Page 95 of Regards, Mia

“She never had a chance in life,” I say, shifting my gaze back to Jordan. “Did she?”

He bends down to pick up his cigarette butt and stuffs it in the pocket of his jeans. “She never did. And even if we would have sent Warner Mattson to prison, don't think she would have been free. Warner’s father would have made her life a living hell, in one way or another. The Mattsons are untouchable in this town.”

I lift a brow. “Unless they're dead.”

Elena did the world a favor by offing Warner Mattson, and the thanks she gets is a jail cell.

“You didn't have to come straight from the airport,” Jordan says. “It could have waited until tomorrow.”

“No way I was going home without finding out more.” I turn on my heel and start back towards the stairwell. “I want to see all the evidence.”

“Why?” Jordan takes my elbow, stopping me. “What good will that do? Elena is going to jail, and you are going to help put her there. It's your job.”

I shake him off. “No.”

“Mia.” Jordan's voice is pitched low.

Then he does something unexpected. He takes me in his arms.

I'm so stunned by his sudden embrace, I freeze. My heart beats frantically in my chest, and I feel like ants are crawling all over my skin.

His arms tighten around me, and he lowers his lips to my ear. “I’m so relieved I don't have to worry about you anymore.”

I had no idea Jordan had spent a spare ounce of energy thinking about me. Although he'd been the one to insist on Jay, I'd thought he was just doing his job. “You were worried about me?”

“Of course.” Jordan leans back enough to look at me. “I’m glad you're back in one piece and the threat is gone. You don’t have to hang out with Sanchez anymore. You don’t have to pretend he’s your boyfriend.”

I take a step back and lift my chin. “What are you talking about?”

“I know you were pretending he was your boyfriend, so you didn’t look weak.”

“That's none of your business.”

He cocks his head at me. “It is when I'm the one signing his paychecks.”

My jaw falls open. “What?”

“I hired Jay to protect you,” he says. “You don’t think the county would foot that kind of bill?”

Ihadthought it was odd that our usually frugal budget allowed for personal security, but I’d believed Jordan. “Why did you lie?”

Taking a step closer, he closes the distance between us and places his hands on my shoulders. “I care about you, Mia.”

My breath freezes in my lungs. “You’re my boss.”

He shakes his head, smiling slightly. “I try to look out for you.”

I ease back from him, putting a few feet of space between us. My head is spinning from his admission. “You don't look out for me, Jordan. You try to make me look bad every chance you get. You give me the shit jobs and take credit when they go well. If they don't, it's my ass on the line.”

A muscle in his jaw tenses. “I do that for your own good. I'm trying to make you stronger, so you'll be ready when it's time for you to shine.”

When he reaches for me, I jerk away from his touch. “I’m as strong as I need to be. I don't need your favors.”

“Mia, don’t be like that. You have so much potential, but you aren’t there yet.”

“Oh?” I glare up at him, squinting against the bright sun. “I just need a few more years under your thumb?”

He smiles, completely missing the sarcasm laid over my words. “I wouldn’t put it like that, but you do need more time. To develop.”

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