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Slicing a hand through the air, he snapped. “My mother doesn't have a damn clue about what's going on. And it needs to stay that way. She can't know, you understand?”

“So you want me to lie to her if she asks? Do you really expect me to just let you do this? She seems like a good woman, you're going to ruin her when she finds out.”

“Ruin her. . .” he said with disbelief. “I'm not doing anything to ruin her, I'm doing it for her. But she doesn't need to know, she's already been through enough.”

“And if I do tell her, then what?”

“Do you really want to test me?”

Thinning my lips, I didn't want to look at him straight on. Darting my eyes around the room, I gripped the blanket and pulled it up my chest. “Fine, that's fine, I can do that. I can keep your secret. But you don't need me, so why keep me here?”

“I need you here so I can keep an eye on you. I'm not going to risk you getting hurt or even killed. When I know it's safe, then and only then will I think about what I'm going to do.”

Arching a brow, the confusion swept in, stirring something deep inside my belly.He won't risk me getting hurt or killed?

It didn't add up in my brain. He had been the killer, he was the one who had pulled the trigger and stolen me in the night.

So who is he hiding me from?

“I don't understand. What am I supposed to do then? What if your mom wants to send me home? How the hell are you going to explain to her that I can't leave?”

Raking his thick fingers through his hair, he shook his head. “You don't need to worry about that. As far as she's concerned, we met at a bar and I crashed the car on accident. That's the story, that's what you say if she asks you. Don't worry about the rest.”

“So she thinks I'm some bar whore? Is that the story you're telling? That's what you think of me? Because last night, that wasn't something I would normally do.”

“I didn't tell her anything like that, and even if I did, does it matter?” Porter didn't wait for me to answer. Gripping his jaw, he said, “Look, either you play along or I send you out into the world and you get killed. Which one do you want?”

Thumbing at my lip, I looked up at him. “Those aren't good options.”

“At least you have options right now. I can't promise those options will stay. Right now you're safe here, no one will be able to find you.”

“Safe? You call this safe?!” Tensing up, my nails clutched the blanket, diving into the fabric and holding on like talons. “I hate you, you know that? I fucking hate you. I hope you rot in hell.” Baring my teeth, I shook my head. “How can you tell me I'm safe? How the hell is this safe, Porter?”

“Sweetheart, my life is already shit, going to hell would be doing me a favor. But until then, I need you to just listen to me. I'm not asking you for much, just keep your mouth shut about what really happened.”

Tucking my feet under my legs, I snuggled up deeper into the blanket, wishing that I could just disappear. “I don't know if I can just pretend, I'm not good at lying.”

“You better get good at it, because until this is over, you're going to do what I tell you to do.” Stalking closer, he sat on the bed and ran his hand around my face. Resting his fingertips against my throat, his mouth pursed tight. “If you don't, you can kiss your life goodbye.”

Holding my breath, I felt the pads of his fingers dance over the thick vein in my neck as his thumb traced my chin.

“Are you going to kill me?”

“No. But the men that are after me, they'll kill you just because you were there with me. I'm trying to help you, Emery, I really am. I just need you to trust me on this.”

How could I tell him no?

He held my life in his hands, he had the power to destroy or save me .

What choice did I have?

If the men that came after him would kill me too, then I had to trust him.

And that trust, it had to start somewhere. I'd like to think I saw the good in him last night.

He helped me when he could have left me.

He carried me when I grew weak.