Page 86 of Unleashed

I shake my head. “No.” Everything is very not okay.

Everything is probably even worse than I realize.

“What can I do?” Trevor’s voice is soft. Gentle. So different from what it usually is. But I don’t have time to dwell on that right now. Or the way it does actually make me feel less like throwing up.

“Are you guys still going—” Titus strides into the mix, stopping short when he sees what I see. His gaze lifts to mine, moving over my face for a second before he asks, “Where did you get that computer?”

Maybe I don’t feel less like throwing up.

I swallow hard, trying to tamp down the bad feelings twisting my insides. This doesn’t make sense. At all. It changes everything I thought I knew.

“It’s her work computer.” Trevor answers for me.

Incorrectly.

Titus shakes his head. “No. It’s not.” He reaches out, lifting the screen. “See?”

For the first time, Trevor peels his eyes off me so he can put them on the laptop. I watch as his skin pales, and the awful feeling in my guts gets worse.

He stares at the laptop for a beat then straightens quickly, slamming it closed before passing it off to Titus. “Get your team working on it.” He grabs my hand, tugging me up from my seat. “Get Tucker here now. We’ll meet you in our conference room.”

Trevor starts to walk, practically dragging me along with him as he stalks through the building, jaw clenched, eyes narrowed. I make my steps as big as I can, working hard to keep up with him, but I’m still a little out of breath when we reach the same room where he held interviews last week.

Leading me straight inside, he pulls out a chair, urging me into it before going to the coffee maker. I sit in silence as he brews up a cup, adding creamer before bringing it to me. He sets it down as he lowers into the chair next to me.

“Drink.”

“I’m not thirsty.” Not that coffee is great at quenching that sort of thing. I’d just rather not barf it up all over the conference table.

“Please.” There’s an odd pleading quality to his tone. “Just a sip. I need to feel like I’m taking care of something, and right now I don’t know how to take care of anything but you.”

My heart gives a little squeeze. Trevor’s whole life is wrapped up in this company. Almost every waking hour and his entire sense of self is consumed by McKinley Security Systems. His ability to make it thrive. His competency at handling every problem that arises.

And I think a problem has just arisen.

I pick up the cup, blowing across the surface before swallowing down as much as I dare.

Trevor releases a long breath as I drink, his nostrils flaring, shoulders dropping. “Thank you.”

Taking another sip would probably help more, but I don’t think I can stomach it. I’m also struggling to stomach how upset Trevor looks. Without thinking, I reach out, sliding one of my hands into his. He grips it tight, lifting our linked fingers so he can brush his lips across my knuckles. Closing his eyes, he breathes deep against my skin.

I’ve never wanted to be a man’s peace. I wanted to be the terrifying menace he always feared would be lurking around the next corner, ready to terrorize him.

But as I watch Trevor visibly relax and the tension bleed from his features, I begin to believe maybe two things can be true. I can terrorize him tomorrow. Today I should probably help him get through this new development without having a complete and total meltdown.

When the sound of footsteps approaching carries through the open door, Trevor straightens, morphing into someone who appears completely unaffected and totally confident. That’s what his family sees when they file in. What he wants them to see.

Only I got to witness the truth of what’s beneath the surface.

And it makes me itch. On the inside. Places I can’t scratch.

I stand up, hoping to shake the feeling loose as I walk around the table to the coffee maker. It’s the only thing in here besides a water cooler, and consuming rain isn’t going to help anyone right now.

I pop one of the dark roast pods in, and set it to run on the extra strong cycle. When it’s done, I give it a quick stir since it doesn’t brew uniformly, then go back to my seat, setting the cup in front of Trevor.

He stares down into the beverage before slowly looking my way, his gaze searching my face.

I widen my eyes at him. “What?”