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"Shouldn't we call the police?"
Jack's eyes darkened, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.
"Trust us," he said grimly. "We can protect you better than the police.”
As much as I wanted to believe in their ability to protect me, doubt gnawed at me. I’d been alone on those streets today, running for my life.
Except for the man who had run in to rescue me…
“Did you have someone following me?” I asked in a whisper.
“No, baby,” Carter said, giving Jack a glance as if maybe they should have.
Then had Greyson sent one of his goons to follow me?
If so…I was suddenly feeling very grateful for Greyson’s psycho protective side.
As I leaned into Carter’s arms, relaxing against his powerful chest, the memory of the bone-chilling fear I had felt while running for my life lingered, casting a dark shadow that it felt like I could never escape.
Not while I was in this dark, terrible city.
Not much later, the softness of the couch enveloped me as I curled up with Carter, Sebastian, and Jack. Carter held me protectively in his lap, his arm wrapped around my shoulders, his chin nuzzling the top of my head. Jack had my feet in his lap, gently massaging the balls of my feet, my aching calves and thighs. His touch was magnetic, healing the pain of my aching muscles from running…If I hadn’t felt so drained from my frantic escape, his touch would’ve turned me on.
Sebastian paced behind us. He couldn’t seem to settle down, as if he wouldn’t be able to relax until he knew whoever had hunted me was dead.
“Sebastian, sit down,” Jack scolded him. “We’ll figure it out. She’s safe for now. But you are miserable to watch a movie with.”
I could tell they loved me, because they’d voluntarily put on a cheesy Hallmark holiday romance movie.
The room was dimly lit, casting a warm glow that made their faces appear softer, more welcoming. But, despite finding comfort in their presence, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.
Greyson.
"Guys," I began hesitantly, "I need to know. Was I ever in danger because of… because we were together…before?" All three of them flinched and stared at me with various looks of shock.
My heart pounded as I awaited their answer, my fingers nervously tracing the outline of the name necklace I always wore. That one little piece of my past was so precious to me.
Sebastian sighed, his eyes filled with pain and guilt. His gaze seemed to catch on the way I was worrying the necklace. "Greyson told you, didn’t he?” He sounded more resigned than anything else, like he’d been preparing himself for this moment.
“He did. The question is why didn’t you?”
The heat of anger flushed over me, fueled by the fear and confusion of the day. I also suddenly couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that they’d known me, and then they’d left me all these years–alone.
“What did Greyson tell you?” Carter asked, of course not answering my question.
“He told me that you all knew me. But I’d basically figured that out on my own.”
“When you were in your coma, we didn't claim you because we wanted to protect you. We erased you from the public eye, made sure there were no records of you,” murmured Jack, looking absolutely devastated that we were having this conversation.
Sebastian leaned over the couch, and his fingers gently brushed the necklace and my decolletage, a sad smile playing on his lips. "I gave this to you, but I tried to take it away too. It hurt me, but I thought it would be worth anything to protect you."
I pulled my legs away from Jack, then got to my feet. I couldn’t stand to have them touching me anymore. "What if it wasn't worth it to me? Losing you? Not even knowing I was in danger to protect myself?"
They exchanged glances before Carter spoke, his voice soothing yet firm. "We'll always protect you, Kennedy."
"You weren’t there today!" I spat out, my chest heaving with emotion. "I have to be able to take care of myself, not depend on you all the time."
They stared at each other, and I couldn’t read their faces. They’d been friends for so long; it seemed like they didn’t need to speak to each other to communicate.
