Page 71 of Twisted Hearts

“Have a good night. It’s crazy busy out there.”

She grinned at me through the reflection where she was applying lipstick, her caramel highlighted hair a messy mop at the top of her head. “Good. Every dollar of this job goes to my tuition.”

I was walking out of opening day with four hundred dollars in tips, and I’d only worked the day shift. I could only imagine the killing she’d rake in. Perhaps when this was done, I could switch to the late shifts. With money like that every weekend, I’d never have to worry about dipping into the savings I’d put away.

“Sounds good,” I replied and grabbed my purse. “Take care, Lisa.”

“You too!” She waved at me as I left, and when I reached the hallway, Shawn was there, leaning against the wall, one booted foot holding him up. He’d been staring at his phone, but as I grabbed his attention, his gaze snapped up, and the intensity in his expression almost made me want to turn right back around and return to the office.

Whatever he had to say to me wasn’t going to be good.

Not at all.

With a heavy sigh, my shoulders slumped. I might as well have been walking toward a guillotine for all it was worth.

“Let’s get you home.”

“Right.”

He led the way as he always did. I was used to him walking ahead of me in halls, opening doors and walking through them to scan the alleys first. It wasn’t typical chivalry, but I liked the protectiveness of it.

Our steps were loud on the asphalt as we hurried to Shannon’s building, and before I was ready for another night alone with him confined in my place, we were tucked in my apartment, the walls closing in on us due to the intensity rolling off Shawn and the nerves rolling off of me.

He tossed his phone to the table and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I get things are hard for you right now, Addi, I do. But I have no idea how long you’re going to need someone guarding you. So, I’m asking for a favor.”

A favor? From me? What in the hell for when I was the one who should have been apologizing profusely? Also, I’d expected him to lead with work shit. “What?”

“If you don’t think we can get along, tell me now and I’ll have Jaxon assign you someone else. Like I said, I get you’re stressed. I get you have a life that’s been completely tossed upside down, but if I’m not the guy you want on you, you need to let me know.”

I laughed at the absurdity. It was a strange, cackling sound and harsh to my ears. I barely recognized myself. A guy on me? Hell, wanting himon mewas the exact reason I’d been so damn irritated.

“Shawn…” I started once I finally got myself under control. He looked at me like I’d lost my mind, which wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

He stepped away from the door, straight toward me. My pulse raced. Every step he took spanned an hour. Every step made my chest ache. And when he spoke again, his voice was gravelly, deeper and rougher than I’d ever heard. “I won’t be happy. I like being with you and it’s not just because of work, but if we need to separate that, I’ll do it for you. You need to be comfortable. You need to feel safe. If I’m not giving that to you, I’ll call Jaxon now, and you’ll have someone else.”

A lump lodged in my throat. I shook my head. “I don’t want anyone else.”

The very thought had my chest squeezing and my blood chilling.

“This isn’t working…for either of us, I don’t think.” He shoved his hand through his blond hair. It flopped back right where it was, and he blew out a breath.

His words were like a whip. This wasn’t working forhim? Of course it wasn’t. He’d made that clear all week, hadn’t he.

A sharp, stabbing pain hit my chest, sucking all the breath from me. I’dknown. Right away, I’dknownhe would be more dangerous to me than Daniel ever could have been.

I should have listened to that intuition. “Fine, then.” I took a step back. I was Adrianna Marquess, for Christ’s sake. I’d mastered the air-of-indifference mask before I reached puberty. “Go then.”

His jaw jutted out. “That’s not what I said, Addi.”

For the first time, the new nickname I’d given myself sounded sour.

I crossed my arms over my chest and stepped away from him. “Then what are you saying? You don’t want to be around me? Go.”

“Because you’re pissed all the time and you’re taking it out on me, so clearly I’m doing something you’re not okay with. That’s not how I want to make you feel.” The volume of his voice rose with every word. Tension coiled his shoulders and had his back stick straight.

“Of course I’m pissed!” I shouted, slapping my hands to my thighs. How could he be so obtuse?

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