Wren watches me examining her—assessing her. She doesn’t wilt an inch, her back straight, poised with her hands folded in the ruined skirts of her dress.
No, she ran for a good reason.
“Tell me what kind of help you’re expecting from us.” My voice is low, authoritative, maybe a little harsh, but I don’t like the way my body is betraying me.
Her eyes round then narrow without fear. “I’m not expecting any. I’ll keep walking if I need to.”
Righteous calm hides most of the trepidation in her voice, but it doesn’t waver even a little bit.
“You don’t have any shoes.”
“Didn’t stop me last time.”
The brows of my men rise, and I shoo JP and Doc out, gesturing for Judge to stay. They follow my orders without a word, although Doc steals one more look at Wren over his shoulder on the way out.
“Did you know your fiancé has already issued a missing persons report for you?”
All of the color drains from her face. “It hasn’t been forty-eight hours.”
“No, it hasn’t. Do you know what that tells me?”
She shakes her head, but I can tell she’s got plenty of answers to that question.
“It tells me that you’re not safe out there on your own.”
The glare she lands on me is exactly the kind of response I want. It burns me deep. She’s the kind of put together, well-bred woman I would never touch in a million years. And here she’s landed in my lap.
“It also means that if I let you stay, I’d be putting my men’s safety at risk. So tell me, how will you make it worth it for us?”
Red burns in her cheeks, rivalling the color of her hair. “What do you expect me to do?”
Ah, such a smart response. “I expect you to pitch in and not cause trouble.”
“And if I decide I’d rather take my chances on my own?”
Dread builds strong and fast. “Then, you’d be free to go, but I can tell you right now, your freedom won’t last long that way. I’ve seen the repercussions from men like Grant Dalton when women don’t fall in line. And it’s not pretty.”
My pause lets her eyes unfocus, remembering whatever sent her running to begin with.
“So it’s up to you, Miss Delaney. Do you want to run off again by yourself? Or do you want our protection?”
She swallows hard, avoiding eye contact as she works through it all. She trembles lightly, and I hate Grant Dalton and his family even more for it.
Wren squares her shoulders and meets my gaze again with the kind of strength that comes from making too many impossible choices. “I would be grateful for any help you can provide.”
I nod.
Judge clears her throat. Yes, yes, we need to do this in steps, but this one is going to land hard regardless. I wave my hand at him, letting him take the brunt of her ire. It’s his idea after all.
And this might send her running anyway.
“In order to keep you safe, we’re going to have to make you untouchable. And that means marrying the two of you beforehecomes looking.” Judge leans against the edge of my desk to keep from completely towering over her.
It’s not an order. It’s a suggestion, and the best option we’ve got.
But it’s also another gut punch to my system, because now that I’ve seen her, talked to her, watched her keep herself strong all on her own, I want to claim her as mine.
5
