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“If that mattered, you wouldn’t have bloodied her landlord’s face to defend her,” I say. “Like I said, I’m getting her a hotel room. I don’t trust that guy not to try something else or to send someone else to do something to her.”
“Whatever,” Tristan says with a nonchalant shrug. “I just want to know who she is and why she’s being so secretive about it so I can move on with my life.”
“Does that really matter anymore?” I ask. “It doesn’t seem to stop you from fucking her.”
He gives me a cheeky grin. “Who said I can’t have fun while I wait for information?”
I roll my eyes but don’t bother to respond to him. I walk away and grab my keys on the way out the door. If he won’t do anything else to make sure she’s safe, then I guess that means she can only depend on me.
My mind operates on autopilot as I drive to Cleo’s apartment. I speed through red lights, hoping that nothing else has happened by the time I get there. Tristan’s words replay in my mind as I get closer to her neighborhood, my stomachflipping at the thought of that disgusting fuck touching or hurting her. I’m not even sure what I’ll walk in on when I actually get to her apartment. But I keep an open mind and press the gas to get me there faster, just in case.
When I get to the apartment building, her landlord is holding a bag of ice to his eye as he sits in front of a fan. I fight the urge to smirk when he glances at me with his good eye and quickly looks away. Maybe Tristan did teach him a good enough lesson. Bastard.
I rush up the stairs to her apartment and use my key to get in, only to find her standing in the middle of her living room. She looks okay, even though she looks frightened by yet another man in her apartment without her permission. My eyes soften as I look at her.
“You okay, Cleo?” I ask with a sigh.
She rushes into my arms, her body trembling a little. “I’m okay,” she says softly, but I can hear that she’s far from fine. I pull away from her and hold her arms, meeting her sad gaze.
“I need you to go pack a bag or two. I’m taking you to a hotel until we can get you a new apartment,” I state. “I don’t trust that landlord of yours to try anything else stupid.”
“He was upset because I’m behind on rent.” Shame colors her cheeks as she drops her gaze to the ratty carpet below our feet.
“I don’t care if you scratched his car or killed his dog. He had no right to put his hands on you.” I sigh deeply. “Look, just go pack some stuff so we can find you somewhere else suitable to stay.”
“I…I can’t afford to leave yet,” she stammers nervously.
Her words don’t make any sense to me, as I never said anything about her having to pay for anything. “What?”
“I haven’t gotten my money yet,” she confesses. “I went to talk to Lucian about it yesterday, and he says it takes time for that amount to be transferred.”
I shake my head. “I don’t care about that. I’ll handle it until you get your stuff situated. Go pack your bags so we can get out of this hellhole.”
And I definitely don’t have to tell her twice.
CLEO
Ican’t remember the last time I went to a hotel this nice since leaving Tristan and Talon’s family. It almost feels as if I’m in a dream. After spending the last few years fending for myself and barely surviving with the scraps I’ve managed to make for myself, something as simple as a clean, safe hotel room is like paradise.
“I swear I’ll pay you once I get my money,” I say, but Talon only waves me off.
“We just want you to be safe,” he says and puts my bag down on a chair nearby.
“We?” I ask in genuine surprise. Even though Tristan had his protective, caring moment yesterday, I still can’t be sure if he was just angry that someone was touching me or if he was genuinely concerned that I was being attacked.
Talon frowns at me. “Why do you seem so surprised by that? Haven’t we been helping you?”
“It’s just a bit odd considering that the two of you are the cause for a lot of the things that’ve gone wrong lately.” I shrug. “But I don’t want you to think I don’t appreciate it or anything. I do.”
He gives me a tight nod. “I have to handle something at the front desk really quick.” He points at the nightstand that holds a phone. “If you’re hungry, you can order room service. The instructions for how to do so are on the back of the menu.”
“Thanks,” I say with a small smile.
“Sure. I’ll be back in a little while.”
I nod and watch him exit the same way he came before I launch face-first onto the soft bed. A smile spreads across my face as I run my hands over the soft comforter. I can’t remember the last time I laid on anything so soft and comfortable. My body sags into the soft mattress with a sigh. For the first time in a while, it’s like I can finally take a breath. Things have been hell for the last few weeks and having a small escape—even if it’s just to a hotel room—is well needed.
My mind daydreams about everything I’ll do with my money when I receive it. I imagine having a beautiful apartment in a safe neighborhood, one where I don’t have to sleep with weapons under my pillows. I picture myself going back to school and getting a degree in something that’ll provide me with more stability than bartending does. At this point in my life, I just want a foundation that no one can take from me, one that is all mine and permanent.
