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And right then, I knew I’d made the right choice. I’d spent my life protecting others, but now my path was clear. I would spend every day of the rest of my life protecting the woman I loved—her mind, her body and her happiness.
Nothing else had ever mattered more.
* * * *
Char
I rolled my head, trying to ease the aching in my neck. I’d spent far too many hours dealing with nonsense on a case I hadn’t even wanted to take. It had required weeks of work, of delving into old files, of questioning so many people that had meant me taking on half a dozen different roles.
However, in the end, I’d gotten what I’d needed. The asshole who had been coaxing young girls into sex work was done for. He didn’t know it yet, of course. In fact, the petty part of me enjoyed the idea of him having his last night of freedom, having no damn idea that his entire life would fall apart come tomorrow.
“You look happy,” Claire said as she fitted another puzzle piece into the image on the table.The old woman who I’d met years before, who I still visited weekly when I came by the retirement home she lived in, was a surprising but fitting enemy for me.
“I’m always happy.”
She snorted, the sound decidedly unladylike. “That’s not true. You’re always smiling, but that’s not the same thing.”
“Do people usually smile when they aren’t happy?”
“Not normal people, but you haven’t ever been normal,” she pointed out, sorting through the puzzle pieces. “Of course, you’re happy now.”
That took me by surprise. Not that she’d come right out and say it—she’d been that way in all the years I’d known her.
“You’re crazy,” I muttered, letting my forced smile fade away. I’d found that I did that more, too. I didn’t make myself be that cheery person as much anymore.
I still did around strangers, but I let it go when around those I was close to. I let them see the real me, the one that I’d thought no one could possibly accept. When at the house with the others, I let my snarky, asshole personality shine and no one even seemed surprised anymore. Likewise, here, I let it go after spending a bit of time.
It still wasn’t comfortable, perhaps, but it felt more normal as the days went by. I didn’t feel quite as on display as I had, as though just waiting for someone to reject me due to my behavior. Slowly but surely, it had felt more normal.
“Speaking of happy,” she said, her lips pulling into a conspiratorial smile, “how is that lovely young woman of yours?”
I wanted to keep a poker face, but her speaking of Kenz like that made my cheeks heat. I’d never had a family, which meant I’d never dealt with doting parents or grandparents embarrassing me about who I dated. It seemed I lacked the skills to ignore such affectionate mocking.
“Well, that look tells me things are going just fine,” she added on. “I’m glad. She stops by every week to visit, and she just lights the place up.”
“She comes by here?” I sat up straighter at the information.
“You didn’t know? That surprises me—I figured you were the type to know what she was doing at all times.”
“I don’t keep her locked up,” I protested. “She goes to school and does what she wants.” Besides, despite her real identity being known, Bradley kept a close eye on her as well. It meant she didn’t have to worry much about her safety anymore, and the way she smiled when she left the house meant I couldn’t stop her, even though there were times I wanted to. “I just didn’t realize she camehere.”
“Of course she does,” Claire said. “She likes to come and talk. I think she misses her family sometimes.”
I understood that, though I didn’t like it. I couldn’t give her everything—no one could—but I hated the thought that she didn’t get enough from us.
She lifted her gaze and smiled widely. “Speaking of…”
I turned my head, knowing what I’d see before I even did so. Sure enough, stepping into the large rec room was the woman herself. Kenz hadn’t seen me, didn’t appear to be looking for me. She wore a loose black dress with a large bag slung over her shoulder. The way she could make the air in any room seem lighter amazed me, even now, months after interacting with her.
Her long dark hair was loose, and she seemed to float as she paused to say hi to each person she passed. And in response? Nothing but smiles.
“I don’t deserve her,” I said softly, not even realizing the words had escaped me until Claire laughed.
“Do you want to know the real secret? No one ever deserves the person they love. It doesn’t matter who they are. I think it’s because we see the best in someone else and the worst in ourselves.”
That felt easy to say for her, but she didn’t understand, clearly.
“You know,” she said, her voice lowering, “I told her the first time I met her that you weren’t as bad as she thought—that you weren’t as bad as you thought. I’m glad that she sees it, too.”
