"Fuck," I breathed as my back collided with the floor mat, again.

"You're not focused," Jack chastised, taking my hand in his to pull me to my feet.

"You're not focused," I muttered, brushing off my leggings.

He rolled his eyes at me. "Again."

Narrowing my own eyes, I took my stance in front of him. We had been at it for hours. He had barely let me take a break to breathe. For some reason, Jack seemed to think I was getting jumped every night. I guess I could tell him I had a very dangerous, blonde, puppy dog tagging along everywhere I went, but I decided against it. As far as I knew, the only reason Lucas hadn't followed me to the gym was because I had left the apartment incredibly early. Especially for me.

Waking up the morning after Vincent drove me home had been disorienting to say the least. I knew that Vincent had taken me home that Tuesday night over a week prior. I also knew that I had been completely out of it. For some reason, my brain was convinced that he had been sweet and caring, offering to take Dexter out for me. That just didn't make sense. Vincent didn't care about me, let alone my dog. Why would he have gone out of his way to do that?

But then again, I couldn't ignore the fact that Dexter hadn't had an accident. Meaning he had to have been taken outside.

Lost in my thoughts, I missed Jack's movement. He swiped my legs out from under me with little effort. My back slammed the mat with a resounding whack as my breath left me.

"Juliette," Jack growled, clearly getting frustrated with me.

"Shut up," I spat, blowing my bangs out of my face without getting up. He wasn't nearly as irritated with me as I was. I couldn't turn my brain off to focus for the life of me. What Vincent had done had plagued me the whole week, and well into my training with Jack too. I couldn't understand his motives. Someone like Vincent Monroe didn't take out a girl's dog without some form of ulterior motive. I sure as hell didn't believe he was taking me home out of the kindness of his heart either – which he continued to do. He wanted something from me. I just couldn't figure out what.

Jack's hands gripped my waist as he hauled my unwilling body into a standing position. He set his hands on my shoulders, ducking down so that he could catch my eye. "Juliette, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Haven't we had the talk about trust already?"

"I'm just distracted."

"You don't say."

"Fuck off," I growled, swatting his hands off me before going on the offensive. He wasn't expecting my attack and I had him on the floor before he could catch his bearings. He blinked up at me, and I struggled to contain my grin.

Something in his eyes flashed, and in an instant I was the one on my back.

"Once again, you're distracted," he muttered.

I shoved him off me. "I just said that," I snapped. Huffing, I allowed myself to fall flat on my back. Today was going to be one for the books – as one of the least productive days ever.

"Get up."

"No."

"Now."

"You're not my dad."

"No," he said, sitting down beside me. "However, I am someone who's trying to help you. You just don't seem to want it."

A sigh heaved its way out of my mouth. Everything in me wanted to throw a tantrum. Why couldn't I just forget about Vincent? I just needed to get him off my mind for the duration of the training session. Otherwise, nothing was going to be accomplished. Jack was trying so hard to help me, and I was unable to absorb anything. Except for maybe the stinging pain in my back every single time I hit the mat.

"It's a guy," I found myself saying before I could stop myself.

"Is he the threat?"

Oh, buddy. If you only knew.

"No," I said anyway. "I just can't figure out what he wants."

Jack crossed his legs and leaned back on his arms. One of his eyebrows quirked. "Well, what has he done that is getting to you?"

"Nothing bad, I guess," I admitted. "He takes me home from work. And I was so exhausted he walked my dog so I could sleep once."

"These don't sound like bad things, Juliette."

"That's the problem." I rolled onto my side and met his warm, brown eyes. "He's not the kind of guy to do things for someone with no benefit to himself. So I don't know what he wants from me."

"Maybe he just likes you."

I held his gaze for a solid six seconds before I burst into a fit of laughter. Not just any kind of laughter either. It was the belly-aching, knee-slapping, I-should-have-abs-after-this kind of laughter. Jack looked at me like I was psychotic. And maybe I was, but that was singlehandedly the funniest thing I had heard in a long time. When I finally quieted down, he sighed and stood. He hoisted me up by my bicep and steadied me.

"Feel better?" he asked. Covering my mouth with my hand to hold in another fit of giggles, I nodded. I really did feel better. I had needed that. "Good. Let's go." And he was on the attack again. We went at it for another thirty minutes. However, my head was finally clear. I was able to dodge or deflect almost everything he threw at me. When I finally pinned him down on the mat again he tapped out. We finished up and he walked me to the front door after we had cooled down.

"Thank you," I threw over my shoulder as I was about to leave. "I really appreciate everything you're doing for me."

"Just be focused when you get here Saturday morning."

I mock-saluted him and walked out the door.

As I hoisted my duffel onto my shoulder, I began my walk home. It was nearing five in the afternoon. I needed to start getting ready for work. I let out a deep breath as I set myself at a brisk pace. I was going to have to take Dexter on a long walk the following day to make up for the fact that I hadn't been spending a lot of time with him. I was supposed to do it the week before, but I had been in a haze the whole time. Mother nature finally made herself known, and I had been curled up on the couch for most of it. Between that and dealing with my brain spazzing over Vincent, it had been anything but productive.

***

"What are you doing here?" I asked the minute the window rolled down. Lucas smiled at me. I had spotted the SUV from a block away. So, of course I walked up and knocked on the window. We stared at one another for a whole minute before he shrugged.

"I was waiting for you to make yourself known. Where are you coming from?"

"None of yours, or his, business," I seethed. "Tell Vincent I don't need a damn babysitter."

"Do you really think that that is going to work?"

"Then lie to him. Tell him you're watching my every move. But leave."

"He'll figure it out."

"He's not omnipotent."

"What?"

I rolled my eyes. "He doesn't know everything. You'll be fine."

"You and I both know he'll figure it out."

He was right. I didn't want to admit it, but I knew it was true. I didn't know how to feel about it. Was Vincent still worried I would go to the police? It had been so long that it wasn't like they would believe me. Roberts – or whoever he was – was probably holed up somewhere nursing his wounds. There was nothing to be done about it anymore.

"Guess you're stuck with me, sugar," Lucas said, his voice breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Twenty-two," I muttered before turning on my heel and marching towards my apartment. It wasn't like I could even sick Dexter on him. The ungrateful pup seemed to be quite fond of all the guys that had come through the apartment. Traitor. Lucas's laughter followed me until the door to the lobby fell shut. Asshole.

I took my time getting ready for work. If Lucas was going to just camp outside the building, he could take me. Having a ride to work basically cut the commute in half. Which doubled the amount of time I had to get ready. So, I took Dexter on a short walk. It wasn't enough to make up for what I owed him, but it was a start. He happily trotted along beside me as I let my mind wander again. A certain pair of forest eyes flitted through my mind and I had to stop myself from physically shaking my head. Damn him.

When I was finally ready for work, I sighed and crouched down to hug Dexter goodbye. He licked my face and I laughed, tightening my arms around his strong neck. "I love you, babe," I muttered, scratching him behind the ears. "Be good." Phone and keys in hand, I pulled the door shut and locked it. My heels clicked along the tile in the lobby before I headed back out into the waning daylight.

I froze. The black SUV was gone.

Of all the times for Lucas to listen to me, it had to be that time. I bit the inside of my cheek. What was I supposed to do? There was absolutely not enough time for me to walk to work. Devyn didn't have a car. Dante was already at work. I didn't have Lucas's number.

But I had Vincent's.

The thought formed before I could stop it. He was probably busy. I didn't want to see him. I definitely didn't want to start asking him for favors. That would go against everything I was trying to accomplish with cutting him out of my life.

The phone began to ring as I held it against my ear.

"Vincent," he answered on the second ring. His voice was gruff, and I heard something slam in the background.

"Bad time?" I asked, running my fingers through my hair.

"Juliette? What's wrong?" he questioned, his voice softening from the angry tone it had been.

"Why do you always assume something is wrong when I call you?"

"Because I know you're not just calling me to chat."

"Touché. So, I got myself into a little bit of a situation."

"Spit it out, princess."

I huffed. "Lucas was outside, so I took my time getting ready for work intent on making him take me. Now he's gone and if I walk I'm going to be significantly late."

"Lucas is gone?"

Shit. "Yes, but it's not his f – "

"I'll be there in five." And he disconnected the call.

Double shit.

I stared at the phone. Did I get Lucas in trouble? I figured he left because he was needed elsewhere, not because he was actually listening. I pressed the edge of my phone against my forehead. If Vincent was at the warehouse, that meant he was at least twenty-minutes away. At least. So where was he that he could be here in five? What was I pulling him away from? Must not have been very important.

Sure enough, a black sedan came skidding to a stop in front of my building barely five minutes later. The passenger side door was nearest me, and it swung outward. Vincent looked at me from where he was leaned across the center console. His eyebrows arched before he straightened. I guessed that was my cue to get in. My legs were wobbly as I made my way to the car. I didn't like being around Vincent when he was angry. We hadn't known one another long, but it was enough time for me to realize that the erratic twitch in his jaw wasn't a good thing.

"Vincent –" I started.

"He had orders, Juliette," he stated, cutting me off. "He's supposed to be watching you. It's as simple as that."

"I told him to leave."

"Sorry to break it to you, princess, but you do not outrank me." His voice was so tight and controlled that a shiver skittered down my spine. The darkness that always reminded me just how dangerous this man was rolled off him in waves. I bit my lip but kept quiet. There was nothing I could say to him.

We drove in silence for a while, only the soft notes of a piano filling the car. When we were about half way to work, I noticed him relax his white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel. The twitching in his jaw stopped and he let out a deep sigh. Almost unconsciously, I reached for him. My hand landed on his shoulder. He tensed up again for half a second before all tension left him. He cut his gaze to me.

"Don't kill him," I said, letting one corner of my mouth lift in a small smile.

His lips twitched. "I'm not going to kill him. But he's definitely in trouble."

"I'm not going to go to the cops, I think you know that by now. There is no reason for him to be keeping an eye on me anymore." He stayed silent. "I'm serious. You can trust me."

"I don't know about that," he grumbled, shaking my hand off. It fell limply back to my side. "He's staying with you. He's also a deterrent."

A deterrent for what? The thought floated through my brain, but I refused to voice it. If Vincent still planned on killing me, I didn't want the verbal confirmation. I didn't need it. I was afraid of him enough as is, even if I tried to pretend that I wasn't. There was a small part of me that still screamed for me to stay away from this man.

I took my seatbelt off before the car even stopped rolling once we pulled into the parking lot of the bar. He caught my arm before I had the chance to hop out. Our gazes met as I turned back to him. His touch was gentle, and warmth began to blossom in my chest. I couldn't look away from him. What was this?

"What?" I asked when I couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"I'll be here at close."

My eyes rolled. "I can walk, Vinnie."

"Not gonna happen, princess," he responded, releasing me.

I huffed. He was impossible. Instead of arguing with him, I just hauled myself out of the car. It took everything in me not to turn around and look at him as I crossed to the bar's back entrance. The sound of the car driving off only sounded once I had stepped through the threshold and into work.

_____________________________________

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