A broken sound escaped me.
Blake moved toward me, then stopped.
Julian reached for my hand.
I allowed him to hold it.
Blake noticed.
Pain crossed his face, but he didn’t look away.
“We need the truth,” Julian said.
“And we need to keep them safe,” I added.
Blake nodded.
“My house in Lake Forest has private security.”
“No,” I immediately replied.
He didn’t argue. “Then I’ll pay for security here.”
“No,” Julian said. “I’ll pay.”
Blake’s eyes narrowed.
“For once, Julian, let me protect my children.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“For five years, I did.”
The room fell silent.
Blake accepted the rebuke.
Then he nodded once.
“You’re right.”
That simple concession surprised Julian almost as much as it surprised me.
Blake turned toward him.
“I’m not here to replace what you’ve been to them.”
Something in Julian’s expression shifted.
