“Baby girl,” he said in a soft warning tone as he grabbed my hands. I looked up at him. “What are you doing?” he asked.
I swallowed. “My job. I can’t help the injured in this.”
He released my hands, and I removed my vest. The victims began trickling out as his hand snaked to my chin, forcing me to look up into those hazel eyes. My eyelids fell closed. I couldn’t look at him.
I needed to focus, and if I looked at him now, I would break.
“Gwen, look at me,” he whispered, his voice a low rumble that warmed my chest.
“I can’t,” I breathed.
“Baby girl, look at me,” he pleaded, his voice softer than before.
When I opened my eyes, my world was filled with hazel. Everything around us—the pain, the terror, the evil, the heartbreak, the chaos—fell away leaving only him and me. He loved me. I was lucky to have found a man like Dean Connors. .
Did I deserve to be this lucky?
My sins greatly outweighed theirs. I was certain of it.
I should be the one in that container, not them.
“Gwen,” my fiancé growled, shaking me gently.
“I have to help them. Please—I have to, Dean,” I rasped.
“Get out of your head, Gwen. You stay right here,” he said, bringing my hands to his chest right over his heart. “You stay right here with me. You got me?”
I nodded, bringing my bottom lip between my teeth and biting down, praying the pain would snap me out of it.
“Tell me you love me,” he said, bending so that his forehead could touch mine.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“You are the strongest person I know. Only you would be ready to jump in and help after what you just saw. The world doesn’t deserve you. You got this. I am right here. I will always be with you. You understand?”
“Yes.”
He kissed my forehead. “Go. Be a superhero.”
Chapter Nineteen
Kay
One week later
“Mr. Danes, we have a tight schedule. I am sure you can understand that,” my demon drawled as he walked around the man—my rapist—tied to a chair with acid ropes.
It had been a week since Boston, a week since Collin and I made love and I laid my heart out to him.
The next day, he took me to Salem, a place I’d always wanted to go. He spent the day with me, learning the rich history of the town. He took me to dinner, and then Nick drove us back to our hotel. My Col made love to me, and then the next morning, he was gone. I thought that was it, and I couldn’t even begin to describe the devastation I felt when I woke up to an empty bed.
But there was a note—a letter, actually. I'd carried that letter with me since. I was only alone for twenty-seven hours with Nick at my door.
During those hours, Collin killed them.
The worst night of my life occurred over ten years ago, and after years of therapy, I felt like I could see him. Face to face. After that night, it was as if my sex drive shut down. Part of me feared I wouldn’t be attracted to anyone. I questioned things about myself, wondering if I would ever enjoy sex again.
Maybe, if I acted like nothing was wrong, they wouldn’t suspect anything.
