go.”

I glanced at Shae who had spoken with some amusement` and didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. He didn’t have either Tammy or Maxie with him. Ryan’s eyes widened as he took Shae in, and I was forcibly reminded that Shae’s scar often engendered fear. I’d grown so used to the team I mostly forgot.

I loosened my grip and in less than a heartbeat, Ryan was trussed up with what looked like one of Ellie’s old curtains which had been in a box in the laundry room waiting for me to takethem to Goodwill. I laughed. I knew I shouldn’t encourage Shae to use his ability, but damn, that shit was funny. Seeing Ryan trying to struggle out of red velvet was even funnier.

“You fucking weirdo,” Ryan screamed, not demonstrating much self-preservation.

I saw Shae stiffen but laid a hand on his arm. At the same time, we heard Maxie whine and Shae vanished.

I watched as Ryan struggled for another few seconds before eventually getting free. “How dare you,” he ranted.

I took a step toward him and I could admit to being gratified by the automatic flinch. “You know where the door is. As far as I’m concerned you’re now trespassing, and I feel threatened. The next time you do so, I or one of my men will be within their rights to shoot you, and as they are all military marksmen like myself, I suggest you don’t try.”

“You’re going to regret this!” he spluttered, but as he was already heading to the door. His threat was meaningless. I needed to speak to Jay, though. He ran a separate protection team. Jay didn’t take on individual work himself now, but he ran a group of up to eight ex-military members that Rawlings used when he was contracted to protect property, often safehouses with witnesses in them.

I didn’t bother watching him drive away, just sent a text to Jay then walked into Tammy’s bedroom. Tammy was in the cot that converted to a toddler bed, cuddling a gray stuffed elephant I’d bought. Maxie was curled up at her feet and looked like she’d worn him out. “He barked because I’d put him on the floor,” Shae said. “I know he can’t sleep in there with her.” He said it like I was about to accuse him of neglect or something equally ridiculous.

“This is a minefield,” I admitted. “I mean, who gets a baby and a puppy on the same day?”

Shae pressed his lips together briefly, but then glanced at me, his eyes teasing. “He got off lightly. I think there’s another five curtains in that box.”

“And masking tape in the kitchen drawer,” I added, my heart feeling ridiculously light. Shae grinned, and my cock suddenly decided to take notice. The memory of this morning, for obvious reasons, made me react. But I knew he was still struggling with the way his world had done such an about-face.

Albert used to tell me that people were generally okay if one half of their life was good. Work might be shit, but their home life was great, or vice versa. Shae’d had everything taken away, and not just recently. He’d been battling with this for years.

“I’m surprised you’re not running for the hills,” I said softly. “I still don’t know what I’m doing, and a huge part of me is convinced that you being with me is a big mistake.”

Shae paled. “You want us to leave?”

“No,” I whispered, blinking because his face blurred. “But I know I should. I’m way too old for you. I—”

But, of course, Shae moved faster than I could track and laid a finger over my lips to still them. “Just answer me one thing,” he said and dropped his hand. “Are you with me, with us both, because you feel responsible for me?”

I frowned. “Of course I feel—” I grabbed Shae’s hand before he moved away. “Let me finish,” I said. “I’m a Marine. You have to know that responsibility and stepping up is in my psyche, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want things for myself.” I brushed a stray lock of hair away from his eyes to give my rapidly thundering heart a chance to calm. “If I was completely selfish, I’d lay you down on this rug, fuck you until you couldn’t move, then make you swear to never leave me.”

I smirked because he moaned, stepping closer, clearly on board with my plan. “What’s stopping you?”

I glanced over at Tammy, who was still very much wide awake and I winced, knowing I was going to have to dial down my language. He followed my gaze and flushed. “Later,” I murmured, but took in a deep breath. “But I need a promise, or this stops now.”

Understanding I’d gone from teasing to serious in the blink of an eye, Shae inclined his head. “I promise.”

I shook my head in exasperation. He’d promised immediately knowing I hadn’t even asked yet. “That if you ever come to resent me, the day that happens you move out, see someone else.”

His lips parted to object and this time it was my turn to place my finger over his lips. “I’m not having you stuck looking after an old man.” Shae stared at me for a long time, then stepped close, his body fitting perfectly.

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