Indy’s expression goes still. “I don’t have to, Bea. Do I want to stay here? Of course. But if things between us… Shit.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m falling in love with you.”
My heart launches itself into the stratosphere. “You are?”
Indy looks at me earnestly. “I am. And it’s okay if you’re not. I know it’s soon. But, yeah. I am. How could I not when you’re so incredible? When you’re everything I’ve ever wanted? When you’re the only person who makes me feel whole? Not some broken man, but?—”
“You’re not broken, Indy. You never were. And you’re not now.”
“I don’t know.” He sighs. “Sometimes I think you’re right. Sometimes I’m not sure.”
“But I’m sure,” I tell him firmly. “And I’ll keep reminding you. For as long as it takes.”
“Bea.” He kisses my forehead. “I want all of it. Having you here. Seeing where this thing between us leads. But.”
And there goes my heart, falling all the way to the basement. “But?” My voice quivers. “What?”
“There are things I’ve done. Things you might not like. And you might feel differently about me once you know.”
I can’t imagine anything that would change my mind about Indy.
But I also know how self-doubt can work deep. And how hard it is to get rid of it.
So I squeeze his hands and say, “Tell me.”
Almost a minute goes by before Indy speaks. “When we caught Davis, when we—I—interrogated him, it wasn’t pretty. I threatened him. I hurt him. I held a gun to his head and threatened to shoot him, Bea. And honestly—” His jaw tightens. “I wanted to kill him. If we didn’t need more information, I would have.”
“Indy. That’s not horrible.Hewas horrible. If you had to intimidate him?—”
“I would have killed him, Bea. I wanted to. Doesn’t that scare you?”
“No.” I hold his gaze. “I know you had to kill people in the Army. Just like my dad did. It doesn’t seem any different to me. Davis is a bad man. And if you…”
“I did kill a man,” he interrupts. “Not in the Army. After.”
He watches me carefully, probably expecting me to run off screaming. But I won’t. I wouldn’t. Because I know Indy. And if he killed someone, I know it was for good reason. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
“Want to? No. Because I’m afraid you won’t want to be with me anymore. But I need to. Because you should know everything before deciding if you want to be with me.”
My heart squeezes. “Okay.”
After another long pause, he says, “Three years ago, Eden was raped. Her attacker was never caught. I didn’t know… she never told me. I was overseas, and then my arm…” Misery twists his features. “She was too afraid of upsetting me. Her big brother. I was supposed to protect her, but I let her down.”
Oh.
My heart hurts for Eden and Indy.
“When I came here to help Eden, she finally told me. Because she was afraid the man who attacked her was responsible. Andshit…” He closes his eyes momentarily. “I couldn’t believe it. My little sister.”
I move closer to Indy and wrap my arm around his side. “I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t him. The people who were trying to hurt Eden, I mean. But after—she never saw him. But she heard him. His voice. It was distinctive. She said she never forgot it.”
I thread my fingers between his. “She heard him?”
He nods. “She did. At her work, of all places. Eden panicked. Of course. She called Rafe, who was right outside. He got in there, grabbed the guy… But he didn’t call the police. Because he wanted to deal with it himself.”
