I cup her cheek, pressing a kiss to her lips. “He won’t get us, and he won’t get you. I need you to trust me.”
The way she looks up at me has my breath catching. She is looking at me like I am her lifeline, and damn if I am going to fail her.
“I do trust you. More than anyone I ever have in my life. It’s why I’m so scared. You could hurt me far worse than Evan ever did,” she admits.
I smile. “I never will, though, and that’s why you trust me. We should get back. It’s late, and you look tired. You need to rest.”
She nods, letting me help her up. When we get back to the bike, I soak in the feeling of her arms around me.
After I take care of the piece of shit husband of hers, I am claiming her as mine.
“Amhuirnín, wake up,” Mac murmurs as he brushes my hair away from my face.
Slowly, I open my tired eyes.
I fell asleep. No, I cried myself to sleep. When we got back, he held me and told me to process my feelings. So I did. As exhaustion settles into my bones, I forgot how physically and mentally draining it was to deal with Evan and all of his bullshit. How living in a constant state of fear drains the life out of you.
“How long was I out?” I ask.
“About an hour.”
An hour? Really? It feels like I just shut my eyes a moment ago.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks.
“Too many things to list.” I groan.
“Give me one.” He presses a kiss to my temple.
“I’m scared,” I tell him quietly.
“I’m scared too, but I’m not going to let anything happen to you guys, okay? I promise you everything is going to work out. I just need you to trust me.”
I nod against his chest. “I do. You know I do, but the fear is still there.”
It’s true. After our chat here and then at the beach, I trust Mac more than ever.
“Good. That’s good to hear.” He clears his throat. “Smoke and Kelly will be here in a few minutes, though, with the kids.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, knowing that I was only able to rest because I knew they were taken care of.
He squeezes me tight. “You never have to thank me for taking care of you, Jane. Or the kids. Now let’s get up before I decide that we should just stay here forever.”
Reluctantly, I pull myself away from him and get up.
“I’m going to go wash my face,” I tell him.
“Sounds good. Take your time.” His tone is soft.
My heart breaks at how gently he’s talking to me. Almost as if he’s afraid I’m about to break. Then again, maybe I am.
After splashing cold water onto my face, I step back into Mac’s room and look around. If it weren’t for his cut being on the back of a chair and his leather jacket, I would think the room belongs to someone else. It’s bare of all personal objects and is the complete opposite of his house.
He only stays here on occasion. Not often. I can tell.
The sound of a door opening and slamming shut makes me flinch.
They’re back.
