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Ican'tbelieveIlost control like this, but I'm so glad I did.
I wake up early the next morning with Kendra in my arms, her blonde head tucked against my chest, her breath slow and steady and comforting. She snores a little, which is adorable, and I think I'd like to fall asleep to the sound of her snoring every night for the rest of my life.
Fuck...I'm such a hopeless romantic that I can't stop thinking about keeping her.
Even though I'm a sad old man who shouldn't have anything to do with her.
All I am is ex-Enclave, going nowhere. She's the most wanted woman in Solstice Bay, even if she looks like a goddamn angel.
She doesn't stir as I get out of bed and step into a pair of sweats to make my way out to the kitchen. I must have let my hair down at some point, because its down in waves around my shoulders...and it smells like Kendra. Her scent is all over me; in my hair, my beard,everywhere.
I've just gotten the coffee brewing when I hear a chime that signals a customer is outside, and I frown as my head snaps toward the shop entrance. I have the doorbell set up if the door happens to be locked and a customer shows up, but no one should be here right now--I don't have any appointments today and it's the ass crack of dawn anyway. I think it might be a straggler until the doorbell rings again.
Shit.
I wonder if it's that sketchy ACB guy again--the one who's definitely workingoff the clock.
I grab the pistol I always keep in a kitchen drawer for emergencies and I shove it in the back of my pants to go out to the tattoo parlor, keeping a scowl on my face. I'm a big guy--even if my friends consider me more of a gentle giant--and I know I can scare the hell out of intruders if they fuck with me. But what I see at the door surprises me almost as much as seeing Kendra did.
Carson fucking Connelly is out there, justwaitingwith his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket like we have a goddamn appointment.
And you don't just turn away the head of the Enclave when you've got a fugitive who needs help stashed in your bedroom.
I go to the door and yank up the steel shutter over the door before I unlock the deadbolts to let Carson in. He looks me over with green eyes, inhaling sharply and raising his eyebrows.
"Holy shit...you already fucked her," he says.
"Get inside," I bite out.
I usher him in and glance around for anyone following him before I lock the deadbolt and close the shutter once again. Carson keeps his hands in his pockets, staying calm and collected, looking like a fucking angel with that curly blond hair and blue eyes.
"Where is she?" he says.
"Straight to business," I mutter. "No 'Hey, Zane, it's been a while,' huh?"
"I figured if you wanted to talk to me, you knew how to get in touch with me."
"She's asleep," I reply. "And before you start interrogating me, let me just say that she's not going anywhere until I know you can get her safely out of the city. I promised her I'd keep her safe and that's what I'm going to do."
Carson nods and leans against the counter, his eyes never leaving mine. "I'm not here to cause trouble, Zane. I just need to know where she is. Her friends want to see her."
"What friends?"
"Olivia Cruz and Jade Winslow," he says. "They're with us; in fact, Jade is mated to theotherchief of the Enclave...you know, the asshole one?"
"Why do you think you're not the asshole one?" I ask.
He snorts. "We both know that's not true. Rafe is way worse than I am."
I can't help but chuckle at that. "Fair enough. But why do they want to see her?"
"I think they just want to make sure she's okay," he says. "They were worried when they lost her...they've been looking for her ever since."
"Well, she's safe here," I say firmly. "And I'm not gonna let you take her until I know for sure that she's not going to be in danger."
Carson nods. "I understand. But you have to know that the longer she stays here, the more danger she'll be in. The ACB is closing in on her, and we both know they won't stop until they find her."
I can feel the weight of his words like a heavy blanket, suffocating me. He's right, of course. Kendra can't stay here forever, and the longer she does, the more danger she's in. But I can't bring myself to let her go just yet.
