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She didn’t want to, but considering how dry her mouth was it was probably a good idea.
“Did you sleep at all?” she asked.
“Nope.”
“Grumpy bear,” she whispered. “You have to sleep.”
“Grumpy bear? Uh, no, you’re not calling me that. And I’m not sleeping. If I go to sleep, some other bastard might hurt you. Or you might disappear.”
“You’d be upset?”
Anger flooded his face. “Upset? No, I wouldn’t be upset.”
Oh. That’s not what she thought he would say.
“I’d be fucking furious. I was fucking wild with fear when I realized you’d left. Fear that something happened. Fury that you didn’t tell me what was going on. But do you know who I was most angry with, girl?”
“I think you’re going to tell me.”
“With myself. Because I didn’t realize soon enough what you meant to me. Because I was still deluding myself that you were something casual. I kept telling myself that something more wasn’t possible. Not with the life I lead. And by the time I figured it the fuck out, you were gone and I couldn’t get in touch with you. You should have been tucked up safely in my bed, unable to leave the house without me fucking knowing. Not heading across the country alone, then nearly fucking dying.”
Nerves danced inside her. Not because she was scared of him. Nope.
Because when she read between the lines of what he was saying, what he was really telling her was that he cared.
About her.
Suddenly, it all became too much. What he was saying. What had happened to her. She didn’t know why it hit her so hard right then, but she couldn’t hold the emotions back.
Tears raced down her cheeks again. “Someone tried to kill me, didn’t they? They tried to drown me?”
For some reason, it was hitting her harder this morning.
She’d nearly died.
“Oh, baby.” The anger disappeared, devastation and something else filling his face. Determination? “Fuck.”
“I just don’t understand. Why would someone do that to me?”
“I don’t know, baby.”
“I’m . . . I’m scared, Gray.”
His eyes widened. “Fuck. Don’t, Maeve. Don’t be scared. I won’t allow anyone to harm you. I swear.”
But she knew he couldn’t make a promise like that.
“I can’t do this . . . I don’t know what to do . . . I thought if I came here that they wouldn’t follow. But they did, and they hurt Abe. It’s my fault that Abe was hurt.”
“Nothing is your fault,” he said harshly. “Hear me? None of this is your fault. It’s all this evil asshole who did this. It has nothing to do with you.” He gave her a determined look. “Now, brace yourself. I’m going to hug you.”
He was?
Thank God.
Gently, he drew her up and against his chest, his arms going around her. She knew that he wasn’t used to giving hugs and the fact that he made the effort with her . . .
It meant everything.
