AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A whimper escaped her but she turned into his chest and gripped his shirt. He repeated the words and held her firmly while her body shuddered and she muffled her pain against his chest.
She might as well have reached into his ribcage and punched his heart. The pain was as real.
Sure, he’d realized fairly quickly he was being a jackass when he was pissed at her for hiding from him. He’d finally looked at the situation from her perspective.
But hearing her in such pain, whether it was real or memory, hit him hard. She’d lived a loveless childhood and then had her life ripped away in high school. Her body had been broken in too many ways to count.
But she was alive. She’d thrived in her new life. She’d found a job she enjoyed and a circle of friends. No way in hell was he letting anyone take that from her again. She’d more than earned the second chance at a full life.
He wanted to ease the pain from her and drop it in the bodies of the men who’d caused it. Was her father alive? Was he the one who had set the explosion? Someone else in the Pavic family or a rival?
His gut told him it was some kind of scheme created by the uncle to either get himself and his brother off the law enforcement radar, or a way to eliminate Tessa’s father.
He’d remained open to all possibilities over the years, but there had been no one to gain financially from the death of Martin and Karlo. Except the family.
Tessa sighed softly and her hand opened and relaxed on his chest. Her breathing told him she’d drifted into a deeper sleep and he closed his own eyes.
The dogs barking outside woke them both several hours later. Flynn jumped up and rushed to the window, only to spot the dogs playing in the newly fallen snow.
Heart racing, he turned to grin at a wide-eyed Tessa. “Looks like we got a few inches of snow last night. The dogs are having a blast.”
She thumped back down to the bed and blew out a breath.
Flynn slipped back in with her and pulled her into his arms. He could feel her heart pounding where she snuggled up against him. “How’d you sleep?”
Tessa laughed softly. “Best sleep in as long as I can remember. I should have warned you about my nightmares. Did I disturb you?”
He kissed her hair and squeezed. “I slept great, too.”
She sighed. “Which means I did have the nightmares. I’m sorry I woke you up. I’m glad they weren’t too bad.”
That wasn’t too bad? “What happens during a bad night?”
She shook her head. “Think panic attack combined with terrified toddler. It’s not pretty. That’s why I took the room farthest from everyone else.”
“I’m sorry you have to live with those.”
She shrugged then stacked her hands on hands on his chest and rested her chin on top. “Thank you.”
Flynn raised his eyebrows. “For what?”
She smiled. “For being a great guy. For holding me through the dreams. For treating me like I’m normal and not screwed up beyond repair.”
He rolled them over so he was on top of her, but he braced his weight on his forearms. “You’re not beyond repair. You’re whole and healthy. You’ve been through hell and you’ve grown into this amazing woman who takes care of others and the planet. A woman who is kind and generous. A gorgeous woman inside and out.”
He watched Tessa’s eyes widen as he spoke and then saw the smile begin deep inside and grow until her face caught up.
“Thank you.” Her whispered words were full of emotion, but she maintained eye contact. “You’re a pretty special guy, Flynn Walker.”
When he rolled his eyes, she leaned up to kiss his jaw.
“In fact, I think you’re special enough to do me a favor.”
“Anything you need.”
Her eyes lit up and her smile broadened. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
This time, she kissed him lightly on the lips. “Okay, Cowboy. I need your help with a pretty big step. A step I’m one hundred percent certain I want to take.”
