“Come on.” Caleb got to his feet. “Let me show you the spare room. I changed the sheets while you were in the shower. You get a head start on sleeping, and I’ll call Tex.”
“Okay.” He steadied her when she stumbled as her klutzy self climbed off the stool and followed him to the room. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, baby girl. We’ll figure out how to make everything safe for you.” He reached above the door jam with his fingers. “Here.” He pressed something into her hand. “The key for the door. Lock it if it makes you feel safer.”
She offered him a small smile, then shut and locked herself into the bedroom. The four steps to the bed looked like a million miles, but she made it and flopped onto it. Curling onto her side, she drew her knees up. Tomorrow, or rather today, had to be a better day, because while yesterday had started out awesome, it had ended in a craptastic storm of yuckiness that ate at her soul.
12
Caleb lay on his back, one arm stuffed under his head and the other resting on his stomach. He should be sleeping. He was three missions back-to-back tired. But after talking to Tex and hearing what he’d found, he wasn’t able to sleep without envisioning how she’d been doing her best to keep herself safe.
Rose!
Even though he guessed Rose wasn’t her real name, it was the name she’d given him, and he wouldn’t be lying to anyone, including himself, for thinking it suited her.
He hadn’t asked Tex for her real name, and Tex hadn’t provided him with it. Although he guessed Tex knew it. That man knew freaking everything.
Thank God he’s on our side because the odds would be forever against us if he played for the other team.
He rolled over onto his stomach. Staring at the ceiling was getting him nowhere. Maybe if he buried his nose in the pillow, he’d be able to stop his mind from racing with possibilities, and sleep would catch up to him. He closed his eyes and forced everything out of his mind.
He was just at that point, right before he was about to drop into a deep sleep, where he wasn’t sure if he was awake or dreaming, when a soft sound on the opposite side of the wall ripped his cold, dead heart open and provided it with a freaking emotion. Not just any emotion, hell no, it gave him the desire to comfort. To fix what was wrong in her world.
I’m so screwed.
And I don’t even care.
He threw back the covers and pulled on a pair of shorts. As attracted as he was to her, his need to comfort her was stronger. Knocking on her locked door with his raging hard-on waving under her nose wasn’t what she needed right now.
Down, boy.
He paused outside her door to thump his dick with his fist.
This isn’t the time or the place for you.
He cocked his head to one side and listened for more of the screams which had filtered through to his room.
She’s crying, damn it.
The soft sounds tugged at his heartstrings. He raised his hand, knocked, and waited, listening for a response. “Rose?”
Instead of answering as he’d expected her to do, she cried out again in her sleep. He hovered for a second, unsure of what he should do.
Shit, I told her to lock the door.
Her cries would rip the soul out of the devil himself if he possessed one. He went to the living room in search of his go-bag and the lock-picking kit from the front pocket. She could be mad at him if she needed to be. But sue him if he didn’t want to allow her to suffer alone through the nightmare.
It took him less than a minute to retrieve the tools and unlock her bedroom door. After hearing the click, she quieted. “Rose?” When, once again, his only response was the now soft sounds of weeping, he opened the door and slipped into the room.
“Rose?” He crouched on his haunches next to the bed, his hand hovering near hers. Would he scare her if he touched her? Probably. It broke what was left of his heart to see the big fat tears rolling down her cheeks. “Baby girl, wake up. It’s only a nightmare.” Damn it, his words made her cry harder. He gave into temptation and swore he’d allow her to kick his own ass or ask Kace to do it for him in the morning, because someone would have to forgive him for wanting her to have someone to hold onto. He tugged back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing back her hair from her face. “Baby girl, I swear I’m not looking for a damn thing…”
Liar.
“I just want to hug you if you want one.”
She rolled toward him and nuzzled into his elbow before jerking awake. “Wha—” She lifted her eyes to meet his, fear on her face, but she didn’t pull away from him. If anything, she pulled him toward her.
“It was just a dream. It’s okay. You’re at my house. It’s okay.” He’d give anything for her to believe his reassurance. “I’m here. You aren’t alone. I promise. You aren’t wherever your dreams have taken you. I’m not him.” He held his breath, waiting for her to tell him what she wanted him to do.
