Page 117 of Love in the Dark

“I’ll always protect you, that’s all you need to know,” he says, fiercely. “I won’t apologize for the lengths I’ll go to keep you safe.”

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Chapter 30

Tristan

“Hello?” The rough voice asks when he picks up.

It’s said insolently, almost rudely, like how dare I disturb his peace by giving him a phone call.

I wait until my front door is closed behind me before I speak. I left a sleeping Nera in my bedroom and I don’t want her to accidentally overhear my conversation.

“Rogue? It’s Novak,” I say. “Tristan Novak.”

Silence meets my name. Rogue is likely caught off guard by the fact that I’m calling him.

I received a copy of all my student’s numbers at the beginning of term. I looked at the paper and put it away, never saving the contact info on my phone. I had to dig around for the paper in my things before I finally tracked it down. I’d never needed to use it before tonight.

Until now.

“What do you want?”

“I need a favor.”

Silence mutes the line once more and drags on for so long that I start to think the call failed and I lost the connection.

“You said my name so this doesn’t seem like a misdial,” he finally muses, “and yet I still feel the need to do an insanity check…Do you realize who you just called?”

“Yes.”

“So you’ve completely lost the plot.”

He says it like it’s a fact, not a question.

“I’m not exactly brimming with alternate options.”

More silence.

“Look,” I say, exhaling a frustrated breath. “If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t be making this call. Can you help me or not?”

“Bellamy told me what you did.”

I frown, but he can’t see it. “What?”

“At the grand opening for the library,” he clarifies. “You looked after her, you made sure she made it home safe when she was vulnerable. You didn’t touch her.” His voice vibrates with tension. After tonight, I understand more than ever the possessiveness I detect in his tone.

He pauses before adding,

“Seems I do owe you a favor after all.”

I didn’t think about the potential long term benefits that I could get when I helped Bellamy all those weeks ago but I’m happy to reap them now.

“I’ve gotten myself into a bit of a sticky situation.”

“How sticky?”

“You’re Chairman of the board of RCA aren’t you?”