I pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “You okay?” I asked, suddenly worried I’d been too rough, too much.
He nodded, smiling against my skin. “Better than okay.” His hand traced lazy patterns on my chest. “You?”
I caught his hand, brought it to my lips. “Perfect,” I said, and meant it.
We lay there, tangled together, as the last light faded from the sky. And for the first time in my life, I didn’t wonder what would happen next. I just knew, with bone-deep certainty, that whatever it was, we’d face it together.
Danny’s breathing had slowed to something deep and even, his head a perfect weight on my chest. I traced lazy patterns on his back, following the ridge of his spine from his neck to the small of his back and back again.
The room was dark except for the slice of moonlight through the half-drawn blinds, painting his skin silver-blue. I could havestayed like that forever, just the two of us in our own private universe.
His finger traced the outline of the tattoo on my shoulder—a compass rose I’d gotten after my second tour, when I was still figuring out which way was home.
“What happens when they let him out?” he asked, voice so quiet I almost missed it.
The question landed like a stone in still water. I’d known it was coming—had been preparing for it, even—but hearing it out loud made my stomach twist. I kept my hand moving on his back, steady and sure.
“They won’t,” I said, which was half a lie. Dennis had connections in town, people who’d known him since he was a kid throwing rocks at the elementary school windows. But I’d be damned if I let that matter.
Danny lifted his head, eyes serious in the half-dark. “But if they do?”
I took a breath, decided on honesty. “Then we deal with it. Together.”
He settled back against me, but I could feel the tension in his shoulders. “He’ll come looking for me,” he said. “He always does.”
I stopped the patterns on his back, my hand coming to rest between his shoulder blades. “I’ve been working with Carter,” I said. “On a security system. For you.”
He went still. “What?”
“Carter’s good with tech. Better than me, even.” I couldn’t keep the pride out of my voice. “We’ve been putting together something that’ll alert us if anyone even drives up the main road. Motion sensors, cameras, the works. And I talked to Sheriff Calloway about a restraining order. Once it’s filed, Dennis won’t be able to come within five hundred yards of you without violating his bail.”
Danny was quiet for so long I thought maybe he’d fallen asleep. Then I felt it—the sudden, hot dampness against my chest. He was crying, silently, his shoulders shaking with the effort of holding it in.
“Hey,” I said, gently tilting his face up. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe.”
He shook his head, a tear tracking down to the corner of his mouth. “Nobody’s ever—“ His voice broke. “Why are you doing this? Why me?”
The question hit me like a physical blow. I gathered him against me, one hand cradling the back of his head. “Because you deserve to be safe,” I said, voice rough. “Because I’d tear this whole town apart before I let him touch you again.”
He clung to me, fingers digging into my shoulders like he was afraid I might vanish. I held him tighter, a low growl building in my chest at the thought of Dennis anywhere near him. My alpha instincts, usually kept on a tight leash, surged to the surface—protect, defend, claim.
“I’ve got you,” I whispered against his hair. “I promise.”
He nodded, face still buried in my neck. I felt him take a deep breath, then another, his body gradually relaxing against mine. We stayed like that until his breathing evened out, until the last of the tension drained from his muscles.
Eventually, he lifted his head, eyes red but dry. “Sorry,” he said, trying for a smile. “I didn’t mean to—“
“Don’t,” I cut him off gently. “Don’t apologize for needing me. That’s what I’m here for.”
He kissed me then, soft and a little desperate. I kissed him back, pouring everything I couldn’t say into the press of my lips against his. When we broke apart, his eyes were clear, focused on mine with an intensity that made my chest ache.
“Thank you,” he said simply.
I brushed a thumb across his cheekbone. “Anytime.”
We fell asleep like that, tangled together, my arms around him like I could keep the world at bay through sheer stubbornness.
* * * *
