Page 66 of Ruthless Protector

“Let’s go, Tilly, you’ll miss the bus.”

“Just a second!”

I stood in the open door, waiting for my niece to finish doing her hair, because she was old enough to do it herself, apparently. I was out of a job already. I’d encouraged her, of course, but secretly, my heart hurt a little. I loved brushing her hair every morning, tying it up, or braiding it.

I glanced up as she walked out, and grinned. Her ponytail was a little lopsided, but her cheeks were rosy with pride.

“What do you think?” she said.

“I think it looks beautiful…hang on, no, it looks amaaaazing,” I said, teasing her, imitating her and her new friend Amber. Everything was amaaaaazing.

Tilly rolled her eyes and I followed her out the door, listening while she chatted. I loved how happy she was. That she’d finally found a good friend and the bullying problem was over with.

That was partly thanks to Jude.

Just thinking about him sent a thrill through me. After he’d carried me to bed last night, and he had me once more like he promised, we’d both fallen asleep in a heap, sweaty and sated.

I’d woken to him talking on his phone at four in the morning. Something had come up with his job and he had to leave. He’d kissed me and told me he’d see me later. And I knew this time, he meant it. I’d see him later tonight.

I wasn’t unhappy about that. I wanted to spend more time with him.

In bed.

Just in bed.

Anything else was asking for trouble. I needed to set some ground rules. If we were going to be sleeping together, it needed to stay only that. No more dinners, or movie hangouts. No more spending time with Tilly and me, like we were something we weren’t. I didn’t want her to get her hopes up, only for them to be dashed when we moved.

The bus pulled up and I waved as she climbed on and took her seat.

Could I do that to her? Could I tear her away from the place, the people, she’d come to love? She had a best friend, she had Fay. She had a great place to live in a great neighborhood. Guilt pummeled me as I walked back to my house. But what else could I do? Leaving seemed to be my only option right now. Hiding was the only way to guarantee that Trent wouldn’t find us, wouldn’t try and take Tilly from me.

I’d just walked by Fay’s house and was at the bottom of my stairs when the door opened. I turned back to greet her, only she wasn’t looking at me; she was standing in the doorway, hair down and mussed, feet bare, wearing nothing but a faded Beatles t-shirt.

My mouth dropped open when Raul walked out. He was in the same suit as yesterday, his jacket draped over his arm. He turned to her and Fay blushed, a beautiful smile curving her lips. Even from where I was standing, I could see the way Raul sucked in a breath when he saw it. He reached for her, curling an arm around her waist, and tugged her closer, kissing her deeply goodbye.

Her hands fluttered at her sides for a moment, then she wrapped them around his neck.

That little hesitation from Fay told me this was new; she wasn’t sure how to proceed, but she wanted to, and I was so damn happy for her that tears sprung to my eyes.

While they were occupied, I quickly dashed up the stairs as quietly as I could. I wanted her to tell me when she was ready, not railroad her into it because I caught them. Not when I knew she’d need time to process it on her own first.

I’d just quietly shut the door behind me, when my phone rang.

I didn’t recognize the number.

“Hello?”

“Hey, beautiful,” Jude said, rough and sexy and gruff.

“Hey.”

“Listen, change of plans, I won’t be able to see you tonight. Van and I have to leave town for a couple of days.”

There was an extra growl to his voice. “You’re not happy about this?” I asked, trying to disguise my disappointment.

“No, I’m not fucking happy. I had plans, baby, plans I’d made for us, that I was seriously looking forward to.”

I smiled despite myself, despite my misgivings about this whole thing. “I’m sure they were excellent plans.”