Case in point: when he finally opened his mouth and boomed, “No fucking way!”
I’d seen Heath angry; it had just never been aimed at me. And, much to my surprise and delight, it didn’t faze me in the least.
“Tough shit,” I said, “because it’s happening. You either come with me or—”
His face contorted with outrage. “I swear to God, you finish that sentence, I’m going to lose my shit.”
“Then fucking lose it! Lord knows, I already have.” I slapped my thighs. “This sucks. But you’re going to have to trust me. You’ve done research on Walt, but you are not mentally insane. You do not know how that man thinks.” I hitched a thumb at my chest. “I do. I spent years learning how to read him and figure out his next move so I could make sure I wasn’t on the receiving end of his wrath. And I’m telling you we need to leave.”
He stared down at me as he crossed his arms over his chest. “And what? You just want to go back to my house? Set up camp and wait for him to arrive?”
My lips twitched as I fought a smile back. “Um. No.” I rested my hands on his forearms. “I want to go back to your house. Maybe set up an alarm or something. Take one of your fancy DEA agents with us. And, if I’m right and Walt decides to try to get to us, we cut him off before he ever has the chance. Confidence is not something he lacks, and he’s going to underestimate you. We are not going to do the same with him.”
His shoulders sagged as he dropped his arms and folded me into a hug. “Jesus Christ, Clare.”
“We’ll do this smart and safe,” I mumbled against his chest. “I trust you to handle that. And all I’m asking is that you trust me when I say we need to leave.”
“This is crazy.” He groaned and rested his chin on the top of my head. “Roman’s gonna flip his shit. And, as my new boss, that is not going to go over well for me.”
I craned my head back. “Roman’s your new boss?”
He swayed his head to the side. “Well, Tomlinson hasn’t fired me yet, but I assume when I tell him I’m moving you and Tessa in with me, it’s going to speed up the process.”
“I’m so sorry. I never—”
“Don’t. I couldn’t care less about my job, as long as I get you and your girl at the end of this.”
“But—”
“End of story,” he snapped.
I crinkled my nose and attempted a glare. He seemed immune.
Rolling my eyes, I gave up. “So, what are you going to be doing for Roman?”
“He offered me a job as the liaison to law enforcement at Leblanc Industries. It seems, after all of this mess, he’s decided to start a new division to ensure all officers of the law have access to Rubicon.” He grinned. “I made that man wear a Kevlar vest one time and I think it changed his life. I swear to God I saw him doing the sign of the cross.” He paused to chuckle. “He isn’t even Catholic.”
I giggled and snuggled closer into his arms. “So, we’re really going to do this?”
He sucked in a resigned breath. “I’m gonna see what I can come up with. I need to talk to Tomlinson. I have a security system at the house, but it’s not good enough for this shit. I’m not taking you and Tessa there until it’s one hundred percent. But yeah, Clare. I’m gonna try. I don’t necessarily agree with this move, but I see your point.”
“And you trust me,” I prompted.
He grinned down at me. “And I trust you.”
“And you love me.”
“And I love you.”
“And you’re going to take care of me and my girl.”
He bent forward and touched his lips to mine. “Always.”
I closed my eyes and nuzzled against his chest.
His breath breezed past my ear as he whispered, “But I’m gonna need you to throw at least one round of Wheel of Fortune so I can build my confidence back up for an operation of this magnitude.”
A bubble of laughter sprang from my throat. “Of course, Winter Woman. You want to kiss my watch too?”
“I wanna kiss you.”
I hadn’t been wrong about how Roman was going to react to Clare and Tessa’s moving out. He’d lost his fucking mind. We nearly came to blows after he accused me of thinking with my dick and not my head. He didn’t mean it, but that didn’t mean it didn’t piss me off. The worry was etched in his face, but like the miracle worker she was, Elisabeth somehow managed to talk him off the ledge of insanity. She was still recovering and in a lot of pain, but never underestimate the power of a good woman when it comes to her man.
Elisabeth wasn’t thrilled with losing everyday access to Tessa. But, after a private conversation with Clare, she put on a smile that did nothing to hide the fear in her eyes and acted supportive.