“Mm hmm.”
“It’s a long story, you know, and probably not one for tonight.” I glance up at him questioningly. He shakes his head and wipes a crumb from my chin with a wink. I swipe the area with my sleeveand duck my head. “Sylvie, I mean,” he adds.
“It’s your business. None of mine,” I grumble through food, with the wisdom to lift my hand to cover my mouth. He watches me in silence for a moment, the attention making me shift uneasily on my seat.
“You can have the spare room. I’ve had it all made up for you and left something for you to wear to bed on the pillow.”
His kindness highlights the fact I really have no choice. I’m already here, in Dax’s home and relying on him to keep me safe. I haven’t really considered what that means until now. But I’ve lost everything. No money, no home, no family, I’m stranded at the mercy of a man who didn’t even know me three days ago.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt the words without thinking.
“What are you sorry for?”
“For everything. For becoming a burden.”
“None of this is your fault. You just got caught in the middle of something neither of us could have foreseen.” He’s talking sense, but he isn’t in my position. He has no idea of how it feels to hand control of my life and welfare to a stranger.
Not that I can tell him that. I sigh and respond with a general comment, not wanting to argue or continue a pointless conversation. It won’t change anything, anyway.
“Yeah. Okay.”
“Look, I need you to take a few days away from the butchers and from college. You can forget about your shifts at the bar too, as I’ll be putting it under new management,” Dax begins.
“You can’t! Those jobs are my only way of getting money together and college…shit…I’ll lose my place if I don’t show. I already ditched twice this week!”
“Stop it. You’re panicking.”
“Of course, I’m panicking. This is my life!”
“Men showed up to kidnap you this morning. They planned to take you with Eric’s permission. They came to Carlo’s house for you and your family, and you barely blink an eye, but I mention takinga few days off and you scream at me? Your priorities are fucked, Jules.”
“My priorities are fine, Dax. They’re the same as they’ve always been; to get out of the shit and make my family safe. I can’t do that if I don’t work for it!” I snap at him. He leans on the counter and raises his brows. “Why am I even bothering to explain myself to you? You wouldn’t understand.”
“I understand better than you realise.”
“Then you know that course and my jobs are my way out of the Vale. You get why I can’t just stop attending.”
“What Igetis that you’re being hunted. They came for you.For you, Jules, do you understand? They will find out your routine if they don’t already have it from Eric. They’ll keep coming.”
“So, what? I just hide here?” I push the stool back and stand up. He’s infuriating. This whole thing is a nightmare. How could one night ruin so much?
“For now, that is exactly what I you need to do.” He observes me cautiously; his eyes following me as I pace back and forth.
“What about my responsibility to Charlie? My course?”
“We can make calls. Leave it with me.”
I hate giving in. None of this is fair, but he isn’t wrong either. He isn’t being unreasonable. I am.
“I think I’d better call Charlie now. She might need time to call in a replacement.”
“Do you know the number?”
“Yeah.” I know it by heart.
“Then use your cell. It’s safe enough. Your outgoing number is automatically blocked.”
“Can’t. Eric has it, remember?”
