“No! Please!” She scuttled further away, hands grabbed at her, and she screamed. It took her a long moment to realize that she didn’t feel cement under her, she felt something soft. The hands weren’t hurting.
“Shhhh, Eva, you’re safe. You’re safe.”
She wasn’t being held down, she was being stroked. These arms felt familiar and good.
Evie shuddered. She took in Aiden’s scent, and it was what finally calmed her. She burrowed in, and shoved her face against his neck. He rubbed his big hand up and down the length of her spine, and she slowly came back to herself.
The present.
She was in San Diego. She wasn’t in that room. Nobody was going to hurt her.
“Nobody’s going to hurt you, Baby, I’ve got you.”
She took a deep breath. Another. Then another. She tried to push out of his arms, but he wouldn’t let her go. She liked it. She didn’t really want to leave. Every little bit of strength left her, and she melted against him. But then she started to shiver. To shudder.
Oh, God. Not tears. There was never any point to crying. Her eyes started to sting, and then...and then.
“I don’t want to cry.”
He kissed the top of her head.
“I know you don’t,” he whispered into her hair. Tears started. She tried to pull away from him so he wouldn’t feel them. He cupped her nape and held her close to the crook of his neck. “I won’t tell anyone you cried.”
Ahhh, God, he’d said the wrong thing.
Tears started to flow, big fat ones. Gushing. Sobbing.
“Let the poison out.”
“I was...” She gulped. “I was scared.” She clutched at Aiden, as she tried to get closer, if she could have, she would have climbed into his skin.
He rocked her back and forth.
“I have you. You’re safe. I have you now.”
The more he said it, the more she embraced her fear and let it go. It was as if she could face it in the haven of his arms.
Evie cried. And cried. And cried.
After forever, she felt his thumbs brushing the tears off her cheeks, his lips at her temple, his voice in her mind. “You’re safe. I have you.”
Sleep came.
***
He couldn’t let her go. He crawled into bed beside her, and she clutched him even closer. Aiden stared at the large stain of water on the carpet, where he’d dropped the glass when he’d come in the room with her pain meds. He’d been waiting for her to break down, but he’d still been taken by surprise.
She was too warm from her crying, but that wasn’t going to stop him from holding her close. He reached across her and picked up the remote for the fan and turned it on high.
Aiden gave a heavy sigh. Every time Evie had said she’d been scared, he’d thought the same thing. He’d been terrified. He just couldn’t let it hamper his ability to focus. But Jesus, he’d been scared. Hell, not even at fifteen when he’d gone after the gang members who’d raped and killed his mother had he felt such fear. Knowing Evie was being held and tortured had ripped at his soul.
She nuzzled against his chest. He looked down at her delicate features. Had he really thought it was possible to let her go? God, he’d been stupid. Yeah, he’d thought that he still had people out after him, and he was doing it to protect her, but life was just too fucking short. It shouldn’t have mattered.
He cupped her head and pressed her cheek to his heart.
“Rest Eva, I have you. I have you.”
Chapter Twelve
Evie looked at Aiden out of the corner of her eye. She was in the living room, finally off bed rest, thank the Lord. She would have thought that he would go insane with having his home overrun with Averys, but he seemed perfectly relaxed. No, the only person who seemed tense was her big brother.
Scratch that, Karen was out of sorts too, but that was only because she was a nanosecond away from killing Drake. Seriously, if he offered to do one more thing for her, he was going to get hit.
“Karen, would you like a bottle of water?”
“Sure, it would go well with the one I’m holding, Sweetheart.” She smiled at her big fiancé.
Trenda laughed, then Bella giggled. “Why are we laughing, Mommy?”
“Because your uncle is a worrywart,” Karen answered for Trenda.
Bella got up off the floor where she was coloring and toddled over to the couch where Karen was sitting. “What’s a working wart?”
“Uncle Drake is working to get warts at the rate he’s going,” Evie told Bella. Evie watched Bella reach out to stroke Karen’s stomach. Before Drake could lose his mind, she walked over to pick up her niece. Somehow, like Flash Gordon, Aiden was by her side and picked up Bella.
“Eva, you’re not supposed to be picking up anything more than five pounds for a few weeks yet.”
Bella patted Aiden’s cheek. “O-Man! Higher!” He accommodated by swinging her up toward the ceiling. She shrieked with laughter.
“Do you want another bottle of water, Karen?” Evie asked sweetly.
“I think you should try to go and lift something, Eva,” the woman responded sarcastically. Evie sighed. Karen was right. They were surrounded by vigilant men.
“Evie, you knew better than to pick up Bella,” Trenda admonished.
She bowed her head. Her sister was right. “Sorry, Trenda. I wasn’t thinking.”
Trenda picked up the coloring book and crayons, and came over and put her arm around Evie. “It’s okay. I just worry about you.”
“We all do,” Piper said from her seat near the window.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re getting there,” Trenda said. “Don’t try to push it.”
“Don’t you need to worry about Karen?” she said hopefully.
“Nah, Drake has that covered,” Trenda said tongue in cheek.
“Gee, thanks, Trenda,” Karen said.
Evie looked at her soon-to-be sister-in-law. She looked beautiful. Her red hair gleamed, and her green eyes sparkled. There was no way that Evie would have thought that there was anything wrong with her. Just then, she moved her hands over the curve of her protruding stomach, and a shadow passed over her face as she bit her lip. Drake had been looking up at Bella, but almost as is if he had a psychic connection to Karen, he turned and caught her chin between his fingers and gave her a gentle kiss.
“How’s Miss Caroline?” he asked.
“She just kicked.”
“Well of course she did. She knows Bella is having fun, and she wants to join in,” he teased. Just like that, Karen relaxed. Maybe vigilant was a good thing.
“How does it feel to know you’re going to continue to be surrounded by women?” Evie asked her big brother.
He put his arm around Karen and leaned against the sofa. “I can’t imagine anything better.”
Evie glanced over at Trenda, who was looking as happy as she was feeling. God, after everything he had gone through, it was damn fine to see their big brother so happy. Nobody deserved it more.
“What?” Drake looked between the two of them.
“Never you mind,” Karen said, as she handed him her empty water bottle. “I need a refill big guy.”
Boy, she sure knew how to work him.
She winked at Evie as Drake got up to get her another bottle of water. Aiden cuddled Bella close, then placed her gently on the floor next to Trenda. “I’m going to go out and get your stuff out of the car.”
“Whose stuff?” Evie asked.
“Karen, Piper, and Drake are staying here for the next two days,” Aiden said casually. Too casually.
She looked at Karen, who shrugged. “Drake’s tried to keep me in the dark, then fed me some stupid story. Consider me a mushroom. He’s been shoveling bullshit.”
“Auntie Karen said a bad word,” Bella whispered to her mother.
Trenda sighed, and Karen laughed.
“Bella, Uncle Drake owes you money, because he’s responsible for my bad word. Go ask him f
or your money.”
Drake walked into the living room holding two bottles of water. “What money?” he asked.
“I said a swear word and it’s your fault. You owe your niece some cash.”
“Why is that my fault,” he asked as he twisted the cap off the water and handed it to Karen.
“Because you’re covering me in B.S. What are you and Aiden up to? Why do we need to spend the next two nights here? Where is Aiden going?”
Evie’s felt her pulse speed up. Calm down, girl! It’s not a big deal that Aiden won’t be here.
“Where’s Aiden going?” she asked casually.
“He didn’t tell you?” Drake asked innocently.
The front door opened and Aiden came in with two suitcases and a duffle bag.
“Thanks, man,” Drake said.
Aiden tipped his chin. “I’m putting them in the room across from Trenda and Bella’s. The smaller room next to it is for Piper.”
“Did you decorate this house?” Piper asked.
Aiden chuckled. “Heck no,” he said as he grinned at Bella who was listening to the adult’s conversation. “My aunt and uncle got sick of staying at the Hyatt when they came and visit. Uncle Leonard scoped out the house and insisted I buy it. Aunt Carmen made a trip from the Yucatan, and had this decorated in two weeks. I didn’t have to lift a finger.” He headed down the hall with the luggage.
“I’ll help with the suitcases,” Evie said as she got up out of her chair, “you might need help lifting something.” She caught up with him as he dropped the luggage on the bed.
“Where are you going? Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving? Are you being deployed? I thought you were still on leave.”
He gently cupped her shoulders. The man was always conscious of her injuries. She hated that she was still sore. Dammit.
“I was going to tell you, Evie.”
“When? When you got back?”
“If I thought I could have gotten away with it, yeah.” He smiled down at her. She liked that he was back to being a blond again. Then again, maybe not. Now he could say almost anything, and she would just go along with it.
“Don’t think you’re going to get away with a damn thing just because you’re handsome. That might work with all of your women, but I’m your roommate. You need to keep me informed.”
“Roommate, huh?” His fingertips slowly slid down the back of her arms, until he was holding her elbows. Then he trailed them down further until they tangled with hers. She clutched his hands.
“How are you feeling? You know if Bella comes down with something, as kids are prone to do, she and Trenda will have to go stay at the Hyatt, right? You’re susceptible to infection.”
“Don’t try to change the subject, Mr. Medic. Where are you going?”
“I’ll be back soon. I’m just going to be going to gone two nights, max. I’m going to call you each night. We’ll talk until you go to sleep.”
Her fingers tightened. She had nightmares. He knew she did. Almost every night he ended up coming into her room and holding her until he chased the shadows away. The first three nights before Trenda arrived, he came running in when she’d wake up screaming. She thought about the first night after her sister’s arrival. He waited for everyone to settle in, then he showed up in her room wearing sweatpants with a book and settled in beside her.
“I’ve decided I won’t dream tonight,” she’d assured him.
“Good, it would interrupt my reading.”
“The light’s going to bother me.”
“Close your eyes, then you won’t notice it.”
She rolled over and finally slept. At some point, she remembered waking up scared, but was soon soothed by Aiden’s familiar scent and calming voice promising her safety. She’d fallen back to sleep.
“Kitten, it’s important. I’m pretty sure I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“It’s not a problem. You know the dreams are getting better.” And they had been.
He pressed his forehead against hers, and looked into her eyes. “I know. I’m so impressed with you. I don’t know how you’ve managed to fight your way out of this like you have.”
“It’s what you would do.”
“I still think you should talk to someone.”
“I never have before.”
Fuck! She hadn’t meant to say that. She slid her eyes away from his.
“Eva. Look at me.”
She got lost in royal blue. His eyes were dark with compassion. “Have you been holding out on me?”
“Where are you going?”
“Have you been holding out on me? What else has happened to you?”
“I asked you first. Where are you going?”
His eyes searched hers.
“I’m going to Tennessee.”
Evie tried to step back, but he wouldn’t let her. “Careful, Eva, you’re still healing,” he warned her.
“Why are you going to Jasper Creek?”
“Blake and Jim have continued to email you. It needs to stop.”
“No, they haven’t.” She checked her email daily, and there hadn’t been any emails from either of them. Part of her had been relieved, but a larger part of her had been hurt.
“I had them forwarded to my email. Dex did it.”
“Dex? He’s the tech guy who helped to rescue me. You arranged to have him hijack my email? What the fuck?!” She tried to twist out of his hold, but he gathered her gently against his chest.
“Calm down. I didn’t want them trying to assuage their guilt. They have no right.”
“No, you have no right!”
“I will not have you upset. You’re still healing. I will do everything in my power to make sure you are taken care of.”
“That’s utter bullshit. I take care of myself. I always take care of myself.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized just what a lie they were. She’d been letting him take care of her for the last week. It had to stop. She shouldn’t allow herself to come to rely on him. “Let me go,” she said as she pulled out of his arms.
She ran across the hall to her room, unsurprised that he followed her.
“Eva, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She took three deep breaths. She would not throw herself across the bed and cry like she wanted to. She turned to look at Aiden.
“What are you going to say to Jim and Blake?”
“I’m going to tell them to cease and desist.”
No, he wasn’t. She knew him now. He wasn’t pissed. He wasn’t angry the way that Drake got angry, he was ice. He was going to go obliterate them. “What are you going to do?”
“I haven’t decided, but I can promise you I’m not going to kill them.”
Evie laughed. He stared at her. She stopped laughing.
“You can’t be serious.”
“It was a consideration. At least with Jim.”
“You can’t kill a man in cold blood.”
“It’s been done a time or two.”
“Not by you.”
“It’s been done a time or two,” he said quietly. She looked at him. Really looked at him. Holy fuck, she didn’t think he was kidding.
“I’m going to make it fast, Eva. I’ll be back tomorrow. I won’t prolong this. Okay? Now answer my question.”
What was he talking about? Did he just say he’d killed someone in cold blood? “What question?”
“Has something like the kidnapping and beating happened to you in the past?”
Evie sucked in a deep breath. She took a step backward, and he took a step forward. She lifted her arms to ward him off and winced.
“Dammit, be careful.” He gently grasped her injured arm and pulled it down to relieve the pressure.
“Eva, you can trust me. I would never hurt you.”
“Oh, God, Aiden, of course, you wouldn’t. I know that.”
“Then what?”
She took a deep breath and gave a half smile. “Sounds like both of us still have some
skeletons in our closets. You come back from Tennessee. Hopefully, you won’t have any blood on your hands. Then we’ll swap some stories.”
“I want you to talk to me now.”
She wasn’t going to just dance to his tune. “How come I don’t know anything about your childhood.”
He flinched. Direct hit.
“You sure you want to go there?” he asked.
“We missed a few steps before. You keep saying we have a chance. You say you want something with me. Well, it’s time to go a little bit below the surface, don’t you think?” She held her breath to see what he’d say.
He held out his hands. She put hers in his. He brought them up to his lips and turned them over. He kissed her palms. “Deal.”
Chapter Thirteen
Driving up to the boutique hotel, he saw that all of the contractor’s trucks were gone, and instead, there were mostly rental cars in the parking lot. Now wasn’t that just nice for two men who had almost gotten a woman killed, Aiden thought bitterly.
He parked away from the rest of the vehicles, underneath a copse of trees, and took advantage of the walk to center himself. Aiden knew what he wanted to accomplish, and it shouldn’t take long.
He walked up the flower-lined flagstone stairs leading to the entrance.
“Can I help you? Do you have a reservation?” The young girl behind the desk was pretty and chipper.
“I’m here to visit with Mr. Sellers.”
“Is he expecting you?” she asked with a head tilt.
“No, but he’ll see me. Tell him that Aiden O’Malley is here.” Aiden was careful to stay back from the desk, not wanting to tower over the lone female in the lobby. She lifted the phone and spoke quietly.
“He’ll be out directly.” She pointed to the coffee station. “Help yourself.” She smiled.
Aiden shook his head.
Jim came out from the back office.
“How’s Evie?” he asked as soon as he saw Aiden. The man looked haggard. Good.
Aiden tilted his head toward the entrance door and opened it. Jim walked through it.
“Let’s take a walk.”
As soon as they got outside, Jim glanced sideways at him. “A dead body in the forest is going to be noticed,” Jim said, only half joking.
“I’m not going to kill you,” Aiden replied as they headed out behind the hotel toward the tree line.
Her Relentless SEAL (Midnight Delta Book 10) Page 10