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“Where are they?”
He blinked and looked at me. “What?”
“Where are these disgusting people?”
“In jail.”
“They were arrested for what they did to you?”
“Not initially. That came later when I had the skills to get the evidence I needed.”
I smiled. “So you do use your skills for good.”
“Sometimes.”
I studied him, trying to determine how far I could push. I wondered if he’d ever told anyone his story.
He sighed before draining the last sips of his water. “I’m going to need something stronger than this if I’m going to keep talking.”
“Then let’s go find something.”
We pulled on pants and went downstairs together. I brought him to my office and poured him some of my favorite whiskey, but he frowned when he sipped it.
“I want to like this stuff, but…”
“You don’t.”
“If it was mixed with something sweet…”
I rolled my eyes. “Come on.”
When I’d come down to get snacks, I’d noticed Henrietta had made some lemonade.
Emilio followed me to the kitchen, and I gestured towards the stools along one side of the island. “Have a seat, and I’ll make something more to your liking.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I want to.”
“Don’t you have staff to do this?”
“I’m not going to take Henrietta away from her afternoon soaps because I’m above making a drink for my—” I sucked in my breath. I’d almost said boyfriend. I was definitely losing it. “My friend a cocktail. Every gentleman knows how to make a good cocktail for a guest.”
“Right, and you’re practically perfect in every way.”
I grinned at him. “I’m no Mary Poppins.”
“I noticed that last night.”
“But I do have a few domestic skills. I didn’t have staff as a Ranger.”
“I guess not.”
I picked a few sprigs of rosemary from a pot in the greenhouse window Henrietta had installed over the sink. I muddled one sprig with a mortar and pestle and added it to a cocktail shaker along with lemonade, whiskey, and ice. After mixing it, I poured it into a tall glass and topped it off with the other rosemary sprig.
I handed the glass to Emilio and watched as he took a sip.
His eyes brightened, and he smiled. “This is perfect.”
“I thought it might be. Let’s go sit in the atrium. Maybe it will be easier to talk where it’s bright and sunny. It usually is for me.”
“How many people know how complex you really are?”
“Not many—the men in Vigilance, my sister, and Sandra, Lane’s mother. Lane is learning quickly.”
“I wish you could share all the various facets of your personality with more people. You’re… fascinating.”
“Plenty of people are fascinated by me when all they know is how much money I have.”
I turned and looked at him. “I don’t… I don’t want you to think that I…”
“I know you’re not after my money. Doing what you do, you could have plenty of your own. In fact, why don’t you? Are you undercharging your other clients?”
I shook my head. “That’s a later part of the story I was telling.”
I brought him to a sofa in the atrium that faced out into the gorgeous tropical garden. “Tell me as much as you want.”
“I was the oldest of those in my foster parents’ care. When I turned sixteen, I ran away, but I promised my foster siblings I would help them. I’d shielded them as best I could, stolen food for them and stuff. After honing my natural talent for hacking, I learned how to transfer money into a bank account I’d gotten with a fake ID. I know that’s—”
“The best way you could take care of children who were being abused.” I was hardly in a position to judge someone for breaking the law to protect others. “You were doing something good. You cared.”
Color rose in his cheeks. “Thank you. I don’t regret any of what I did, even though some of it sucked at the time, but I know a lot of people wouldn’t approve.”
“Tell me more.” I suddenly needed to know everyone who had hurt him. I would avenge him in any way I could, and if he wanted help bringing someone down, I would give him whatever assistance he required.
“No one knows all of this. Even my foster siblings only know part of it.”
I pulled him to me and lifted him onto my lap. “Is this something you need to talk about?”
“I think…” Tears glistened in his eyes. “I think it is.”
“I think you’re amazing. You can tell me anything. I’m here to keep you safe.”
“I don’t understand that. I don’t know why you would do this for me.”
“Because you’re mine, Emilio.”
“I… I am?”
I nodded. I couldn’t say more words than that. The whole concept of loving him made my head spin. Everyone thought I was in complete control. Most of the time I was, because I had to be, but I was barely holding on to all the parts of my life. Hiding a relationship—trying to compartmentalize it like I had my family life and Vigilance—I had no idea how that would work, but I also knew what I was saying to Emilio was true.
