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)
I never knew Rafe’s schedule. He’d never seemed to believe in circadian rhythms. “How was I supposed to know you ever went to bed. I need help with my bandage.”
He huffed. “Can’t Alex do that for you?”
“I sent him away.”
“What the fuck?”
I should have said he had class. I didn’t need shit from Rafe right now. “He’ll be safer if he’s not around me.”
“Jesus, you’re an idiot. Between you and Lorenzo, I don’t know what the hell to do.”
What did Rafe know about relationships? “Like you’d ever keep a man around.”
“Maybe not, but I’m not going to fall in love like the two of you.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I’ve not fallen—”
“Shut up. I’ll be over there as soon as I can.”
He hung up, and I stared at my phone for a few moments. I wasn’t an idiot. I was keeping Alex safe, just like I’d sworn to do.
While also hiding from your feelings.
Fuck that. I couldn’t have feelings for a student. I couldn’t put him in danger. We already had Niko to protect as it was.
“About time you got here,” I said when Rafe let himself in.
“You’re in a great mood.”
“My arm hurts like hell. I did get shot the day before yesterday, you know.”
“Yeah, somehow, I’m not sure that’s the problem.”
I hated how right he was. “All right, fine. I didn’t want Alex to leave, but it was a necessity.”
He opened Alex’s box of food and smiled. “Is this for me?”
“It was for Alex, but he’s obviously not going to eat it now.”
Rafe pulled out a cold pancake and took a bite. “You really think he’ll be safer out there on his own?”
“I’ve got someone watching him.”
“Of course you do,” he said as he popped the sausage and eggs into the microwave.
“Rafe, if he stays here with me and Ivanov targets him, I’d never get over that.”
He bit off another bite of pancake, then said, “But this is where he wants to be. Did you think about that? Did you think about giving him a choice?”
“Fuck no.”
“Right.” I hated the sarcastic smile he gave me as he sat down with his food. “You loved it every time Lorenzo refused to give us a choice and rushed into danger while insisting we stay behind.”
Did he really have to keep pushing me? “That’s not the same at all. We were trained to help him.”
“Didn’t you tell him that Niko should be able to stay with him if that’s what he wanted?”
“That’s…”
“It’s not fucking different. You need to tell Lorenzo about Alex.”
Maybe the situation wasn’t different, but I didn’t need Lorenzo involved. “No, I don’t. I’m getting enough shit from you about him. I don’t need his opinions too.”
“Dante, you’re being unreasonable.”
“Maybe it’s my turn.”
He waved the last of the pancake at me. “You’ve been unreasonable your whole fucking life.”
“No, that’s been your role. I’m the one who has always tried to rein you in. I’m the one that held everything together while Lorenzo was in prison. And the one who tried not to cause trouble when he was trying to raise us on his own.”
Rafe dropped the pancake and closed the box, pushing it away. “Fuck. I didn’t mean to be such a burden. I just…”
Now I’d hurt Rafe when I didn’t mean to. “I’m sorry. You’re a pain in the ass, but I love you. You were young, and some of the craziness is just your nature.”
“You really do need to tell Lorenzo about Alex unless you plan to stop seeing him altogether.”
“I should, but…”
Rafe shook his head. “Don’t deny yourself like that.”
“He’s my student.”
“Yeah, and Niko is the son of our enemy. Renzo may have started a war over him.”
“That fight was going to take place no matter what.”
Rafe grinned. “It’s more romantic to phrase it my way.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know Lorenzo needs to know, but I don’t want to tell him because he’s going to be angry. I don’t want to deal with it.”
“Aren’t I supposed to be the one that doesn’t want to deal with anything?”
“I’m recovering from being shot, and I’ve got classes to teach and research to do and a fucking pedophile killer to catch.”
Rafe snorted. “You say that like you’re doing it all alone.”
“I am teaching the classes alone, and I’m directing the research. If I thought I could track down Ivanov on my own, tear his head from his body, and stomp it flat, I would do it.”
“Vicious. I like it. Let’s get your bandage changed.”
I followed him to the bathroom, where I sat down while he peeled the old gauze away, refusing to react at all.
“It’s already looking better.”
“Good. I told you I didn’t need to be in a hospital.”
“I really don’t think you should’ve sent Alex away,” he said as he cleaned my wound. “You’re grouchy as fuck these days. You need somebody in your bed.”