Page 86 of Nyx

"Of course," he says. "Ready?"

"Yes," I say before walking toward my car.

Just like the ride home yesterday, I leave the radio on silent, kind of enjoying the rumble of his motorcycle behind me as I head to work.

I could've easily called in yesterday or even today after no sleep. I'm almost certain they would've understood, but I'd rather be in the presence of other people than sitting at home worrying that my life is falling apart again within weeks of moving here.

At home, I have no doubt I'd convince myself that it was time to grab my things and leave, but at least at work, I can distract myself and keep busy enough to push it to the back of my mind.

I wait until he's off his bike and walking in this direction before opening my car door.

"Will you be out here?"

He looks toward the house before dropping his eyes back to mine.

"Cerberus requires me to have six hours of downtime between shifts," he explains.

I can't tell if he's unhappy about having to leave or annoyed that my words sound expectant and needy.

I take a step back, feeling as if I've crossed some sort of invisible line.

"I trust every single Cerberus member, Juliet. They will keep you just as safe as I would."

"Okay," I say, giving him a weak smile and watching as his eyes narrow at my reaction.

He inches forward, and I freeze. I'm too emotional to determine whether it's from anticipation or fear. The two seem to swirl around each other right now, too tight and overlapping for me to even have a hope of sorting them out with him standing right in front of me.

He clocks my reaction and steps back within seconds.

I open my mouth to apologize, but snap it shut again. The old me would've made an excuse. The woman I am now refuses to apologize when I'm not actually sorry.

"I'd stay here if I could. Let them keep you safe today, and I'll keep you safe tonight."

The growl in his assurance makes me rethink the entire situation. There's a hint of protectiveness in his voice that doesn't send up red flags or set any alarm bells off in my head, and I don't know what to do with that information either.

"I'll be back before you leave work."

I search his eyes one last time, more questions swirling around in my head than ever before.

What would my life look like now if I had met a man like him before Graham?

I know it wouldn't be a social calendar full of events and fundraising.

Men like those involved with Cerberus seem like the type of men who have all the skills and abilities to be rich and powerful, but they'd never monetize their every action in life to make that happen.

They help people without expectation, and that's a trait few and far between these days.

I mean, look at me. I take jobs in women's shelters because I want to help people through their journey, but I'm sure I consider my own safety first.

He went into my apartment last night, ready to take on whatever violence he might face instead of asking me to do it.

A lot of people may say they'll take a bullet for someone, but very few put that vow into action.

"Juliet?"

I shake my head, embarrassed to have been caught not paying attention.

"You're sure you're okay to work today?"