Page 24 of No One But You
Nate dragged his hand over his stubbled jaw.“You’re lucky you were doing a live session and that someone noticed, or we could be in a very different situation.”
I shuddered.What if no one had seen the figure?Or if Bailey hadn’t noticed the comment about it?Would she be dead now?
“This proves you’re in danger,” Nate said to Bailey.“You should come and stay with me and Grace so we can keep a closer eye on you.”
I expected Bailey to nod and agree, since she obviously wasn’t safe here, but instead, she set her jaw mulishly.
“I want to stay with Max.”Considering how upset she was, she showed no hint of doubt.
My emotions roiled.I was pleased that she wanted to stay, but I wasn’t equipped to protect her properly.Nate was a policeman.He carried a weapon and had been trained how to bring criminals down.I was just a soft-handed doctor whose primary experience with fighting was reading battle scenes in fantasy novels.
“It’s risky,” I warned her, determined to put her safety first even if her words stoked a fire somewhere deep within me.“Nate has tools and training that I don’t.”
Her dark eyes flashed, and, to my astonishment, she raised her chin.“I don’t care.Unless… unless you don’t want me here?”
This time, I couldn’t stop myself from taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.“As far as I’m concerned, you can stay for as long as you like, but—”
“But you should come with me,” Nate cut in.“It’s safer.”
She narrowed her eyes.“Do I have to?”
Nate just stared at her for a long moment, then bit out, “No.”
“Then I choose to stay with Max.”With her free hand, she swept her hair behind her ear.“You could set up a regular patrol to keep an eye on me or something if you’re worried, but I promise I won’t stay here alone again.I’ll go into the office with Max instead.They haven’t tried anything while he’s around.”
“That we know of,” Nate grumbled.He turned to me.“Come on, Max.Be reasonable.She should come with me.”
My jaw tightened and my hands instinctively curled into fists.I loosened my hold on Bailey before it could cause her any discomfort.Logically, I knew that Bailey probably would be safer with Nate than with me, but she didn’t want to go with him, and it should be her decision.
I didn’t like the way he assumed I’d see things his way and talk her around.I might have a reputation as being the peacemaker in the family, but that didn’t mean I’d automatically go along with what everyone else wanted.Especially when Bailey’s happiness was on the line and she’d already been through so much.
“If she wants to stay here, then she can.We have another spare room if you’d like an officer to stay with us as an added layer of protection.”
“You’re being a pair of idiots,” Nate snapped.
I didn’t totally disagree with him, but for once, I wasn’t going to back down.
FOURTEEN
Reason #2 why Max Braddock is husband material:
He’s not afraid to be affectionate.
BAILEY
I hit Post on a short video in which I thanked my followers for their help in saving me from the masked man and assured them that I was all right—at least physically.
It was evening, and while I’d had time to go live again during my hours at the medical center with Max this afternoon, I hadn’t had the energy to put on a brave face while people sent in one question after another.
At least by posting a recorded video, I could create a little distance between myself and the relentless questions.I was super grateful to them for warning me that someone had been behind me earlier, but their concern was… a lot.
Overwhelming, really.
That done, I switched off the phone, knowing that if I kept it on, I’d inevitably check the comments.Better to leave that until morning.
I brushed my teeth and cleaned my face, inspecting my bruises in the mirror.The swelling had gone down, but my skin was still tender, and Max said the colors wouldn’t disappear completely for another week or so.
I wandered into the living room, where Max was sprawled on the sofa with a book.
