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His green eyes implored mine, and I so wanted to believe.
“You’ve always been fearless on stage, Iain. The way your hands bring that guitar to life? Fuck, you’re a musical force of nature. I know you’re strong enough to get through this, too. But don’t push me away. I want to love and support you. My heart knows, sweetheart, and yours does, too. Please.”
Despite the IV in my arm, I reached up with both hands and gripped his tightly, pulling it to my chest, over my heart.
And, like always, my hands said everything I couldn’t.
He reached down and gave me a tender kiss.
Dawson was right.
His heart knew, and so did mine.
CHAPTER 39
DAWSON
FIVE DAYS LATER
“Anyone want more lasagna?” I asked as I looked around the dining room table.
Iain and Jaxon were sitting across from each other, their half-eaten plates left aside as they got into a conversation about acoustic vs electric guitars. My mom sat across from me, watching the two of them with a soft expression. When she looked back at me, she winked.
Yeah. I was pleased, too. We’d landed at Iain’s five days ago and hadn’t left since.
Iain had nightmares about the incident, but overall, he was handling it well.
And having him lying there beside me in bed every night was amazing. We talked for hours, and every day, I learned something new.
Besides talking in his sleep, Iain was a blanket hog.
He was a fan of hot baths and hotter coffee. He loved any kind of puzzle, especially sudoku, and board games, too. And man, was he fiercely competitive.
I also learned that Iain had a soft spot for animals, and I just knew he was already plotting to get Jaxon that cat he wanted.
We hadn’t been intimate, but that was to be expected. Ronin was right; Iain needed time to process.
For all of Iain’s talk about independence, he sure took to my family quickly. He liked my mom’s say-it-like-it-is Philly attitude since he had no problem being just as blunt as she was. I was concerned she might talk me out of staying here, but of course, I should have known better. I’d told her about the entire incident and that I was worried about him. She knew, just like I did, that Iain needed love and protection.
In the least amount of detail possible, I’d explained to Jaxon what had happened to Iain and why we were still staying with him. My son was also concerned, but he also understood that Iain needed us. I’d finally had that talk, explaining to Jaxon that I loved Iain, and he loved me. And that given Iain’s celebrity and our relationship as boyfriends, things would be changing.
My son, in his matter-of-fact way, told me it was cool, and he had my back.
I tell ya, eight going on eighteen…
I’d also reached out to a therapist, one that Van had recommended. Someone he’d talked to after the loss of his parents. Iain had his first session tomorrow. I knew there was a lot for him to unpack, not just about the stalker, but about his mom and his strained relationship with his dad. We’d also agreed to go as a couple since Iain was new to this relationship stuff, and I would be new to the media scrutiny that was about to unleash the moment we went public.
And speaking of healing, Quinn was recovering from surgery, and his prognosis was good. His shoulder didn’t sustain any permanent injury, so after things healed, he’d be back to work in a few months.
Iain still had a detail, with Lennie and another bodyguard, Petyr, taking rotating shifts. Thankfully, the house had plenty of room to accommodate.
The media continued to circulate stories about the stalker and Val’s role in stopping the attack, with fans calling him a hero. He told reporters that Quinn was the one they should be lavishing praise on, and left it at that.
Regan was working with the police to piece together the events of that day. It turned out Frankie had gotten hold of a rental car using a fake identity. He’d also stashed a hidden camera on the public road just outside of Iain’s property that clearly recorded every car that came in and out of the compound. When Frankie saw the SUV leave that day, he made his move and followed them to Bandit’s office.
The police also had a look through Frankie’s condo and uncovered an alarming number of photos of Iain, most of them taken near his home, out and about in Nashville, and at various Bandit events.
But Frankie was gone. I was sure there would be more disturbing news to come once the investigation wrapped up, but we’d learned enough for now.
