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Another awkward silence passed between us.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Why did I have a feeling I wasn’t going to like what she asked? “Sure.”

“The man you served with, the one you said betrayed you. What happened?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“Because that’s another demon you can’t let go. I was just trying to understand why you won’t allow yourself to live.”

Her question was more troubling than I wanted to let on. “Because I should have been the one who died.”

Juliette held my gaze without blinking, her expression pensive. “That’s so sad. No one deserves to die, especially you. I’m glad you didn’t.”

All I could do was sigh.

“I’ll go take a shower.” With her hand still on my dog, she moved toward the door.

“Juliette. Wait,” I told her.

“What?” A hopeful look formed in her eyes.

From where I stood and with the soft light behind her, she appeared like an angel. The irony that a man like me could have a guardian angel was ridiculous. “As I said, I don’t like leaving you alone. Do you know how to shoot a weapon?”

The hopeful look turned into a scowl. “I took a few lessons a long time ago. An old boyfriend convinced me it was a good idea. I don’t like guns.”

“After your shower, I want to reacquaint you with a handgun. Just in case.”

“If you’re trying to scare me, you’re doing a damn good job.”

Sighing, I closed my eyes briefly. “I’m not trying to scare you, but I am being realistic. I’m taking precautions. Nothing more.”

“Fine.” Obviously angry, she turned her head to study whatever the hell was out the window. Anything or nothing. When she shifted to look at me again, I narrowed my eyes.

“What?”

“I could help you. Run the sanctuary, I mean. If you wanted me to.”

Well, fuck. I hadn’t expected that.

What the hell could I say to her? That I didn’t want her in my life? That I wasn’t good for her? With my teeth gritted, I shoved the SIM card into the slot, thankful Henry’s computer was old enough it had a slot for one. “We’ll see.”

“Right. Famous last words. By the way, I’m sorry I snarled at you. That wasn’t fair. I’m so used to hearing that I’m a failure from my father because of my pictures that I react when anyone sees them. I’m surprised I have any followers.”

The asshole in me was uncertain what to say to make her feel any better.

So I said nothing.

Her shoulders sagged and I could tell she had more to say. While I wasn’t in the mood to hear a lecture, I remained quiet. When she spoke again her tone was soft, yet her expression was hard as steel.

“I know you’re hurting, Kage. I do understand.

Over the years, I’ve learned several valuable lessons that I know you probably don’t want to hear, but I’m going to tell you anyway.

Take it for what it is. Grief and guilt are thieves of happiness.

When you fall prey to remorse and self-hatred, you lose track of everything beautiful surrounding you.

I don’t want that for you. I care about you.

Maybe more than I should. Maybe more than you can handle, but I do.

Please find yourself. You won’t be able to let anyone in or find any peace until you do. ”

As soon as she walked out, I stared at the doorway. Feeling empty inside. Fuck me. She’d crawled so far under my skin I could feel her even when she wasn’t near.

That wasn’t good for either of us.

Something about the woman shattered me.

I’d caught more than a glimpse of the complicated woman who wanted nothing more than to find her place in the world. She’d also offered me her vulnerability and I’d shoved it aside. What kind of man did that?

Emotional reactions had never been easy for me. I’d learned the hard way allowing my feelings to show would only cause more friction and distance with my father. So I’d learned to remain as emotionless as possible.

Yet images of her voluptuous body lingered in my mind.

I could still feel her sliding up and down on my cock, moaning as I fisted her hair, begging for more.

Dear God, I wanted to give it to her.

Concentrate. You have work to do.

As if this part was my job. I’d been hired to protect her and all I could think about was that somewhere along the way, someone had failed her. That someone should pay.

There were hundreds of pictures on the card. It would take me hours to sort through them. Time I felt I didn’t have. I yanked my phone into my hand, hoping I’d missed a call.

I hadn’t.

So I started going through the vibrant photos depicting a life that up until now I’d wanted nothing to do with. I’d shoved everyone out of my life, including my parents.

Including the men I’d trusted. Maybe my hatred of Maddox was unjustified. He’d been following orders, or so I’d been told. But the soldier had told me he had my back.

At some point, I’d need to have a conversation with him to put the past to rest.

Not right now.

My entire system bristled when I noticed she’d taken a couple of pictures of me.

When I’d explicitly told her not to. Could the woman follow directions or a single rule?

Fuck. I was poised to delete it when I curled my finger.

She’d trusted me enough to allow me to look through her visual diary.

Who the hell was I to take it upon myself to delete something that technically belonged to her?

Nah. I’d make her do it later.

Half laughing, I pushed my full concentration into combing through the photos.

They were all exquisite, highlighting her talent even more. While impressed, after looking through at least two hundred of them, I’d reached another point of being disenchanted.

My eyes were tired even as my body had become wired. Maybe having a beer at ten in the morning wasn’t in my best interest.

I absently flipped through several more photographs, about to eject the SIM card when I noticed something.

Wait a minute. I finally realized what I was looking at.

I glanced at the door before downloading the photograph to the laptop.

What I didn’t want to do was alarm her any more than I already had.

When I pulled it up onto the screen once again, my instincts were in overdrive. I quickly wrote another email to Gray, attaching the single photograph of the two men shaking hands before emailing it to myself. That way I could get it on my phone if needed.

If the asshole following her was in town, he’d be searching for her. There was one place I had a feeling he’d go looking for information.

Time to throw on some clothes.

I’d gone from soldier and protector to investigator.