Page 33 of Brick’s Anchor

"Terrible timing."

"The worst timing."

"You're under our protection. I'm the enforcer assigned to keep you safe. There are a thousand reasons why this is a bad idea."

"I know."

We stare at each other.

"But I don't care," she says finally. "I know I should. I know I should be smarter about this. But I don't care. I want to see where this goes."

"Even though you might be leaving tomorrow?"

"I still haven’t fully decided" The words come out tentative. Like she's testing them, seeing how they sound. "What if I stay for a while? Call my family, let them know I'm alive and safe, but stay here. Figure out what happens next from a place that feels secure."

"The Vipers are looking for you. For all of you. Staying here means staying in the middle of a war."

"I know. But leaving means being alone. Being vulnerable. And I—" She swallows hard. "I don't think I can be alone right now. I need… I need this. Whatever this is. I need time to figure it out."

I pull her closer. "You can stay as long as you want. You know that. Protection isn't conditional. It doesn't come with a time limit."

"Even if I'm sleeping with the enforcer?"

"That's going to be a conversation," I admit. "Phoenix is going to have opinions, and Judge is going to lecture me about power dynamics and taking advantage."

"Will they make you stop?"

"They can't make me do anything. I'm a grown man. But they can make it clear they think I'm making a mistake."

"Are you? Making a mistake?"

I consider the question seriously. Look at her, this woman who threw a cup at my head and told me she didn't need help, who wore my cut like armor, who chose to take her body back by letting me fuck her into my mattress. Who's strong, beautiful and everything in-between.

"No," I say finally. "I don't think I am. I think this might be the first right thing I've done in a long time."

She smiles. "Same."

"But we need to take this slow," I tell her. "You need time to process what happened to you. Time to heal. Time to figure out who you are after everything. I don't want to rush you. Don't want to push for more than you're ready for."

"What if I'm ready for more right now?"

"You're not. Trust me. Right now, you're running on adrenaline, endorphins and the relief of being safe. In a few days, when reality sets in, you're going to crash. And when you do, I need you to know I'm still here. That this wasn't just about sex."

Her eyes get suspiciously bright. "You're really fucking good at this."

"At what?"

"Saying the right things. Being honest. Making me feel like I matter."

"You do matter."

"See? Like that. Stop it."

"Not gonna happen."

She laughs wetly. "I'm going to stay. For a while. See where this goes. Figure out everything."

"Okay."