Page 49 of Winters Heat

Her nerves tinged. Was all this to make her stop crying? “You don’t have to take me to dinner to make sure I’m not crying on your watch.”

“No you don’t, Mia. No rebuilding those walls.”

“I’m not—”

“The hell you aren’t. I’m taking you out because you like that stuff, and I like you. Simple. Don’t you shrinks know how this stuff works? All thatmaking you happy, makes me happybullshit?”

“I’m not a shrink.”

“But youaremissing the point. On purpose, I’d assume.”

“I don’t have my credit cards or cash. I need to—”

“Cash is in the drawer in the kitchen, next to the surveillance camera you kept eyeing. Cars are in the garage. Take your pick. Keys are on a peg board next to the door.”

“I’m not taking your money.”

“You think I care about coin after dodging bullets with you? But if you’d rather just go to dinner in my mom’s sweats, cool by me, doll. I don’t care. I was just giving you my wish list. As long as you’re there, I wouldn’t notice your clothes.”

“Uh.” What to say to that?

“Tell me when and where you want to go, and I’ll make sure I’m there. Or someone from Titan, for your protective detail. I have to work sometime in the morning, but after that, we’ll do whatever you want.”

“Thank you.” Whatever she wanted? Staying right here was top on her list. Mia leaned up and kissed him. “Do you still have the NOC list?”

“I do. It’s safe.”

“Why do you still have it?”

“I’m only going to give it to my boss. He wasn’t there, and I didn’t stick around.”

“After we get rid of it, I’ll be safe?”

“In theory.”

“Very reassuring. How about in reality?”

He didn’t answer. That was several versions of concerning.

“Colby?” Worst case scenarios would begin forming if he didn’t answer soon. Heck, in the back of her mind, they’d already started.

“In reality, the fuckers will be pissed. They’ll want to do something about it. We’ll make sure they engage Titan, not you, and we’ll all come to an understanding.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means we work out an agreement. You won’t be worth pursuing, because the cost will be too high.”

“The cost?”

“Their resources. Their men. They’re all the way in South America. Once they know they can’t get that list, anything they do will be out of retaliation. But they’re businessmen. Everything has a price. A cost of what their time and interest is worth. Eventually, they move on. It’s dirty dollars and cents.”

“So more people will get hurt. You can get hurt.” Her voice sharpened.

“We’ve already had that conversation. I won’t get hurt.”

“Now, I’m calling bullshit. Youcanget hurt. Youcandie.” This wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to forget the nightmare they survived and live it up in a fairy tale world. But no, he wanted to go play cops and robbers again.

“Honey, this is what I do. It didn’t change because Clara came into my life, and it’s not going to change because I’m all wrapped into you. I’m sorry.” His fingers drew down her arm, around her elbow to her wrist. “This is complicated, but I promise I’ll keep you safe, and I’ll always come home.”

---