Make Me Yours

by Iris Morland

  “For two days. Gavin, they weren’t sure you’d pull through.” Kat’s eyes glimmered with unshed tears. “The bullet came within a quarter inch of an major artery. Any closer, and you would’ve bled out.”

  Strangely, he didn’t feel afraid when he heard those words—that he’d nearly died just a few days ago. All Gavin could feel was an immense tiredness, and the need to see his daughter’s face. But most of all, he hated to see Kat crying. It broke his heart as much as the bullet had broken his body.

  “But I’m here, aren’t I? I survived.” He squeezed Kat’s hand. “Lie down next to me.”

  She sniffled. “What?”

  “I want to feel you. I’ve missed you.”

  “You’ve been high as a kite for two days.” She smiled slightly and snuggled up next to him in the hospital bed. It was a tight fit, and if he weren’t full of painkillers, he might find it uncomfortable. But then he smelled Kat’s sweet scent, felt her hair brush his chin, and he didn’t care one bit.

  His IV started beeping. And beeping. And beeping. Kat let out an annoyed huff and moved his arm. The beeping continued. She moved his arm a second time. Finally by the third try, the IV stopped complaining.

  “What was that?” said Gavin.

  “When there’s a kink in the line, it gets mad. You kept moving your arm in your sleep and making it beep. The nurses kept having to come into your room and get it to stop.”

  He chuckled. “You mean I’m a pain in the ass even when unconscious?”

  “Pretty much.” Kat sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. “But it meant that you were still alive, though. I’d listen to that stupid thing beep for eternity if it meant you were still here.”

  He kissed the top of her head, his fingers brushing against her temple. The touch made her wince. He looked more closely to see that she had a bruise that size of a small plum.

  “Baby, what the hell? Did he hurt you?” Rage filled Gavin.

  She looked up at him in confusion. “You don’t remember? He hit me with his gun.”

  “Jesus Christ. I’ll kill him. For everything, I’ll fucking kill that son of a bitch.”

  “Not if I don’t kill him first.”

  Gavin grunted. “Never took you for blood-thirsty.”

  “He kidnapped Emma, threatened to kill her. He almost killed you. So yeah, I’m just as angry with him as you are.” Kat sighed again. “But I’m also angry with myself.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I should’ve known Silas was no good. There were so many red flags, but I just attributed it to him being an odd guy. I never thought he was capable of something like this, but if I hadn’t been so naïve…”

  “Kat, look at me.”

  Kat hesitated, but Gavin lifted her chin.

  “Do not, under any circumstance, blame yourself. The only person whose fault this is is Silas. No one else. He made the choice to terrorize you and then to keep acting like he was your friend. He let himself get taken over by jealousy. He chose to do everything. You aren’t to blame.”

  “I’m just saying if I’d been less naïve, I could’ve prevented all of this.” Tears ran down Kat’s face. “The moment you were shot, I knew I could never forgive myself if you died. You fought to protect me from a man who I should’ve known was bad news since the beginning.” Her voice cracked. “I should’ve known, I should’ve known.”

  Gavin shushed her, rubbing his chin against her hair as she cried. His brain was mush from the painkillers, and he struggled to convince her not to feel guilty. All he could tell her, over and over again, was that she shouldn’t blame herself. But he knew Kat: she had a good heart, and she took it hard when things happened that were out of her control.

  Hell, he was the same, wasn’t he? He’d blamed himself for Teagan’s overdose. He’d blamed himself for letting Kat go out of sheer fear.

  If anyone was to blame, it was him, for not protecting his family like he should have.

  “Please don’t cry,” he begged. “You’ll really kill me if you don’t stop. I’m begging you.”

  She let a little laugh. “I had no idea tears could get you to do whatever I wanted.”

  “Now you know: just cry and I’m putty in your hands.”

  He and Kat lay quietly for a bit, and Gavin simply listened to her breathing. He was about to fall asleep when the door to his room opened, and there was Emma. Her face lit up when she saw that Gavin was awake.

  “Dad!” She ran toward him and clambered up onto the bed right as Kat got down.

  He didn’t care that Emma jostled his wound; he didn’t care that his IV started beeping as he wrapped her in his arms. He held her tight, breathing in her sweet scent, reveling in the feeling of her warmth and vitality.

  “Emma, sweetheart,” he said in a rasp. “God, it’s good to see you.”

  “You’re going to be okay?” Her lower lip trembled.

  “I’m not going anywhere.” He hugged her again before she curled against his side.

  “I was so scared.” Emma’s face was pale. “I wasn’t sure you’d find me in time.”

  “I’ll always find you. Remember that,” replied Gavin.

  Emma nodded, burying her face against his shoulder. Kat rubbed Emma’s back.

  “She’s been so brave through all of this,” said Kat in wonder. “Haven’t you, Emma?”

  Emma just shrugged. “What else was I supposed to do?”

  Gavin knew that his daughter was simply too young to process what had happened to her. He thought of how scared she must’ve been, and it tore him up inside. His only wish was that his entire family could heal from this, because Silas didn’t deserve to have the satisfaction.

  “Aunt Joy let me watch Frozen every day,” said Emma. “She even let me watch it when I kept having bad dreams.”

  Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Gavin smiled because he knew that Emma rewatching Frozen over and over would’ve been a huge sacrifice for Adam, since his brother couldn’t stand musicals. To have “Let It Go” playing at all hours of the day and night? Gavin owed his brother—big time.

  “What else did you do while I was asleep?” said Gavin.

  Emma shrugged. “Nothing, really.”

  Kat caught his gaze, and he knew that that answer was loaded with meaning. Gavin wanted to ask his daughter about her bad dreams; he wanted to reassure her that she’d never go through something like this again. The only reason he wasn’t breaking down completely was because his brain was foggy. Once he got out of the hospital and was no longer on painkillers, he knew a reckoning would be coming.

  “I’m just glad you’re safe,” said Gavin, holding Emma close and enclosing Kat’s hand with his. “Both of you. My girls. My brave, beautiful girls.”

  “Do you think I was as brave as Kat?” said Emma.

  “You were both brave. Extremely brave. I’m proud of you both.”

  A memory slowly formed in his brain. The encounter with Silas was patchy at best, but talking about it now seemed to bring it into clearer focus. Bits and pieces tugged at his memory, including one piece that made his breath catch in his throat.

  He stroked Emma’s hair with a trembling hand as he looked up at Kat, shaking his head. “ I can’t believe you threw yourself at Silas.” He clutched at her hand. “That was so stupid, Kat.”

  She laughed a little. “Maybe, but it worked. I’m okay. Just a little bruised up, but better than you.” She arched an eyebrow, and he knew she was trying to keep things light for Emma. “I’m not the one who got shot.”

  He sighed, and he took her hand to kiss the back of it. “I love you, Kat,” he said. “I’m sorry I was such a coward. I don’t deserve you, you know.”

  “I know that.” At his expression, she grinned. “I love you, too, you stubborn man.” She leaned toward him and they kissed, but Emma made a disgruntled noise, which caused them to part and laugh.

  “I am sitting right here,” Emma said pertly. But then she looked up at Kat and asked, “Are you goi
ng to be my stepmom?”

  Kat raised an eyebrow. “Maybe. Your dad hasn’t asked me, though.”

  “Ladies, ladies. Let a guy recover first before we start talking about weddings.” But the thought of Kat becoming his wife, walking down the aisle toward him, wearing a beautiful white gown? It didn’t make him want to turn tail and run. He only wanted to embrace it and see what the future would bring them.

  The rest of the Danvers clan came in, with everyone surrounding Gavin and asking him how he was feeling, what he remembered, and every other question under the sun. Kat had filled them in as much as she could, but everyone wanted to talk to Gavin. He tried his best, but after about an hour of questions, he looked so exhausted that Kat shooed everyone out.

  The nurse came in and gave him another dose of morphine. Gavin tried to fight the sleep that wanted to claim him, but his eyelids were so heavy that he wouldn’t last long.

  “Emma, can you tell me what happened?”

  Emma plucked at the sheets, avoiding his gaze. He jostled her a little. “Tell me,” he breathed.

  “I got scared,” she mumbled.

  When she didn’t seem like she’d continue, Kat rubbed her back. “You can talk to us, Emma.”

  “I had a dream the night before, that Mom was going to die. I tried to stop thinking about it. I did. But it got so bad that I went to the closet, like before. That’s when Mr. Fraser found me.” She looked up at Gavin with wide eyes. “He took me into the woods, but I tried hard to stop him. I really did.”

  Gavin sighed. Sleep was claiming him, but he said in a slurred voice, “I’m sorry, Emma. I’m sorry you were scared and that you felt like you had to run away. I’m sorry that man took you, and I promise you, I will never let that happen again. When you’re ready, though, we’re going to have you talk to some people to help you not be so scared anymore.”

  Emma burrowed against him. “I don’t like talking to people.”

  “I know, but I’m going to talk to some people, too. I promise. We’ll do it together.” He yawned, and he took Emma’s hand just as sleep finally took hold of him and wouldn’t let go.

  Epilogue

  Two months after what was eventually termed The Incident, everything seemed to return to normal. Mostly normal, at any rate, Kat reflected with a wry smile. Gavin had told her in no uncertain terms that there was no way she was going to get away from him again, and she’d moved in with him the day he’d returned home from the hospital. And neither of them had looked back.

  Silas awaited his trial, sitting in jail for the foreseeable future. The judge had denied him bail since he would still be a real threat to Kat, Gavin and Emma. Silas had tried contacting Kat to apologize, but she’d refused all contact. He’d told the judge that he’d done everything because he loved her. She didn’t understand it, but she was glad he couldn’t hurt anyone else.

  The past two months had been ones of healing. Gavin had mostly healed from his bullet wound, although he still had pain in his side if he worked himself too hard. More than once, Kat had had to convince him to rest. It didn’t help that he’d been unable to work at River’s Bend and had to instead use his savings to pay for living expenses until he got back onto his feet. He’d briefly mentioned that his family had said they would assist him, but Gavin had too much pride for that, the stubborn man.

  Gavin had also found a child therapist for Emma, along with one for himself as well. Emma’s anxiety had gotten worse in the beginning, and she’d suffered from nightmares more than once when Kat had stayed the night with Gavin. Gavin had been beside himself with guilt. Kat had encouraged him to seek therapy for not just his daughter, but for himself.

  “If we’re all going to therapy, you should go, too,” he’d said wryly. “You can’t tell me this entire thing didn’t affect you, either.”

  Kat had tried to keep her fears to herself, the anxiety that kept her awake the nights she spent at her grandmother’s house. She’d told herself that with Silas behind bars, she had nothing to fear. But that didn’t stop her from looking over her shoulder when she heard a strange noise, or seeing the woods behind the school and remembering.

  So she’d found a therapist, too, and all of them began to heal from the wounds inflicted that cold October night. Even as the physical wounds healed, the emotional wounds would take much longer.

  But Kat had Gavin and Emma’s love, and she loved them both with her entire heart. They healed each other with every moment they spent together. Kat could see a future that was bright and hopeful, not terrifying and lonely.

  A few days before Christmas, Kat spent most of her time at Gavin’s. The apartment could barely hold three people, but it was cozy on cold winter days.

  Emma was asleep already. Kat was curled up next to Gavin, a mug of hot cider warming her hands. Gavin was rubbing her neck and giving her occasional forehead kisses. Christmas music played softly in the background. The only thing they lacked was a fire. Too bad Gavin’s little apartment didn’t have a fireplace, she thought drowsily.

  “You’re so beautiful,” said Gavin, gazing down at her. “You know that, right?”

  “Considering you say it all the time…” She smiled and touched his face. “You’re pretty too, you know.”

  To her amusement, he looked embarrassed. “I’m hardly pretty.”

  “You’re very pretty.” He made a sound, and she laughed. “You’re also handsome, and so manly that you can rip logs apart with your bare hands. You drip testosterone with every step you take. I’m pretty much pregnant just from sitting next to you.”

  That made him growl. “You’re damn right I am.”

  Kat had the forethought to set her mug of cider down right before Gavin tumbled her back onto the couch, caging her in with his arms and legs. She laughed. Despite the prison of his embrace, she didn’t want to be anywhere else. There was no one she felt safer with than with Gavin Danvers.

  “Take back what you said,” he said before kissing her jaw.

  “That you can split logs with your bare hands?”

  “No, that I’m pretty.”

  She snorted. “Are you seriously still harping about that.” She let out a surprised moan when his hands brushed her upraised nipple.

  “If you don’t, I’m going to punish you. All night long.”

  She raked her fingers through his dark hair. “Sounds terrible. Maybe I should call the police.”

  “Our neighbors probably will once they hear you screaming.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at that pronouncement, which only gave Gavin more reason to show her how determined he was. He kissed her, claiming her mouth, his hands skating across her body. He knew exactly how to touch her, and how to draw out her desire until she trembled for him.

  He pushed her sweater up and cupped her breast through the lace material of her bra. “Somebody is turned on,” he said with a low laugh.

  “It’s just cold.”

  “What a bad liar you are.” He tweaked her nipple at the same time he sucked on the side of her neck. She’d never understood the appeal of hickeys—until Gavin had given her one. Now she enjoyed them a little too much for an adult woman.

  He whispered words against her ear, making her blush and her body heat up further. When he pushed her jeans down and his fingers delved below the elastic of her panties, she could’ve cried with joy. But he only danced his hand across her sex. When she tried to get him to touch her where she needed him most, he just chuckled, the jerk.

  He played and petted her, giving her only a taste of what she wanted. Frustrated, she cupped his hardened length and squeezed. Gavin hissed in a breath, his eyes turning dark.

  “You’re playing with fire,” he rasped.

  “Well, I’ll be cliché and say that I want to get burned.”

  Gavin kissed her hard. They undulated their bodies against each other, needing that friction but not quite getting it. Soon they were tearing off their clothes, their things flying in every which way.

  Gavin pulled
Kat on top of him, his cock pressing against her. He tugged on her nipples.

  “Perfect,” was all he said.

  Kat was already wet and open, and she slid onto his cock with a relieved breath. Gavin bucked under her. Both of them were already close to the edge. Leaning over him, Kat began to grind slowly, loving the way his pelvis brushed her clit while his cock filled her completely.

  “I love you,” she said, digging her fingers into his shoulder.

  “I love you.” He gripped her hair. “So much.”

  Kat closed her eyes, feeling the orgasm creeping into her. And then it burst inside of her. She buried her face against Gavin’s shoulder to stifle the sound. When she began to shake, he grunted, his own release pushing through him.

  He kissed her until her lips felt bruised, his cock still inside of her. God, she loved this man. She’d never known love like this, and she was so grateful that they’d managed to find each other in this crazy world.

  Gavin pulled a blanket of them both as Kat snuggled into him. After some minutes of silence, he said, “What are you thinking about?”

  “I’m thinking about how pretty you look when you tell me that you love me.”

  Gavin snorted, and Kat laughed, and he then proceeded to show Kat exactly how a pretty man like him could love her.

  Now, sitting with Joy at her wedding on Christmas Eve, Kat reflected that she’d never been happier than she had been these past two months. The Incident aside, she’d fallen in love with Gavin Danvers even more than she had before, if that was possible. He’d done everything in his power to make up for turning her away, and she’d let him. She smiled, thinking of how he’d made things up to her just this morning.

  “What are you smiling about?” Joy looked at her in the mirror, where she was putting the finishing touches on her makeup. Unsurprisingly, she wore a dress that wasn’t remotely traditional: instead of white, she wore a creamy pink gown with flowers trailing down the back, like a waterfall of petals. It brought out the peachy creaminess of her skin, and Kat rather thought she looked like a queen wearing it. She didn’t wear any jewelry except the engagement ring on her finger, which would soon have a wedding band added to it.