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A breath I didn’t realize I had been holding, left me. “Good. I’m glad.”
His lips twitched.
“We’ll let him rest a bit and then you can take him to your uncle’s place. I’m sure Greyson has some questions for him.” Grandpa headed back to the door before glancing at us over his shoulder. “Remember what I said, Beatrix.”
I nodded, unsure what to do with the information he had given me.
“I’ll be in the office if you need me,” Ricky said, and left the room as well, not waiting for me to reply.
When I was alone with Tanner, I expected Cyrus and Sammy to come barreling into the room, demanding to know why my grandfather would leave me alone with him. But when they didn’t, the anxiety rushing through me, eased.
“Busy,” Tanner said, his voice rough.
I placed my hand on his arm, running my thumb back and forth.
He laid down, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tonight never should have happened.”
My eyes popped to his, finding him staring back at me.
“Trigger knew something was off. I should have listened to him but I’m desperate. I need answers,” he said, his voice thick. “It doesn’t matter.” His eyes closed, his breathing soon becoming deep and even.
Something inside of me stirred over the fact that he trusted me enough to be able to fall asleep around me. I finally looked at him then. Really looked at him. There was no gray in his dark hair or in the scruff on his jaw. He must have still been in his twenties or even early thirties. Either that or he had really good genes.
I noticed then how his nose was crooked, maybe from getting in a fight or from being hit in the face one too many times. He was handsome in a rugged, beautiful way but there was something that had happened that kept his heart closed off. I wanted to know more about his dog and Tanner’s relationship with him. I also wanted to know why anyone would want to hurt his puppy. Unless it was to prove a point. I didn’t know and maybe I never would. But what I did know was that this beautiful broken man currently lying so close to me, needed something. And I vowed to myself that I would be the one to give it to him. Whateveritwas.
***
(Tanner)
The pain that was bestowed on my small frail body was something I could never get used to. No matter how many times he came to me during the night or the fact that I no longer fought him off. Even though he liked it when I submitted, he liked it even more when I tried shoving him away.
I woke with a start, sweat dripping down my spine. Ice cold fear thathewould suddenly appear out of thin air, had me grasping at the blanket and pulling it up to my chin.
“Tanner?”
I jumped, finding a woman, a beautiful woman at that, sitting beside me with a furrowed brow.
Memories of the night came rushing back.
Trigger.
He was killed.
I was stabbed.
Pain. So much damn pain.
Busy.
“Busy,” I whispered, my tongue thick.
She gave me a small smile. “Are you okay?”
I looked around me. When I realized that I was no longer that little boy and I wouldn’t have to worry abouthimcoming to me ever again, I let out a sigh of relief. “Yeah.”
“How are you feeling?” she asked, worry evident by the lines set in her forehead.
I shifted my weight, sitting up in the surprisingly comfortable bed. “Like I’ve been stabbed.” I never expected to actually fall asleep. It took a lot for me to sleep in a place that I wasn’t comfortable with or when I didn’t know if it was safe to do so. But it looked like the night had caught up with me and I passed out without even realizing it.
