Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
I warred, unsure of what to reveal, unable to stop the confession from bubbling out. “I wanted to be there for you. Needed to be. Walking in on that?”
My throat locked on the violence that still screamed for release. The truth that I’d wanted to end him. It’d taken everything in me to remain standing over the piece of shit and not let go.
Give in.
“I heard what he said, Tessa. About your brother?”
I hadn’t even known that she had a brother.
“That he’s been paying for his care?” I continued. “That’s why you stayed with him for all that time? That’s why you’ve been walking around looking like you’re gonna fall apart?”
Her nod was soft. “Yeah.”
“I never fully got it, but I guess I still knew he had a hold on you.”
Her head drooped between her shoulders, and I couldn’t help but reach out and tip her chin toward me, forcing her to look at me. “You don’t have to be ashamed, Tessa. You didn’t do anything wrong. You were just fighting for someone you love.”
“And now I have no idea what I’m going to do.”
“It’s covered, Tessa.”
I had more money than I could ever spend. Autumn had had a life insurance policy when we’d met. She named me the beneficiary when we’d gotten married. It was money that made me sick where it festered in an unused bank account. I’d thought a million times to donate it, but I’d needed to use a portion of it to finish the house to give the kids the home Autumn and I had hoped for. Plus, I needed it to use for attorney fees, and the rest would go to the kids when they got old enough.
It would go for this, too. To the one who was fighting for my kids. To bring this family back together.
A sharp gasp raked from her lungs. “I can’t take money from you.”
“You can. It’s just been sitting there in my bank account. I want you to have it.”
She scoffed and tried to jerk her chin away. “I won’t be indebted to someone else, Milo.”
I slipped my hand down to her neck, my thumb tracing her jaw, coaxing her back. “There’s no debt, Tessa. No trade. This is a friend taking care of a friend, same way as you’re taking care of me.”
Tears blurred in those blue eyes. “Milo, I can’t—”
“Please, let me do this for you. Because I can. Because I care for you. Just like I know you care for me.”
Her throat tremored. “Milo.”
“Please. We’re a team, remember?”
A soggy giggle slipped from between her red lips. “Twisting my words on me, huh?”
I grinned. “Whatever it takes.”
She blew out a sigh. “Okay, but just until I figure something else out. I won’t be mooching off you forever.”
“It’s yours for as long as you want it.”
“I promise I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.” She exhaled a choppy breath. “Ugh, this is a total mess, isn’t it? I can’t even believe what he tried to do.”
Remnants of the fear she’d worn earlier traipsed through her features. “I had no idea Karl could be such a monster. A jerk? Sure. But something has changed.”
“Men like him don’t like bein’ told no. They think whatever they want is owed to them.”
“He can’t have me anymore.”
“And he doesn’t like that.”
“No, he doesn’t,” she whispered. Her gaze drifted out over the water, contemplation and worry, before she slowly shifted her attention back to me. “I’m not sure he’s going to give up. I think I might have pissed him off even more.”
“He gets near you again, it’s not gonna turn out so good for him, Tessa.” The words rang with a warning of truth.
Flames sparked where she touched my arm. “You can’t do anything reckless, Milo. You’re fighting to get your kids back, and the last thing you need is to get into trouble on my account. Karl…”
Tessa swallowed, her throat bobbing hard. “He has connections. He’s friends with the mayor. He’ll twist everything in his favor, and I’m already worried that he’ll find some way to retaliate after what happened today.”
“He doesn’t get a free pass for touching you, Tessa. I don’t care about the consequences.”
And fuck, I did care. Of course, I cared.
My kids.
The thing I wanted most in this world was to prove to my kids that they were worth it.
My love and my devotion and my everything.
But I couldn’t stand aside and let the bastard mess with Tessa. Not on my watch.
“I don’t want to be a burden to you, Milo.”
Taking her hand, I threaded our fingers together. It was becoming a nasty habit.
“Don’t think you could ever be that, Tessa. You’re giving me a gift.”
Uncertainty billowed from her spirit, and she peeked over at me. “I’m sorry you had to lie to your mom this morning.”