Page 29 of Hope and Country

Minutes later, I grimaced as his fingers massaged my scalp. Even if it sent a rush of pain through me, the gesture also sent flutters to my broken heart.

Yes, not all men were born equal.

And Riley Burns was a special kind of man.

Changing into the clothes he lent me, I followed him to his bedroom where he helped me ease under the covers as every movement caused me to groan in pain. I gently flipped to my side, removing the pressure on my sensitive ribs.

He studied my features for a minute before offering to sleep in the guest room.

The idea of being alone sent an earthquake to my heart, shaking its foundation at its core.

My voice trembled on its way out as I pleaded for him to stay. To not leave me alone in the darkness. And for once, in a very long time, I knew I could sleep peacefully. And safely.

Without overthinking anything, I intertwined my fingers with his, hoping he wouldn’t retract his hand. I knew it made no sense to ask him to sleep in the same bed as me, but everything inside me felt flimsy and precarious. I wasn’t sure I could sleep on my own without having a breakdown or a panic attack.

Today’s beating had been the longest I had gone through. I was surprised the damages weren’t more extensive. There had been times in the past when I lay on the floor for hours, unable to move a bone.

And one time I had such a bad concussion, the room spun afterward, and I fainted in my vomit.

Perhaps this time was all about survival.

Perhaps it would have been deadly if I hadn’t faked being unconscious.

I had no idea how I walked the seven-point-nine miles from my apartment to Riley’s place on legs that shook with each step. In my head, I was so focused on getting here without being spotted that I waited until dark to make my exit. I had wanted to change beforehand, but since I couldn’t lift my arms, I had forfeited the idea. And I brought nothing along, scared I wouldn’t make it to my destination if I had a bag, my body too weak to support the weight.

Many times, on my way here, I thought about giving up, but I craved freedom and the control of my life back. And that would never happen if I didn’t find a way out of Robbie’s watch. So, I walked until I couldn’t stand upright. And then walked some more.

When my eyes landed on the sign with the street name, I burst out crying.

I had made it.

Maybe I could move on with my life now. Maybe I could find help and change my name if needed, request protection, and leave the city I loved so much.

Even as I tried to fight sleep, it claimed me in no time. My body was exhausted. My mind shattered. I had nothing left to give.

12

RILEY

The next morning, I woke up early, with a woman I didn’t remember inviting home nestled against me, her front pressed to mine, her face buried in my chest, and my arms around her waist. Then my brain rebooted, and memories of last night surfaced.

Devon.

How could I forget?

I propped myself up on one elbow and rested my gaze on her.

She looked peaceful in her sleep. The swelling on her cheekbones had receded a little.

I fastened the blanket around her.

My heart cracked at the sight of such a beautiful woman all banged up.

Her blonde hair surrounded her head, a contrasting halo to my black Egyptian cotton sheets.

Without waking her up, I removed my arm from around her, shifted from under the covers, rose from the bed, and tiptoed out of my bedroom to make a few calls.

Taylor, Carter’s bodyguard, had lots of contacts in the city. I needed to talk to him first and see what information about that Robbie guy he could gather.