Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
"How do you want to play this, O?" Roman asks, holding my gaze. "If we pull her detail, Tarasova will come for her without hesitation."
"And if we don't pull it, what trust I've gained is gone, and we'll never find out what she's hiding," I shoot right back at him, sighing heavily. I scrub a hand through my hair and then down my face. I'm exhausted, pissed off, and seriously fucking worried about Faith. "She knows more than she's saying, Roman. If she didn't, they wouldn't want her so badly."
"We can move her to your house."
I drop my hand to look at him, pissed because we both know there isn't another option. I can't cut her loose when Tarasova has made it clear he wants her back and is willing to pay to make it happen. And I can't leave her in protective custody after what Sanders pulled. The only option is to watch over her myself…and I have no clue how I'm supposed to accomplish that. I've got a stack of open homicide cases on my desk. And the way I'm feeling about her is complicated as hell.
No matter how many times I tell myself it can't happen, I still want her like I want fucking oxygen. And I want her trust just as much. Not because she doesn't have a choice or because she needs me to keep her safe. But because she genuinely believes I want what is best for her. I want her to open up to me because she can't imagine not sharing her secrets with me. I want to be the person she reaches for when she needs comfort, the one she knows she can come to for anything.
But if she's under my roof… Cristo. The lines are already blurring, desire outweighing duty for the first time in my life. She already feels like she traded one cage for another. If she's under my care…there won't be any hiding the goddamn bars keeping her locked up. Because I'm not entirely sure I'll be capable of giving her the freedom she wants. I'll find a reason to keep her. I'll become her captor. My arms will be her cage. And she'll never have the freedom she wants so badly she's willing to risk her life for it.
I'm so fucked.
"Luke Santiago is watching Mila while I deal with the Remi situation," Roman murmurs, eyeing me like he knows exactly how I'm feeling. "We can put him on Faith too while you deal with your shit, and I deal with mine. Whichever of us finishes first can take over from there."
"You trust Santiago to keep his hands to himself and stay out of her personal space?" I've met Luke Santiago a few times. He seems like a good guy, but I don't know him like Roman does. He was with Remi Pledger when Remi defected. From what Roman has said, Santiago is still messed up about it and feeling guilty.
"Yeah, I do. Wouldn't have him watching my fiancée if I didn't. He's good people, O."
I consider it for a moment, torn. The last thing I want to do is lock her in a house with another man she doesn't know and doesn't trust. But if Roman trusts Santiago with his fiancée…well, Roman doesn't trust anyone with Mila's safety, not after she was kidnapped and shot by Jose Guerrero a few months ago. There is no bigger endorsement for Santiago than Roman's trust. And with Mila there, Faith won't be alone with Santiago.
"Santiago will keep an eye on her, keep her safe," Roman promises me.
Still, I hesitate, knowing damn well that this could blow up in my face in a major way. She'll be my responsibility. I would never abuse or hurt her. Fuck that. But I'm self-aware enough to have no illusions about how this is going to go play out.
When it comes to her, I've found something I want more than this job, perhaps more than answers. And I'm not entirely sure how far I'm willing to go to get it.
"You've got a mass shooting to deal with," Roman reminds me when I'm still hesitating a full minute later. "I've got Remi to deal with. If you don't want someone else in a safe house with her twenty-four seven, this is your next best option. Besides, maybe it'll do her and Mila both some good to have someone else to lean on while they're cooped up."
"Fuck," I growl, pointing a finger at him in warning. "Fine. But if Santiago puts his fucking hands on her or even looks at her wrong, I'll break his neck."
"Deal," Roman mutters, shaking his head.
Dios, dame fuerza, I pray, knowing damn well that I'm going to need a little divine intervention if I'm going to keep my distance from her while she's living under my roof.