Chapter 19 #2
When we finally reached my place, she blinked up at the building, looking surprised.
I parked in my underground spot and we headed up to my floor with her purchases.
I made a mental note to call the front desk and make sure I got her a keycard to get into the building.
In an emergency situation, I didn’t want her to have to depend on me to get in and out.
We walked inside and she glanced around, taking in the space. “Somehow, I didn’t picture you living in a condo,” she said.
I shrugged. “It’s temporary.”
Violet frowned as she took in the cheerfully painted walls, the art deco furniture I’d bought, and the chandelier that looked like something halfway between a modern sculpture and a medieval weapon. “Yeah, you really haven’t put your personal mark on the place,” she said in a dry tone.
I chuckled. “What I meant by temporary is that I want to own a house someday. I do own this place, but it’s just a step toward that.”
“What’s stopping you?” she asked, following me down the hallway as I carried her bags to the guest room, not wanting to make any assumptions right off the bat of the sleeping arrangements.
Laney and Liza had decorated it in blue tones, which were supposed to be soothing.
I personally preferred greens, so that was how they’d done my bedroom.
“I wanted to wait and buy a proper house when I was with the person I knew I would marry,” I said, setting the bags down on the bed. “Then we could find a place we both liked. I know my taste is a little eclectic and…all over the place.”
“A little?” she said, arching a brow as she headed back to the living room with me trailing behind. “Who did the walls?” she asked, eyeing the yellow paint like it had personally offended her.
“My sisters,” I admitted.
Her lips twitched. “The furniture?”
“I do like Art Deco,” I said defensively, crossing my arms.
She glanced up at the chandelier, grinning. “And that monstrosity?”
“Looked badass,” I said simply.
Her laugh was soft but genuine. Music to my ears, honestly, and I was glad to hear the sound after everything she’d been through earlier.
“Okay, I admit, this place is a little… all over the place, like you said.” Her voice was lighter now, a bit of a sparkle in her eyes as she teased me. “But there’s good stuff here. Someone could definitely work with this.”
The truth was, I hadn’t decorated this place to impress anyone. It was a stopgap, a placeholder until I found something real. Until I found someone real. Someone like her.
I wasn’t the kind of man who hesitated once he knew what he wanted. And I wanted Violet. But wanting her wasn’t the problem. Convincing her she could trust me, trust us, was going to take time.
While Violet got settled in the guest room, I stepped into the kitchen and called Sutton to give him an update.
He answered on the first ring. “Sutton.”
“It’s Ford,” I said, keeping my voice low and glancing down the hall. “We’ve got a situation. Violet’s house was broken into and vandalized. I’ve already contacted LVPD, filed a report, and got her relocated.”
“Where is she now?”
“With me, at my place,” I said, rubbing a hand along the back of my neck. “She’s safe, but shaken. Whoever hit her place wasn’t trying to be subtle.”
Sutton let out a slow exhale. “Things are clearly escalating so I’ll let the casino know so that they can retain you for a while longer. In the meantime, keep her close and keep me posted.”
“Always do.”
After we hung up, I lingered in the doorway between the kitchen and the hall, hearing Violet’s voice drifting from the guest room.
“I’m fine, Andrea. Really,” she insisted, and in that moment, she did sound surprisingly okay, which was probably for her sister’s benefit so Andrea didn’t worry. “No, I don’t want to come stay with you and Chase.”
A pause, then a sigh. “Yeah, Ford’s here. I’m staying with him for a few days until everything’s sorted. No, it’s not like that,” she added quickly. “He’s just…helping. Doing his job.”
There was a beat of silence, then a soft laugh. “Okay, fine. Whatever. The sex is amazing. Having a bodyguard with benefits is not the worst way to stay safe.”
I held back my chuckle and a few minutes later I heard her calling Christopher to tell him what had happened. Her tone shifted, became gentler and more protective despite the fact that she’d been the one who’d just had her world turned upside down.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she assured him, then listened to him for a moment before replying with, “No, I don’t need you to come over. I’m staying somewhere safe for now, with Ford.”
I stepped back into the kitchen while she finished her conversation with her brother and ordered Thai food, which was delivered a short time later.
We ate quietly at the kitchen island. She didn’t say much, just pushed her noodles around with her fork, her appetite gone.
Every now and then her gaze flicked to me, quick, cautious, like she was checking to make sure I wasn’t watching her too closely.
I was. Of course I was. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to make sure that now that the adrenaline had worn off, she didn’t start to spiral. That was when it usually hit people, when things slowed down and your brain finally caught up with everything you’d lost…and what could have happened.
After dinner, I told her to take a long, hot bath in my soaking tub while I cleaned up. She didn’t argue, just nodded and disappeared into the master bedroom. I listened to the faint sound of running water while I stacked our plates in the dishwasher, letting her have a little peace.
When she came back out, the difference in her was subtle, but noticeable.
The rigid set of her shoulders had softened.
Her hair was damp and loose around her face, her skin still flushed from the heat of the bath.
She looked less like the woman who’d walked through the wreckage of her home earlier and more like herself again. Still guarded, still tough, but calmer.
Then I noticed what she was wearing. One of my t-shirts.
It was an old gray one, soft from years of wear.
On me, it was nothing special. On her, it looked indecently good.
She looked small in it, almost fragile, something Violet never allowed herself to be.
And that, more than anything, undid me. Seeing her wrapped in my shirt, standing barefoot in my kitchen like she belonged there…
it lit up every protective instinct I had.
Violet caught my stare and tugged at the edge of the shirt self-consciously. “I hope you don’t mind,” she said, shifting on her feet. “I didn’t think to grab anything to sleep in when we were at the store.”
I slowly shook my head. “You can wear whatever you want of mine,” I said, my voice rougher than I intended, which I followed up with a sinful, teasing grin. “Or nothing at all.”
Her eyes flicked up to mine, that spark I loved flashing in them. “You really can’t help yourself, can you?”
“Not with you,” I admitted quietly.
For a heartbeat, the air between us grew thick with awareness. Then she rolled her eyes to defuse the tension, but her cheeks were flushed for reasons that had nothing to do with the bath.
“Feel better?” I asked.
She nodded. “Less like I could strangle someone,” she said dryly.
I chuckled. “Progress.” It was getting late and I knew she had to be exhausted after everything that had happened. “You should try and get some sleep.”
That earned me a suspicious look. “You’re not going to hover outside my door all night, are you?”
“Probably not all night,” I said, smiling. “But I’ll be nearby.”
When she shifted on her feet and hesitated, biting the inside of her lip, I added quietly, “You can sleep in my room if you’d rather not be alone.”
Her brows lifted, and I saw a teasing glimmer in her eyes. “Why, is it safer in there?”
“The whole condo is secure,” I assured her. “But it might feel safer, to have someone close. You’ve been through a lot, Violet. You don’t have to pretend you’re fine.”
Her chin tipped up a fraction. “I wasn’t hurt.”
“No,” I agreed, stepping closer. “But someone violated your space. Ruined things that mattered to you. That kind of thing doesn’t show up as physical bruises, but it hits just as hard. It’s not a weakness to want someone nearby until you’re in a better headspace.”
She studied me silently, weighing every word. “Okay,” she finally said, a small, tired smile on her lips. “I would feel safer with you.”
That’s all I needed to hear to take her hand and lead her to my room. She climbed into my bed, settling beneath the covers, while I changed into a pair of sleep shorts and joined her. She didn’t hesitate to move closer, and I wrapped an arm around her, wanting her to feel safe and protected.
I held her like that, until her breathing evened out and the last of the day’s tension eased from her body.
Even after she fell asleep, I stayed awake a little longer, listening to the soft rhythm of her breathing and I made myself a promise.
Whoever had done this to her, whoever had made her feel unsafe in her own home, would regret it.
I’d make damn sure of it.
* * *
Having Violet in my space reminded me just how much I didn’t want this condo to be my permanent home.
Sure, it was nice. I’d made it comfortable, even let my sisters run wild with paint swatches and throw pillows and decor.
It was functional, modern, and fit my life as a single guy who worked long hours and didn’t need much. But it wasn’t home.
Home was supposed to be laughter echoing down a hallway.
A dog snoring at your feet. A woman you loved cooking dinner with you, and then later, curled up beside you, warm and soft and protected.
And god help me, every time Violet brushed past me barefoot in my kitchen, every time she left her coffee mug in the sink or hummed under her breath while tying up her hair, it was hard not to imagine her fitting right into that picture.
She made herself at home quickly, though I know she’d never admit how comfortable she was at my place.
I’d catch her cooking breakfast in the mornings, moving around like she’d lived there for years—finding the frying pan, the salt, the cooking spray without asking where anything was.
Then she’d suddenly pause, wrinkle her nose like she’d just realized what she was doing, and glare at the spatula in her hand as if it had betrayed her.
I had to turn away more than once to hide my grin.
The police weren’t able to find any fingerprints or any other useful evidence from Violet’s home. No fingerprints and no leads from the neighbors. Whoever had done this had been stealthy and smart.
The clothes I’d asked my sister to order started arriving over the next few days. When packages initially started showing up, more than one at a time, Violet gave me a dubious look as I brought in four separate boxes and set them on the counter.
“Are you one of those people who buys everything online and never goes to the grocery store?” she asked, completely serious.
“No. Actually, they’re for you,” I said, fighting to keep my tone neutral.
She frowned in confusion as she grabbed scissors and started cutting open the boxes. Inside were new clothes, replacements for the ones ruined in the break-in, and art prints that matched the ones she’d loved.
Her eyes brightened with shock as she looked at me. “What is all this?”
“I wanted to make sure we could replace as much of your stuff as possible,” I said with a shrug. “My sister’s a pro at finding replacements online for clothes. There’s a couple sites that she uses, where people resell stuff online. Keep opening the boxes. There’s more.”
She just shook her head, and when she pulled the first framed print free and saw what it was, she froze, her breath catching. “You…found these, too?”
I grinned at her. “Of course I did.” My voice came out rougher than I’d intended. “You lost a lot. This doesn’t fix it, but it’s a start.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed. “How the hell am I supposed to repay you for all this?”
“You’re not.” I shrugged, keeping my tone light even though something about the vulnerability in her eyes made my chest tighten. “Unless you want to make my sister happy and do that charity walkathon with her.”
She’d gotten Christopher’s boss to sponsor the event, but with everything that had happened since that day, Violet hadn’t yet committed to the actual walkathon.
I’d managed to strong-arm a few of my coworkers into doing it, too, which would undoubtedly surprise and delight Violet. It was for charity, after all.
Violet shot me a look of amusement. “Your sister, who thinks we’re dating,” she pointed out, but she was smiling and holding the clothes up against herself, her eyes bright and happy.
“Yeah,” I said with a grin. “We already faked it once for my nephew’s party. I figure one more event won’t kill us. Right?”
She laughed, shaking her head, but there was color in her cheeks now, a softness I hadn’t seen in days. “You really think bribing me with new clothes is going to get me to do a marathon?”
“Not a marathon,” I corrected her. “Just a walk, so nothing strenuous. And besides, I already know you’ll look damn good in workout gear.” I winked at her.
Her eyebrow arched, a bit of sass flashing in her eyes. “I think I already know how in shape I am, Perish. But if you need another demonstration, I’m sure we can arrange something.”
I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face, seeing that glimpse of my feisty girl. “As a matter of fact…”
She rolled her eyes but her smile didn’t fade. For the first time since the break-in, she seemed like herself again. Playful, energetic, and confident, the way she was meant to be.
And I was going to do my damnedest to make sure that no one took that away from her again.