“Of course,” I whispered, laying my head back down on his pillow, facing him. My heart ached for the fear and displacement he must be feeling. I hated Richie with an intensity that alarmed me. I hated him for everything he’d taken from me, and fromAiden.
I had finally gotten to a place where I was beginning to accept the past for what it was, mainly because Aiden had no recollections of the terror. But, with Richie’s return and his threats, he’d invited fear into our home onceagain.
This time, my fear didn’t cripple me. It motivated me. I still felt it coursing through my body, but it didn’t render me immobile. I knew what to do in order to protect myself and myson.
Aiden fought sleep, his eyes growing heavier by the second. Within five minutes, he was snoringsoftly.
I kissed his forehead and pulled myself out of his bed, careful not to disturbhim.
Voices drifted down the hallway as I quietly closed Aiden’s door. Brock and Braden had arrived, and from the sound of it, Travis had given them thenews.
Brock saw me first, and moved toward me with a pained look in his stormy eyes. He hugged me tightly before releasing me. “Are youokay?”
“I’m fine,” I said, my spine stiffening with resolve. “Or I will be fine...I’m sure Travis already told you that Richie’s back, but I called the police to report it. Please...don’t go afterhim.”
I was asking for a lot, but I hoped that both of my brothers listened. Richie seemed almost desperate, and he hadn’t cared at all about breaching the restraining order, which told me he would go to drastic measures. I wasn’t sure what kind of trouble he’d gotten himself into, but I didn’t know what he was capable of and I didn’t want my brothers’ in thecrossfire.
Brock paced the living room like a caged animal, brushing his long hair behind his ears. His muscles were coiled with tension and anger that rolled through him. “You can’t expect me to do nothing aboutthis.”
“That’s exactly what I expect from you,” I shot back, standing my ground. “You just got married, Brock. You’re building a life with Tessa, you don’t need to go to jail again. Let the police handleit.”
“She’s right, Brock. As much as I want to gut him myself, we can’t intervene like last time,” Braden voiced from the armchair. His words spoke of reason, but he was every bit as pissed off as Brock was. Braden was more inclined to think with his fists,too.
I stared at my surprising ally,nodding.
“Fine, we won’t hunt him down. But I can’t promise that I won’t tear him limb from limb if he comes anywhere near you or Aiden,” Brock said decisively. “And until the police find him, I don’t want either one of youalone.”
“That’s probably for the best,” I agreed. I hoped that the police would find Richie before he tried anything, but I couldn’t afford to be naïve either. Richie was dangerous. “I’m going to take a few personal days offwork.”
“What if you left town for a bit?” Travis suggested. I turned to look at him. “You and Aiden could stay withme.”
“I don’t want to run from my problems,” I frowned, although the idea wasenticing.
“It’s not running from your problems, it’s removing yourself from harm’s way,” Travis argued, stepping forward and closing the distance between us. He framed my face with his hands, his eyes searching mine. “It’ll give the police time to find him. Even if it’s just a couple ofdays.”
“I don’t want to put out yourmom.”
“You wouldn’t be, the house is big enough,” he assured me, his lips lifting in a small smile. He was worried. “It’s got a gate and a security system, and cameras overlooking thegrounds.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” I murmured, uncomfortable with my brothers watching our exchange. I was indecisive, swaying between wanting to escape for a few days and not wanting Richie to chase me away from my home, my job, and our lifehere.
Brock left around one o’clock, and Braden reluctantly retreated to the basement shortly thereafter. Braden had to work in the morning and couldn’t afford to take time off, and I’d had to practically throw Brock out. Both seemed wary of leaving me alone, despite my insistence that I wasokay.
And I was, for the most part. My heart still raced with fear, and time passed agonizingly slow as I waited for the police to callme.
I kept nodding off on the couch, and I woke up to Travis carrying me to my bedroom. “Stay,” I murmured into his chest, half asleep and completely unwilling to relinquish the warmth of hisarms.
“Okay,” he said lowly, brushing his lips across mine tenderly before he broke away to climb into bed withme.
I curled up in his arms, resting my head against his chest. The steady thrum of his heartbeat eased the panicked racing of mine. I couldn’t help breathing him in while he rubbed myback.
“Travis?” Iasked.
“Yeahbabe?”
“I’m glad you’re here,” I whispered, nestling closer to him as I allowed a few tears to fall. I feared so many things in that moment, but being with him wasn’t one of them—and I wanted him to know that. Usually, I was too busy running scared from how incredible he made me feel. Tonight, something had realigned within me, and I was leaning on him, drawing strength from him, thankful for his presence in my life, instead of denying it or running fromit.
“I’ll always be here,” he told me, kissing the top of myhead.
