Stefan (The Marquette Family Book Three) by Tressie Lockwood

like her brother would have worn. At the same time, she wished he had brought a dress. Maybe it would make her feel less like a beast. The bathroom mirror had shown the swelling had mostly gone down, but the bruises lingered. She looked awful, ugly to her own eyes, and she didn’t doubt Stefan’s family would show up at his house just to see the witch who must have tricked him into marrying her.
    A short while later, Talicia climbed into Stefan’s car. “Hey, Jerome. What’s up?”
    “Hello, Ms. Talicia. I’m glad to see you’re doing okay.”
    “I’m all right. Thanks for coming to look for me with Stefan.”
    “Of course. That’s my job.”
    She frowned. “I’m not your job.”
    He eyed her in the rearview mirror. “You’re his wife.”
    She flushed and looked away. Guess he’d heard too. Who knew by his expression what he thought of her. Jerome had been with Stefan a long time, and they were somewhat like friends. She hoped he didn’t think she was a gold digger, but she doubted he appreciated the danger she had brought to Stefan’s doorstep.
    At Stefan’s house, Talicia gulped seeing that they had to pass through a security gate. She gaped at the manicured lawn and shaped bushes and noticed a couple men standing around.
    Stefan drew her tighter to his side. Since they entered the car, he hadn’t let her far from him. “They’re extra guards. You don’t have to worry about them. They’re there to protect you.”
    “Stefan, you shouldn’t go through all this trouble.”
    “Colby was released this morning. There’s nothing to pin him to the attack on your club. I want to know you’ll be safe.”
    She fisted her hands in her lap. “Those men were his. I know it, and the police have to know it. They even hinted around to it as soon as they started breaking up the place, telling me it was in retribution for getting him arrested. I wasn’t going to let him run drugs through my club or threaten my brother and me. He wanted to get back at me. Now he goes free? It’s not fair!”
    Stefan covered her hand with a larger one of his. “I know, honey. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he gets what he deserves.”
    She stared at him. “Don’t get involved, Stefan, please. It would kill me if you get hurt.”
    “I won’t.”
    “You don’t know what you’re dealing with. You’ve been sheltered.”
    “I wasn’t always rich.”
    “But you didn’t come from the hood, not like where I come from. It seems like every day I had to fight for Tyjon and me. And it was worse because he’s gay.”
    He raised her chin and kissed her then leaned back to look into her face. “I’m glad you’re willing to talk to me now.”
    She compressed her lips. “I’m not. I’m just tired.”
    “You’ll sleep in today, and I’ll stay with you.”
    “Don’t you have to get to the restaurant?”
    “I took off to pick you up from the hospital. Don’t worry.”
    “Stefan—”
    “Licia, please do as I say. For now. All I want is for you to recover and feel safe. Is that so hard? Would it hurt to make me feel better knowing you’re not in any danger?”
    She sighed and climbed out of the car as one of the men opened the door. Together, they walked into what looked like a mansion to her. The house probably was. Talicia had never lived in a house. All her life it had been apartments, even when her parents were alive. For a while, they moved from one to another. Yet, all of them were in that same crime-ridden side of town. Even the air over here seemed cleaner. She wouldn’t let it go to her head. This arrangement was temporary.
    “Which room am I staying in?” she said when they reached the second floor.
    “Ours,” Stefan informed her. “The master suite is this way.”
    She frowned at the back of his head as he led but didn’t complain. Denying him at this point was useless. She wouldn’t get a lick of sleep being apart from him and knowing he slept in the same house. No sense fooling herself.
    Stefan