AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not really. They weren’t especially helpful. I told them you checked the building out, so they may have questions for you.”
He waves this off. “That’s fine. I can talk to them.”
Both of us work in silence for a moment, before I say, “Do you really think Thomas could have done this?”
“Honestly, I don’t know, but the timing…” He sighs. “Who knows, Nee? All I know is I hate the idea of you being here alone while this shit is going on.”
My heart thuds at this. “You do?”
“It’s not safe.”
He’s right, but I can take care of myself. I don’t need babying. “I can’t see whoever did this coming back, not now the police are involved.”
“Maybe not, but I’m not willing to risk it.”
“So, what do you propose? That I hide away at home and don’t see anyone?”
“No, of course not.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’m a big girl, Jared. I can take care of myself.”
He pushes up from where he’s working and moves over to me. My heart stops in my chest as I track his steps. By the time he’s in front of me, I’m barely drawing air.
“I don’t doubt you can for a second, sweetheart, but the thought of something happening to you makes me feel sick to my stomach. I don’t want to imagine it. I don’t want it to happen either—not if I can keep you safe.”
I stare at him, trying to fathom what he means and why he’s saying this to me, but I have no idea.
His eyes scan my face as he says, “I meant what I said when I told you I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“You can’t promise that,” I whisper at him, my heart racing now as he steps further into my space.
“I let you down here, but it won’t happen again.”
“You didn’t let me—”
“Yeah, baby,” he interrupts, “I did.”
A tingle goes through me at him calling me ‘baby’.
“You can’t be everywhere all the time.”
His fingers cup my cheeks and I lean into his touch. “No, but I’ll damned well try. When I saw that door was broken… If something happened to you…”
“What?”
He stares at me for the longest moment, so long I feel the seconds physically ticking by.
Then, without warning, he dips his head and he takes my mouth.
