"Liv hear me out, please."

Even he could tell he was begging but he just had to make me listen to him, had to make her see that he hadn't done it on purpose. He was desperate. How was he supposed to get his point across when every time he walked into a room she walked out, when she had something to show him relating to a case she sent Carisi or Rollins. He really hadn't meant to put her in that situation, one which would risk her career or her safety but right now he needed his friend and he needed her help. Ever since the grand jury with the three detectives he had been receiving death threats, some to his office and others to his home. Usually he wouldn't let something like this bother him but since he apparently had no friends left in the NYPD he didn't feel as confident as he used to.

"You've got 5 minutes before I have to be back at the precinct."

"I never meant to put you in an uncomfortable situation, never meant to place you in an awkward position with your colleagues but I know you and I know you never would have taken that shot. You're too good for that, you value human life too much and I had to make you say that without actually saying the words. Believe it or not I was trying to protect you and if you're not still pissed at me I was wondering if maybe you could return the favour?" he asked her, causing her to look at him strangely.

"Protect you from what exactly Barba?"

He released a heavy breath "For the last couple of months, since the grand jury, I've been receiving death threats. Texts, calls, letters, I even had a man come to me in person, I didn't know what to do considering the timing of them and I didn't know who I could trust. With you so angry at me I didn't want to have to put you in the situation of choosing between you colleagues and me again."

He pulled his phone and handed it to her, showing her the many texts he had received as of late each one more graphic and more threatening than the last. He could see the worry on her face as she made her way through, deep down he knew he should have told her sooner but he thought it would have been over by now. She was screenshotting the messages and sending them to herself, the worry and anger growing with each one.

"Last night," he stared as she was still reading " I got home to find this taped to my door" he said handing her a letter he had removed from her desk.

She took the note from him that read "You wont ever be safe. Not here. Not anywhere.". She read it over and over again and she was shaking now. This meant they knew where he lived, they knew things about him that they shouldn't know and it made her heart ache at the thought of what this could mean for him. The idea of him getting hurt made her feel things she wasn't ready to decipher just yet and she wasn't about to let that happen, she would protect him if it was the last thing she would do.

"I'm going to assign you a detail while youre at work, and then in the evenings you will stay with me and Noah, no arguments The team and I will investigate this alongside our other cases but trust me on this Rafael we will not let anyone hurt you."

He had that determination in her voice before and it made him feel safer, he knew that when she said something she meant it and if she said she wouldn't let anything happen to him he believed her.

"Liv I cant stay with you. What if they come after me at your place, what about Noah? I wont be the reason he isn't safe in his own home. I can't do that" he told her

She was shaking her head before he had even finished.

"You're family. We protect our family. If someone were to come to my home it would end very badly them. I can protect my son and I can protect you so just let me. I'll have a patrol car drive you home for some things after work and then straight over to my place. We'll get to the bottom of this and then you're free to do what you want but until then youll do as you're told, as foreign as that concept is to you. Ok?"

"ok"

This was going to be an interesting couple of days, weeks, months, he wasn't sure. But a small part of him was actually looking forward to it.

Im not too sure if I should carry this on. Please let me know what you think.