Page 47 of Protected from Malice
It’s such a small thing—holding her hand.
But it doesn’tfeelsmall. It feels big. Important.Right.
Except maybe I shouldn’t be touching her without asking for permission first. Just because Eden asked me to hug her and I held her hand before…
I’ve never doubted myself when it comes to women. I’m a take-it-or-leave-it kind of guy. Don’t like my tattoos or my tendency to curse too much? Don’t like my job? Think my heterochromia is weird? I don’t care. Find someone else.
Although most womendon’thave a problem with any of those things.
But with Eden, I care about all of it. Glancing at our joined hands, I ask, “Does this bother you?”
“Does it botheryou?” she shoots back.
“No. But I want to make sure?—”
Eden pins me with her sky-blue gaze. “I told you, Rafe. You don’t have to walk on eggshells around me. Just because…” She sighs, and her shoulders sag. “I didn’t want you to look at me differently.”
“I don’t.”
Her brows jump up.
“I don’t,” I repeat more firmly. “You’re still the same Eden. Strong. Smart. Kind.”Beautiful. “But if I told you about something that had profoundly affected me, something that I still struggled with, wouldn’t you want to make sure you didn’t trigger me somehow?”
“Isthere something, Rafe?” Just like the Eden I’ve known for over a decade, she tosses my words back at me. “Because if there is, you could talk to me, too, you know. It goes both ways.”
I know it does. But the secrets I’m hiding paint a picture I don’t want Eden to see.
“There’s nothing,” I reply quickly. And thank fuck, my phone buzzes with a text before she can question me further. I yank it from my pocket and glance at the screen.
“It’s Cole,” I tell her. “He’s ready.”
Grabbing my laptop from the center of the table, I flip it open and type in my password. Less than a minute later, we’re staring at two video feeds, one of Cole in one of the offices at the Sleepy Hollow branch, the other of Dante sitting in his apartment at the Blade and Arrow Bravo team ranch just outside San Antonio.
Cole gives me a quick chin lift and says, “Hey, Rafe. How’s it going?”
“It’s going,” I reply. “We’re secure at the hotel. So that’s good.” Cutting straight to the chase, I add, “But I’d really like some backup. Indy’s coming, but if we want to dive into the investigation?—”
Dante interrupts me. “Rafe. Give us a chance to at leasttalkto Eden first. Okay?”
“I sent Cole all the information.” Including the most recent news Eden gave me, which I know she wasn’t crazy about me sharing. But she knows it’s necessary if Blade and Arrow is going to help us.
And theywillhelp. She’s still nervous about it, but I’m not. These guys are my friends. My teammates. My brothers. They would help just because I asked. But the fact that Eden is Indy’s sister means she’s not just a regular client. She’s family.
“And I shared it with Dante,” Cole replies. “Along with Leo and Matt.” He directs his attention to Eden as he explains, “Leo is our tech guy here. And Matt is the computer wizard for the Bravo team. So they can help with the investigation.”
“Matt’s already on it,” Dante adds. He nods at Eden. “Since Rafe isn’t much with manners, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Dante DeLuca. I work at the San Antonio branch.”
“And I’m Cole Mitchell,” Cole says. “Founder of Blade and Arrow Security. It’s nice to meet you, although I wish it were under better circumstances.”
Eden casts a quick glance at me, her uncertainty a visible thing. It hurts to see her like this; insecure when she’s usually so confident. Quietly confident, that is—not full of herself, like she could be, given how smart and pretty she is. She just knows what she wants. What she’s capable of. And she’s never hesitated to chase after it.
I squeeze her hand under the table and, a moment later, a hint of a smile lifts her lips. “Thank you for meeting with me,” she says. “I know you’re busy, and I really appreciate you taking the time.”
“Of course.” Cole smiles back at her, his solemn expression brightening. “You’re family, Eden.”
She looks confused. “Family?”
“We both served with Indy,” Dante explains. “So that makes him family. Which, by extension, makes you family, too.”
