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“What do you want me to do?” she asked. “Come to you?” Then she could watch over him, make sure he was all right. Yes, perhaps that was the best idea. She was definitely going to need a gun, though.
“I wish you could, but it will be safer for you to stay away from me. I’ve hired a security firm to guard you.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Mini,” he said in a firmer voice.
“No. No strangers.” Her fingers started tingling, indicating a panic attack. When she had a panic attack, she tended to go into her own head, the panic eating her from the inside out.
“Juliet, there’s no one in Wishingbone who can do this.”
“Of course, there is. There’s JSI.”
“I’ve already asked them. Kent hasn’t got anyone free for another month. He offered to let you come to the ranch, though. You’d be protected there.”
Move out of her home. No . . . she couldn’t.
“Mini, it’s okay. Look at me. Look into my eyes.” His voice was filled with command. She stared down at him. “Either you stay in your house, with strangers as guards, or move to the ranch. I’m sorry I can’t offer anything else.”
There was genuine sadness in his face. He knew how hard this was on her. And he had enough going on. She couldn’t add to his worries.
She was being selfish.
“JSI is already monitoring my cameras.” Reuben had arranged that. Even though Kent didn’t like him much, he did like Juliet.
“They’ll continue to do so,” he told her. “But you need someone in the house with you.”
Oh God. She didn’t want that.
“Loki,” she managed to get out, her lips growing numb.
“Loki is a nutcase.”
She winced. She hated when Reuben talked about Loki like that.
“He’s not. He has PTSD.”
“And that PTSD causes him to behave erratically, and you know it.” Reuben sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be harsh. I know he’s your friend. But he isn’t reliable. And how fair would it be to put him in a possibly dangerous situation when he has PTSD?”
Oh, that wouldn’t be fair at all. What was she thinking? What a terrible friend she was.
“You’re right.” The world around her was growing dark. She could barely focus on his words. “Do they really have to be in the house?”
“Mini, you know I wouldn’t do this unless it was necessary.”
Her free hand twisted in the long skirt of her dress.
“It’s only for a short time. And I’ll make sure that they know they’re to bother you as little as possible. But I need your promise that you’ll do what they say. That you’ll let them in. Please, Mini?”
He was nearly begging. His desperation was clear. That, more than anything else, had her nodding.
She wouldn’t be a burden to him. Well, no more than she already was.
“I’ll be all right.”
“I wouldn’t allow you to be anything else.”
One breath. Two.
