Velvet’s POV

I kept my hands folded on my lap, the silence made me feel anxious. I wanted to ask him again what he needed me for but I bit my tongue and held back.

Finally, he spoke, voice low and even. “I need you to stay with Christian tonight,” he said, eyes focused on the road.

It took me a second to register what he just said. “Stay with him?”

“Yes. He doesn’t sleep well when I’m not around, and I’ll be working late.”

I turned toward him. “Working on what exactly?”

His fingers tapped the steering wheel once before he answered. “I just have a few things I...