Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
29
DANTE
This time when I woke, I knew immediately that I was home, but I tensed when I heard a gentle snore. Alex. He was in bed with me. He’d watched over me. I had a vague recollection of him combing his hands through my hair and pressing a kiss to my temple.
He’d been so insistent about taking care of me, and I’d let him win. I should’ve sent him away. The longer he stayed here, the greater the chance people would learn of our connection. But I didn’t care about my job so much anymore. What scared me now was Ivanov targeting Alex because I cared about him. That was why Alex needed to stay away from me until we tracked Ivanov down.
No one had come looking for him while I was gone, but I couldn’t be sure that meant no one knew about our connection. I’d make sure someone was watching my house at all times, but he still shouldn’t be here. Even though all I wanted was to keep him naked in my bed. His safety mattered far more than what I wanted.
“Dante? Are you awake?”
I considered not responding. I wanted to spend more time curled together like this before I hurt him. “Yes.”
“How are you feeling?”
Like hell. Worried. Missing you already. Arm throbbing. “I’m good.”
He huffed, obviously knowing I was lying. “I’ll get your medicine.”
“I’m really fine for now.”
“You have to take the antibiotic, even if you won’t take a pain pill.”
My arm hurt like hell, but I needed to be fully functional today. “How about some ibuprofen and the antibiotic?”
“Okay. I can order us some breakfast, or I can make toast. It’s my specialty.”
He could always make me smile, no matter how worried I was. “I’m sure you make excellent toast, but let’s order something. I want to talk to you while we wait.”
He frowned. “What does that mean?”
I fought to keep my expression neutral. “It means I want to talk to you.”
He frowned again, but he didn’t say anything else. A moment later, he came back with the pills and a glass of water. Adenine followed him and jumped on the bed. She wanted pets, but I was doing my best to place an order on my phone with only one hand. “What do you want for breakfast?”
His sly grin made my cock start to swell. “You.”
I wanted that too, but it wasn’t going to happen. “You need fuel for your day.”
“Where are you ordering from?”
“A diner close by. They have all the usual stuff you’d expect.”
“I’ll have pancakes, eggs, and sausage, and I can pay you back.”
“It’s my treat.” I put in the order, then set the phone down and patted the mattress beside me. “Come sit down.”
“Why do I feel like I’m not going to like what you have to say?”
Because you aren’t. “Alex, I don’t want to put you in more danger.”
“I don’t care if I’m in danger. I want to be here with you.”
“I know you do, but it’s not safe. I was shot while we were trying to capture a man who is pure evil. He escaped, and he may be watching all of us. The more time you spend with me, the more likely it is you’ll end up in his sights. I need you to stay away from me until we’ve eliminated him.”
Alex was shaking his head before I finished speaking. “No, please don’t send me away. Who’s going to take care of you?”
“I really can take care of myself. And my brothers will help me, or my cousins. Listen, I’m not saying you can’t come here again, just not until—”
“I don’t want to leave.” He yelled the words, but his voice shook, and he sounded like he was close to tears. I hated this. I wouldn’t be hurting him if I’d had the self-control to send him away before now.
“I know you don’t, but I have to think about your safety.”
“So what does this mean? I can’t talk to you? I can’t—”
“You can talk to me in class. You can come to office hours, but you can’t come here, and I can’t spend time with you until this is settled.”
He shook his head, and tears gathered in his eyes. “Don’t do this. Don’t send me away.”
I reached for his hands, but he pulled back. I felt like far more of a monster than I ever had doing business for the family.
“I thought… I don’t know… It was stupid…”
“Nothing you thought was stupid. I care about you. I… I don’t know how to define what this is, but I’m only asking you to take a break until it’s safe.”
“What if you never capture this man, whoever he is that you won’t tell me about?”
I couldn’t let myself think about that possibility. “We will.”
“What if he shoots you again, and this time, it’s not just your arm? You could die.”