focus on the mission, and you get it done.”
“And right now…your mission is helping me to find the killer.”
“Damn straight. I will do anything to get that job done.”
“Is that why you pushed Dylan? You still think he might be guilty even though he was locked up when I got the call?”
“I pushed Dylan—one, because he was a prick who deserved to get pushed. He needs to work on his freaking control. And, two, I did it because, yeah, I’m suspicious as hell about him. I don’t like his focus on you. I’ve handled some stalking cases while I’ve been in the area, and they can get ugly, fast. The stalkers are careful. They know how not to cross the line and get the cops involved. They know how to isolate their victims. Make them feel helpless. Out of options. Then those bastards close in…” He reached for a bottle. Stopped. “My second client when I moved here. She was a twenty-two-year-old woman who was being stalked. She needed proof to get a restraining order. I was getting her that proof. But while I was working on things, her stalker slipped into her house. He had a gun, and he planned to kill her.”
“War.”
“Just so happened, I was coming by to update her on the progress of my investigation. I heard her scream.” He’d never forget that terrified sound. “It was luck that I was there. Luck that kept her alive. I kicked in the door. Hauled him off her.” He’d gotten nicked by a bullet that asshole had fired, but War didn’t see the point in mentioning that. “Stalkers are dangerous. They escalate quickly. With Dylan having pictures of you, being so focused on you…” War shook his head. “I am not going to play with your safety. He needed to know that if he came at you, I’d be there to kick his ass.” A ghost of a smile curved his lips. “Now he also knows that you will kick his ass, too. That was one hell of a leg sweep, by the way.”
“Thanks.” She didn’t smile back. “I had this boyfriend once who taught me the move. He kept insisting that I learn how to protect myself. Told me the world was a dangerous place and a woman should always have a few tricks up her sleeve.”
“A boyfriend, huh? And he taught you that phenomenal move? He must have been a freaking prince.”
She swallowed the liquid in her shot glass and pressed the glass back to the tabletop. “We broke up.”
“Because he was an ass.” His gaze didn’t leave her. “A jealous, possessive, not-understanding-what-he-had ass.”
“Sure, okay. I was gonna say we had trust issues, but that works, too.”
War fought his smile. God, he fucking loved her. He—
Holy. Shit.
“Are you okay?” She leaned across the bar and slapped him on the back. “You look like you’re choking.”
He swallowed. Twice. Finally managed, “Do we…still have those issues?”
She slowly lowered back onto the bar stool. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
Another swallow. Then he was walking from behind the bar. His steps seemed extra loud in the silence around them. He made his way to her. She swiveled on the stool to face him. Her expression was intent. Watchful.
He knew this moment was important. His hands wanted to shake so he balled them into fists. The realization he’d just had—the one that had sent the earth trembling beneath his feet—still had him struggling to cope.
His emotions for Rose hadn’t died after the breakup. Being with her again, if anything, what he felt for her was so much stronger now. Because it was stronger, he had to be careful. If he screwed up with her again, if she walked again, he’d be sent to hell.
Life without her was hell.
His voice was gravel-rough as he told her, “I would trust you with my life.”
“That’s an easy one,” she surprised him by replying.
Easy? No way, no day, it was not.
“I trust you with my life, too. Always have. If I didn’t still trust you to keep me safe, I would have hired a different bodyguard. Especially considering that bit of business you pulled by having a secret deal with the cops.” Her gaze didn’t leave his. “But I know—deep down—I know you would do everything you could to protect me if I was in danger. You’d probably even try to jump between me and a bullet.”
He angled closer to her. “There is no ‘probably’ about it.” He wanted her mouth. But first, they