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Rhys shrugged. “He seemed fine. Just said he’d meet us tomorrow to support you and that would be it.”
I took a deep breath. Things were feeling smooth and easy. Oddly so.
“So I just show up, say my piece, leave and hopefully we’ll catch Mase at some point?”
Rhys’s eyes went a little cold. “Mase will be near that courthouse tomorrow. Unless he’s stupid, he won’t go inside since there’s a warrant for his arrest, but I guarantee he’ll be close by. This whole thing has been leading up to one moment. Once I find him, this mess will all be behind you.”
I nodded. “It seems so easy.”
“Instead of us chasing him, he’ll come to us and when he does, you’ll be safe.”
“You’ll keep me safe?” I said with a wiggle of my eyebrows, half joking, but Rhys was very serious when he responded.
“I will always keep you safe, Emma.”
I snuggled a little closer. “Is it weird that a part of me wants to stay here? To never be found?”
He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “Only if you think it’s weird that I have the same thought.”
“So you’re going to keep the cabin?” I looked up at him and tapped his chin.
Something kind of sad washed over his face. “We’ll see.”
I let it go, because while I could push, there was something more pressing I wanted to get straight before we went back to the real world tomorrow.
“Rhys, will you tell me about Mysha?”
His jaw tightened. “I’ve never talked about her with anyone, until you.”
I nodded, figuring as much. But the fact that he was opening up meant that maybe I could help. Take some of the bad thoughts away.
“I did love her, which was why I wasn’t heartbroken when I found out Sara cheated on me,” he said. “Mysha and the other locals were like a part of our unit. Men and women we protected.”
“You spent years together?”
He nodded.
“Did you two ever . . .”
He gave a sad grin. “No. Nothing physical ever happened. That would have been unprofessional.”
He’d used that word once before with me, only we weren’t in a business relationship. But I was sure that it was the protector in Rhys that made him look at things this way. I knew he would never take advantage of a female, or anyone.
“The first day I met Mysha, she told me her story. She had been beaten, abused, in the worst ways.” His eyes landed on me. “I wanted to save her from it. Thought I was. Thought we were by offering her our protection. But in the end, it killed her.”
I cupped his face and shook my head. “No, you did your job and she did hers. You can’t take out all the ass**les in the world, Rhys.”
“I should have been able to keep her safe.” His wounded stare landed on my face and he said, “Please believe me, Emma. When I tell you I will, I will.”
“I know,” I nodded. “You don’t have to prove that to me.”
He slowly moved to rest on top of me and my legs parted to cradle his hips against mine. I felt his hard c**k grow further and press against my core.
“But I want to. If you’ll let me,” he said and kissed my lips.
“Thank you for telling me about her.” I looked up into those fierce grays and saw what I had always seen. Determination. I had taken it personally before, but knowing Rhys now, what he had gone through, made it all make sense. He wasn’t fighting me, or memories, or his past, he was fighting himself.
“I want you to let go of the guilt,” I whispered. “Just try. You deserve to let it go and be happy.”
He reached for a condom on the bedside table and slid it on. He dipped his hand beneath my panties and began stroking my clit until I was panting and melting for him.
“Right now, with you, I’m happy.” He took my mouth with his.
“You’ve changed me,” I said against his lips. “I feel stronger.”
“I’m glad, baby.” He removed his hand, tugged my panties aside, and slowly pushed his c**k inside of me, “Because when I’m with you . . . I feel weak.”
I wanted to search his face because I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but he consumed my mouth before I could ask. Slowly kissing as he planted himself to the hilt and filled me up like the last puzzle piece I was missing in life.
Rhys entered me, over and over, taking his time and building up so much pleasure it almost hurt. Like the soul was about to burst from my being.
If I wasn’t certain before, I was now. What Rhys and I had was different. Better than anything I’d ever experienced before.
Chapter Eleven
“Everything will be fine,” Rhys said, standing behind me, rubbing my shoulders.
I wiggled on my high heel shoes, ones I hadn’t worn in forever and tugged the strap of my purse higher on my shoulder. It was crazy that I was carrying around a purse again. Rhys had given my cell phone back this morning and I was slowly reentering the real world.
The courthouse was large, daunting and pretty quiet at the moment. I could hear the echo of my heels as I clicked down the hall.
Adam pulled me into a hug and said, “I’m glad you’re okay.” He stepped back and looked at me. Always composed in a three-piece suit and ready to rule the world. “You know you can tell me things.”
“I didn’t want you, Kate or Simon around me when I knew Mase was looking for me.”
“I could have helped you Emma,” Adam said sternly. I knew he meant well, but there was more to it.
“Adam, you and Kate fought so long and hard for Simon. What if there was a scandal involving me and my past coming to light, one that could hurt you or ruin your chances of getting him? I didn’t want to risk it.”
He glanced down.
I sighed. “I don’t want to fight.”
He gave a half smile, something he was doing more of lately thanks to Kate, and patted my shoulder. “Well, I’m glad you’re safe and we’ll get this ass**le so you can come home.”
I looked at Rhys and he gave me a sad smile. We never talked details about the future. There was no point. There were still too many variables. Like Mase. And Rhys’s life.
“I’m going to get some water,” I said and squeezed Rhys’s hand as I walked around the corner and out of sight to the drinking fountain.
The few sips of cold liquid felt good going down my throat, which was dry and scratchy. I wanted to splash some on my face, but I was wearing my nice clothes for the first time in the past several weeks and I wasn’t willing to ruin the illusion that I was a put-together woman.
