Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
I ran my hand down her hair and pressed kisses to the side of her head. I wasn’t just consoling her, I realized. I was consoling me too. This shit wasn’t happening again. Whatever the fuck I had to do to fix this, I would do it.
Gage was standing in front of the door, which he’d closed behind us, with his arms crossed over his chest, looking ready to murder the entire guest list. His jaw ticced as he stood there. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. If he felt even half of what I did right now, I understood.
My mind was reeling over who at this party could have caused this. I’d never even seen her tear up before. Not once, and women fucking cried. But not Trinity. She was sobbing now, and her hold on me was a death grip. I didn’t loosen my hold on her. For the moment, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to ever let go of her. I wanted to fix this. Make sure this never happened again. I couldn’t stand the thought of it.
Her sobs began to ease, and they became small hiccups. I wasn’t letting go of her. I couldn’t and keep my sanity. I kissed her cheek, then leaned back to look at her face. Her eyes were swollen and red-rimmed. She looked so damn broken.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
If she’d taken a sword and shoved it through my heart, it would have hurt less than hearing her say those two words.
I rested my forehead against hers. “Please, Trinity. Don’t say that. Ever. I don’t want to ever hear you apologize for anything the rest of my life. I don’t think I can handle it.”
She sniffled. “I made a scene. I broke a glass,” she said softly.
“I don’t fucking care. All I care about is that you’re okay,” I told her.
I reached up and held her face in my hands. “Who was he? I don’t need why. I don’t need an explanation. I need a name. That’s all. Nothing more.”
The fear in her eyes was only going to make his death more violent. Had my brother known about this? Had he seen her like this? If he’d known, wouldn’t he have contacted me? He might not have taken lives, but I fucking did.
“He’s here,” she whispered. “I don’t know why.”
“His name,” I repeated as firmly as I could without scaring her.
“Roy … Hayley.”
The stepbrother. Motherfucker!
The library door opened, and I knew that within thirty minutes, Roy Hayley would be tied up in the cells underground until I arrived. Gage had been waiting for a name. He had it.
I pressed a kiss to her lips, then pulled her back against my chest and held her. Until I had her safely back in my bed, I wasn’t letting go of her.
Twenty-Seven
Trinity
Eight years. It had been eight years since I’d cried. Not even a tear. Nothing. I’d go to my dark place to survive the horror, but no tears ever came. When I finally snapped out of it, I was always numb and dry-eyed. I tried to cry so many times, but I never could. It always felt like there was a wall inside that blocked out any deep emotion. I’d accepted it was probably why I couldn’t fall in love. The wall protected me. It surrounded me. It was my strength.
When I’d opened my eyes, Huck had been there. His eyes full of concern, his words soothing. Something shattered. It felt like every emotion I’d held back for so long broke free and came roaring back to life. All the pain, hurt, heartache, anguish, sorrow, loss, regret—it all flooded me at once. Without meaning to, he had taken down my wall, then held me while my heart and head accepted the return of all I’d kept out.
If he hadn’t been there to hold me, I wasn’t sure I could have survived the onslaught. Once my sobs had finally subsided, I’d felt exhausted yet free.
Huck carried me to the car, held me in his lap the entire ride home, and then carried me down to his room. Since I’d opened my eyes and pulled myself out of the dark place, he’d been holding me. His arms had to be tired, but I had been reluctant to let go of the security that he provided. Levi had driven us home but left again after we got out of the Escalade.
I felt guilty for being the reason Huck had left the party early. At least the other two were staying there. I’d not even gotten a chance to see Maddy and thank her for the dress, shoes, and jewelry.
Why had Roy been there? I cringed, thinking about his touch on my arm.
I tightened my hold on Huck without thinking. He sat down on his bed with me. I started to tell him to let me down, but he lowered his mouth and kissed me. His tongue slid across my bottom lip, and I opened, feeling needy for a taste of him. He’d been distant earlier, and I craved this connection. It was a reassurance that I didn’t need to get confused with permanency. But tonight, affection helped pull me back from my past.