8. Hidden Affections #2
“I know you can.” I stop just short of touching her, close enough to feel the heat radiating from her body. “But you don’t have to do it alone anymore. Let me keep you safe, Eve.”
She searches my face, conflict warring in those beautiful eyes. “Why do you care so much?”
The question hits me like a punch to the gut. Because you’re mine , I want to say. Because the thought of losing you tears me apart inside. Instead, I say, “You know why.”
I watch Eve’s face tighten with frustration, her jaw clenching in that stubborn way I’ve come to both admire and dread. She’s not going to back down easily on this.
“So what’s your grand plan here?” She gestures to Eli.
“He’s just going to lurk outside my desk all day while I try to work?
My captain’s going to figure out who he is and throw him behind bars.
Having your personal security hovering around the precinct isn’t exactly going to help sell this as normal. ”
She has a point, but I can’t let her see me waver. Not when her safety is at stake. “Eli will maintain a discreet distance. He’ll watch from outside, monitoring who comes and goes.”
“Oh, that’s so much better,” she says, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Nothing suspicious about a huge guy in black hanging around a police station all day. That won’t draw any attention at all.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting back a surge of frustration. “Evelyn—”
“No.” She cuts me off, jabbing a finger at my chest. “I get that you’re trying to protect me.
I do. But I can’t do my job with a shadow breathing down my neck.
I’m a detective, Zeke. My whole career is built on being able to move freely, talk to people, follow leads.
How am I supposed to do that with your watchdog trailing me? ”
Her words hit hard, but the image of Costa’s men watching her precinct flashes through my mind again. I can’t risk it. Won’t risk it.
“We’ll figure something out,” I say, knowing it’s not enough. “But until we deal with the Costa situation, this is non-negotiable.”
Her eyes flash dangerously. “Everything’s non-negotiable with you, isn’t it?”
“Eli,” I say, my eyes never leaving Eve’s face. “Give us a minute.”
He nods and slips out, closing the door behind him with a soft click. The moment we’re alone, I reach for Eve, pulling her against me. She stiffens but doesn’t pull away.
“What more do you want from me?” I ask, my voice rough with frustration. “I’ve given you protection, your own private space, freedom to come and go as you please—”
“Freedom?” She laughs, but there’s no humor in it. Her hands press against my chest, creating distance between us. “You call this freedom? Having your men follow me everywhere? Being told when and where I can go?”
“Protecting you doesn’t mean taking away your freedom.” My fingers flex against her hips, wanting to pull her closer again. “It means making sure you stay alive.”
“By controlling every aspect of my life?” Her eyes flash with that defiant fire that makes my blood burn. “That’s not protection, Zeke. That’s possession.”
Possession . The term ignites a primal flame within me. I crave complete ownership of her. She belongs under my protection, my care, my touch. Not another soul will ever lay hands on her.
“Call it what you want.” I lean down, bringing my face close to hers. “But I will not sit back and watch you die because of something that happened in my club.”
“Your club?” She pushes harder against my chest. “Is that what this is about? Your guilt?”
“This is about keeping you safe.” My voice drops lower, rougher. “About making sure no one else tries to hurt you or Leo because of me.”
“I didn’t ask for any of this,” she whispers, but some of the fight has left her voice.
“No,” you didn’t. But here we are.”
Tension crackles between us as I lean closer, drawn to the fire in her eyes. Her lips part slightly, and for a moment, I want nothing more than to claim that defiant mouth with mine. To taste her anger, her passion. My grip tightens on her hips as desire wars with reason.
But I can’t. Not yet. Getting too close, letting myself feel too much—it will only make protecting her harder. And right now, her safety has to come first.
I force myself to pull back, putting space between us even as every cell in my body screams to do the opposite. The flash of confusion in her eyes nearly breaks my resolve.
“One week,” I say, my voice rougher than intended.
She blinks. “What?”
“The wedding.” I maintain eye contact as understanding dawns on her. “We’re getting married in one week.”
All the color drains from her face. “One … one week?” She stumbles back a step. “That’s impossible. We can’t—”
“We can and we will.” I keep my tone firm despite the way her obvious distress claws at my chest. “The sooner we make this official, the better protected you’ll be.”
“Protected?” She laughs, but it sounds more like a sob. “This isn’t about protection anymore, Zeke. This is about control.”
“This is about keeping you alive.” I resist the urge to reach for her again. “The longer we wait, the more vulnerable you are. One week, Eve. That’s all the time we have.”
She stares at me, those emerald eyes wide and full of something that looks dangerously close to betrayal. Her chest rises and falls rapidly with shallow breaths.
“You’re insane,” she whispers, shaking her head. “Completely fucking insane.”