"Good." He leans forward and presses his forehead to mine. "Because I'm already there. And the only thing that terrifies me is the thought of losing you before I get the chance to show you what this could be."
I close my eyes. Breathe him in. Pine and herbs and safety.
"Okay," I say finally.
"Okay?"
"Okay. We deal with what's in front of us. Together."
His kiss is soft, sweet and full of promise.
When we finally get back to the cabin, the dogs are waiting at the door, tails wagging. Luna immediately attaches herself to my ankle. Bear sniffs me thoroughly, as if checking for injuries. Moose yawns and goes back to his bed.
"Home sweet home," Cade says, locking the door behind us.
Home.
The word doesn't scare me anymore.
We fall asleep tangled together, his arm heavy across my waist, his breath warm against my hair. The dogs settle around us like a furry security system.
And when the nightmares come, as they always do when Kevin gets close, Cade is there to hold me through them.
For the first time in years, I don't have to face the darkness alone.
CHAPTER SEVEN
CADE
The nightmare comes back three nights later.
Not the usual one. Not the faces of soldiers I couldn't save or the kid who called me Dad while he bled out in the dirt. This one is worse.
This one has Natalie in it.
She's running through the woods behind my cabin, barefoot, bleeding, and I'm chasing her but I can't catch up. Every time I get close, she slips further away. And behind her, gaining ground, is a faceless man with hands like vises and a voice that keeps saying mine, mine, mine.
I wake up gasping, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding so hard my ribs ache. Natalie is still asleep beside me. Peaceful. Unaware. I slip out of bed without waking her and pad to the kitchen. Pour myself a glass of water. Stand at the sink and stare out at the darkness while my hands shake.
Three weeks. She's been here three weeks, and I'm already so far gone that my subconscious is creating new nightmares to torture me with.
What the hell am I doing?
I know what Deck said. I know the PI is still searching in the wrong direction. I know we have time to prepare, to plan, to set up every possible defense.
But I also know that none of that matters if Kevin Pierce decides to come for her. Because men like him don't follow rules. They don't respect boundaries. They don't stop until they get what they want or someone stops them permanently.
And if something happens to her because of me? Because I wasn't fast enough or smart enough or strong enough?
I can't survive that. Not again.
The floorboards creak behind me. I turn to find Natalie in the doorway, wearing my flannel, her hair mussed from sleep.
"You okay?"
"Fine." The lie comes out automatic. "Just couldn't sleep."
She crosses to me, her bare feet silent on the wood floor. When she reaches up to touch my face, her fingers are cool against my overheated skin.
