The same black SUV I’d seen parked outside my apartment building the other day was parked in the hospital parking lot. Alex had been texting on his phone throughout the morning, and arranged for one of the officers at the precinct to drive it over and drop it off for him.

He held the door open for me, but said little as I climbed into the passenger seat. I was far from okay with him taking me back to my place and thinking he could spend the night just because the doctor thought I needed a babysitter, but seeing as he’d gone out of his way and stayed last night, checking on me and making sure I was all right, it felt wrong to give him a hard time over it. Immediately, anyway. I’d let him drop me off at home, and then I would tell him bluntly that he wasn’t staying.

Because he wasn’t. He wasn’t.

I’d been reciting those words in my head since the moment I’d walked out those sliding glass doors into the sunshine. I couldn’t let Alex Brett stay the night at my apartment. Not because I was foolish enough to believe this was something it wasn’t—and it wasn’t—but because having him spend the night in that god-awful chair the night before had changed things for me. Not in the perspective of Alex Brett specifically, but in the respect of having someone—anyone—around.

I couldn’t remember the last time someone had been there when I woke up. But each time I’d emerged from my heavy sleep last night, even with the pain pills and the throbbing headache, Alex had been there, his legs sprawled out before him, head tilted to one side as he rested. And I’d breathed a sigh of relief. Of contentment. Of…security.

And I didn’t remember the last time I’d felt safe, either.

Which was exactly why Alex Brett couldn’t stay again. It would only lead me to that false sense of security, and that was more dangerous than Creighton Banks himself.

“You’re quiet.” Alex’s voice seemed distant, but it pulled me from my own thoughts.

“Still tired, I think.” I was tired, and could probably sleep for the next two days if given the chance, but that wasn’t why I wasn’t talking much.

“We’ll swing by Starbucks, get you some good coffee, and get you home. Sound cool?” He stole a glance in my direction, but didn’t linger, intent on fumbling with the radio instead.

That sounded better than cool. It sounded wonderful. And the idea that he realized there was a difference between coffee and good coffee…I mentally put one point on Alex’s figurative scoreboard. However…

“Alex, I don’t have any money, remember?” I despised having to say it out loud, and hated the weakness in my voice even more.

“Let me worry about it.”

“But—”

“I said, let me worry about it.” He glanced over as he slowed the vehicle to a stop at the intersection. “Please.”

“I’m not a charity case.”

“I never said you were,” he snarled.

“Then, why are you doing this?” I couldn’t grasp the meaning of it all. Couldn’t understand why he was continuing to put himself in the middle of all this. And I certainly couldn’t comprehend why in the hell he was being so damn nice when I kept giving him reasons not to be.

Alex’s fist slammed down on the steering wheel, and he rolled his eyes at me. Not this again, his expression conveyed. “Which reason do you want, Hailey? Because I’m getting tired of telling you.”

He punched the gas, and the SUV skidded forward through the green light. He raised one finger. “You need coffee.” Then another. “You need your prescription filled.” And a third. “You need someone to cut you a fucking break.” His gaze flitted toward me for a split second. “Got it this time?”

Okay, so I’d hit a nerve. I just nodded, his vehemence taking away any will I had left in me to argue with him.

Oh, I got it all right. “Asshole.” I muttered under my breath. My eyes grew wide, and I watched Alex from the corner of my eye, not daring to look at him squarely. I hadn’t meant to say it out loud, and I still wasn’t even sure if the word had really passed my lips. He never turned to me, and didn’t speak again as he pulled the car into the Starbucks drive-thru, so I hoped that maybe he hadn’t heard me over the radio.

“Two milk, one sugar. Right?” He pulled up to the window, glancing at me impatiently.

He remembered how I took my coffee? Okay, maybe he wasn’t a complete asshole. I just nodded.

“Anything else?”

Another silent shake of my head.

“You should eat something,” he advised. He turned back toward the drive-thru speaker, ordered two coffees, one how I liked it and one black, and two blueberry scones.

Like I was going to argue and risk having an argument while sitting in his vehicle, while he was buying me breakfast, and while it would be heard over the speaker. I’m sure we would be highly entertaining to the Starbucks personnel.

Alex paid cash, tipped the barista at the window, and pulled back out onto the street after handing me one of the paper cups. Silent as a tomb.

He drove to the pharmacy next, leaving me in the car when he went inside. It was a bold move on his part, but honestly, where could I go? He came back out within minutes. I should’ve known they wouldn’t fill a prescription without some form of identification, even with a police officer doing his best to get it, but I was still disheartened. So was Alex.

“Looks like you’re stuck with Tylenol and Advil,” he informed me, apologetic. He pushed a small paper bag toward me that contained both, and I thanked him sheepishly.

I debated waiting until we got to my place to take the first sip, but I couldn’t resist. The comforting scent hit me first, followed closely by the decadent taste, and I immediately relaxed into the leather seat, my head turned slightly toward the passenger window so my scalp wound wouldn’t rub against the headrest.

“You missed the turn to get to Ellington Street,” I said, pointing at the street as it whizzed by. “My place is back there.”

Alex remained silent.

“Alex,” I said, louder. “You missed my street.”

“No, I didn’t.”

My pulse quickened. “Where are we going?”

“My place.”

“Not a chance,” I replied flatly. “Turn around, Alex. I’m going home. You said—”

“I never said I was taking you back to that apartment building of yours. Not once did I say that. What I did say was that I would stay with you, and that’s what got you out of that hospital. You’ll just happen to be at my place while I’m doing it.”

He was so goddamn matter-of-fact about it, like he hadn’t been misleading or conniving at all. “Why, you son of a—”

“You’re welcome, would be a bit more suiting,” he stated dryly. “Even if you do feel compelled to swear at me while you say it.”

I was beyond angry now. Livid was more like it. Was he seriously finding this amusing? “Ah, so the coffee and scone were just to butter me up? Or, maybe it was just so you’d feel better about deceiving me—”

“Oh, you’re a fine one to talk about deception.”

“Fine!” I barked. “But, just because you got those doctors to let me leave the hospital doesn’t mean I’m in debt to you, or that I have to do as you say, or say what you want me to.”

A dark, hollow chuckle came from Alex, but he didn’t take his eyes off the road. “This has got nothing to do with doing as I say, and everything to do with the fact that I’ve been to your place, remember? It’s a dive, Hailey. You wouldn’t be comfortable. Hell, my neighbor’s dog wouldn’t be comfortable in a place like that. And it’s not fucking safe there.”

“That is not for you to decide!” I yelled, much to the dismay of my pounding head. “Who do you think you are?”

“The only guy still here with you after someone tried to kill you yesterday,” he replied slowly, seething with each word. “The only fucking guy, Hailey.”

“I didn’t ask you for that.”

“No, you didn’t.” He merged into the left turning lane. “Because you’re too damn stubborn, and you’ve given up. And I’m sitting here telling you that I’m not going to let you.” He drove the SUV into an underground parking lot, rolling the window down to swipe an entry card he’d plucked from above the visor. “Now, sit down and stop arguing. Save that strength for when you’re going to need it.”

I stared at the side of his head, furious. “Oh, and when’s that?”

“When the real fighting begins.”