Mine for Eternity [Council Enforcers] (Siren Publishing Classic)

without to make that happen, then that was her problem. She could feel her anger spike. How dare Mitch think he deserved the right to say anything about how she took care of her son? He was a stranger to them and nothing more. “Look, we appreciate everything you’ve done for us, but we’ll be on our way now.”
    “Wait. Just wait.” Mitch stood with his hands out. “I didn’t mean any harm. I wasn’t judging you. I just meant it wasn’t hard to see that you guys haven’t been eating properly. I can tell that you’re obviously running from something by the way you keep trying to dash toward the exit every ten minutes, but I meant what I said. No harm will come to you here. You and your son can stay as long as you need. I give you my word that the both of you are safe.”
    Could she trust the word of a stranger? Mitch had been nothing but kind to them since they had broken in, but it was only a matter of time before whatever was chasing them caught up to her and Nico again. She didn’t want to put Mitch in danger, but then again, he did have a real-life lion protecting his home. Maybe she and Nico could stay just for the night. A good night’s sleep would do them some good, and they could get a fresh start in the morning. Tessa’s decision was cemented when she looked over at Nico. The poor boy had fallen asleep sitting up. He was in danger of getting a face full of eggs if his head drooped any further.
    “Okay, if it’s all right with you, then we will stay for the night.”
    “Just finish your food, we’ll talk about everything else later,” Mitch ordered.
    Tessa stared at Mitch as she shoveled the last of her eggs into her mouth. She hoped she wasn’t putting her trust in the wrong person. There was just something about him, though, that made her feel safe and protected. She didn’t think those were feelings she would ever feel again, but Mitch made her feel them just by being at her side for a little while.
    “Thank you, Mitch, for everything. I will pay you back. I promise.” Tessa stood to clear the table. It was the least she could do since he had cooked for them, but Mitch stopped her by wrapping his large hand around her wrist. Sparks surged up her arm from his touch. She wanted to moan at the heat coming from his firm grip, but she pulled her arm away instead. She looked up at Mitch to see if he felt anything, but he was already heading around the table toward Nico.
    “No need to thank me. I’ll clean this up later. Come on and I will show you where you two can get some sleep.”
    Mitch lifted Nico out of the chair and started out of the kitchen. Tessa had to bite her lip to hold her protest back. She didn’t want to sound like a bitch after everything he had done for them, but she wasn’t used to anyone taking care of her son but her. It had been just the two of them since she had found out she was pregnant with him, and it was hard to stand by and watch someone else do her job. Tessa somehow managed to keep her mouth shut and followed closely behind Mitch. Her eyes darted left and right as he led them back up the stairs and into a different bedroom from the one they had been in earlier. She was definitely glad of that.
    “This is the guest bedroom,” Mitch said as if reading her mind. “No one uses it, but you should still be able to find everything you need in here. The bathroom is through there.” He pointed after he had laid Nico on the bed and stepped back.
    “I can’t thank you enough for all of this. We’ll be out of your way in the morning.”
    “Can you do me one favor?” Mitch asked. “Just promise me you won’t run out in the morning without letting me know you’re leaving.”
    Damn. How did he know that was exactly what she was planning to do? Tessa could feel her cheeks heating as she blushed. “Okay,” she agreed. Mitch had already done so much for them without asking for anything in return. Letting him know when she was leaving was the least she could do.
    Seeming satisfied, Mitch left the room, closing the door behind him. Tessa quickly went over and flipped the lock. She may have been willing to trust Mitch, but she wasn’t going to be stupid about it. Plus, she wasn’t going to make it easy for Simba to sneak in and have himself a midnight snack.
    In all the confusion, Nico hadn’t been able to take a shower, so she went into the bathroom and soaped up a washcloth. Tessa cleaned him up as best she could without waking him. Once that was done, she