Page 12 of Weston’s Treasure

“Other pocket,” he grunted.

Wordlessly, her hand went to his other pocket and Weston was damn grateful his dick was out of her reach. Silver pulled his keys free and he felt her hand brush his ass as she shoved them in her jeans, then quickly plastered herself against his back.

He started to walk toward the door but stopped briefly to pat her clasped hands around his waist. “Can’t have you holding onto me in case I need to move. Just stay close.”

She nodded her answer against his back and took a half-step away from him. And just like before, Weston immediately felt the loss of her touch.

He toed the already-cracked front door open. With his gun pulled up and at the ready, he scanned the front room and was damn happy Silver was shorter than him and her view would be obscured.

The place was completely ransacked, all of her shit torn to pieces. How no one below her apartment heard the bookcases being knocked over, Weston did not know. He also didn’t know how the hell he was going to maneuver around the room without stepping on books, broken glass, ripped-open couch cushions, and tipped-over chairs.

But he needed to hurry the hell up and figure it out so he could clear the house. Making a decision he didn’t want to make but knew he had to, Weston reached behind him and took Silver’s hand and skirted the wall until he found a place to stash her.

“Stay right here, with your back to the wall,” he whispered.

He didn’t have to be looking at her to know the moment she saw the devastation. The quick inhalation of air and whimper was enough. As much as he wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her, he couldn’t—there were three more rooms to clear.

Weston tried to pull his hand out of hers but she held tight. He glanced over his shoulder, finding a wide-eyed and pale Silver.

“Please don’t leave me,” she whispered.

“Not gonna leave you, I just have to clear—”

“Don’t leave me, Weston, please.”

Those five words hit Weston’s soul like an atomic bomb and stopped him dead. Sheer panic and desperation shone in her eyes and she was looking at him like he was the only thing standing in between her and her worst fear.

Damn, why did that feel so fucking good?

“Okay, sweetheart, stay right behind me.”

It was not the best plan, having her following him, but neither was leaving her unprotected. Clearing the rooms went a lot slower than Weston would’ve liked, but fortunately, there was no one in the apartment. Unfortunately, the bedroom, bathroom, and office were worse than the living room.

Total loss. Silver’s home was destroyed.

After Weston had closed and dead-bolted the door, Silver finally moved from his side and walked to what was left of her kitchen.

Dishes, pots and pans, countertop appliances were all on the tiled floor shattered to pieces.

“There’s nothing left,” she whispered with tears brimming in her eyes. “Everything’s gone.”

The first tear broke free and rolled down her cheek and that was all it took for Weston to pull her into his arms and hug her close. Something he shouldn’t have done but only realized his mistake when her face hit his chest, the top of her head coming just below his chin—she was a perfect fit. And when the side of her cheek nuzzled, sending waves of rightness over Weston’s body, he knew he was in trouble.

They stood in silence, Weston at a loss for words and Silver trying to process her home being decimated.

He didn’t want to rush her but they couldn’t stay there, so he gently brushed her hair away from her face, another mistake—a huge one. He’d liked the feel of her pressed close but liked the way her soft strands glided through his fingers just as much.

“Silver, sweetheart, we have to go.”

She nodded her head and looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and Weston wanted to beat the people responsible bloody.

“I still need to get some—”

“No, honey, leave it. We’ll stop at the store and pick up what you need.”

He knew he needed to stop with the silly pet names, but each time one slipped past his lips it felt right. Which was a shocking revelation considering he’d always hated endearments of the sort in the past and had never used them with any other woman before. He also found he hadn’t hated when Silver had called him ‘sweetheart’, even if she’d meant to be sarcastic and snarky.

Wasn’t that some crazy shit?