Becket: Thanks for the photo. I’ll keep an eye out for the fucker.
He’d sent a photo of Dylan to his brother because he needed all the backup he could get.
Jesse: Thanks. I appreciate it.
Next, he called Holden, and his best friend answered on the first ring.
“Hey, Jesse. It’s late. Everything okay?”
“I need you here sooner.” His friend had said he’d be moving in a month or two, but Jesse needed the backup of his former Ghost Ops team membernow.
“What’s wrong?”
“You know how I told you Aspen’s living with me because of an ex from her hometown?”
“Yeah?” There was a dangerous edge to his voice.
“Well, that ex is here, in Amber Ridge. And tonight, he attacked one of my deputies, then Aspen.”
Holden cursed. “Are they both okay?”
“Luke has a concussion and Aspen has bruising on her neck…and he got away.”
“I’ll tie up some loose ends here and be there within the week.”
Jesse closed his eyes, relief punching him in the gut. “Thank you.”
“Watch your back until I get there.”
“Always.”
He hung up and went into the bathroom. He needed to wash this damn day away. But even when he got under the shower spray, his mind didn’t stop, repeating what had happened today over and over again like a damn movie reel. Only this was real fucking life.
He hadn’t known Aspen for long, but his heart didn’t seem to care. Heneededher. He needed her safe and close and protected. He couldn’t lose her when they’d barely begun.
Ten minutes later, he turned off the shower and returned to the bedroom. The second he stepped inside, his gaze went to her. Tracing the features of her face. Taking in every rise and fall of her chest.
He pulled on some briefs and slid beneath the sheets. Even though he’d done it as silently as he could, she immediately rolled over and rested her cheek on his chest…like she felt his presence as heavily as he felt hers.
He wrapped an arm around her and tugged her closer, and she breathed out a sigh.
Even with Aspen in his arms, he still struggled to push the rage aside…and he couldn’t. It bore down on him. Crushing him. Suffocating. Not just because of what had happened today, but because of everything Aspen revealed that asshole had done to her.
Jesse had known the son of a bitch had hurt her. But hearing it out loud…it fueled his need to find the scumbag and tear him to fucking pieces.
CHAPTER 22
Aspen strummed her fingers against the window frame. She was nervous. The kind of nervous that made her belly do funny little rolls and made sitting feel impossible.
She shouldn’t be nervous. This was her mother, the woman she grew up with. Most people would be excited.
But most people didn’t have Karen Davies as a mother.
She should have done this yesterday, but Jesse had encouraged her to spend the day resting. Well, not encouraged.Enforcedin a very direct you’re-not-moving way.
But he was right. And she’d been an emotional mess; waiting an extra day was probably for her mother’s benefit even more than hers.
But if her mother confirmed that she’d given Dylan her address, she’d probably turn into that emotional mess all over again.
