Page 88 of Rogue's Path

Red Not Peach

Rogue

What is going on?

Why is she flipping out?

I should let her go, but I can’t, not when she’s like this.

Havoc walks over and takes the flowers out of my hand.

I wrap that now free arm around her, offering what comfort I can.

“It’s the roses that are triggering her. She thinks you’re her stalker.” Havoc walks to the door.

Stalker?

Peaches freezes. “He isn’t? You aren’t?”

The other flowers Jane said she got. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a stalker?”

“We haven’t talked about anything important.” Peaches steps away from me.

Havoc leaves the room, taking the offending flowers with him.

“Then let’s talk. I’m here. You’re here. Tell me what’s going on so I can fix it.” And then we’ll get to my making sure her stalker feels more pain than he’s caused my woman before I kill him.

She shakes her head. “Havoc and I talked. All we need to do is set the terms and the price.”

Price. “Protecting my woman is my honor.”

Peaches moves all the way to the other side of the table. Her head no longer shakes, but the rest of her body is doing a pretty good job of it.

I can’t push too hard. Whatever mental torment she’s going through, I don’t need to add to it. “Okay. Let’s talk terms.” I sit down and wait for her to sort her head out. My normally unflappable woman needs some time to find her feet again.

“Everyone seems to think you’ll be the one to protect me.”

Because I will be. The club will help, but ultimately you’re mine.

She pulls the chair out and pushes it in again. “You need to tell me whatever you find out. No being this silent manly protector. I want to know everything you know as soon as you know it.”

That seems fair. “Okay.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

The shaking subsides a little. That’s progress.

Her eyes move to the wall, but her mind isn’t there.

“You don’t have to come up with all the terms right now.” We don’t need any terms. I’ll find this guy. Kill him. Then stick you on the back of my bike. Maybe not in that order.

“I have two other terms.”

That doesn’t sound good. “Name them.”

“You have to let me pay the club. Protecting me will take not just your time and energy. I don’t want a discounted rate. Charge me what you would charge anyone else.”