Ronan shook his head slowly and closed his eyes, praying for the control to keep his comments to a minimum.
“How you managed to survive with him as long as you did, I’ll never know.”
“I had no choice in the matter at all. The day I finally ran, I had no idea where we were going or what would happen, but I knew at least the kids would be able to laugh and play and make noise and…”
“Not get screamed at or beaten for spilling things. Not forced to watch the adults swim while not being allowed to participate because they behave like children, because they are children.”
She nodded. “And not see their mother get beaten into unconsciousness when she tries to stand up for them. Not to see her dragged into a bedroom by her hair because their father’s been drinking and has decided it’s time she pays attention to him and not the quote unquote, ‘fucking kids’.” Giada was shaking at this point and completely unaware of it. There were silent tears streaming down her face without her notice, her gaze pinned on the wall behind him.
Ronan stroked her hair for a moment or two, then held her face in his hands as he made a soft shushing sound, bringing her words to a halt. She snapped out of it and realized she’d lost herself in the horrible memories she could never quite break free from. Her lips started trembling as she looked up at him.
Ronan quickly pressed his lips to hers, then to her forehead before he leaned back and looked down into her eyes. “It’s okay. You’re safe. You are safe. You’re never going to be near him again, and if he comes looking for you, I’ll kill him.”
She looked up at him, now clinging to his arms, where he still held her face gently in his hands. “He’s got so many men carrying out his orders…”
“Then they’ll die, too. I don’t care. Nobody will ever, ever threaten you, hurt you, frighten you, make you feel or do anything you don’t want to do again. And those boys? They’re mine as far as I’m concerned. They don’t belong to him, never did. They were meant to be mine. You were meant to be mine and I will not allow another thing to darken their memories or yours. Alright?”
“You don’t understand what he’s like,” she whispered.
“You don’t understand what I am,” he countered. “Trust me. I’m begging you.”
She huffed out a quick laugh through her tears. “A Wolf shifter.”
He nodded. “You’ll see soon. I trust you. I just need you to trust me, too.”
“I want to, but how do I know you won’t turn out like he did, even just a little? You’re surrounded and supported by family in all things, it seems. You’re all close, and your wives and families all live on family land — it’s a compound. Can you see what I do?”
“The similarities? Some of them, yes. But we don’t abuse our women. We don’t abuse our children. They are the entirereason we exist. We have regular jobs we go to every day. We get paid a little better than most but that’s because our families own the businesses. And yes, I heard what I just said. But every single thing we do is completely legal and above board.”
“He’s so dangerous,” she whispered.
“He’s not as dangerous as we are. He’s nothing to us.”
“How? You keep saying that. What are you not telling me?”
He took a deep breath, but decided against telling her about them yet. He couldn’t show her now anyway — the kids were here. And he needed her to trust him first so she didn’t freak out. “I plan on marrying you — with your permission, of course. I plan on raising your boys like my own. You’ll be safe for the rest of your lives. No one will ever harm you. That wasn’t just words I spoke to Leo the first night we had dinner at the shelter. I meant every word of it. But I know you don’t trust me. I need you to believe in me before I can show you everything. Alright?”
“You holding back is what is holding me back,” she admitted.
“It’s kind of a case of my truth biting me in the ass, because I can only show you my truth when you trust me.”
“I’m trying,” she said.
“I know. And I’m patient. You’ll see in time.”
“Ronan?!” Leo asked, as he walked into the room.
“Yeah, buddy?” Ronan said.
“Do you have cereal? Like the really sugary kind that’s all different colors?”
“I might. Let me see. Everybody that stays here just leaves whatever food they didn’t finish in the pantry.”
“Okay,” Leo said, standing his ground as he watched Ronan and his mother have a serious conversation. He glanced toward the back of the house again, looked over at his mother still being held by Ronan, then leaned on one of the chairs at the kitchen table and simply watched them.
“You alright?” Ronan asked her quietly, stroking her face with his thumbs.
Giada nodded as she let go of his arms and pushed through his hold on her to press herself against him, her head against his chest as she closed her eyes, and hugged him tightly.
