“She called Charlie but only told her she fell and didn’t tell her the truth of what happened. That was when I knew I had to break my promise to her. This is too big to fuck around. She isn’t safe. The ranch isn’t safe. You all need to know.”
Angus rubs his hands over his face. “Since when do we keep things like this from each other?”
“You’ll have to ask her when she’s ready to talk about it. I know she didn’t want anyone to call your mom and ruin her cruise. That’s a promise I will keep. I’ll leave whether you tell Sharon up to the three of you.”
“Listen, man. I appreciate you filling us in, but it’s late and I’m wiped. I need to get home to Charlotte and the baby. Let us know what happens with the Feds. Knox, keep us posted on your security detail.”
“Will do, brother,” Knox replies, walking over to me. He shakes my hand and pulls me into a bro hug. “Sorry if I outed you, dude. You’ve got my seal of approval, though.”
An emotion I wasn’t expecting hits me like a freight train. I can barely breathe enough to reply. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
The brothers say their goodbyes and sneak out the way they came in. Around the side of the house and out the gate to the front yard.
Maui and I do our own sneaking back into the house, and when I check on Daisy, she’s sleeping soundly. With the dog in my arms, I watch her, unable to believe we almost lost her. My life as I know it would cease to exist without her in it. Even if all I ever get are the scraps she throws me, I need her like I need my next breath.
Not wanting to disturb her, I crate Maui and try to settle into the guest room across the hall, leaving both bedroom doors open. However, sleep never finds me. I lie here wide awake for hours, my mind reeling with ways to take these East Coast assholes out. What the hell was going through Cal’s mind? When will the woman in the next room admit her feelings? Hell, not to me, but to herself.
The first time she calls my name, I think it’s my tired delirium. But when I hear it again, I fly out of bed and frantically race to her bedside.
“What’s wrong? What’s happened? Are you in pain?”
She’s propped up on her elbows, the bedside lamp on so I can’t miss the stank face aimed at me. “Promise breaker,” she spits. Reaching over, she flips off the lamp.
My heart sinks to my stomach, my body drenched in a cold sweat.
I can’t believe one of her brothers called her in the middle of the night to tell her I betrayed her. As sick as it feels to disappoint her, I know I did the right thing.
Looking down at her, I cross my arms over my chest and say nothing. I won’t defend doing what needed to be done to keep her and her family safe.
“You promised you’d sleep with me.”
My knees weaken, my exhausted body sagging in relief to know her brothers didn’t sell me out.
“I had to take our girl out, and when I came back up, you were sleeping so soundly I didn’t want–.”
“Stop, Owen. I don’t want to hear it,” she says, cutting me off. “Please. I need you here, next to me.” There’s no humor in her whispered plea.
She needs me.
That’s all she has to say.
I slip in beside her, and she reaches for me once I’m under the covers. I get as close as I can without disturbing her propped-up leg.
“You need anything, baby?”
“Just you, Owen.”
“Don’t say it until you mean it enough to tell your family and the world the same thing.”
“Okay.”
Her hold on my hand tightens, and since she’s stuck where she is on her back, I angle myself so my head rests on her shoulder, getting as close as I can get.
Just when I think she’s asleep, she whispers, “Owen, you awake?”
I bring our hands to my mouth and kiss the back of hers in reply.
“I saw you writing earlier. Are you an aspiring novelist?”
