“What happens after we find this guy? After we eliminate the threat to Ria?”
Why was Hunter asking that now? “Then I guess my job is finished and I go home.”
Hunter nodded solemnly. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Good idea you’re distancing yourself from her now. Before you get in too deep.”
“I’m not distancing myself from her.”
Liar.
“Or before she gets killed. This guy was a pro. He could find her. Best you don’t care about her in case she gets one to the head as well,” Hunter said callously.
Connor practically threw his laptop to the side and jumped up, getting in Hunter’s face. “You fucking asshole! Nothing better happens to her. Not even a fucking scratch, you hear me?”
Hunter rubbed at his ear. “Oh, I hear you fine. Just not quite sure why you’re so worked up over a girl you’re planning on saying goodbye to when your job finishes. Actually, you know your job is over. You can leave right now. You found the thief and the blackmailer. That was what Roarke wanted.”
“I’m not leaving while there’s a threat over her head.” What kind of asshole did Hunter think he was?
“It’s okay. I’ll guard her. Free of charge even. Must be getting soft in my old age.”
“You’ll guard her because you feel responsible. She was helping us and she got caught in the line of fire.”
“Ah, but she wouldn’t have been in the line of fire if she’d been following the rules.” Hunter shook his head. “Too bad she doesn’t have a Dom to teach her that won’t be tolerated. Oh, wait a minute, she does. Only he’s sitting out here on his computer while she’s in the bedroom tossing and turning.”
“She’s exhausted and scared. She doesn’t need me jumping down her throat right now.”
“Oh, yeah, she’s definitely tired. And terrified, even though she’s trying to hide it. Brave thing. You were right, though. More courage than sense. Hope her next Dom manages to curb those reckless tendencies without trying to change who she is.”
“Next Dom! She’s not even fucking done with the Dom she has now!”
“Isn’t she? Or should I say, aren’t you done with her? Job’s over. She broke the rules. You’re going to walk away now, aren’t you? That’s what’s with the cold shoulder.”
“None of your fucking business.”
“It is if we leave that girl broken and alone,” Hunter said quietly. “Wouldn’t be much of a Dom if I did that.”
The jab struck deep.
“I’m not leaving her like that.” Wasn’t he? He had pulled away from her. Was that fair? No. Not in the slightest. And it was the one thing he’d promised not to do. Withhold affection as punishment.
Fuck. Did she feel like he was rejecting her?
Of course she does, asshole.
But he also knew if he was close to her right now, he was going to lose his cool. And he couldn’t do that. He already regretted the things he’d said to her earlier. There were ways of doing this. The contract was coming to an end. He couldn’t trust her to obey him. And Hunter was right. Job was over. He should be happy. She wasn’t the sub for him. Not at all.
And yet every time he gave himself a minute to think, all he could see was that body lying on the ground dead, except it didn’t have Trevor’s face. It had Ria’s.
And a piece of him died inside.
“No? Because she’s in that bedroom, fucking alone and scared. Probably in tears. And you’re out here, playing on your computer.”
“I’m not fucking playing. I’m trying to find who ordered that hit on Trevor. I’m trying to take care of her.”
“Right now what she needs isn’t her bodyguard, it’s her Dom.”
“Yeah, well, maybe I’m not her Dom anymore.”
He heard a gasp from behind him and turned, his stomach dropping.