"Best damn thing I've ever done in a car," she whispers, a lazy smile tugging her mouth.
I chuckle low, still catching my breath. "We're not done doing this in cars." I run my thumb along her jaw, gentle now. "But next time, I'm gonna bring proper restraints and some bottled water. You look half feral."
She laughs softly, the sound warm and tired and leans against me. She's still flushed and breathing slowly, her cheek resting on my shoulder. I hold her there, my hand smoothing down her spine, and I can feel the tiny shivers that still run through her muscles now and then.
I brush my fingers through her hair and kiss the top of her head. "Lena," I murmur, "talk to me."
She doesn't answer right away. She shifts a little, enough that her thigh brushes mine, and I feel her pulse jump again. She's still soft from everything we just did, and I can tell part of herwants to curl into me and not think. But another part—the part that's always fighting the whole world alone—makes her stiffen just a little.
I cup her cheek and tilt her face up toward mine. "Why'd you come on that date?" My voice is quiet, steady. I'm not trying to corner her. I just need to know what drove her there.
She tries to look away, and I won't let her. I keep her chin in my hand until our eyes meet again.
"Lena."
She sighs, the sound low and tired, and looks down at her hands. "My dad said a lot of stuff he shouldn't have last night."
I nod, giving her room to go on. "Such as?"
She gives a dry laugh. "That I'm running out of time. I'm getting older and Jace needs a father. I should fix my life before it's too late." She shakes her head. "Same stuff he's been saying since I was a teenager."
A slow anger warms my chest. "So he pushed you into going."
"He set the date behind my back," she says. "Told them I'd be there. He did it to look good. To feel in control and to fix me."
I feel something sharp twist inside me. "You didn't deserve that."
She nods, but her eyes look haunted now. She presses her palm flat against my chest like she's steadying herself. "And there's something else. I wouldn't have said yes to the date anyway if this other bit didn't happen."
Every muscle in my body goes still. "Tell me."
She swallows. Her voice turns small. "Tom. The guy I was seeing. He's been calling nonstop. He knows things. And he keeps hinting that he'll tell people. My dad. Other parents. People at Jace's school. He said he'd stir shit up if I kept ignoring him."
"He threatened you?" My voice drops into something I learned in war zones as fury makes me clench my palms into fists.
She nods once.
"What did he say?"
"That the town is talking," she murmurs. "And that my dad would ‘want to know everything' if he found out about me and… you. He said I'd better pick up or he'd make sure everybody sees me the way he wants them to."
My breathing changes, controlled in the way a knife is controlled. I want Lena to know that I have no problems coming out about our relationship to her dad, but that call has to be hers. And before we even get to that point, there's other things that need to be done.
"Lena," I say, lifting her chin so she looks straight at me, "you should've told me sooner."
"I didn't want to drag you into it."
"You didn't drag me anywhere," I growl. "He did."
Her eyes widen a little at my tone. I soften my thumb on her cheek. "You're not alone in this."
She leans into my touch before she even realizes she's doing it. "I was scared," she whispers.
"I know," I say gently. "I'm not criticizing you. I'm telling you I'm handling it. We're going to deal with him."
Her breath catches. "Gabe?—"
"We're getting even." My voice leaves no room for misunderstanding. "Nobody threatens you. Nobody gets to use our son against you. And nobody gets to run his mouth about you and think he's safe."
