A second text? To Addie?
He stepped into the hall and called Jesse.
He answered immediately. “Noah—”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
There was a small pause before Jesse spoke. “Addie didn’t tell you? I thought she was staying with you?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I got home late.”
“Okay. Well, she called the station. She got a second text tonight. It said that she needed to leave before they did something she wouldn’t like.”
Noah cursed. Damn, he wanted to kick his own ass. He should have been here. She’d needed him. “I should have been with her.”
“Why weren’t you?”
“I just have some…stuff going on.” It didn’t come close to describing what he was going through.
“Anything you want to talk about?”
He was shaking his head before Jesse finished speaking. “Not right now.”
“Let me know if that changes. I’m happy to listen.”
“Thanks.”
“And we’re going to find the jerk who’s messing with her.”
“I know.” He trusted his cousin. Jesse was good at his job and he would find them. But when?
Noah hung up, but instead of going to the couch, he stepped into the bedroom and crossed over to her bed, like every part of him was pulled toward her. Unable to stop himself, he crouched beside the bed, and just like he’d done that afternoon, he slipped a lock of hair behind her ear.
Her eyes fluttered open. “You’re late.”
“I’m sorry. I should have been here.”
“Are you okay?”
“Jesse called. Why didn’t you tell me about the text?”
“I was going to when you got home.”
Yeah. His fault.
“Will you do something for me?” she whispered.
“Anything.” And he meant it. In that moment, crouched in front of her, surrounded by her sweet scent, he would have agreed to anything she asked.
“Lie with me. Just for a little bit.”
A voice inside him told him it was a bad idea. Told him to step out. Wait until he was safer for her to be around.
But her gaze chained him to the spot. Before he knew what he was doing, he rose and moved to the other side of the bed. The second he was beneath the sheets, he tucked her against him.
And Jesus, she felt good. She was soft and warm, and the sound of her sweet sigh was fucking music to his ears.
For the first time in months, his body relaxed. The feel of her against him silenced the voices in his head that had been deafening him for so long. It unraveled the rope around his chest and just let him feel that thing he hadn’t felt in so long—peace.
