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Guilt was nagging at me as his words hit home. Deep down I’d been coming to the same conclusion but sometimes my hatred for Courtney had a way of clouding my judgment. Even with her living in Florida with my dad’s money, she continued to fuck with me. But this time, it was my doing, because I hadn’t let her shit go. I had a sick feeling in my gut…like I’d made a horrible mistake. I couldn’t blame what I’d said to Hannah on the whiskey.
“I don’t know what it is, but something tells me she’s scared.” Declan shook his head. “Haven’t you noticed the way she jerked away from our touch when we first met her? Or the fear in her eyes when she’d first arrived?”
I had noticed. We both had. We’d even talked about it. But I’d forgotten all of that the day before in my anger at being played for a fool. Now, I realized I hadn’t been played. I was just a fool.
Shit. I owed Hannah an apology. I just hoped I wasn’t too late.
My phone cut off the rest of our conversation. I grabbed it from the coffee table. “Jessie? Slow down, what’s going on?”
Dec came into the room, leaned in to try and hear what she was saying.
She told me to get down to the diner—said I needed to talk to Hannah, whatever that meant. I hung up and recapped for Dec as I grabbed my truck keys and headed to the door. When I realized I had no shoes, I swore and I went to find them.
“Want me to come with you?”
I shook my head, dropped onto the bench in the mud room, worked on my first boot. “I need to apologize on my own. This is probably Jessie’s way of getting me there to do just that.”
He laughed. “All right, then I’ll head to the station. If Hannah needs us, let me know.”
I promised to do that and we both took off. Jessie had been so vague, I was half convinced that this was just her way of meddling. But on the off chance that she wasn’t exaggerating, and Hannah really was upset, I pressed my foot to the accelerator and sped all the way there.
When I got to the diner, it was nearly empty. The lunch crowd had left and it was too early for dinner.
Jessie met my gaze from behind the counter where she was pouring a customer more coffee, then pointed toward the ceiling. Turning around, I went back out and around the side of the building. I took the steps to Hannah’s apartment two at a time. My head still pounded, but I would live. Before I could knock, the door opened.
She stopped, wide eyed with fear at the sight of me. She wore a pair of jeans and a simple white t-shirt, sneakers. She had a small bag in her hand, as if she was going somewhere. Somewhere far.
“Hannah.” As I spoke, I reached out to touch her arm but she gasped and flinched, nearly toppling back into the apartment’s living room as she scrambled to get away from me.
Ah shit. The fear in her eyes was unmistakable. I brought my hands up, palms facing forward like I was under arrest. “Easy, darlin’. It’s just me.”
Some of the tension seeped out of her, but the wariness remained in her eyes and it was killing me. Guilt gnawed at my gut. I’d been such an ass. She wasn’t out to get us or trying to play us for fools. I’d let my issues with that bitch of a stepmother cloud my judgment and nearly lost us the love of our lives.
Dec had been right—this woman was running scared. And she was running.
She dropped her bag to the floor with a thud, turned away from me. I followed her in and closed the door behind me, but careful to give her a little distance. “Hannah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so rude to you yesterday. I jumped to all the wrong conclusions and I apologize.”
She looked over her shoulder at me, blinked a few times and her eyes started to focus on me. That was a good sign, at least. I couldn’t take seeing this feisty independent woman looking so scared. Someone was after her. I knew that now. Could see it as plain as fuck.
Whoever had done this to her would have hell to pay. But first we had to help our woman, starting right now.
I reached out slowly to take her hand and she let me. Let me turn her to face me. “You need to know something, darlin’. I may be an asshole sometimes and Lord knows I have a shitty temper. You, me, and Dec—we’ll have our fair share of arguments, but neither of us would ever lay a hand on you.”
She was quiet for so long I thought she might never respond. When she did, her voice was soft and sweet. “So you still think there’s going to be a ‘you, me, and Dec?’”
I grinned at her and she gave me a shaky smile in response. “Darlin’, you can’t get rid of us that easily. We’re not even close to giving up on you. If you’re leaving, we’re going with you.” I leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. “You’re the one for us, no doubt about it.”
She sighed and the rest of the tension seeped out of her. I pulled her into my arms and she rested her head on my chest. “But you have to tell us what’s going on. That’s the only way we can help you.”
I could feel her nod. “Okay.”
“Are you afraid to stay here?” I wondered. She was running and running scared. Of someone in town? Someone from her past?
She nodded. Fuck, no one should be afraid to be in their own apartment.
“Come on, let’s go meet Dec and you can tell us both what’s been going on.”
I called Dec from the truck and he was there waiting for us back at my ranch by the time we pulled up. He didn’t say much when Hannah got out of the truck, just took one look at her and wrapped an arm around her, guiding her inside.
