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“You don’t act like any of those women either,” Renard added. “All stuck-up snobs. They come in here with their noses up, picking at my food. Told Saxon I ain’t cooking for any of them anymore. Now they’re all banned.”
“Who are?” she asked.
“All those people from Devotion.”
“You banned a whole town?” she asked incredulously.
“Yep, guess that means you’re banned, girl.” He rubbed at his chin.
“I suppose so. Although I don’t live there anymore. I live in Nashville.”
Butch tightened his hold on her, and she stared up at him in surprise. “You okay?”
“You don’t live in Nashville now.”
“I . . . I don’t?” Well, she guessed that was technically right.
“Where’s all your stuff?” he asked.
“At your place,” she said, wondering what he was getting at.
“That’s right. So that’s where you live.”
“Ah, that means I don’t have to kick you out,” Renard said with a nod. “Good. Feel bad at kicking out someone who is down on their luck. Would have been a real conundrum.”
She tried to turn and look at Renard, but Butch took hold of her chin again, keeping her facing him.
“I don’t live with you,” she whispered to Butch.
“Your stuff is at mine, so you live with me.”
What was happening right now?
“So you’re taking responsibility for her?” Jake asked.
“Yes,” Butch replied firmly.
Jake sighed. “Good. I was trying to figure out where to put her.”
Put her? “No one is putting me anywhere.”
“Course we are, girl,” Renard replied. “That’s what this meeting is about. Where are we gonna put Lara and who is gonna look after her. I thought I was gonna have to volunteer.”
“She is not your responsibility,” Butch said darkly, glaring at the other man. “She’s mine.”
“I’m not sure I like being someone’s responsibility,” she muttered. That made her feel like a burden.
Which was the last thing she ever wanted to be.
“That’s the way Haven works, girlie,” Renard said. “The women here are cared for, protected, and coddled.”
Well, none of those sounded bad. It was just . . .
“But she also has to agree,” Jake added. “Do you agree to Butch being your guardian while you’re here, Lara? It means he’s in charge of your welfare and safety, and you must listen to him if he gives you rules. But you can also tell me at any stage if you don’t want him to be your guardian anymore and you’ll come under my care.”
She . . . who . . . what? This was a lot.
“I was going to leave. Go back to Nashville. But that . . . that was before . . . there’s nothing for me there. I don’t want to go back. But I can’t . . . I don’t know what to do here. I don’t have anywhere to go.”
And she was terrified.
“But you do,” Butch said quietly. “You’ll come home with me and let me take care of you.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking. I’m insisting.” He leaned in to whisper to her quietly. “I know you’re torn because you think you’re a burden, but you’re not. I can see how exhausted you are, and Jake might not get this, but I know you need me to make this decision for you. Just know that I would never do this unless I wanted to. Got me?”
“Yes.” Maybe she should have protested. Should have done this on her own. But he was right. She’d have been eaten up with worry over causing issues. About doing something he didn’t want.
And she needed him to take control.
“Lara is coming home with me,” Butch said confidently. “I’ll act as her guardian.”
“Lara?” Jake prompted.
“That’s what I want.”
“Good,” Renard said. “Now that’s taken care of you can tell Butch who the fuck hit you so we can go take care of that asshole.”
Butch stared down at her and she gulped. Shit.
“Just tell me that it was Chandler and I’ll take care of him myself,” Butch promised.
Oh, man.
“It wasn’t Chandler.”
Butch narrowed his gaze at her. “Then who?”
“I walked into a door.”
Renard snorted.
“That’s ten, baby girl,” Butch said smoothly. “You want to change your answer?”
She shook her head and winced, slumping forward tiredly.
“I don’t think we’re getting any further today,” Jake said. “Lara is done in. You should get her home.”
“She needs fluids and food,” Renard added. “And rest. Sleeping on the side of the road isn’t very restful.”
“What do you mean, she was sleeping on the side of the road?” Butch yelled, making her jump.
Damn, he was loud.
She put her fingers in her ears and scowled at him. “I need a little hush.”
“And I need some answers. Somebody talk. Now.”
Lara grimaced. “All right. So, just before seven this morning, Chandler called and asked me to meet with him. He sent his driver to come get me. I texted you this, didn’t you get it?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Stupid phone died as I was sending it. It must not have gone through.” She rubbed her face. “I left a note too. In the hotel room.”
