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I did. I held on to Aspen and made myself as small as possible as Lucas pulled away. We weren’t speeding though. That was something I was familiar with. You didn’t make anything look out of the ordinary if you could help it. Especially if you didn’t know who was watching or where they were watching from.
Even going a normal speed, it was only a few minutes before we pulled to a stop in the shadow of another building. Lucas helped me out of the back seat and walked me through the door Liam held open. The door slammed shut behind us, and Lucas flipped locks that looked like they belonged on a bank vault. He keyed in the code on an alarm panel next to the door. A chirp confirmed the activation.
And then his hands were on me.
Lucas kissed me, hauling me against him like I was the last thing he was going to feel on this earth. This was not a safe kiss. It was hot and desperate. There was more behind this kiss than I’d ever imagined.
This. This was Lucas when he wasn’t holding back. Full of desperate passion and heat. I wanted him exactly like this. Unafraid, and mine.
I kissed him back.
Aspen was still pressed against my leg, but it didn’t matter. I was already lost.
Lucas lifted me off my feet, holding me off the ground while he kissed me deeper. I was so small compared to him, it was nothing. One of his hands sank into my hair, and I shivered.
The stirrings of something deep rose in my gut. Feelings that I’d thought I’d left behind forever. They drew me closer to Lucas. I clung to him like he was an anchor in a storm. But he was the storm too. That anger was directed outward, keeping us in its eye.
“I promise you, Ev,” he whispered against my lips. “I swear that I’m going to keep you safe and that this is going to end for you. I’m not going to stop until you’re free of it.”
My feet touched the ground, but I didn’t let him pull away. “I believe you.”
“I’m so sorry.”
I shook my head. “It’s not you. It’s him. I should have known. He won’t stop.”
Lucas placed a finger under my chin and raised my gaze to his. “You are not his. You don’t belong to anyone.”
“I just—” I took a breath. “I don’t want to run anymore.”
“I’m going to make sure that you don’t have to. The other owners are meeting me here to talk about what happened and what can be done. You’re welcome to listen, if you want.”
That kiss had sizzled my nerves, and I was still a little numb. I nodded.
“Your story is yours, Ev, but I need to tell them something. Which details can I share?”
I swallowed. “You can tell them that he scarred me and claimed me. That he’s been stalking me for years. How many identities I’ve had. That the cops made it worse.”
“That’s a lot,” Lucas said, eyebrows raised.
“Now that I’ve said all of it out loud, it’s easier. Half the reason that I didn’t show anyone my scars was the pity. Or the assumption that I was some kind of fool for not seeing it.” I searched for that resistance that I’d always found before when considering revealing the truth—and found nothing. “I’m done hiding.”
Maybe Nathan had finally broken me and I didn’t care anymore. But I was done. I didn’t want this. People deserved to know the kind of monster he was, and I knew that no one at Resting Warrior would ever look at me with pity or disgust.
“Thank you,” said Lucas.
“All my things are still in the house.”
He pulled me deeper into the house, up a set of stairs into a gorgeous and comfy living room. “I sent Harlan to get your things. He’ll be here soon.”
“Okay.” The sun had barely started to set, but I wanted pajamas. Comfort.
“I’ll make you some tea.”
The kitchen branched off the living room, and I could hear him moving around, but my eyes wouldn’t stay still. This was Lucas. His home. Where he spent time when he was alone.
It was sparse but comfortable. Warm woods and leather. A large fireplace dominated the space, and I had a vision of both of us curled up on the couch under a blanket. I blushed at the very idea of it. That image meant a future.
Was I envisioning a future with Lucas?
