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Viv felt her face go red with embarrassment and fury. “No, he hasn’t. Now stop this right now!”
Val stepped back, breathing heavily.
Red sat on the couch, rubbing his jaw, and looking stunned.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked, his voice shaky.
Viv took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She knew she needed to explain things to Val and Red, but she wasn’t sure where to start.
“I... Red and I are working together. You know that,” she said finally, her voice low. “He hired me to install a new security system in his house and provide personal protection advice.”
Val looked at her. “And that required a sleepover?”
“His stalker came back. I’ll be here from this point forward.”
“Over my dead body,” Val said.
“If Cameron didn’t love you so much, and your daughter didn’t need you as a father, I might consider that now. Geez, Val, I’m a grown-ass adult, and I get to decide who and where. And trust me,”—she pointed to Red—“it’s not going to be with him and right here. I’m just doing my job. Nothing else.”
Val looked at Red, then back at Viv, his expression softening slightly. “I’m sorry, Viv. I just... I don’t want to see you get hurt, you know? And Red here … he’s—”
“I know he’s an asshole, but so are you if you can’t trust me to make good decisions for myself. Look, your wife saw something to love in Red and more to love in you. She’s not an idiot and neither am I. I know what I’m doing.”
“Fine. I trust you.” He turned to Red. “But I don’t trust you. If you try anything with my sister, I will return and finish the job.” Val turned around and exited the house, leaving both Viv and Red alone. A red lump sat painfully on the chiseled edge of Red’s jawline. “I’m sorry he hit you.”
He rubbed the spot. “It’s just karma paying me back for something I did. I probably deserve a lot worse.”
“Let me get you some ice.” She pointed to the couch where her blanket and pillow were. “Have a seat.” Red opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head. “Don’t forget … my rules.”
He sank onto the couch and groaned while she hightailed it to the kitchen to get ice for his swelling jaw. When she came back, he was gone.
“Where are you?” she called from the living room.
“In bed.”
He was going to push her at every turn. “I told you to stay put.” She walked down the hallway and found his room at the end. She expected it to be a bachelor pad with a mattress on the floor and clothes strewn about, but what she found surprised her.
His bedroom was a far cry from what she had expected. The walls were painted in a soft, calming shade of blue, with a white accent wall behind the bed. The bed was a sturdy wooden frame with a plush white comforter and matching pillows. The room was immaculate, and everything was in its place. The dresser was dark wood, holding several carefully arranged picture frames and a four-wick candle. A subtle aroma of lavender filled the air, giving the room a soothing and tranquil feel. A nightstand held a lamp, a book, and a glass of water on one side of the bed. The curtains were drawn open, allowing the soft light of the rising sun to filter into the room, casting a glow over everything. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm wash over her as she took in the peaceful surroundings.
“You were supposed to follow the rules.”
Red was in bed with the sheet pulled halfway up his chest. “My head hurts.”
“That’s your ego.” She pressed the ice to his jawline. “This is the injury.”
“I don’t want to cause you problems with your brother. I can try to find someone else to help me. Maybe I can beg Sheriff Cooper to reconsider.”
He looked like a child, all tucked in and ready for sleep. She mindlessly ran her hands through his hair, brushing it aside so she could see his eyes. They weren’t a simple blue, but a combination of blue and green, like the colors of the ocean meeting the shore. She hesitated momentarily, lost in their beauty, before finally mustering the courage to speak.
“Nonsense. You hired me, and I accepted the job. We are in this together.”
“You sure?”
She smiled down at him and nodded. “I’m sure,” she said, her voice gentle and reassuring. “Besides, I can handle my brother. And as for Sheriff Cooper, I think I have a better chance of convincing him than you do.”
“True. Nobody seems to like me in this town, especially him.”
“I like you.” She snapped her mouth closed, but the words were already out. “I mean, you’re okay for a—”
