Page 11 of Hide Little Traitor

Was any of it even real?

Or was I just a job to the first man I’ve allowed to touch me in ten years?

CHAPTER SEVEN

KINGSTON

NOW

The pieces are falling into place in her mind without me ever having to fill in the gaps.

When I realized Ryker had fallen for Chloe, I was furious. Because he had two rules going into his assignment.

Protect her with your life, and don’t fucking touch her.

And he failed at both.

I should kill him. He deserves to die for failing so spectacularly, but he’s an asset to my team and one of only two people I trust to dish out an appropriate amount of pain to the scum of the earth we hunt.

Which unfortunately means I have to keep him alive, but that doesn’t mean I have to ever allow him near Chloe.

If I have it my way, the two of them will never be in the same room again. In fact, if I have it my way, Chloe will never be in a room with another man.

Is it unreasonable? Absolutely.

But she’s mine.

I’ve waited long enough to claim her.

I’ve watched her from the shadows, I’ve kept her safe from a distance, and I’ve built a life worthy of her, even if I never will be.

Which means she has no need for other men, especially Ryker and anyone within the Lombardi bloodline.

The bread sizzles when I place it in the melted butter, and I busy myself adding the cheese and the other slice of bread while Chloe’s mind wanders.

I don’t think I could have planned this better if I tried, but as much as I hate to admit it, she’s going to be upset by this revelation. Upset that another man lied to her.

Swallowing down my own jealousy, I turn my attention to Chloe and find her wiping a tear from her cheek.

My poor girl has known too much pain in her life, but that ends now. I’ll make her so happy she’ll forget about all the times her heart was broken, including when it was me doing the breaking.

It was necessary at the time to leave her, even if I hated doing it. Even if my skin crawled and I couldn’t sleep for weeks as I watched her set up her new life away from me.

I couldn’t give her everything she deserved at the time, and she needed time to heal before she could truly move on.

The De Marcos gave her that. They gave her a place to grieve and something to live for, and for that I will always be loyal to their family.

Once the grilled cheese is perfectly crispy on the edges and melted on the inside, I cut it in half and place it on a plate for her, pushing it across the counter.

“There you go, Mama.”

She flinches at the nickname but doesn’t curse me out like she did earlier when I used it. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

I sigh and round the counter, turning her chair until I can wedge myself between her thighs. I had the doctor help me change her into a soft pair of pajamas before she left, something I’m sure my little spitfire was pissed about when she woke up. “You need to eat something, Chloe. Your body needs it.”

“You don’t know what I need,” she snaps.

There it is. There’s the fire I’ve missed so desperately. We may have only spent a few weeks together all those years ago, but I grew more addicted to her than I should have. To this day I have no idea how I dragged myself out of that penthouse, leaving nothing but a note and an envelope of information about her new life.