She pulls her hands inside the sweatshirt sleeves and wraps them around the warm mug. “I’ve been managing just fine on my own.”
“I saw how jittery you were out in public,” I counter.
Her head drops between her shoulders, and her voice softens. “Being on the run isn’t easy.”
“Then tell me what’s going on. The more I know, the better I can strategize.”
“First, tell me how you’re able to afford this house.” She peeks at me through long dark lashes as she sips her tea.
This woman is going to bring me to my knees. No, she’s not. That’s ridiculous. And yet, how else do I explain my insistence that she stay here?
“I enlisted in the Navy when I was nineteen. Sort of a big ‘screw you’ to my dad,” I start. “Became a Navy SEAL. Went on countless missions. Also worked construction over the years between missions. Four years ago, my mom got sick, so I came home. While I was here, I started building this place. So yeah, I’m good with my hands.”
Her teeth catch the corner of her lip, and I swear I see a flicker of something in her eyes. Did she like that?
“So, you got a deal on your home because you were able to help construct it?” she asks.
“Yes.” I nod, watching her closely.
“Fine,” she sighs. “I’ll tell you what happened.”
The rage in my chest builds as she recounts the nightmare she escaped. Her boyfriend—a man she trusted—was a façade of decency hiding a monster. A sex trafficker.
“Good thing he didn’t catch you eavesdropping,” I say, my jaw tight.
Her eyes close tightly, her voice trembling. “I know. He might’ve sold me too.” A single tear slips down her cheek.
Before I realize what I’m doing, my thumb grazes her face, brushing the tear away.
A shiver runs through her body, and I pull my hand back.
“Can you put in a good word with the restaurant manager?” she asks, shifting the subject.
“On one condition,” I reply.
“What’s that?”
“You’ll stay here while you’re in town.”
“Declan, you’ve already done too much—”
“Let me do this,” I interrupt. “And give me the chance to destroy those five assholes.”
Her gaze hardens, a dark determination lighting her features. “We’ll destroy them together.”
A mischievous grin spreads across my face. “Now you’re talking.”
“So, where are you from?” I ask.
“Atlanta, Georgia.” She takes another sip of tea. “I went to college in my hometown. Always wanted to travel, though. Never got the chance.”
“You haven’t had the opportunity to do it on your own terms,” I say.
“Exactly.” She grins, then lets out a wistful sigh. “One day, I’d love to see the world. Once I finish paying off my student loans, that is.”
Meridea sighs and puts a hand to her forehead. “But first, I have to get out of this mess.”
“As I said before, I’ll help you get out of it.”
