Forged.
The rain continued its relentless percussion against the windows, and in the distance, David heard the muffled clink of wind chimes—a peaceful sound in any other moment. Now it sounded like a battle cry, high and bright and unafraid.
He thought of Lena, probably still at the front desk, managing the concerns of guests worried about the weather, her smile in place even as the storm gathered. She didn’t know she stood at the center of a war that predated her arrival by a decade or more. No idea that loving him—or beginning to love him—painted a target on her back.
She would know. Soon. And then the choice would be hers.
David’s jaw tightened. He’d give her every tool, every piece of information, every protection he could offer. But he wouldn’t make her decisions for her. She’d lived too many years having her choices stolen by men who thought they had that right.
“When do we start?” Zach asked, breaking the silence.
David met his brother’s eyes, then Nick’s, acknowledging the unbreakable bond that connected them all. “Now. We start now.”
Chapter 49
Double Rainbow
The beach stretched out,pristine, the sea whispering secrets to the shore as foamy edges kissed the sand. The air was heavy with humidity, thick with the bouquet of brine and distant jasmine. Lena dug her bare toes into the cool, grainy sand, the hem of her sundress dancing with the breeze, brushing against her calves. The moon hung low, casting a silvery light over all it touched.
The party was history. Chester was behind bars. Well, he wasn’t in a jail cell—he got out on bail the next morning. But he was in the system now. Charges were filed. The restraining order was permanent. He was shackled with a GPS monitor. For once, he wasn’t the one doing the watching, and consequences had his name on them.
And this time, there were witnesses; it wasn’t just her word against his.
The primary threat lingered, but it was muted, distant. For this moment, she was free. She had roots again, a job that filled her with passion, a resort brimming with excess and charm.
And she had people—Lisa’s laughter, Walter’s resolute support, Nick’s leadership, Zach’s protection, Kate’s warmth. And David. Always David.
She felt him before she heard him, that buzz on her skin from his presence.
“You always wander off when you need space.” His words rumbled through her core.
A ghost of a smile played on her lips as his strong arms wrapped around her waist, his strength enveloping her, his familiar scent of cedar and citrus anchoring her. His breath on her ear was hot and reassuring.
“You always follow,” she murmured.
“Because you matter, Lena,” he turned her to face him. The moonlight cast silver on his face, highlighting the stark angles of his cheekbones, the stubble on his jaw. His eyes, though—they were soft, tender.
She nestled her face into his chest, enjoying the rise and fall, listening to the rhythm of his heart. He was a safe harbor in the storm that had been her life.
“You okay?”
She shook her head, her hair brushing against his chin. “Not yet,” she confessed. “But I’m closer than I’ve been in a long time. And even better now, with you here.”
The only sound was the waves lapping at the shore and the distant cry of a night bird. When he spoke, his voice was a whisper. “You were extraordinary at the party. With Chester. I don’t think I told you that.”
She closed her eyes, remembering the fear that had coursed through her veins like ice. “I was terrified.”
“But you stood tall, Lena,” his thumb traced circles on her lower back. “You faced your fear. You always do.”
Something in his words, in his tone, split open a part of her normally locked away. She laced her fingers through his where they rested on her waist. “I want this,” her own voice was thick with unshed tears. “You. Us. I’m just… I’m scared I’ll screw it up.”
He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “You will. And so will I, but that’s what makes it real, Lena. That’s what makes it worth it.”
“So we’ll be messy?” she asked, a smile in her voice.
“We’ll be us.”
He reached into his pocket, pulling out something small, something that glinted in the moonlight.
