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18

JASON

As soon as I dropped off Carli at Tahlia’s house, I headed for Isabelle’s. I gave her a day to acclimate, but that’s all I could stand before I had to see her. I could hardly sleep last night without knowing how she was.

I kept seeing her in that room, slamming the ruler down on her hand. Or the blood seeping through her pants where she had cut herself. I fucking hated what that bastard had done to her, how he had manipulated and twisted her mind to get her to do what he wanted. I wouldn’t be able to focus again until I was sure she was doing okay.

“Going somewhere?”

I gritted my teeth at the sound of Jack’s voice behind me. “Yeah.”

“To see Isabelle?”

“Is that a problem?”

He caught up to me in just a few strides, keeping pace with me but never looking my way.

“Just want to make sure you’re doing okay.”

“Why? Because I look like I’m about to break?”

“No, because you lost Leah a month ago. You were losing your shit on me in a fit of rage.”

I stopped and glared at him. “And you think I would hurt Izzy?”

“No. But I think she has the power to hurt you.”

His words rattled around in my head like an unpleasant bell. “Why the fuck would she hurt me? I’m just checking on her.”

He didn’t say anything, but his head lifted ever-so-slightly.

“I was there. I saw what she was doing. And last night when she came back—” I looked away, shaking my head.

“I get it, but you’re still fucked up, and so is she. Just don’t get involved.”

My gaze snapped back to his. “Who said anything about getting involved?”

“I know you. I saw the way you looked at her yesterday.”

“With concern? Yeah. She was in a mental institution because her ex fucked with her head. I saw the damage firsthand.”

“And your daughter was with you.”

“Because she likes Izzy.”

“She’s just a child,” Jack pointed out.

I narrowed my eyes at his accusation. “Are you saying I’m not looking out for my kid?”

His heavy sigh told me everything I needed to know. “She was in a bad place. Just be careful.”

“Like Sky should have been careful around you?”

“I never said it was right. No, she never should have been around me. We both know that. I was never any good for her, but I got myself clean.”

“And she got herself better,” I argued.

Dropping his eyes, he murmured, “Thirteen years brings a lot of damage. She might not ever come back from that.”

I gritted my teeth at his statement. I didn’t need to be told that Izzy might not be the woman she might have been once upon a time. Life had changed her just as it had me. But I wasn’t interested in that anyway. The only thing I was focused on was making sure she was okay and being there as a friend.

“Lock asked us to look out for her. I was too late last time. I won’t be ever again,” I hissed before stepping away.

I kept walking, doing everything in my power to clear my head before I reached her new house. The last thing she needed was for me to show up in a pissy mood. By the time I got to her steps, I felt somewhat better about the whole thing.

I knocked just a tad too hard, and cursed myself as she was opening the door.

“Jason. What are you doing here?”

She looked better. A hell of a lot better than yesterday. Her hair was much shorter and had some wave to it. And that lost look she sported yesterday was now replaced with something a little more hopeful.

“Hey, Izzy. I just came to see how you were.”

“Um…good.” She watched me curiously, her eyebrows furrowing as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Where’s Carli?”

“She’s with Tahlia.”

A small laugh escaped her lips as she glanced away.

“What? Why is that funny?”

“Look, I appreciate the concern, but you don’t need to come over and have the talk with me. I’ll leave your daughter alone.”

She started to slam the door in my face, but I stopped it with my boot, trying to figure out what the hell she was talking about.

“Do you want to say that again?”

“I get it. I’m the crazy person who landed in the psych ward and you don’t want me around your daughter. I don’t blame you for protecting your daughter.”

“What the hell gave you the impression that I don’t want her around you?”

“How about the fact that when I arrived yesterday, you were looking at me like I was going to break any second? Or that you pulled her away from me like I would hurt her?”

My teeth ground together as I realized she had mistaken me giving her space as something entirely different. “Let’s get one thing straight right the fuck now. If I didn’t want you around my daughter, I would tell you. Are we clear?”

Wide eyes stared back at me in fear and I cursed myself for being the ass that scared her just like her husband. Releasing the door, I took a step back, giving her the space she needed.

“I was watching you because I was the one who walked in on you that night. Do you remember that?”

She pulled her lip between her teeth, biting gently. “Yes.”

“I’ll never get that fucking image out of my head. I knew when I walked out of your house just minutes before that something was wrong, and I didn’t listen to my instincts. I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said immediately. “And if you hadn’t walked in…who knows how long it might have continued.” She sighed heavily, rubbing her hand over her forehead. “You probably saved my life.”

“I don’t know about that,” I grumbled. “As for pulling Carli away, she was all over you and there were a lot of fucking people there. I just wanted to give you space before a four-year-old attached herself to your hip.”

“I don’t even know why she likes me,” Isabelle said. “I hardly know her.”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, but she never stopped asking about you when you were gone.”

Her head tilted to the side as she studied me. I didn’t move as her eyes took me in, roaming over my whole body as if she was looking for all the possible ways I would be a threat to her. There were a lot of them. I knew it was unlikely she would want me anywhere near her, but my strength could be used for more than evil. I could protect her from anyone ever trying to hurt her again.

“Have you made up your mind?” I grunted.

“About what?”

“If I’m here to hurt you.”

Her lips pursed to the side as she considered that. “I don’t think you are. I want to believe that you only want to help me.”

“That’s enough for now. The rest will come in time.”

“And until then?”

“We’ll just have to work on building trust,” I answered, not sure what else to tell her.

As if that was enough for now, she stepped back and motioned for me to come in. “Vira’s here.”

“Good.”

I looked around the empty space and frowned. “You don’t have any furniture.”

“I know. I—well, I have to go shopping.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “So, why don’t you go?”

“Well, Eva can’t go today.”

“And Vira can’t go alone.”

She shook her head.

I was about to open my mouth and tell her I’d take her, then march out the door, but then I remembered how she was always guarded. She’d had that breakdown because Zavala had ordered her around and commanded she follow all his orders. If I really wanted to win her trust, I couldn’t be anything like him. That meant giving up a part of who I was, which wasn’t an easy thing to do. I wasn’t used to being soft for other people. But Isabelle wasn’t anyone else, and if I was going to keep her safe and hold my promise to Rafe and Knight, I had to go about this a different way.

“Would you like me to take you?”

Her eyes flashed in surprise at the offer. “I—uh?—”

“Just say yes,” Vira said, walking into the room. “God knows I need to get out of here again. And we need someplace to sit.”

“She has a point,” I smirked.

Isabelle cleared her throat delicately. “Just let me get my purse.”

* * *

It was interesting to watch her pick out furniture. Normally, I would hate shopping of any kind. Even the idea of spending any amount of time with a woman at a store would send shivers down my spine. But this…well, I had a new appreciation for shopping altogether.

“What do you think of this one?” Vira asked. She flopped down on a beige couch that looked comfortable enough.

Isabelle walked over and sat down, testing the bounciness, then leaned back and sighed as she closed her eyes.

“What are you doing?” I asked curiously.

She peeled one eye open, watching me as she adjusted her body. “I’m…” She wiggled some more. “I’m trying to imagine relaxing on it.”

“Isn’t that what a bed is for?”

Vira stared at me in utter shock. “Have you never just sat on a couch and watched TV?”

“Not until recently,” I muttered. Living with Carli had brought a new perspective to my life. I had never been one for watching TV. There were always more important things to do.

“I’ve never relaxed on a couch,” Isabelle said to herself.

I wasn’t sure she intended for me to hear that because she jerked her head up, flushing red when she saw me watching her.

“I mean, I’m sure I did as a kid. I just don’t remember it.” She sat up suddenly and stood, moving away from the couch. She meandered through the store, sitting on more of them, but never really showing much interest in any of them. I wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but nothing in this store seemed to interest her.

Vira wandered over, crossing her arms over her chest as we both waited patiently. “What are you really doing here?”

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. “Excuse me?”

“She’s my roommate. So, what are you doing? Are you trying to sleep with her?”

“If I was, that’s really none of your fucking business,” I bit out. Why the hell everyone thought my personal life was any of their business was beyond me.

She turned to me, her eyes as sharp as the attitude rolling off her. “Look, I’m only going to say this once. I’ve seen you around her and I think you want to protect her. For that reason alone, I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt. But if I ever think you’re going to hurt her mentally or physically, I will step in and I will not hesitate to kick you in the balls and slice your dick off before calling in the cavalry. Are we understood?”

If I didn’t have a hell of a lot of respect for her right now, I’d want to snap her neck for the way she threatened me. But she was protecting Isabelle, and she would always have my gratitude for that. “Perfectly.”

“Then we won’t have a problem.” She grinned at me and turned back to Isabelle.

“And by the way, don’t call her Isabelle.”

“Why not?”

“Because when she got home, Eva called her Isabelle and she practically bit Eva’s head off.” Vira turned to me. “Isabelle is what that asshole called her.”

I nodded. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

“Do you know what she’s looking for?”

She sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t think she knows what she’s looking for.”

“Aren’t you going to help her?”

“Hell no. That woman hasn’t been able to make a single choice for herself in fourteen years. She’s going to pick every single thing in that house, and like it or not, it’ll be what she wants.”

My blood boiled at her words. Deep down, I already knew these things. It was obvious. She was under Zavala’s control. But knowing it and having it pointed out to me like this were two completely different things. And as I watched Izzy walk around from one couch to the next, I understood why this was so fucking hard for her. After years of never being allowed to make a decision, the world was suddenly filled with too many choices.

I watched as she gnawed at her lip, twisting her fingers nervously. Anxiety rippled off her from across the showroom. The overwhelming feeling of dread wasn’t hard to miss. Vira was right. She needed to make this decision, but she needed help. Throwing her in the deep end was too much after years of not being allowed to decide anything.

I strode forward without thinking about it, intent on making this as easy as possible for her. The woman was lost and I was going to help her in any way I could.

She turned to me, nearly jumping out of her skin when my looming figure hovered over her suddenly. “Jesus!”

“Sorry,” I murmured, taking a step back. “I thought I’d help you out.”

Relief washed over her face, but she tried to hide it with a simple nod. “That’d be great. I don’t really know what I’m looking for.”

I was absolute crap at being sensitive to a woman. Hell, just stalking over here, I hadn’t even let her know I was standing behind her. I scared the crap out of her.

“Me neither,” I grunted. That was enough, right?

She shifted uncomfortably. Fuck, I was gonna have to give her more.

“I’m sure we can figure it out between the two of us.”

“The three of us,” Vira spoke up, appearing out of nowhere. “The two of you have no idea how to pick out a couch. The first thing you want to look for is how firm you want it. A really firm couch is good for sitting only. A really soft couch is good for lounging. You have to decide what level of comfort you want first.”

I followed Izzy around, watching as she sat on multiple couches. She seemed to have it narrowed down to two, but kept going back and forth between them.

“What’s the problem?” I asked, my tone harsher than necessary.

She gnawed on her lip. “It’s just…I don’t know.”

Sighing, I took a seat on the first couch. It was a couch. Then I stood and walked over to the other couch and sat down. It was the same fucking thing.

“What do you think?” Izzy asked tentatively.

“I think they both feel the exact same fucking way.”

Vira rolled her eyes at me. “They’re completely different. One is firm and one is softer.”

“And?”

“And you would have the firm couch if you’re never going to snuggle into it.”

“Snuggle what?” I barked out.

“Jesus, it’s like you’re a caveman who’s never stepped a single foot into the world.” She walked over and sat on the couch and started speaking in a patronizing tone. “This is a couch. When two people like each other, they sit close to each other. Sometimes, they wrap their arms around each other. It’s called snuggling.”

I scowled at her. I didn’t need her crap. All I came here to do was help Izzy get her furniture. “I don’t snuggle,” I bit out.

“No, but your daughter might want to. Did you ever think of that? Maybe she’ll climb into your lap and want you to hold her or she’ll have a bad dream and snuggle into your side. Little girls do things like that.”

I thought about how she climbed into bed with me, and since then, she’d clung to me every night. As much as I hated to admit it, Vira was right. There was more that went into a couch than just buying any random one that looked right.

“Well, pick one out for me.”

Vira stared at me in shock. “You want me to pick out a couch for you?”

“You know about this shit. I don’t.”

“We’re supposed to be buying a couch for Izzy.”

“Actually, I’m very interested in how you would choose his couch. I’d like to watch,” Izzy spoke up.

With a heavy sigh, Vira walked around testing couches. There were a few she immediately smiled at that I instantly vetoed. I didn’t want anything furry in my house. Nor did I want white. When she sat down on a leather sofa and grinned up at me, I shot her a dirty look.

“If I wanted my ass to stick to leather in the heat, I would have leather seats in my truck.”

“Fine,” she sighed. “You know, for a man who doesn’t care about what he wants, you sure are making a lot of demands.”

I grunted in response and took a step back, but the whole time, I watched Izzy. The more Vira started laughing, the more at ease Izzy looked. I even saw her crack a smile, and it was fucking beautiful.

It wasn’t until she sat down on a grey couch that I saw her eyes light up with interest. When she leaned back, she seemed to sink into the couch. For the first time since we came out, she relaxed and the tension left her body for just a few moments.

“I think we found a winner,” Vira whispered.

I grunted in response, then watched as Izzy practically jumped up from the couch and ran over to a chaise, tossing herself on it with a laugh as she burrowed into the six pillows accompanying it. For a few seconds, this woman looked free of all worries.

“Did you find something you like?”

It was like a bucket of cold water doused the happiness on Izzy’s face. Her smile dropped as she climbed off the chase and hurried over to Vira’s side.

I scowled at the salesperson for ruining the moment for her. If we weren’t in public, I’d probably beat his ass.

“Um…I like this set,” Izzy said, barely above a whisper.

“Ah, unfortunately, this set is no longer for sale. The floor model is all that’s left.”

“Then sell it to her,” I snapped.

“Sir, I can’t?—”

“Are you here to sell furniture or not?” I argued.

His face turned red as his eyes flicked from me and then to Izzy. “Sir, if I could, I would.”

“You can. You walk back to the counter, write it up, and take the goddamn money. It’s as simple as that.”

“It’s okay,” Izzy cut in, clearly uncomfortable.

But I wasn’t about to let her miss out on what she really wanted. I’d seen how excited she was when she found this couch. This was the one she wanted, and she was going to get it I had to break this guy’s fucking arm to get it for her.

“Is this the set you want?” I asked her.

She ducked her head, already bowing to the men surrounding her. “It’s not for sale.”

I stalked over to her, tipping her chin up so she would look at me. Her eyes were wide and wary, almost fearful. “Don’t ever fucking bow your head to another man. Got it?”

She gave a jerky nod, but I knew she was only placating me.

“Is this the set you want?”

A shaky breath slipped through her lips. “Yes.”

I gave a tight nod and turned to the man. “Get me your manager. Now.”

He turned on his heel and hurried off. I knew Izzy wasn’t comfortable with any of this, and I wasn’t trying to make this harder on her, but fuck, I wanted something to go right for her.

When the manager walked over, he took one look at Izzy and then at me. “What can I help you with?”

“The lady wants this set. We’re taking it.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but when I narrowed my eyes at him, he smiled tightly. “Of course. Let’s get this settled for you.”