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“The hospital got in touch with my parents and they came up from Florida. I was in the hospital for weeks, unable to see Day. I was in a coma for two weeks—”
“Jesus Christ,” Grant hissed, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Moira—”
“My dad helped me file the restraining order, which was granted immediately. I didn’t know what Kirk actually did for work until a month later when I got a call that he’d been arrested and would likely be going to jail for a long time. He’d been selling drugs for a cartel. He got fifteen years for it.”
“What about what he did to you?”
“I never—I never pressed charges—”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Because I was too afraid to even be in the same room with him, Grant! I couldn’t live with myself, not for the first two years after I got out from underneath him. I put my own child in danger by staying with him. I didn’t do anything to get out of the situation until he almost killed me!”
“He manipulated you—”
“I know that now. And I’ve spent the last seven years of my life living with it, Grant. He has been tracking us down everywhere we go. That’s why I jump from job to job, from place to place. I thought we were somewhat safe with him in prison, but he’s out. Early. And he wants me, Grant.”
“If he’s here in Hot Springs, he’ll be arrested and taken back to prison for violating parole.”
“He doesn’t care about that,” I whispered, terror ripping up my spine as I stood up. “He wanted to kill me that night. He knew what he was doing, but he failed. He’s here to take Day away from me because he knows that will hurt me the most. If he can’t kill me, he can hurt my son.Myson. Not his. He was never, ever his—”
Grant closed the distance between us in two steps, wrapping his arms around me as I started to fall apart.
“How has he been able to find you in the past?”
“He has connections through the cartel, I’m sure. We’d get letters and phone calls. Sometimes I’d get a knock on the door in the middle of the night and find someone standing across the street just watching the house. I don’t know how he’s doing it, how he’s paying for it, or how deep the loyalties to him lie, but I’ve never been left alone, not for a second since I met him. Not for a second.”
“This ends now,” Grant said into my hair, holding me tighter. “This guy is dead the second he shows his face in this town again. Do you understand?”
“I can’t let you get involved. This is my mess—”
“I wasn’t asking for permission,” he replied firmly, his breath tickling my ear. “This is my problem now, Moira. No one is going to touch you or Day. I promise.”
“Grant—”
He eased his grip and held me at arm’s length, looking into my face with an expression that showed me just how serious he was.
“You’re mine,” he said, his hands sliding down my arms to my hands. “Day is mine. This”—he gestured between us—“this is a family now. I protect what’s mine, and I don’t take kindly to others encroaching on my life.”
I thought of the EPA mess and couldn’t help but smile.
“I will protect you both with my life, Moira. I promise you.”
“I feel like there’s nothing we can do,” I whispered, letting him pull me against his chest again.
“Leave it all to me. You’re safe here, on my land, in my house.” He leaned down, brushing his lips over my cheek, then my jaw, then my lips.
The kiss was featherlight, and I felt my knees go a little weak as his hand settled against the small of my back.
“You’re the strongest woman I know,” he said against my lips. “I wish I’d met you years ago so you didn’t have to go through this alone for so long.”
“You’re here now,” I replied, laying my head against the crook of his shoulder. “I trust you, Grant. Just don’t… don’t do anything stupid.”
“I’m not going to go out and kill the guy,” he said with a soft chuckle, “even though I’ve never wanted anything more.”
ChapterTwenty-Five
Grant
