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“One of us then. At all times,” Ian cut in before I could say anything else. His tone was hard, brooking no argument. “That’s the deal, Mare. You are back in our lives for good. There’s no escaping that. If you try to run from us, we will track you down, and then you won’t have a fucking choice. We’re going to do what we have to in order to keep you safe. Tell me, do you really think you would be comfortable staying here alone, knowing about your father now?”
He knew I was stuck. I was surprised he was even offering me this much of a compromise. It wasn’t like him—perhaps my argument had gotten through to him at least somewhat—and I knew if I pushed back now, if I refused to have any of them stay, he’d just tie me up, gag me, and cart me back to their house. We both knew he could do it, but if he did—I’d never forgive him. So, here we were, at an impasse. My lips thinned, and he knew he’d won. He shoved away from the counter and strode over to stand in front of me. Leather and musk filled my nose, his signature warm and sultry scent clouding my thoughts. Ian’s calloused fingers gripped my jaw, pulling my chin to look up at him.
“What do you say, Mare?” he murmured, the huskiness in his voice like a siren’s call.
“Fine,” I replied.
His teeth were bright white against his tanned skin, dark hair messy atop his head as he released my chin. Leaning forward, he pressed a soft kiss against my forehead. “I promise you won’t regret it.”
Despite the anger, despite the betrayal, all it took was one kiss, and I was ready to melt. Keeping my tongue fused to the top of my mouth so I didn’t say anything, I waited as Ian and Archer left, the latter coming over to give me a quick kiss before heading out.
“Come on, sweetheart, let’s get another glass for these,” Jensen offered, holding the flowers in a bundle.
“No, just throw them away,” I said. “They’re probably from him.”
Jensen paused, a light clicking on in his head as he glanced down to the forget-me-nots in his grasp. “Your father?” he clarified.
I shrugged. “Who else would send them?” And all it meant was that I’d have to leave this place sooner rather than later. In fact, it should be sooner. I should already be on the move, packing my shit and getting the hell out of dodge. I might’ve even called my Witness Protection contact if he hadn't been such a useless idiot. It’s what I was supposed to do in a situation where I might’ve been caught or in danger, but the justice system couldn’t do their fucking jobs the first time—I doubted they’d be able to do it a second. No. My father was always prepared, and he was a master at toying with people. The flowers were likely tantamount to a cat dangling poison-filled cheese in front of a hungry mouse. Just one more way to torture me for daring to go against him.
Jensen continued to stare at the flowers with a strange look on his face, but I was done thinking about it. Leaving him to deal with them however he liked, I turned and walked into the bathroom where I stripped for a shower. Even with the water as hot as it would go, though, there was no washing away the feeling of danger slowly creeping its way back into my life.
