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He grabbed her hand. Pressed it between both of his. “I get it. You’ve never had to do this before,” he said. “Hide. Watch your back. Think three steps ahead to stay safe. You’re a lawyer, for God’s sake. You’re usually the one in charge. I don’t expect you to know this stuff. To be used to thinking this way.”
His fingers tightened around hers. “These are my strengths. And trust me, I’ll use them to protect you.”
Alex stared down at her still-shaking hands, and had a sudden bolt of clarity. Was her life in Seattle the reason she’d been acting this way? Trying to stay two steps ahead of Jerry, trying to avoid being seen or caught? Having to think every step through to the end before you made a decision? This situation had unleashed the ugly memories of her teen years.
She blew out a breath. “Sorry, Gideon. I know I’m acting irrationally. Stupidly. But this is bringing back too many bad memories.”
His hand tightened on hers, as if he were afraid she’d jerk away from him. Then he twined his fingers with hers. Tucked her against himself. “What kinds of bad memories, Alex?”
She saw nothing but concern in his expression. A soft kindness in his eyes. He was worried about her.
When was the last time she’d seen that in a man’s eyes?
She never had.
No one but Sierra had worried about her since Mary died. Gideon was the first man who’d tried to protect her. Overwhelmed, feeling trapped, just like she had felt so long ago, Alex wanted to tell Gideon everything. All her dark secrets. The truths she’d hidden most of her life.
Could she trust him with her secrets?
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. She’d trusted him with her life. She’d picked him up in the snowstorm, even fearing that he was a hired killer who’d come for her.
If she trusted him with her life, she could trust him with her story.
He wouldn’t judge her. Wouldn’t think less of her. Even in the short time she’d known him, she was certain of it.
And he’d told her some things he probably shouldn’t have shared, like the app he’d basically stolen from the FBI. He might still be hiding secrets from her.
But she was hiding secrets from him, too. Like the files she’d stolen from Jerry.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “Alexandra Conway is my legal name. But I was Britney Wilson for the first fourteen years of my life.”
