Leo (Vigilance 3)

“I hadn’t touched one in years, but… I guess I just did what I had to do.”

“Are you all right?”

I drew in a shaky breath. I hadn’t slept much the night before. After waking from a nightmare where Swain and the man I’d killed rose up like zombies and chased us, I’d been afraid to fall asleep again, but I knew I’d done the right thing. The man would have killed us. “More or less.”

“I’m sorry you were there. I didn’t want to—”

“I’m not sorry. I would do anything necessary to save you. You’re not the only one who wants to protect those he cares about.”

“Ezra, I…” The intensity in his eyes was overwhelming.

“What were you trying to say yesterday before you lost consciousness?”

If I didn’t know better, I’d say he looked frightened. “I wasn’t sure if I’d actually spoken.”

“You said something, but I couldn’t understand it. It sounded like the same thing you said after you realized I was there at Swain’s house.” Please let it be what I thought.

“I love you, Ezra. That’s what I wanted to say. I don’t want this—us—to end.”

“You… you really—”

“I still think I’m too old for you, and I’m nowhere near nice enough. I can’t promise that you won’t be in danger again if you stay with me, but I know—”

“I love you. I don’t want this to end either. I’ve been hoping that somehow you’d realize we belong together.”

“I did. I do.”

“I overheard you yesterday when you were talking to the team, and I thought…” Leo frowned as if trying to remember what he might have said. “I thought you wanted to end things as soon as Swain… as soon as you…” I shivered. I couldn’t stop myself from remembering the sound of Swain’s neck breaking.

“I’m sorry you had to see what I did to him.”

“He hurt you. I would have killed him myself if I had to.”

Leo smiled. “Thank you for coming after me.”

“You weren’t angry? I thought maybe…” I looked up at him, hoping he could see the heat in my eyes.

“You thought maybe I’d need to punish you for putting yourself in the line of fire? You could’ve been hurt or…” Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“I wasn’t going to let Swain hurt you for one more second.”

Leo nodded. “When you heard us talking, I didn’t mean that we wouldn’t continue after Swain had been dealt with. X’s assistant, who handles the administrative work for Vigilance, is retiring. Knowing what a great job you’ve done organizing things for me at the shop, the others thought we should offer you the job.”

At least he hadn’t intended to end things with me, but… “You don’t want me to take the job?”

“I didn’t want you involved with Vigilance because I wanted to protect you. I was worried about the danger, but being with me might put you in danger anyway, and it’s not right of me to make that choice for you. If you’d like the job, you should talk to X because now that you know his identity, you really are the perfect candidate.”

I had loved organizing things at the shop and creating new systems. I’d always liked those kinds of tasks, but my parents would never have supported the idea that I wanted to be someone’s office assistant. I was supposed to be a CEO or the head of a law firm, but that wasn’t what I wanted. “What about your shop?”

“I can find someone else for the shop more easily than we can find someone we trust to work with Vigilance.”

This was more than I’d ever imagined. Not only did Leo want me, but he trusted me. His teammates trusted me. If I took this job, I would get to be involved in their investigations without having to participate in anything like the scene at Swain’s house. That was more than enough excitement for me. Apparently, I didn’t have the stomach to be an amateur sleuth, but I could do something meaningful by helping them bring evil men like Swain to justice.

“I want to talk to X. I think… I think the job would be perfect for me. Thank you for changing your mind.”

“I don’t want to keep you from doing what you want, but I will protect you and deal with anyone who tries to hurt you or dares to try to take you from me. You are mine.”

“That’s good because you’re mine also. I choose you. Over any job or anything or anyone. I choose you.”

“Wow. That’s… I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“I think I need to sit down.”

Leo looked frighteningly pale. I grabbed the chair from behind the desk. He sank into it, then pulled me onto his lap. When he kissed me, his lips were warm and soft. I knew then that I was exactly where I needed to be—in Leo’s arms.