Safe from Harm (Protect & Serve #2)(30)

“Thanks, Aunt Charlotte.”

Charlotte pressed a kiss to the top of Elle’s head and set the mug of hot chocolate in front of her on the table. “Anytime, baby girl. You know you’re always welcome here. I’m more concerned by the fact that Gabe thinks you shouldn’t be staying alone. Maybe you should stay here for a while.”

Elle waved away her aunt’s words. “We’ve both been through a lot. He’s just being overly cautious.”

Charlotte pursed her lips. “If Gabe’s worried, there’s a damn good reason to be. And seeing as how my security system here is better than the one you have at your house, you’re safer here. Besides, Mac sends extra patrols around to check in on me.”

Elle’s brows lifted. “He does?”

Charlotte’s lips curved into an amused smile. “He thinks I don’t know. But ever since the breakin down the street a few years ago, he’s been encouraging me to move to a better neighborhood.”

“This neighborhood has one of the lowest incidents of crime in the county,” Elle reminded her. “Plus, you have fantastic neighbors who keep an eye on each other’s houses and a great crime-watch program—not that there’s really been much to report over the years. Where does he think you’d be any safer?”

“I doubt he’d think I was safe enough if I were right next door to him,” Charlotte told her with a wink. “Maybe being overly cautious when it comes to the people they care about runs in the Dawson family.”

“Yeah, well, I think it’s rubbing off on you, Aunt Charlotte.”

“If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t worry.” She paused, as if struggling with whether she could continue with the words that Elle could plainly see were right on the tip of her tongue. But her aunt was never one to keep her opinions to herself, so Elle wasn’t entirely surprised when Charlotte added, “Maybe you should reconsider that job offer.”

Elle bristled, wishing she’d never told her aunt about the opportunity she’d been offered just a few days before the shooting. She’d been surprised when her friend Cassandra had offered her the position of executive director at the local nonprofit that helped women and children rebuild their lives after experiencing violent crimes. Elle had volunteered there since it had opened several years before and had seen it grow from a handful of people to a thriving organization that made a difference in a lot of lives. But she’d made a promise to herself years before that she’d become an attorney. And giving that up somehow seemed like a betrayal. “Charlotte—”

“Hear me out,” her aunt insisted. “I just want you to be safe and happy, Elle. This is not the first time you’ve been threatened.”

“No, it isn’t,” she agreed. “But I can’t live in fear every time I’m assigned a case. The odds of anything ever happening—”

“Clearly don’t mean a damned thing,” Charlotte pointed out, taking a seat across from her. “Mark Monroe proved that, didn’t he?”

Elle sighed, really having no way to refute her aunt’s argument. “You of all people should understand why I went into this profession. My family’s killer did so little time he practically walked. I don’t want that to happen to other families.”

Charlotte reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Baby, you’ve done a lot of good for the people of this county; there’s no disputing that. But helping the women and children of this area when they need someone most would still be honoring your family’s legacy.”

She was right, of course. The woman had had a way of reasoning Elle into a corner in every single argument they’d ever had. Elle had a feeling Charlotte would’ve been a terror in the courtroom had she chosen to go into law.

“But if I take another job, I want it to be because I feel like it’s where I can do the most good,” Elle told her. “I don’t want it to be because I’m scared to do my current one.”

Charlotte’s expression softened. “I can certainly respect that, baby girl. You remind me so much of your mom sometimes. She was never one to back down from a challenge.”

Elle grinning. “Runs in the family.”

“Will you just promise me you’ll reconsider the position?” Charlotte pressed. “Will you at least think about it some more?”

“Fine,” Elle said, relenting. “I’ll consider it. But I’m not making any promises.”

“Fair enough.” Charlotte took a sip from her own mug and her eyes sparkled, giving Elle a heads-up that the conversation was about to lighten. “So…back to Gabe Dawson.”

“He’s just a friend,” Elle insisted. “Barely even that, really.”

Charlotte grinned at her. “Mmm-hmm.”

Elle groaned. “Would you stop doing that?”

Charlotte chuckled. “Sure. As soon as you stop denying what’s going on between you two.”

Elle sighed and gave her aunt with an understanding look. “Look, I know you worry about me and want me to eventually have a relationship that lasts more than a couple of months, but Gabe Dawson isn’t the guy for me.”

Charlotte leaned back in her chair, scrutinizing Elle with eyes the same shade of green as hers. “Want to know what I think?”