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“He needed me.”
Such a small, innocent sentence but Paval wasn’t wrong. I had needed someone, someone who could drag me out of the despair taking over my mind.
“Bring him up, sweetheart. You guys can’t stay down there.” Paval nodded but didn’t answer as he crawled off my lap and tugged at my hand. I hesitated again but looking over at the window, Valentyn’s reassuring gaze still focused on me gave me the last push I needed. Following Paval silently, I held tight onto his little fingers as we climbed the stairs, my body still trembling as I fought with the locks.
It felt like a lifetime as each bolt was undone, the clang of metal ringing in my ears. Paval shifted his weight toward me, leaning against my side as I continued. He truly was my real-life Fibo, keeping me away from the panic that always tried to take hold of me.
When the last one was undone, the door swung open and Gianni stole Paval from me, Valentyn dragging me toward him. A thin layer of sweat covered him, as if he had run to meet me at the door and I was all too grateful.
Paval patted Gianni’s cheeks, sparing one extra glance at me. I had no idea if Paval understood what was going on here or if he was truly just that innocent. “Daddy says that sometimes someone has to be strong. We’re a family and I could help.” He beat his chest with one hand, a smile spreading across his cheeks before it disappeared. “You’re safe now.”
I short-circuited, unable to wrap my head around how calm Paval was. “How-” I knew it was stupid but I clung to Valentyn, wrapping my legs around his waist as I cried into his neck. The man held me through the tears, walking me toward my bedroom and away from the chaos. It wasn’t until he had laid me on the bed that I realized my nails had dug into his shoulders, drawing blood.
I opened my mouth to apologize but Valentyn shook his head, kneeling by my bed as a firm hand ran through my hair, the other one gripping my waist. My hands clutched at his shirt as sobs continued to burn in my chest, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Rhys, fuck, what happened after we left?” His eyes softened the longer he stared at me, Valentyn shifting closer with every breath until he was climbing onto my mattress and pulling me against him, my face pressed against his chest. The safety of his embrace calmed my unrest as we lay there in silence. Mumbling from the living room piqued my interest as I looked up to him for an explanation. “Got your call and we all just piled into the car. Didn’t even know Pav was awake when we left the car. O-” I shuddered at the start of Owen’s name, Valentyn quickly using something else. “The fucker was dead in the water when we came in. Shocked that we were here but he’s been dealt with.”
“Dealt with?” I wasn’t sure what I would do if I walked into my living room and saw the remnants of a crime scene on my living room floor.
“He’s not coming back again, Rhys. And we’re updating your security system. Fuck, that was too close.” He kissed my forehead. “How the fuck did he get in?” His voice churned with anger, the words laced with lethal intention that made my blood heat with desire.
“I…” I took a deep breath, my frayed nerves settling. “I took his key when he came yesterday but he picked the lock somehow. He’s never this obsessive. I don’t know what’s going on but he came in and I… he made me uncomfortable and then he came at me. I just ran. The wrong way.” I left out the part about my program, although it seemed like it was all connected.
He chuckled. “There’s not a wrong way if you’re still alive. But you’re safe now.”
“Am I?” I squeaked. Thisthingbetween us had started less than forty-eight hours ago and it already felt like it had been years. It was comfortable and beautiful and everything I wanted.
Valentyn searched my expression, “You found something, didn’t you?” I nodded, not sure if I was supposed to explain or if he would just understand that I now knew a little more about the danger they brought with them. “We definitely aren’t the good guys, Rhys but don’t ever question your safety with me. You willalwaysbe a priority. Now, I’m going to sleep in here with you unless you want one of the others.”
It wasn’t a question—they weren’t going to leave me alone.
“I should talk to Paval first,” I started as I began to sit up. “He will-”
Valentyn pulled me back down. “And he can hear everything you have to say tomorrow. Right now, we’re going to sleep while the other two fix your door. And your windows. He’s not going to get in here ever again. Now, Rhys, answer my question.”
The command in his voice was all too firm to ignore, not that I wanted to. “You,” I breathed, snuggling closer to him as his arms wrapped around me just a little tighter.
“Good boy. Now, sleep. Everything else can wait.”
And I did. I closed my eyes and passed out against his chest. And for the first time in weeks, there wasn’t a nightmare to greet me, just pure bliss as I held onto my goddamn savior. A man could get used to this, the safety and warmth and even love that they brought into my empty house.
Chapter twenty
VALENTYN
His cries gutted me as he trembled against my chest, his hands balled into fists as he tried to fight away the demons. I wrapped my arms around him a little tighter, pressing my lips to his forehead, hoping that my touch alone would help him settle.
But he didn’t know me.
Hell, less than 48 hours ago, I hadn’t even known who Rhys Knight was. He hadn’t been on my radar—for genuine house construction or the darker, less-than-legal side of my business. He was just an NPC of the life we had chosen.
And yet… something told me that he meant more than that, not just to me and my men, but also to a world I was hoping he wasn’t a part of.
When he had called this evening and Dmitri rudely kicked me out of bed, I hadn’t known what to do with the shock on my man’s face. And once I did find outwhyRhys was calling, the only thing I could think of was making sure Owen understood who he had messed with. I knew two facts now—one, that the job had never been for Rhys but Owen. And that Owen was fucked in the head if he thought we were going to let this abuse continue.
My hands rubbed up and down his back as I wished I could slip into his head and fight away those nightmares. I had never once been pushed into a situation like that but Gianni had. He didn’t talk about those memories but I had seen the panic attacks and the destructive behavior that came from them when we first met.
I didn’t wish that on Rhys. Or anyone.
