Chapter 4: Chapter Four

Erik stood beside Liam as they waited in the apartment that wasn’t theirs.

“You kissed her?” Liam’s face reminded Erik of when they’d been children and Erik had stolen the last cookie.

“It wasn’t planned.”

“You plan everything.”

“My plan had been to meet a contact there. None of us expected her to work there.”

“And you couldn’t just ignore her? The way you’ve told Torrin and me to do?”

Erik gave Liam an exasperated look. “She was having a panic attack.”

“That normally only bothers people who have a heart.” Liam offered a grin before continuing. “She was jumpy that first night. She was almost assaulted, but even still, it seemed deeper than that.”

Erik nodded, walking over to a desk and thumbing through the items on top. “She was grabbed by some asshole in the bar, but I don’t think that set her off.”

Liam’s back straightened and, sure enough, a growl left the alpha.

Erik moved to scan the spines on the bookshelf. “I was very clear in a way that will keep the man from signing his name for a while about why touching her was a bad idea. However, she asked if we’d called her job.”

Liam’s anger drifted away, as if the question distracted him. “Do you think she’s hiding from someone? It would explain her apartment and why she didn’t want us around.”

“It makes as much sense as anything else.”

“We could—”

Erik shot his twin a hard look to stop that train of thought. “No. We are not going to dig into this any deeper. She has Torrin’s number. If she calls, we can take it from there, but we are not going to go looking for trouble. Everyone has problems, and we are in no place to take on hers. In fact, she’d likely be in more danger if we did.”

Erik managed to keep a straight face as he lectured Liam, even though Erik had asked Ashley the same thing, had been ready to take on any issue she had. Giving good advice and following it were two different things, though.

Liam moved his gaze around the apartment, as if taking in where they were, the reality of their life, before he sighed. “I guess you’re right.”

Erik’s lips tipped down. He didn’t enjoy telling Liam the truth. Somehow, breaking bad news had always been Erik’s job. He had to be the realistic one, the one to temper his brother’s enthusiasm. Liam wanted to believe the world was a very different place than it was, and perhaps Erik liked that, at times.

He did the things that needed to be done so Liam could still believe, at least some of the time, that the world was as he saw it.

It had stopped wearing on Erik when he’d accepted that as his place. Besides, at least one of them could be happy. That seemed better odds than most people got.

Then he thought back to that kiss…

Ashley’s lips had been soft and giving and sweet, things that just didn’t exist in his world. Would she be like that if they went further? If he stripped off her clothing, if he spread her out before him, would she still be that same girl?

“Really?” Liam’s tone and nod at the effect of the thoughts on Erik’s groin made Erik take a deep breath.

Yet another reason that Ashley was off the table for good. He couldn’t get turned on every time he thought about her. The girl was already proving to be a problem, and that was after hardly spending any time around her.

The door creaked open, and Erik slipped his fingers around his knife while Liam palmed his gun. The man who lived there was trash, a person who the world wouldn’t miss, who had never done a single good thing in his life.

Still, it had been a very specific mistake that had brought Erik and Liam there, when the man had decided to cross them by helping an enemy set up an ambush. Erik had lost three men that night, and this man would pay for that betrayal with his life.

Even if he deserved it, though, even if the man was the filth Erik saw him as, it was a perfectly clear example of the life they lived, the life Ashley needed to be nowhere around.

She didn’t belong in their world.

* * * *

Ashley checked the lock on her door for the fifth time, her heart racing.

Her phone rang again, sitting on the table as though it might hurt her if she just touched it.

Restricted number.

Just like the other calls she’d ignored for the past fifteen minutes.

Even still, she knew who it was. It was who it always was when this happened, when she settled in and tried to build a life.

The same voice would drift over the line and steal it all away.

Stop being a coward. Maybe it’s just a telemarketer.

Ashley didn’t believe that. She couldn’t. Life had proven to her time and time again that some people were meant for happy, calm lives and others were meant for shit.

Her place was obvious.

With trembling hands, she picked up the phone. She missed the answer button the first time, but she got it the second. “H-hello?”

“I missed you.”

There it was. The voice that haunted her nightmares, the one that stalked her no matter where she hid. She’d run, moved states, fled from the east coast to the west, and still he’d found her every time. Gregory.

“Why are you doing this?”

“You know why.” Calm. Always calm. Nothing ruffled the man who had stalked her for years. It never mattered what she did—he seemed, at best, mildly disappointed in her actions.

“Just leave me alone.”

“I can’t. I’m growing tired of this game, however. I’m not getting any younger, and each time we do this, you steal another day from me, another week, another month.”

He’d stolen years from her, but she kept her mouth shut. No matter how angry she got, she never yelled at him, never fought him directly. What was the point of doing it? She never won.

“I’m not going to be with you,” she said.

“You will. You’ve simply lacked proper motivation.”

Motivation. The word chilled her to her core. He’d proven how far he would go enough times.

She gripped the phone in her hand and paced the short distance in her apartment while she tried to breathe through the terror. “What sort of motivation?”

“Stop.”

The command came with such certainty, the snap in it stilling her feet, forcing her to freeze in place.

Glass shattered, and the dingy carpet inches from her feet seemed to explode. Ashley leapt backward, falling so her ass hit the ground, and she scooted away.

Someone shot through the window and hit the floor inches from where I was standing.

“Calm,” he purred into the line, as if he weren’t the cause of her panic. “That was a demonstration, dear. If only you would listen to me, only obey, I could keep you from such harm. Just as when I said stop, and you listened, you were saved. If you only would do that, I could give you a good life and keep you safe.”

Ashley trembled as she sat there, as she stared at the hole in the floor, as he tore apart the tiny bit of peace she’d thought she’d made.

A sigh came through the phone. “I have business to attend, but I’ll get into town in a few days. I hope you’ll have had time to think by then, to make a good choice. I would hate to have to find you again.”

When the line went dead, when Ashley was alone with only the terrifying calmness of his voice lingering in her head, she curled her knees to her chest. She wanted to break down, to cry, but nothing came. No tears, no racking sobs to help her deal with the situation.

Only the breeze from the shattered window, the reminder that her tiny sanctuary was no such thing.

I can’t do this again.

* * * *

Torrin stared at his phone as it sat on his desk as if he could force it to ring.

Which, of course, he didn’t want to happen.

They needed to put the omega far behind them. Her not calling or reaching out should have pleased him. It was what they wanted—what they needed.

Still, he’d kept his cell with him. That was the most pathetic part. Instead of leaving it with his assistant as was usual, he’d tucked the phone into his pocket and taken it with him everywhere.

“You’re sulking,” Liam said as he entered the large office.

Which was the exact reason Torrin preferred Erik’s company. Erik was the quiet one, the one who faded into the background and didn’t constantly question him. Liam preferred noise, even when that noise was simply hearing himself talk.

When Torrin lifted his gaze from his phone to the two men, a familiar tingle started in his chest.

So many things they’d lost over the years. Family, friends, lovers. It had always ended up being just the three of them from the very start, and, Torrin thought, probably until the end.

That gave him both a sense of comfort and an undeniable tension. He would forever carry the weight of watching out for his cousins, the weight of their safety and happiness.

Not that he’d done a great job with happiness.

Success? That he could manage. He could make them rich and powerful. He could work their contacts to keep them safe. Providing them with some semblance of happiness wasn’t anything he understood, though.

What did he know about happiness?

After another moment, Liam spoke, his tone that of a man who had wanted to say something but had held off. “You know, if things settled down…”

The meaning was clear. Torrin had known Liam long enough to read him, even when he was trying to be subtle. “No.”

“No? Just no? Like it isn’t a group decision?”

“It isn’t, at least not for us as a group. She is better off without any of us, and we are better off not being distracted.”

Liam looked as though he wanted to argue, but instead went quiet. Torrin’s truth was hard to argue with.

It didn’t please him, as being right usually didn’t. Too often, being right had more to do with accepting an ugly truth that others didn’t wish to. It left him with a heavier weight on his shoulders than that of his cousins, as he held up the truths so they could ignore them.

Erik’s phone vibrated, so he pulled it out and hit a button on the screen. “Hello? When? Is she hurt?” A hard set to his jaw said the conversation wasn’t a good one, and there was only one she who Torrin had known to put such an expression on the stoic man’s face.

It seemed they hadn’t quite gotten Ashley out of their lives just yet.

* * * *

Boards on the window did nothing to raise Ashley’s mood. They blocked out what little light the apartment had gotten, making it into even more of a cave. The police hadn’t been all that helpful, and the best the super could do on such short notice was secure a piece of plywood to the open space.

He’d commented on the extra security but had only cared to say she needed to fix any holes if she took the locks with her when she left.

So when all the fanfare left, when she was again in the small apartment by herself, Ashley could only stare at the wood blocking her view.

Did I really think I could get away? That I could start over and have a real life?

Gregory had sworn she never would, that she was his, and right then, she felt that to her very core. It was as though he held a leash she could never slip, no matter how far she ran. She’d reach the end of it and he’d yank, sending her tumbling back.

Which meant packing up yet again. Starting over again. What’s the point?

Exhaustion threatened to drag her under, to pull her so deep into apathy that she just waited there until he showed up.

She feared she had no strength to run anymore, to resist. A person only had so much they could take before they cracked.

A knock at her door would have had her jumping before, but she couldn’t bring herself to worry. Gregory wouldn’t arrive for a few days, and he never lied.

She unlocked the door and opened it to find Liam there, his smile already familiar.

Ashley held it together despite how much it helped to see him.

Or maybe it hurt? She wasn’t sure. She only knew it made her feel something.

Then she noticed luggage set on the floor by his feet. “Are you moving in?”

He laughed softly. “No, but you’re moving out.”

“Excuse me?”

He picked up the luggage and slid past her, though it forced her to move backward so they didn’t touch. “Heard about your little mishap.” Liam nodded at the boarded window.

He set the suitcase on the coffee table that Torrin had bought, the furniture something Ashley still hadn’t fully gotten used to.

“How did you hear about that?”

“Erik had an alert set up on your address. The police came, so he was notified.”

“What, is he stalking me?” She meant it as a joke, but the word stuck in her throat. It seemed she wasn’t quite ready to make jokes about such things.

Liam continued as though she hadn’t tripped over her question. Maybe he’d heard it but ignored it or thought it was because she was worried about Erik. “You have to know there is some sort of pull for us. While we were happy to leave you be, that only worked if we knew you were safe.” He cut another unhappy look around the apartment. “I knew this was a horrible place for you from the start.”

“It’s what I can afford.” She knew it was a bad place to live, but she didn’t care for his judgment. She was doing the best she could.

“Yeah, well, you aren’t staying here anymore.”

“Did you not hear me? I can’t afford anything else. The super said they could fix the window in another week or two—” She paused as it hit her. She wouldn’t be there in a week or two. How quickly she’d forgotten already.

Or maybe she just liked to forget. It was how she got through the day most of the time. Forget Gregory was always closing in, forget that she’d need to pick up and leave once he found her. How else was she supposed to get through her shifts at work? How else could she sit there beside other, normal people and not lose her mind over it all?

Liam stared at her as she worked through it in her head, a curious expression across his features. It was as though he were trying to read her but couldn’t quite get a grasp on it.

He shook his head and pointed down at the luggage. They had nested bags, so that at the end, three bags sat open. “Fill these with everything you need for the immediate future. If you have more that doesn’t fit, we’ll have someone return to get the rest of it.”

“What about the furniture?”

“It’ll go into storage. Don’t look at me like that—you won’t have to pay anything.”

“I can’t just move.”

Liam caught her chin, forcing her gaze to his. Funny that he had seemed so easygoing before, yet the strong grip of his fingers and the steel in his gaze said he might not be so easy to push around. “Your window was shot out, Ashley, and a bullet put in the floor inches from your feet. There is a good chance that the people who lived here before you were drug dealers or worse, who have enemies who might not realize—or care—that they’ve moved. You staying here is out of the question, and as you’ve said yourself that you can’t afford anything else, we’ve arranged a solution. You will pack the things you want to bring with you and come with me.”

“Or?” The question came out breathlessly.

He curled his lips into a half smile. “Or I’ll toss your pretty ass over my shoulder and carry you out. If you don’t have any clothes in the new place, I can’t say I’ll mind a bit.”

Ashley couldn’t breathe. It was the heat of his gaze, the smirk of his lips, the warm strength of his fingers. He looked so much like Erik and yet so different, and all of it stirred up the want inside her stoked by Erik’s earlier kiss.

Would Liam kiss her the same way? Erik was dominant, skilled and confident. Liam was those things, but he had a playful edge that Erik lacked.

Liam inhaled noisily, a groan on his lips in response. “You can’t expect me to stay professional when you do that.” His last word came out with so much meaning, full of things she wanted that she’d never had, never tasted, never felt.

“That’s what this is? Changing the locks on my place? Buying furniture I didn’t ask for? Showing up and telling me I’m moving? That’s all professional?”

Liam loosened his grip, yet she felt it just as strongly. He danced his fingers slowly over her jawline and throat in a feather-light stroke. “Pretty much.”

“Then what would not professional look like?” Why did that sound like a dare? Because I want to see how he’ll react. I want to push him to do something, because this is torture.

“Not professional would be bending you over the new, very nice couch and fucking you until we’re both so worn out I might actually manage a full night’s sleep without thinking about you.” As he teased her with his words, he brushed his fingertips across her collarbone.

Goosebumps rose on her skin and a thin moan slipped from her.

He tilted his head, grin widening. “You like that idea, don’t you? Oh, sweet, aren’t you full of surprises?” He closed the distance between them and took a kiss. It was softer than Liam’s but no less devastating. His lips coaxed hers to respond, teased her to meet him, to give him everything.

And she did. She wanted to. She needed to let go of everything but him.

Except when she leaned closer, when she yearned for the press of his body against hers, he backed off.

“Get your things,” he said with a rough voice that made it clear that pulling away was the last thing he’d wanted.

“Why?” At his look, she clarified. “Why stop?”

He huffed a soft laugh, one dark and full of masculine humor. “Because while I needed a taste, and fair is fair, my brother and I don’t take females separately.”

“Not ever?” The question came out breathless.

Something crossed his handsome features, darkening that cheerful nature. He chased the shadows away with a smile that didn’t quite reach his brown eyes. “Not anymore, no. So, if you’re still interested in anything not so professional, it’ll have to wait.”

Ashley couldn’t stop herself as the idea of those two washed over her like a searing blast of air. Liam’s coaxing, playful touches and Erik’s strong hands. Those two nearly identical faces, yet men so very different, at the same time?

Suddenly the fear of Gregory, the reality of having to uproot again, didn’t seem so scary.

She doubted the world could reach her if she was pressed between Liam and Erik, and right then?

She couldn’t think of any place she’d rather be.

It turned out Liam had the self-control of a fucking legend, if him resisting the siren-like scent of Ashley said anything. Hell, he’d better get nominated for sainthood after pulling away.

Then again, he’d sat her in the back of the town car and he’d sat up front with the driver.

Being alone with her was asking for trouble.

He carried her bags, waving the driver off. Something about taking care of her made him want to snarl at the offer of another male’s help. Mine.

He sighed at the primal part of him, the stupid and outdated side that wanted to sink his teeth into her as he fucked her, that wanted to leave marks on her so others knew she was spoken for.

She had almost nothing to pack, as it turned out. He’d kept his mouth shut when she’d filled only the smallest of the bags he’d brought, though she’d acted as if it were normal.

The only possessions she had in her life could fit into a carry-on?

Again, a desperation to know more, to understand her, grew. Where was she from? How had she ended up like this?

He pressed open the door to the apartment they’d readied for her, and her gasp accompanied her stopping short.

Liam ignored the reaction and entered, the light from the setting sun pouring in through the large wall of windows on that side.

The apartment was nice, open, large. It had sat empty since Kara, their wily omega friend, had refused to use it. The two apartments were the only ones on that floor. Torrin had thought the distance would keep Kara close enough to watch but be far enough for privacy.

Leave it to the difficult woman to never do the smart thing, however. That habit had left her with mates, now, who Liam couldn’t stand.

He shoved the annoyance away to turn and find Ashley still standing at the threshold. “Come on. Not like the room will bite.”

“This is too much. I can’t afford this.” The words afford came out on a whisper, as though embarrassed.

She thought we’d charge her?

She clearly had no idea how little they cared about finances, or how much they cared about her safety.

“You can’t afford free? Just how bad off are you?” He meant for the joke to break the tension, to make her laugh and maybe just relax.

Instead, she winced.

Great job. You’re supposed to be the one who’s good with women.

He gave it another shot. “We own the entire building. This place is always empty because that”—he pointed at the door across the hall—“is where our place is.”

“You and Erik?”

“And Torrin. We aren’t a fan of close neighbors, so this apartment sits empty. We wouldn’t rent it to anyone, so no one is out anything. Other than you won’t have to worry about getting your windows shot out.”

Again, that darkness in her face. Fear? Probably just remembering the event. That would have shaken up anyone, especially someone as seemingly innocent as her.

“I can’t accept this,” she said despite the longing in her expression to do just that.

“Yes, you can. In case you haven’t noticed, we aren’t great at taking no for an answer. And if you think you’re stubborn? Trust me—we’re worse.”

Ashley’s shoulders dropped. Was it bad of him to enjoy winning so much? The best part was when she walked into the apartment, though. It might not be where he slept, but having her closer, having her in a space that was still his, was a claim he wanted on her.

She remained silent during the tour, though the tightening of her jaw said she wasn’t happy with something. The place was pure luxury, so he doubted the problem was that it didn’t live up to her expectations.

She nibbled on her bottom lip. Lucky damned lip.

“Talk to me,” he said, softening his voice.

“I can’t stay here. I don’t even know you.”

The less she knew about them, the better. Still, saying that would cause the flighty omega to run, and Liam just wasn’t feeling cardio right then. At least, not the running kind. He wouldn’t mind if he got his heart rate up another way.

Her expectant look made him realize he’d zoned out. He offered an unrepentant smile—no doubt she scented his lust—and shrugged. “What are you worried about?” When she didn’t answer, he waved her toward the couch and took a seat beside her. “What if I make a list and you stop me when I hit the right one? Worried about the money? Well, don’t be. Like I said, the place was sitting empty.”

Her lips pressed together, the pink of them blanching.

Liam only smiled at her giving in, so he continued with his list, since all her fight hadn’t left her.

“I’m not going to expect you to pay us back.” When she didn’t relax, he sighed in understanding. “You won’t be asked to work it off, either.”

The blush that sprang up on her cheeks drew a groan from him. Why did he like the innocent ones? Innocent ones didn’t survive in his world, yet the sight of her actually blushing from such a vague suggestion had him hardening.

Which had him hesitating. “How old are you?” His reputation wasn’t exactly squeaky clean, but he’d be damned if he went after a minor.

“Twenty-four.”

He breathed in. Thank fuck. Sure, she was a lot younger than he would normally have considered, and twenty-four was pushing his comfort level, but at least she was legal.

Quick math in his head let him realize she was fifteen years younger than him. It made his upcoming big four-oh birthday hang heavily over him.

“When do you work next?”

“I don’t.” At his look, she continued. “I couldn’t work my shift after the window, while I was waiting for the police, and they weren’t very happy about it.”

He wondered if they could get her employed somewhere else. If not at their company, then at one of the many they dealt with. Anything would be better than there, and Torrin would make sure she was well compensated.

That, however, was a conversation and plot for another day. He was pretty sure moving her into a place they owned was as far as they’d get with her.

Things took time when dealing with someone as flighty as her. She wasn’t going to be a quick fling, someone he could work into bed in five minutes and shove from his life.

Ashley was a long game, and he was more than ready to play it.

* * * *

Ashley couldn’t settle in the large apartment. She’d never had so much space to herself.

She thought back to before she’d had to pick everything up the first time, when she’d still lived at home. They’d had a large house—a necessity when housing four alphas together—but she’d been the child. Her bedroom hadn’t been huge and it certainly hadn’t been like this.

That had been the most difficult part of life over the past six years—the loneliness, the isolation. She’d gone from growing up in a home with five fathers, when there was always at least one or two home, to sleeping in tiny apartments by herself and eating meals on her own.

She’d lost her sense of security, too. In her old home, she’d slept well. It had never even occurred to her how dangerous life could be. It never was dangerous, not under the roof of her childhood home.

Then she’d met Gregory and realized how wrong she’d been.

Now she understood what lurked in the shadows. She’d seen what the world was really like and she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since.

It was as if those monsters from her dreams, the ones her fathers had always kept at bay, had managed to claw their way from her nightmares to reality.

Ashley twisted to find the digital clock that hung on the wall. Two-twenty-six.

She got out of bed, tired of staring at the ceiling, tired of trying to fall asleep when it just wouldn’t happen.

She wore a large shirt that hung just past her ass with a cartoon kitten on the front, and a pair of long socks that had racoons on them. The outfit was stupid, but it was comfortable and reminded her of home.

She pulled open the slider to the balcony, because she wouldn’t dare try to leave the apartment. For all she knew, Erik and Liam had an alarm on the door.

She hadn’t risked running into either of them again, not after seeing Liam and settling in.

The balcony was large and open, much like the rest of the apartment. It stretched to both sides along the building with metal railings standing between her and the city below.

The building wasn’t that tall, with only five stories. It meant they were low enough to not make her nervous but high enough that it felt private, especially since they sat on the top floor.

There were different sections of seating across the long balcony, some together with couches and chairs and others with tables for dining. It faced east, meaning the sun would shine onto it in the morning.

Ashley lowered herself into one of the larger chairs with thick cushions, cuddling back into the comfort of it.

A scent caught her, something dark and smoky. It wasn’t Liam or Erik, but it was familiar.

“You’re up late.”

Ashley jumped at the sound. She’d spent so long just waiting to hear the dreaded voice that had haunted her, spent so long in silence, that the unexpected words startled her enough to let out a very undignified yelp.

Except, when she twisted, it wasn’t Gregory there. Torrin stood with two cups clutched in one hand, his cane in the other, and dressed down enough that Ashley almost didn’t recognize him.

Not that she’d seen him much. The entire first night was hazy at best.

His blond hair was pushed back from his face and he wore a pair of pajama pants and a plain black T-shirt. His dark eyes stood out, especially compared to his hair. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He set one of the cups on the small table beside her before backing off and lowering himself into a chair far enough away for her to feel comfortable.

When he’d come closer, though, she’d realized—the scent on the chair was his.

Does he sit out here a lot?

“The balcony stretches around the building and between the two apartments,” he explained. “I assume Liam didn’t mention it?”

“No, he didn’t.”

Torrin nodded, then took a sip of his drink. “Liam tends to leave out things when he wants to. I’m sorry for startling you, but when I saw you out here, I thought perhaps you would care for some tea.”

Ashley shuddered as she tried to let go of the rest of her anxiety, the one that made her jumpy. After a moment, she picked up the cup Torrin had left, the scent of lavender and peppermint strong. A sip revealed a hint of sweetness along with it, just a whisper of honey.

She licked her lip to savor it. “Thank you.” When his eyebrow lifted in question, she continued. “For letting me stay. I can’t afford this place, but I want to pay something. I don’t want a handout.”

Torrin’s face didn’t shift. It was unnerving how difficult it was to read him, how little showed in his expression. “That isn’t necessary.”

“I want to feel like I’m pulling my weight.” Especially because, for the first time, she felt an unfamiliar hope, like maybe she had a shot at settling down.

With her apartment empty and no name on the new place, maybe Gregory would assume she’d moved on.

“Liam told me you lost your job.”

Ashley dropped her gaze from his, unable to take the weight of it. “It wasn’t a great fit. I told them I won’t be back. Don’t worry, though. I can find a job and take care of myself.”

Torrin said nothing at first. He tapped the outside of his cup, drawing her attention there. His fingers were long and aristocratic, with perfectly trimmed nails. Everything about him was perfect in a way that made her look down at her racoon-covered socks and cringe.

Finally, after another drink, he spoke. “I’ll have my assistant contact you tomorrow morning. She’ll match your skills with an appropriate job and help settle you into a new position.”

The offer made her fidget. “You don’t need to do that.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“I don’t have a lot of skills.”

“I highly doubt that. Trust me, we’ll find something that works well for you.”

Ashley took another drink of the tea, letting it soak into her. She traced her thumb along the rim of the cup. “Why are you doing this for me?”

“You’ve asked both Liam and Erik that question. I’m sure they’ve answered.”

“They seem…interested.” She forced out the word, trying to sound in control and failing to not stumble over it. “And Liam said they take women together.”

Torrin’s gaze had the weight of a car, and he seemed to wield silence like a weapon. “They do.”

“Well, that explains why they want to help me. I don’t quite understand why you’re being nice to me.”

“Do I need a reason?”

“Everyone has a reason. No one does anything unless they get something out of it.” Just saying that made her cringe. I’m too young to be so jaded. She risked meeting his gaze. “So what are you getting out of it?”

He took another sip as he studied her, then nodded. “I’ll answer the question you aren’t directly asking. I’m not looking for a relationship. I won’t sleep with you. My cousins are the only family I have, and they’re interested in you, and that brings you under my protection as well.”

Ashley frowned at the statement, at how it didn’t feel entirely true, especially with the way his gaze felt so full of something predatory. She reacted to it, too. Her nipples tightened beneath her shirt, and a heat in her core said she liked the way he watched her.

His nostrils flared and that look thickened. He breathed in deeply, then released it in a slow, controlled exhalation. “You should go to bed, Ashley.”

“I can’t fall asleep.”

“Why not?”

Ashley opened her mouth, the commanding edge of Torrin’s voice enough to nearly draw an answer from her. Except she stopped before she blurted it out. She couldn’t tell him the reason, couldn’t talk about Gregory, about her fears, about the mess of her life. Not only did she not want to risk it—Gregory could buy off or manipulate people—but she also didn’t want to let that ugliness touch this odd security she’d found. It was as though if she opened that door, all the filth of her old life would infect this one.

Torrin reached behind him and pulled a throw blanket from the seat, then tucked it around her without touching her. “Stay out here as long as you’d like.” He took a seat again.

“You’ll just sit there?”

He took his phone from the pocket of his pajama bottoms. “I can keep myself busy, no worries.”

Ashley watched him, the glow of his phone screen lighting up his features.

She opened her mouth to ask something, but he spoke first, silencing her.

“Close your eyes, Ashley.”

It reminded her of his voice on the phone when he’d ordered her furniture, when he’d ordered her to get sleep. The demand warmed her, made her feel safe in a strange way.

She curled beneath the throw, her eyes fluttering closed, and to her amazement, she fell asleep.

Torrin let the screen of his phone go dark once Ashley’s breathing evened out. She’d fallen asleep after a few minutes, the tension slipping from her.

It gave him the chance to finally look at her. When she was awake, his gaze unnerved her. He could tell by the way she would look at her feet or anywhere other than him. He couldn’t help it, feeling as though, if he only looked a little deeper, a little harder, he’d understand her.

Her face was youthful, sweet. Her hair was soft and braided, and she appeared even more adorable with the absurd socks she wore. Her eyes, when open, were unfairly large with a blue that seemed to drift between brown and green depending on the light. All in all, she had the look of a doe, far too innocent and tempting.

And yet his words had been true. No matter how raw they made him feel, keeping her at a distance was his only option.

So even though he would never have her, never taste her, never let her know how much he wanted those things, he did the only thing he could.

He watched over her while she slept and tried to let go of the things he had to resist.