Page 77 of Romeo

Tears burn in the corners of my eyes, the emotion catching me out of nowhere.“I survived.A lot of people don’t.”

“They don’t,” he confirms.“And you’re right, you did.But that doesn’t negate what happened to you.Just like your past mistakes don’t cancel out the strength and resilience you’ve fought to achieve over the last ten years.”

I honestly don’t know what to say to him.Especially because I sense there’s a lot more to Dylan Hunt than meets the eye.

To all of them, really.

“They’re pulling in,” Bradyn announces as he peeks his head into the room.

I set the coffee aside and get to my feet, but before I leave the room, I turn to Dylan.“Thanks again, Dylan.Really.”

He nods but doesn’t respond.

Bradyn steps out onto the porch, and I follow just in time to see a black Lincoln Navigator park in the drive.Riley gets out of one side, and a gorgeous brunette with bright red lipstick and a gray pantsuit gets out of the other side.

I look Riley over for injuries.For any sign that he’s suffered in the past four hours.But aside from bloodied knuckles and black fingerprint ink on the tips of his fingers, he looks just as he did before.

“You know, if I have to keep getting you boys out of jail, I’m going to start charging a retainer,” the woman says with a grin as she makes her way up onto the porch.

“One we’d be happy to pay,” Bradyn replies with a laugh as he offers her a hug.

“Yeah, well, just wait until you see the bill.”

She follows Bradyn into the house, but Riley stops on the porch.“Hey, boy.”He gently pets Romeo, whose tongue is hanging out as he spins in a circle, tail wagging wildly.“I missed you too.”He straightens and faces me.“I’m sorry,” he says.“I lost my temper and put you at risk.It won’t happen again.”His words are cold and collected, his tone reverted to the professional one he’d used when we first met.

“I’m sorry Odie put you in that position.And that you felt the need to defend me.”

Riley steps forward, moving in so quickly I don’t have time to react.Not that I would have.Not with the thrilling race my heart is currently running in my chest.“I won’t let anyone talk to you like that,” he whispers, so close I can feel his breath on my cheek.“But I am sorry that I left you alone.”

“It’s okay,” I manage.Is he going to kiss me?

I search his gaze for any sign that he’s going to close the distance between us completely.He looks down at my lips, and my stomach flips.But before leaning in, he pulls back and heads into the house, Romeo behind him.

Every muscle in my body might as well be made of iron with how frozen in place I am.

Hewantedto kiss me—right?Or am I imagining that?

And what’s more—did I want him to?

Chapter26

Riley

I’m an idiot.The last thing Jules needs is me looking for anything more than friendship.But every moment I spent in that holding cell, she wasallI could think about.All I wanted.

And when I finally saw her standing on that porch, I lost my head.

Get it together, Hunt.

Remember?No relationships.

I lean back against the kitchen counter and cross my arms as Beckett Wallace—a no-nonsense lawyer who got Bradyn out of jail back when he was trying to keep Kennedy safe—fills him in on what happened at the jail.

“Is Odie Landers going to press charges?”Tucker asks.

“I made itveryclear to Mr.Landers’s attorney that pressing charges wouldn’t be in his client’s best interest.Since I would have absolutely no problem digging up every single skeleton in Mr.Landers’s deep,deepcloset and putting them out for all to see.”She smiles like the savage lawyer she is.

“And he agreed not to press charges?”Jules questions.