“Yes, sir.”
“And find out where Victor Sterling is and put a detail on him. I want to know where he is every second of every day, and I’m going to handle him when he least expects it. He will never have my wife. Never.”
The room goes completely still. I’m pissed, and I can feel my heart racing and anger rising until I can barely stand here.
Eleanor leans into me. “Bobby.”
I look at her and can now place the emotion on her face. She’s afraid, and I think it’s the first time in thirty-five years that I’ve seen her look that way.
I take a deep breath. In the past, I would have raged. I would have sent her to our room, gotten a meeting together, and come up with a plan. Then I would have left, ready to take on whoever and whatever. But looking at her and knowing all I know now, I can’t just walk out.
I wrap my hand around Eleanor’s and look over at Paul. “Handle it.”
Surprise flashes across his face briefly, but he nods quickly.
I gesture to Luna. “Make sure Luna gets home safe.” I turn to my daughter-in-law. “If Cole is working tonight, you can stay here in his old room.”
Luna nods, and I release Eleanor just enough for her to hug Luna.
I then put an arm around Ellie’s waist. “Come upstairs with me.”
Her eyebrows lift slightly. “What?”
I grab her suitcase with one hand and pull her to the stairs with the other. “Come on, baby.”
She comes with me, and I lead her upstairs. This is a first for me, but right now, I don’t give a damn about Victor Sterling.
I care about my wife.
The second we step inside our bedroom, Eleanor stops.
I watch emotion move across her face as she looks around the room she hasn’t slept in for months.
Everything is exactly like she left it. I’ve told the cleaning lady to leave everything where it was and clean around it. I couldn’t make myself change a damn thing. Her makeup still sits on the bathroom counter, and her books still rest on the shelf beside the bed.
I set her suitcase down quietly.
“You kept everything the same,” she whispers.
I pull her to me. “I wanted everything the same when you came back.”
Her eyes immediately fill with tears, and fuck if that doesn’t wreck me.
I cup her face gently. “Hey. Don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry.” She laughs shakily. “I don’t know why I’m emotional.” She shakes her head. “Yeah, I do. It’s been a hell of a day.”
“I should’ve never let you stay there alone.”
Her forehead creases. “Bobby?—”
“I mean it,” I say roughly. “You needed space, I understand that now. But not at the cost of your safety.”
She searches my face carefully. “You really mean that?”
“Yes.” I sigh and lean my forehead against hers. “I’ve spent so many years trying to protect you from this life that I forgot you were supposed to be living it beside me.”
Emotion flashes across her face again, then softly she whispers, “I missed you.”
