“Dad?” Colin’s voice was soft, almost broken.

Constantine startled slightly. “Yeah?”

“Thank you. For not letting them take me. For knowing they weren’t real police when I didn’t. And most of all . . . for keeping Mom safe.”

Oh Colin.

“You never need to thank me for protecting either of you.” He’d said practically the same thing to me yesterday about Colin. “I’ll always keep you both safe. You have my word.”

34. Juliette

Chapter 34

Juliette

“Can you give me a few minutes alone?” Colin zipped his bag and tossed it onto his bed. “I need to call Lennon. She texted that she was fine and had no clue why those guys came after us, but I need to hear her voice.”

“Are you sure you want to be alone after what happened?” My shoulders sagged. “You don’t want to talk about it?”

“Why would I?” He blew out his cheeks. “What’s done is done. I don’t want to relive it. I can handle myself being in danger, but not you. So, if we keep talking about it, I’ll just keep beating myself up. Unless that’s what you want?”

“You are just like your father.” My inner thought bubble burst, and now I was glad it did when I saw Colin’s smirk.

“We did make a pretty good team back there, didn’t we?” He mimicked one of Constantine’s movements from the garage, then threw in a martial arts maneuver, finishing with his palm meeting his fist in a dramatic closeout.

At least that memory had distracted him from the guilt and worry—two things I never wanted my son to carry.

He grimaced at the bloodstains on the NYU shirt. “I should change before I meet his family. Think the blood will come out?”

“While your father probably has experience with getting blood out of clothes, I’m also a nurse, remember? I’ve got it covered. Just bring it down when you’re done with the call.” I patted his shoulder, then hesitantly left, shutting the door behind me.

Since I’d already packed and changed, this was my chance to talk to Constantine alone.

When we returned, he’d disappeared into his office, and I doubted it’d been to throw back whiskey. Not that I’d blame him.

I peeked inside, unsurprised to find the two bookshelves parted, revealing a hidden room.

Curious, I smoothed my fingers over one of the shelves. “Did this come with the house, or was it an add-on?”

“Add-on.” Constantine glanced up, a rifle in his hands. Not pointed at me, of course.

“I was kidding.” I chewed my lip, unsure of the appropriate response here. Smile?

“Ah. Right. Of course.” He set the rifle aside, hands bracing on the metal table before him.

I took in the room, from the walls lined with monitors to the weapons meticulously organized.

“How’s Colin?”