She was safe. Tony was dead. She was finally free. But it all felt so unreal.
Murphy’s arms were wrapped tightly around her as he moved, his hold so snug it was difficult to breathe. Every so often, a slight tremor ran through his frame, and he’d hug her more fiercely to him, as if he were afraid she’d slip through his fingers and disappear.
She hugged him back just as hard, keeping her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, and her face buried in hisneck. Each inhale filled her nose with his cologne, and it helped ease the riot of sensations in her body.
“I’ve got you, little mate,” Murphy crooned, one hand moving from her upper back to sift through her hair.
Nessa nodded, her lips settling over the mating mark she’d given him a few days before.
Tony was really dead.
Jasper was perfectly fine. And Murphy … He’d found her. Protected her, even when she’d thought she wouldn’t make it out of that damned barn alive.
When she thought her situation was hopeless, her mate had been her light in the dark.
He’s always been my light.
Nessa blinked away the waterfall of tears waiting to be unleashed. She’d cry later, when she and Murphy were alone. When she could be vulnerable, and he could be there to pick up the pieces after she broke down.
Aside from the bruise on her face, the ache in her neck, and the tenderness around her wrists and ankles from the rope, she felt fine. Physically.
Emotionally, Nessa was a mess.
How could she not be after everything that had happened? She’d lived in fear for years, and when she’d finally felt free of her strife, when she’d finally tried to move on with her life, the monster from her nightmares had come barreling into her teahouse, hellbent on making her suffer.
Tony’s dead. He’ll never touch you again. Murphy made sure of that.
He definitely had.
Even when Murphy had killed Jason all those months ago, Nessa hadn’t seen him display such savagery. Not like today.
She’d barely recognized Tony when she’d caught a brief glance at his bloodied corpse. The sight of him had made her nauseous,so she’d looked away, instead choosing to focus on how satisfied she’d felt by his death.
“Am I a bad person for being happy he’s gone?” Nessa asked, her lips brushing over Murphy’s bare skin. “Tony was an evil man, but I feel like I should have some sort of empathy for his demise.”
But she didn’t. She was glad the world was rid of Tony.
She was glad he’d died so brutally, too, even though she knew that was wrong.
Murphy growled, the sound vibrating menacingly between them. “You’re the best person I know, Nes. And no, you shouldn’t feel empathy for someone like that. It’s a waste of your energy.”
She nodded, running a hand through his short hair. “I love you,” she whispered.
If it was possible, her mate squeezed her to him even more vehemently than before. “I love you too. Let’s get you home.”
“Your place?” she asked hopefully.
Just knowing that Tony had stalked her business, and probably her house … She didn’t want to go back there. Not tonight.
Murphy kissed the side of her head tenderly. “It’s your place too, Nes.”
Despite the severity of the last several hours, Nessa smiled, feeling lighter than only moments before. “Good. I’ve been dying to change the entire layout. Maybe put in a tea/meditation room. And I want to paint over all that oak. Maybe a lavender or a blush pink. Doesn’t that sound good?”
Her cheek throbbed as she spoke, but she ignored the pain. Hopefully, in a few days, she’d hardly notice it.
He tensed and then blew out a small laugh. “You’re teasing me.”
“Just a little,” she conceded, the wind blowing her hair over her shoulder.
