My motivation comes from protecting women andchildren in the way in which my mother and sister weren’t. Ivy was only fourteen when she was killed. Fourteen years old. Some monster assaulted her and then looked her in her pretty blue eyes and shot her? And my mother, the kindest woman ever? My father shouldn’t have done what he did to bring on the murders, but no one deserved what happened to my family.
After that first kill taking out our family’s murderer, Noah and I hadn’t planned to do it again. Or at least I hadn’t. But my brother decided it was his life’s mission, and I wasn’t going to let him do it on his own. He’s impulsive and gets distracted by shiny objects, so I need to protect him.
I’ve lost too many people. I can’t lose him.
“Forget it though, I’m not sure we can recover from the way, uh, this started.” She waves a hand between me and her.
“You mean you stalking me, me knocking you out, and the whole zip-tie situation? That’s not the foundation for a beautiful relationship?” I sip from my mug and lick the extra chocolate from my lips. “I feel like we could move on.”
She gawks at me, watching my tongue move across my upper lip.
Married to a criminal, the daughter of one, sister of one, yet she has no clue what she’s doing. Callie Callahan is the world’s most unlikely good girl.
She has no idea whose cabin she’s in.
No idea what I’m capable of.
But… she needs my help. She needs someone’s help, at least, and I think I need to be the one to provide it.
Callie needs someone to protect her.
And that’s what I do best.
Callie’s eyelids flutter.
Ah, good. The sedative I slipped into her hotchocolate is taking effect. I’m feeling the slightest bit of remorse for drugging her. Again. But I’m not trying to do anything bad, I just don’t want her to fight me so much on the next thing I’m going to suggest.
“So will you help?” she asks, her voice a whisper and her eyes fluttering.
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow.” She probably won’t remember anything that happens in the next few minutes, so there’s no point in agreeing. “But tonight? You’re not going anywhere.” I nod outside to the storm. White swirls tap on the window, the visibility to the woodpile I was at just a little while ago gone.
“I am not sleeping here.” She shakes her head violently, even as she stares out at the storm, even as she fights to open her eyes.
“I have a guest room.”
“No.” Her eyes widen briefly and with great effort. “But I amsotired all of a sudden.”
“You’ve been through a lot today. I promise I won’t bother you.”
She lifts her hot chocolate but doesn’t quite get it to her mouth. I reach over and take the mug from her hands before she drops it, sliding it and mine onto the side table.
“I have a t-shirt you can sleep in. I’ll even make you coffee in the morning.”
“I don’t need a t-shirt to sleep in,” she yawns, leaning her head back on the couch and blinking her eyes at me charmingly. “And what about Honey Bunny?”
“Does he need to be fed tonight?” That’ll complicate the situation, but I’ll figure out how to get the rabbit some food.
“No he doesn’tneedfood tonight, but he likes snacks and snuggles.” Callie’s eyes close. She’s fucking adorable.
“So Honey Bunny will be okay without you for a night.”The very last thing I want to do is put her pet in danger, but at this point, I’m not sure if she’s still capable of responding, or if she’s already passed out.
“Yeah. He’s okay for tonight.” Callie lifts her head and opens her eyes one last time, smiling lazily at me. “Thanks, Wes.”
Something shifts in my chest. Man, I’m so into that open smile. “For what?” I ask, but she’s already passed out.
I scoot over and gently pull her in my direction so her head nods onto my shoulder instead of lolling uncomfortably on the other side. I let her press herself against me. Sir Fluffy stares at me judgmentally.
“What? I’m not going to do anything bad.” I sigh and scoot out from beneath Callie and lay her body gently across the couch, then tuck a gray fuzzy fleece blanket on top of her.
