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“I screamed,” she whispers, arms looped around my neck. She trembles against my chest. “I screamed, and you came for me.”
“I’ll always come for you. Never doubt that.” I kiss her temple, inhale her strawberry scent, and finally my mind comes back down to earth, my rage steadying knowing that she’s okay.
“Thank you.” Her silvery exhalation of gratefulness carves me up inside.
“Don’t thank me.” I pull back to look her in the eyes. “Not for that.”
She shakes her head. “Charlie ...”
“What is it?” I ask gruffly, tucking strands of hair behind her ear. “What’s wrong?”
Tears spill down her cheeks, the sight of them shattering my heart for the second time tonight. “I didn’t lock my door.” Her bottom lip trembles. “That’s how he got in.”
Fury snakes through my veins. “That’s not your fault. Someone hurtin’ you is never your fault.” I nudge her chin up with a stern finger. “You hear me?” I say firmly, wanting her to understand.
She blinks back tears and nods quickly, absorbing the words.
Hating to let her go, but wanting her to rest, I lie her back against the pillows. “Do you remember anything else about what happened?”
“I don’t think so. Not yet. My head ...” She winces. “It’s still fuzzy.”
There’s more to ask her, but her dazed expression stops me. She’s been through enough tonight. Questions can wait. All she needs to know is that I’ll fix this. That she’ll never be hurt again.
Ruby sighs and stretches out in the big bed, looking soft and small. “Is Wyatt okay?” she asks.
She was just attacked, and she’s worrying about Wyatt.
Goddamn.
This girl breaks my heart in the best way.
“Wyatt’s fine.” I cover her with the blanket and take her hand. “I want you staying here, Ruby.”
Her eyes are two huge saucers. “Charlie, I don’t think—”
“Baby, it’s not a request,” I growl, and she silences. “You’re staying. End of story. I want you safe. I want you with me. Until we find out who’s behind this, you’re not leaving my sight. No arguments,” I say, reaching out to cup her cheek. She sighs—a fact that I take as a good sign she’s giving in—and nuzzles her lips into my palm. “Not about this. Not when you were hurt.”
“Okay,” she breathes.
Slowly, she sinks back into the pillows. With relief, I note my hand’s still in hers. It disintegrates something inside of me. Every closed off wall I’ve bricked myself into over the years crumbles.
The trust she gives me. I’m honored. Humbled.
“I want you to get some rest,” I say, my fingers tightening around hers. “But first, I want to tell you something. Last week, you asked if I’ve ever done something bad. A bad deed I don’t regret.”
I blow out a breath. Why I feel compelled to tell her, I’m not sure. Maybe because I want her to know that tonight has been my goddamn kryptonite. Maybe it’s because I need somewhere to lay my rage and guilt. Maybe because I’ve realized how much anything happening to Ruby would end me.
Seeing her hurt, seeing what I could lose—
It turns me into a fucking desperate man.
Only instead of wanting to run away from that, it has me wanting to hold tighter to her.
“There was this guy,” I begin, my voice a low rasp. “Back in my hometown. He was a close family friend. We grew up together. Played football. Last summer, when I went home, I found out he had hurt my sister.”
Memories of last summer come rushing back.
Emmy Lou and bruises on her wrist.
