Page 24 of Securing His Family
“What? How am I any safer with you than I am in my own home? One of the pictures I looked at was of you and me. If Patrick knows where I live, he’ll know where you live. He knows where you work. Who you work for. There’s no safe place!”
Her breath came out in short gasps and her heart rate was skyrocketing.
God, there was nowhere for her and Charlee to go. She needed to leave and get Charlee from school. Maybe she could use the money she had saved up and fly them somewhere. Anywhere that was far away from Patrick. She’d work things out when she got there in terms of places to stay. A job. She’d take anything that was available. It didn’t matter to her.
“Lauren!” Reed slammed the brakes on her thoughts.
She looked at him, feeling hopeless. Even if she did run away, Patrick would find her. The man had resources they hadn’t given him credit for having.
“It’s hopeless,” she whispered.
“No, it’s not,” Reed said adamantly. “You don’t know what we are capable of. WhatI’mcapable of. My place has top notch security. No one can get in that I won’t know about. There’s plenty of room. It’s still close enough that Charlee can go to the same school. I’d feel a lot better if you and Charlee were living with me.”
“Why?” She didn’t understand Reed and why he was so prepared to turn his life upside down for her and her daughter. They hadn’t even kissed. Was he doing this out of some sort of white knight complex? Did he imagine himself capable of slaying all her dragons?
Probably. He was a former special forces soldier. From what Tabitha had told her, all the guys at Power Security used to be in the Army with Steve. They’d been part of the SAS, the elite unit of the Army. The ones who did things that no one talked about.
“Why do I want you to stay with me?” he asked intently.
“Yes.”
“I could say it’s because you’re my fiancée and I can’t live without you, but I don’t think that will fly with you.” His lips quirked up.
He was joking with her. At a time like this? “What is wrong with you? This isn’t a joke.”
“I know, Ren.” He brushed his fingers down her cheek and her skin warmed at the touch. “I know, but I want to keep you and Charlee safe. Having you close to me can achieve that. I haven’t slept well knowing that you’re in that house by yourself and Patrick is lurking around.”
This guy, he was—well she couldn’t find the rights words to say what he was. But she couldn’t deny the idea of being with him did make her feel safer. Hadn’t she felt that the moment he put his arms around her.
Lauren knew there would be no argument from Charlee about living with Reed. She’d been asking over and over when Reed was going to have dinner with them again. Each time he’d taken them home and Lauren hadn’t asked him in. Charlee had looked at her as if she’d taken away her favorite toy. “Okay.”
“Okay what? I need you to say the words for me, Ren.” His intensity returned and she felt it in her bones.
She straightened her spine and looked him in the eye. Her fingers unconsciously moving to the ring encircling her neck. His eyes widened, but she couldn’t put her hand down because then he would know that she saw his reaction.
There was no turning back, although if she changed her mind, Reed wouldn’t say anything. He would probably find out where she was staying and camp out in his car, like he had that first weekend Patrick had turned up. “Thank you, Reed. Charlee and I will be happy to stay with you.”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
She whirled around and found Steve standing in the kitchen watching them both. Well there was no chance she could change her mind now, even if she wanted to, which she didn’t.
“Have you got an update or something?” Reed asked, standing closer to her than he had been a few seconds ago. Was he standing there in case she lost the plot if Steve was going to give them some bad news? He needn’t have worried. Now that she’d made the decision to stay with him, it was as though a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
“Nothing that’s helpful. Wilt’s on his way to pick up the pictures. I think it’s probably best that both lots are kept at the office. I know you probably don’t want Charlee to see them, and while you’ll both be careful about not leaving them about, things happen.”
Steve was right but Lauren had had plans to burn them when she’d returned home. Of course, now she’d have to pack a bag for both her and Charlee. “Right.” She looked up at Reed who was still beside her. “We’ll need to pick up Charlee and then go home so I can get a few things for the both of us.”
“I spoke to Andy,” said Steve. “He’s watching the school. He’ll also follow you back to Lauren’s and then to your place. Wilt also hacked into your security system and linked it to the office system so that we can record everything that goes on at your place.”
“Sounds good. I do have my feed going directly to a hard drive, but it never hurts to have a backup.”
“You’re not upset about that?” Lauren asked, not believing that Reed was okay with his system being hacked.
“Nope, if it keeps you and Charlee safe then I’m all for it.”
“Okay.” She was really getting an education on what it meant to be part of the Power Security family.
“We’re going to head off now.” Reed placed his hand at the small of her back, the warmth from his hand searing the thin t-shirt she was wearing.
