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“Easy for you to say when you’re the one in the wrong,” I argued.
“Yes, I think we have established that I may have acted too hastily in certain factors, but at the end of the day, you are still breathing, unharmed, and will remain so under my protection. This is what matters the most to me, now and always.”
I felt like gulping, and would have done so had he not been so close, being merely inches away.
“Your protection?” I questioned, picking this one word out of what seemed like a solid vow.
“Why not think of this more like a witness protection program?” he suggested, making me look doubtful.
“As in, when I witnessed you commit a crime?” I pointed out.
“I do believe I am not the only one who has committed a crime here.”
I gave him a guilty face and pulled out of his gentle hold, needing the space before accusing,
“So that’s what this is… this is blackmail?” At this he narrowed his eyes and suddenly looked angry.
“No, Evelyn, this isn’t fucking blackmail. This is me reminding you that only the innocent gets to cast judgement over others.”
I flinched at this because it was true. In more ways than I ever wanted him finding out. What right did I have to judge him stealing when, in the eyes of the law, I had done far worse?
“You’re right, I have no right to judge you,” I agreed. making him release a soft, yet frustrated sigh before he told me,
“As I do not judge you, for I am glad you were brave enough to protect yourself. Something I am trying to ensure never has to happen ever again.”
“So, the day of the shoot-out, I really was their main target?” I found myself asking.
“Yes, and unfortunately, this was proven further when they tried to take you at the station.”
I shuddered as the memory came back to me, and had to force myself not to think about it so I could ask further questions,
“And you think this has something to do with my asshole ex-boss, Bill?”
“I do,” he replied sternly, his dark blue eyes narrowing slightly at the mention of him.
“But why though? I just don’t understand it.”
“I am not sure, but if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that they believe you have information they want,” he told me, making me think back to what that thug had threatened that day in my apartment when this nightmare began.
“Well, they did believe we were dating,” I told him, and clearly granting him a piece of information he didn’t know.
“They did?”
“The guy they sent, they told me to ‘tell my boyfriend’ that they want back what you had stolen,” I said, making air quotation marks in the air.
“So, you think they are still trying to use you to get to me?” he asked, making me shrug.
“I honestly don’t know,” I told him truthfully.
“I suppose if they believe us to be an item, then it stands to reason they might think to use you as bait or a bargaining chip to get me to give them the piece of the scepter if they have you as a hostage.”
“Scepter… wait, hostage… you think that’s what they want with me?” I asked, changing my question to one I thought was more important right now.
“Yes, for I cannot see any other reason, can you?”
“But if they have been watching me, then wouldn’t they have wondered why we were apart? Wouldn’t they think we had broken up or something?” I asked. The only time we were really seen together was when I was jumping on him outside his office and the short time we spent dancing in the club.
“Not necessarily. They might have thought after the heist that we were keeping a distance from each other for your safety, especially after the attack on you,” he offered, making me think about it this way.
