“Dude, I swear. I’ll have the money. I’m competing this weekend. The pot is over one hundred G’s.”
The guy stepped forward, pulling a large knife from the back of his jeans. His voice was menacing and low, but I didn’t miss a single word. “Time’s up.”
The scream that ripped from his throat was the last thing I remember. I covered my ears, closed my eyes, and huddled down in the corner, my mind was in protection mode and the only thing I could do was pray.
Pray for someone to save my brother.
Pray for someone to save us both.
“Bodie!”
Cassidy’s terrified scream shredded the silence, the sound yanking me from my semiconscious state. I jumped up from my makeshift pallet on the floor, reaching for my gun lying next to me. Moonlight poured through the windows, lending enough light on the bed where I found her twisted up in the sheets, clutching them to her chest as she rolled back and forth.
She cried out his name again and my chest constricted with the desperation in her voice.
Fuck, she had nightmares, too.
Sitting down next to her, I reached out and switched on the light. “Cass, wake up,” I said softly, gently nudging her.
Her body jerked, eyes wide with surprise.
I brushed her damp hair from her face. Her breath came in broken pants. “You okay?” I asked.
With a nod she sat up, bringing her knees to her chest and burying her face in her hands, a sob shaking her small body. I wasn’t sure what to do or even what to say. But I knew what she was feeling.
The loss.
The helplessness.
I battled it every single day and it was even worse at night when the darkness crept in. When there was nothing left of the day except you and the memories.
We sat in silence for what seemed like forever before she finally lifted her head, tears staining her face. Her eyes moved to the blanket and pillow on the floor then to me. “Why are you sleeping on the floor?”
“Safer.”
She chuckled through her tears, shaking her head. “I think I can control myself, Reid.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about.”
Her lips parted on a small gasp, her large, brown eyes softening. The confession poured from my tongue without regret. She’d been back in my life only a short while and she was ripping all sorts of emotions out of me.
Shit I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in years.
After Bodie’s death, I shut down completely. I never wanted to get too close to anyone like that again.
If losing a friend hurt this much, imagine how fucking bad it would be to lose someone you love.
She had the power to destroy me. I knew it by her smile, her laugh, and the undeniable pull she had on me. I’d never had to fight this hard to contain what I felt. I never had to worry about my heart being stolen. But with her, it was all at risk. One wrong move would undoubtedly bring me to my knees.
“Will you lie with me?”
It’s all I’ve wanted to do all night. “Cass, I don’t think—”
“Please? Just for a little while. I’m so cold, Reid. I’m always so cold.”
The plea in her voice was my undoing. I was pretty certain it wouldn’t take much for her to get what she wanted out of me, no matter how much I tried to fight it.
Pressing my knee to the bed, I moved to sit next to her, resting my back on the headboard and pulling her into my arms. Her sweet smell settled in the center of my chest. Every single inch of my skin craved to touch hers, to instill her with my warmth, but I had to be careful. The way Cassidy looked at me, the need in her eyes. She would want more than someone to keep her warm for just one night.
