His brutally beautiful face contorted, the gash he sustained last night busted wide open again.
Blood dribbled down his face, though it was smeared from where he’d lifted his shirt to wipe it.
Yellow flames burned in his hazel eyes. His jaw set and his posture hard, though his movements were tender as he unbuckled Colin’s straps. His gaze flicked to me every few seconds to gauge how I was feeling.
I didn’t know how to process exactly what that was.
“Everyone okay?” he asked, his voice gravel.
“Yep!” Colin peeped.
He barely ducked his chin. “Out you go,” he told Colin.
The air heaved out of me, trying to process, to grasp what was happening. Cash led Colin around to our side, then he nudged me out of the way so he could get to Eva.
She remained quiet as he pulled her into the sanctuary of his massive arms, and she curled herself against him. I could almost feel her relief. The comfort the vicious man exuded.
Addy crawled out behind them, and I took both her and Colin’s hands.
With his free hand, Colin waved at Otto and River. “Hi, Uncle River and Uncle Otto! Did you come to visit us?”
Tension gripped them, though Otto forced a big grin. “Yep. We just wanted to stop by to say good night. You’d better get inside and get some rest.”
“Okay,” Colin peeped. I cut both men a glance before I turned and ushered my children up the porch steps. With Eva tucked in his arms, Cash slowly climbed them behind us.
Duke barked wildly from the other side of the door, and Cash pulled out his phone and punched in the code before he stepped around me to undo the locks.
He pushed open the door and Duke came blazing out. Wagging his tail and licking Colin’s face.
Colin giggled and fisted the fur on the sides of his head. Softly and with so much joy and ease that my knees wobbled.
“Come on, it’s late,” Cash grumbled. Addy and Colin complied, heading through the main room and down the hall with Duke on their heels.
Cash worked back through all the locks then reengaged the alarm.
A shiver rolled through me when he keyed into a different screen and metal began to roll over the windows.
He turned back to me. “Told you that no one was going to get to you here.”
“I trust you,” I whispered.
Grimness filled his features, and he came my way. He brushed his lips across my cheek, his murmur darkened to coal. “You shouldn’t.”
He pushed away and continued into the children’s room.
An earthquake trembled beneath his feet.
It sent a tremor rolling through me, and I stood facing away for a moment, trying to gather my bearings, before I turned and inched down the hall. I stalled out in the doorway, watching as he tucked them into their beds.
Swells of protectiveness rushed from him as his intent gaze searched to make sure they were whole and unharmed before he pulled their covers to their chins.
Intensity billowed and bashed.
Every movement he made was inscribed with the ferocity he wore since the moment he noticed the headlights trailing us in the distance.
He finally straightened, every inch of him bristling and bunched.
“Good night, Mommy,” Colin called.
