AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mrs. Collins grabbed Marie’s hand. “Don’t be silly. We’re equipped to deal with all kinds of threats.”
“I’m sure you are, but this is bigger than me.” Marie shook her head. “I can’t bring danger to the doorstep of a place that’s supposed to protect women.”
“You can stay with me,” Owen said. “You and Nora.”
Lincoln’s blond brows rose high, but he kept his mouth shut.
Marie stared at him, eyes wide and filled with uncertainty. “Is that a good idea? You have to stay with Lewis, and Bill already found me there. Lewis was hurt because of me.”
“No, Pappy was hurt because of Bill. And I wasn’t there when that happened. This time, I won’t leave your side. Not until Bill’s behind bars and you and Nora are both safe.”
Marie nodded, her shoulders drooping as if tension was melting away.
He held Nora closer, and a fierce sense of protectiveness swept through him like he’d never known before. This little life depended on her mother, depended on him. And he’d do everything within his power to make sure this baby grew up in a world filled with happiness, a world where dangers weren’t lurking around every corner.
A world where her own father could never, ever hurt her.
Steam swirled around the small bathroom, and Marie used a hand towel to clear the fog from the mirror. After packing up for her and Nora, she’d come back to Lewis’ house with Owen and finally gotten to take her shower.
Not like it’d helped much.
Bags hung heavy under her eyes, and her cheeks sank in as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks. She’d lost weight the past month but hadn’t paid attention to how it affected her body until now. Sighing, she grabbed a comb from her toiletry bag and ran the wide teeth through her wet hair.
Vanity wasn’t a luxury she could afford right now, but she couldn’t help swiping mascara through her lashes and adding a splash of color to her face before putting on her sleeping tank and shorts and venturing from the bathroom to find Owen and Lewis.
With her belly full and body clean, exhaustion weighed down her every step. The soft orange hues of twilight might be pouring through the window, but she longed to close her eyes and lock away her problems for another day. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option quite yet.
Peering into the darkened family room off the far side of the kitchen, she spotted Lewis in his recliner and Owen on the far side of the love seat, their heads ducked toward each other as they spoke in hushed tones. Nora sat in a little chair that had Mrs. Collins had insisted they take with them, cooing and smiling as if a part of the conversation.
Marie paused in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt the intimate moment between these two men. Two men who days ago were strangers, and now had wormed their way into a part of her soul with their kindness.
She ached to step into the room and be a part of the casual, cozy moment that was so normal for so many people. Not as a victim who needed protected, but one of them—part of a whole picture, a family who showed up for one another no matter the cost. Instead, she was an outsider, uncertainty keeping her at a distance. She didn’t belong here…she didn’t belong anywhere except a trailer park outside Gatlinburg with a fractured family she did everything in her power to keep together.
“You gonna just stand there all night, girl?” The words were heavy on Lewis’ breath, as if each syllable he spoke took far more effort than it should.
Marie smiled and entered the room, taking the spot beside Owen on the love seat. Nora’s gaze immediately found her. “I don’t want to intrude.”
Owen looked at her with tented brows. “You’re never an intrusion. Pappy and I were just going over some things.”
Lewis clicked his tongue. “Things you don’t need to be concerned about. We’ll get this all sorted out, and you can get back to your life.”
Gratitude swept through her, making her limbs tingle. She’d never had people so concerned about her—constantly trying to keep her and her daughter safe—but she was in this all the way. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but I’d like to hear what you’ve learned.” She shot Lewis a warm smile, hoping her words wouldn’t upset him.
Lewis grumbled and reclined back in his chair, flicking his hand toward Owen. “Go ahead then, tell her.”
Owen turned toward her, and his knee brushed against hers. “My dad called to give an update on Tommy. He’ll be released in the morning and is surprisingly ready to go back to work. While at the hospital, Dad called Erica’s boss. He and Tommy will head to her office tomorrow to check out her work computer and files. But her boss mentioned she used to work more from her home. I need to head over there in the morning and see if I can find a personal computer she used for work.”
Marie nodded. “All right. What about Mr. Silas? Have you tried to contact him? Maybe we can talk to him when we’re done at Erica’s.”
Owen shifted his gaze to his grandpa then back to her. “It might be better for you to stay at the house. Katherine will be here all day, and she’s more than capable of keeping you and Nora safe.”
Marie trembled and wrapped her arms around herself. “No. I don’t know her. I don’t trust her like I do you. Nora and I will stay out of your way, I promise. But please, take us with you.” She hated the whine in her voice, but she couldn’t stop the panic from infusing so much emotion into her words. Owen had become her safe place, her rock, and as much as her growing feelings scared her, the idea of being without him while Bill was out there scared her more.
Owen squeezed her shoulder, letting his palm rest against her. How could one simple touch from a man she barely knew loosen the knot of anxiety in her gut? “I don’t know where the day will take me, and I don’t want you or Nora in danger. You’ll be safer here.”
She dropped her chin, keeping her gaze on the red polish on her toenails. Stupid tears welled up in her throat. Why would he want her help? She had no education, no experience. She was nobody.
“Would you look at me?”
