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“Okay,” he murmured, gingerly peeling layer after layer of her clothes away until she was bare. Ridding himself of his clothes, Cassius took Aella by the hand, leading her into the walk-in shower, directly under the waterfall shower head.

“I don’t have anything for your hair,” he admitted as warm water droplets cascaded down both their bodies, helping to wash away the evidence of the day.

“I don’t care,” Aella sniffled.

Reaching for the stack of washcloths just outside the shower, Cassius lathered it and thoroughly cleaned Aella from head to toe. Starting with her face, then her body, even her nails, he worked to get rid of all the night’s evidence, hoping it would help ease her mind.

And Aella allowed it. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed it—needed him. Whatever he was willing to give her, she would take without question.

When done with her, Cassius focused on himself. He didn’t have too many worries about anyone tying the night’s events back to him, but precautions were always necessary. Turning off the water, he reached out of the shower for two folded towels and handed one to Aella to dry off.

Gesturing for her to follow, he led her to his bedroom, signaling her to sit on the bed. Aella watched as he silently moved around the room for whatever he needed. When Cassius returned, he claimed the space beside her, pulling her feet into his lap.

“What are you doing?” Aella questioned suspiciously.

“You were doing so well at letting me take the lead,” he grinned.

A timid smile touched her lips. “And I’m sure you loved that.”

“I did,” Cassius admitted, proceeding to lotion every inch of her before pulling one of his shirts over her head.

Aella watched him move around the room, engaging in his own routine before getting dressed.

“I’m heading downstairs for a minute to take care of something and make a couple of calls,” Cassius informed her, kissing her temple. “You’ll be cool until I come back?”

Aella nodded, glad he was giving her a moment to breathe so she could think. Once alone, she racked her brain to decide her next move. Cassius had repeatedly proven that he valued her safety and well-being, but she wasn’t entirely sure if she could trust him with everything.

On the other hand, life’s events were getting out of hand, and it wasn’t fair to keep him in the dark about something that could also affect him. But would his behavior change if he knew what she knew?

Sitting in his bed, letting her thoughts play ping-pong, wasn’t helping, so after a few more minutes of being at war with herself, Aella climbed out of the bed and headed downstairs to find him.

She’d just hit the last step when a solid mass crashed into her legs, forcing her back onto the steps.

“Nova!” Cassius barked as Aella laughed at the wriggling beast, who very clearly thought she was a lapdog.

“My bad,” he said, jogging over to them. “I put her away the last time you were here because I know everyone isn’t fond of dogs.”

“It’s okay,” Aella giggled as Nova licked her cheek. “She’s adorable.”

“And she likes you,” he chuckled, finally wrestling Nova away and patting her butt. “Go,” he ordered before focusing his attention on Aella. “I hope you aren’t attached to the clothes you were wearing today. A professional cleaning crew is coming to clean my bathroom and dispose of our clothes, the towels, and the washcloths we used.”

“You’re thorough, huh?” Aella asked as he helped her up and led her to the living room.

Cassius shrugged. “It’s the life we live, right?”

Licking her lips, Aella rubbed her shoulders once they were seated on the couch.

“Unfortunately,” she sighed, dropping her head onto his shoulder. “You’d think I’d be falling apart right now, but outside of my meltdown earlier, I feel strangely normal. What does that say about me?”

“Nothing. You’re a mob baby. Quite frankly, I’d be embarrassed if you were having a meltdown,” he joked.

Aella playfully punched his chest. “Shut up. You get on my nerves.”

“Nah, seriously, I just don’t think the night’s events have set in yet. You’re still processing. Don’t try to manage your emotions yourself if and when they do hit, Elle. That’s what I’m here for.”

The room momentarily fell silent until Aella spoke again, her voice barely audible. “You killed someone for me tonight.”

“And I’d do it again without blinking. You may be a pain in the ass, but you’re my pain in the ass. I protect what’s mine.”