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I flash him a small smile before he shuts the door and climbs in the driver’s seat.

The entire car is blacked out. I don’t think there’s a tinge of colour anywhere. The engine roars to life, and Ezra pulls out of the car park, heading towards the mansion. The roads we take remind me of the time I took Xander home after he dropped off my car. But that sweet reminiscent feeling is quickly replaced by bitterness.

Penelope.

I know Xander said she was just their assistant, but I can’t help that jealous feeling in my chest.

Especially not after last night.

Something changed between us, and I can’t ignore it.

I tried. I’ve been trying this whole time.

But what scares me the most is knowing that there is so much standing in our way, and I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to get past that.

I clear my throat. “Ezra?”

“Yes, Miss?” His deep voice fills the silent car.

“The charity gala. Is this a thing that happens every year?”

He stays quiet for a moment, as if he’s gathering his thoughts.

“Yes,” he pauses. “I assume you already know about… what Mr Warren does?”

I make a humming noise in my throat in response.

“Well… it’s a way for them to keep up appearances, to make their money seem more legitimate aside from Diamond Lounge. But it’s also something Xander insisted on doing. He likes to help people. He might seem cold on the outside, but he’s actually a massive softie”—his eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror—“but I didn’t tell you that.”

I chuckle. “Aye, aye, Captain. What about you? How did you start working for the Warrens?”

His lips curl into a smile, as if he’s remembering a memory.

“Xander found me on the streets, is the honest truth. I had nothing. I was kicked out of my house at nineteen. But I was in a bad way. Years of drug use will do that to you. He saw me and took me in. Offered me a job but under the condition that I go to rehab. It was brutal, but I needed that wake-up call. Now I’m here—his trusted bodyguard and friend. I have a wife and a little girl.” You can feel the warmth radiating off him as he talks about his family, a permanent smile on his face.

I massage the area where my heart is. Hearing what Xander did for Ezra warms something inside of me, something I didn’t think I’d ever be capable of feeling again.

Shit, this is bad.

We finally pull into the winding gravel path and up to the tall iron gates. Cherry blossom petals rain down around the car, small bits of setting sunshine poking through the branches. For once, this doesn’t seem like a bad omen.

But my stomach twists all the same. Is Xander here? Is he dealing with whatever?

Ezra presses a button on the front console, and the gates slowly part.

“Impressive.”

“Convenient,” he retorts.

I grin at the back of his head. “Something tells me you and I are going to get along.”

“I hope so. I have a feeling my orders are going to be to not let you out of my sight.”

I don’t doubt that. “Then we shall do our best to get along.”

He huffs a deep laugh, driving through and parking next to the fountain.

Ezra is charming, soft. The only thing that gives away that hardness of being a bodyguard is his physique.