Page 28 of Her Passionate Hero

He followed Aliana into the kitchen. “So, tell me why you haven’t been forthcoming with the police.”

She stopped in the middle of the kitchen and spun around. She lost her balance, it was clear she wasn’t used to being injured. He put his hand under her elbow to brace her.

“Careful, mi Cariña, you just got out of the hospital.”

“I would take better care of myself if you weren’t making me so confused,” she said weakly.

He guided her towards the kitchen table and had them both sitting down.

“Just think of me like the tide. I’m here to stay and there’s nothing you can do to stop me, so you might as well just go with the flow.”

She pushed her hair out of her face and grimaced as she touched the bruise at her temple. “But that’s the thing, I don’t want you here.”

He winced.

She reached over and touched his hand. Stroked it.

“Please don’t make me beg you. You don’t belong here anymore. You have a life apart from mine. Please live it, for your own sake, I want what’s best for you. I have my mom to take care of, I have a life with Babička and my job. Hunter, my problems are no longer your problems, okay?”

It hurt. Even after thirteen years being told she didn’t want him in her life still felt like a punch in the gut. It would have hurt a hell of a lot more if he hadn’t smelled the bullshit. She wanted him here as much as he needed to be here. Nobody giving someone a brush off would basically hold their hand. He’d had brush-offs, and they didn’t work that way.

But there was something going on. There was part of her that wanted him gone. Was it their past history together? Was it whatever trouble which had her in its sights? He didn’t know, but he intended to find out. He put his hand over hers.

“You’re avoiding the question, Alia. What haven’t you told the cops?”

She looked away and pushed up from the table. “I’ll get the cake.”

“Answer the question.”

Aliana went to the counter and lifted the lid off a cake stand. She slowly pulled out a knife from the butcher block and ran her finger along the side of it. Then she turned to him.

“I’ll tell you what I told them,” she said very calmly. “Somebody I didn’t know saw fit to plant a bomb in my home. I’ve made some enemies at school. Kids have threatened me when I’ve suspended or expelled them. It could have been any one of them. I gave them some names.” She set the knife down beside the cake and pulled three plates out of the cupboard.

“But you don’t think it was one of them, do you?” he asked slowly.

“It could be,” she hedged as she picked up a plate to put a slice of cake on it.

It was a bunch of crap.

“You do realize you’re putting your grandmother at risk by not cooperating, don’t you?”

The dish she had been holding clattered to the counter, but didn’t break. She looked up at him, her face a sick shade of white.

“Fuck, you hadn’t thought of that.” She shook her head. “Why not?”

“Nobody mentioned her, and we have different last names. I’m such an idiot. Sakra! Fuck!” Her eyes filled with tears.

“Hey, hey, hey. You’re not an idiot,” he said. He tried to pull her away from the counter.

“I’ve got to finish, Babička is waiting for us.”

“She can wait a little longer. Tell me who the people were who didn’t mention your grandmother. Somebody threatened your mother?”

She shook her head, refusing to look at him.

“Cariña, you’ve got to tell me.”

She pulled away from him and her gaze swung wildly around the kitchen. “I can fix this. I can fix this.” She mutters.