Page 21 of Alex

“I recognised the men from when they had come into the diner where I worked. I was terrified. It turned out the little girl…” Her voice stuttered on the words and Alex squeezed her tighter into him trying to take her pain away. “The little girl and the other body—her mother—were the family of an American politician. Anyway, I was taken away and put into witness protection. I couldn’t contact my family, or you, or anyone. I was so torn, Alex. They said that if I didn’t testify, they would go free.

“All I kept seeing was that little girl’s dead eyes. She was so beautiful had so much life ahead of her. I couldn’t let that go unpunished. So, I agreed. It wasn’t an easy decision. I missed my family so much, but you…I mourned you until it almost killed me. It felt like you had died, and it was my fault, I should have just run and said nothing.”

Alex set Evelyn from him on the bed and her eyes moved to him, fear and anguish in their depths. Sliding an arm around her back he rolled so that she was laying almost beneath him and looked at her. Her eyes slipped away from him and closed.

“Evelyn, look at me,” he demanded in a voice barely concealing his anger and surging emotions. Not anger at her, fury at the man that had put her in this position. Her eyes opened and she looked at him.

“This was not your fault. You did the only thing you could. You got justice for a little girl who didn’t deserve to die. In the same position I hope I would have done the same thing. I don’t like that I lost you or how. Not being there for you when you needed me cuts me deep, but I’m so proud of you. I always knew you were the best of us, and you proved that by making sure you got that family justice.”

“But I didn’t! It never went to court. David the detective who found me on the street that night found out there was a leak in the Witsec programme, and we went on the run. He saved my life, but it also meant I could never go to court or come home, or I risked putting everyone in harm’s way.”

“You did what you thought best. You were a scared teenager who was trying to keep everyone she loved safe while staying alive.”

Evelyn slow blinked as a myriad of emotions chased through her eyes before she settled, her hand gripping his forearm that bracketed her on the bed. “Really? You’re not angry with me?” she asked still unsure of herself.

The doubt was something Alex didn’t like seeing on Evelyn. He was going to see it didn’t happen again. “Really, mi nena. I am not angry with you. I was but I didn’t understand then and was acting like a silly little boy. I understand now.” He traced her cheek with his finger and saw her shiver. Fuck he wanted to kiss her, and he wasn’t going to deny himself either. As he leaned in, she went to speak but he stopped her with his kiss.

Evelyn went still but as his kiss deepened, she melted into him winding her arms up across his chest and into the hair at his nape. He kissed her slow and long his hand never leaving her face as he tried to show her how much he had missed her with just his mouth. Finally, he pulled away. He would not make love to his Evelyn tonight, not in the shadow of so much heartbreak, but he would hold her and make sure the nightmares stayed at bay.

Settling on his back he dragged her front to his side, his arm around her shoulder, her hand resting on his belly. “Go to sleep, mi nena. I’ll keep you safe tonight.” And every night if I have my way, but he didn’t say that aloud.

“All right, Alex.” Alex could feel her settle deeper against him, her body relaxing as she let the pain and anguish of her memories leave her.

Alex lay awake and replayed her words in his head. Grief was like a heavy weight on his chest as he thought of her going through all that alone. If he hadn’t wanted to go to Paris to study, he would have been there that night. That was the truth, and everything wouldn’t have gone down like it did. No, he didn’t blame his Evelyn—he blamed himself for leaving her.

He felt the moment Evelyn drifted into sleep. Her breathing became even, and her body became a heavy blanket over his as her leg lifted, and she settled so that she was half laying on him. They had always lain like this. He had joked he didn’t need blankets because he had her. At the thought a strange feeling came over him that he didn’t recognise for a second. When he did, he was shocked to realise it was contentment. Something he hadn’t felt in fifteen years.

He was home. She had given him back his peace and he was never letting her go ever again.