Page 7 of Breaking Conviction
“Yeah… I’m fine.” There was a lilt in her voice, like she was unsure of her answer, but he decided to listen to what she was saying rather than look into it.
Because, honestly, it was a stupid-ass question. Of course, she wasn’t fine. Who could be in her situation? If she wanted to pretend to be fine at that moment, then he’d let her. She wasn’t letting them help, so he’d at least give that to her.
“Good. I gotta get back to Her Majesty, but Naomi?”
“Yeah?”
She lifted her face more and it took everything in his power to keep his face neutral at her wince. Instead, he took a steadying breath and told her the words he’d heard years ago, hoping she’d listen better than his mother had.
“Trust your instincts and make sure to putyouroxygen mask on first.”
Chapter Three
What the hell does that mean?
He watched her as if he was waiting for her to respond in some way, but how do you respond to a cryptic message like that?
Trust my instincts… I don’t even know what they are anymore.
So, what could she say? Everything about Snake’s presence confused the shit out of her when she already felt out of control, irritating nerves that were already shot to hell. Butterflies she’d thought were long dead and gone were going haywire in her stomach, and his concern for her and Thea took her breath away.
Yeah. Definitely can’t tell him any of that.
He still stood in front of her, preventing Thea from seeing her cry. For a moment, Naomi’s heart squeezed at his thoughtfulness, right before it twisted painfully.
Why was he being so nice? It didn’t feel like he had any ulterior motive. But what stranger was that concerned about another stranger’s feelings? And how did he know that shielding T from her momma’s pain was exactly what they both had needed?
His body was close to hers and even though he had to be a foot taller and towered over her, she felt an overwhelming sense of… security.
Andthatwas dangerous.
The last thing Naomi needed was someone to set Dean’s jealousy off. If he knew she was even talking to another man, he’d go fucking ballistic. He never gave a crap about the circumstances. It frustrated the hell out of her, especially since she’d never once in the entirety of their five-year on-again, mostly off-again relationship given him any reason to think she’d stray.
Naomi looked away and thankfully, he got the hint and cleared his throat before turning to walk back toward T and plopping down beside her. Thea’s face lit up like a sparkler, setting Naomi’s spent nerves alight with panic.
Thea had never looked at her father that way.Ever.
The level of danger a man like thisSnakebrought was damn near biblical; a temptation that promised her knowledge while threatening her downfall.
The door opened wide, revealing Jules’s questioning eyes. Naomi waved the brochures at her, too embarrassed to admit that she was too injured to freaking read the dadgum things.
“I-uh. I’m finished. Y’all can come out now…”
Everyone filed in and began talking at her again. She mostly tuned them out, entering that bizarre space again where she could answer when spoken to, while not paying a lick of attention. Instead, all she could hear were Snake’s words reverberating around in her head as she tried to solve his stupid little riddle.
Thea giggled at something on the iPad, drawing Naomi’s gaze. Her breath hitched when Thea squealed and Snake’s grin widened, almost as if he were transfixed just on how happy T was.
Dean haddefinitelynever looked at Thea like that, or Naomi, for that matter. Not even when things were ‘good’. Hell, when they’d only decided to try for a relationship after figuring out that yes, there are consequences from one-night stands.
Like when a guy swears up and down he used a condom when you were too tipsy to notice and the inevitable surprise bundle of joy that comes afterward.
Finally, Ellie stopped talking and must’ve sensed that Naomi was just ready togo. It had to have been obvious, because good Lord, was she tired. As she slid off the examination table, Devil and Ellie had to even assist her to prevent her from collapsing.
“Hey, kiddo.” Nora’s lyrical voice broke through the exhausted haze in her mind. “Come with me and your mommy and we can go shopping in the store. You can get anything you want.”
Well, that shit definitely woke Naomi up. Her pulse skyrocketed as Thea began to screech with excitement. She hated to let her down, but they couldn’t accept this.
“No, Nora, we can’t possibly—”
