Dane

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"Okay, I'm okay," she said eventually, wiping her face and his chest with a little laugh. "I better stop before I drown you."

"It's fine," he said softly. He always felt protective towards her, but in that moment she felt like the most breakable, precious gem and it was up to him to keep her from falling. He stroked her hair away from her face.

She blew out a breath and rolled away far enough to reach a tissue from the box on the night table. The cold spot on his chest felt like an ice cube until she'd blown her nose and turned back to bury herself in it. "I'm just so glad you're here," she said on a breath. "Tell me what happened after I ran? What did you find out? What have you been doing? What did you tell everyone about where I was?"

So he did. He explained that Tish was in custody. That Josh had given a statement about her attempt to abduct Lila. That she was accusing Dane of being the one to have abducted and hurt her, but even the cops struggled to see how that was possible when Tish was the one to have intruded into the house.

Lila grimaced. "She didn't. I took her in there," she sighed.

Dane stiffened. "What?"

"She showed up at the car, terrified and panicked, and at first I didn't know what to do. So I snuck her in. It wasn't until we got into the apartment and she messed up her story and I just… I'm sorry, Dane. I wanted to call you right away, but at first she was scared of the phone. Then by the time I realized what was going on and could get to it, I was running."

Dane stayed silent, but kept stroking her hair and back. It had to be on the security footage they'd given the Police. Which meant they were going to see Lila sneak her in—and see Lila flee. There would be added questions about where she'd gone. He was already going to face a grilling in the morning. This made it worse. But he wouldn't tell her that. It wasn't her fault. There was a spiral of anger in his chest, but he swallowed it down. She'd done the right thing in the end and run. He would hold onto that.

"I don't have to tell you," he said carefully, "that this is why I've said trust no one but me, right?"

"I know," she said and clung to his chest. He curled in on her, speaking into her hair. "He'll send people you trust. He'll send people you'd never suspect. It could be anyone that isn't me or Chris, you know that, right?"

"I know."

"Lila, please promise me you'll never let someone in the car, or your apartment again. No matter what."

"No matter what," she said, her voice shaky. "I mean it, Dane. She took me by surprise, but I get it now. I see how it works. I won't make the same mistake twice."

He sighed heavily, but just hugged her more. "Okay, good, because when I go back I'm already going to be terrified, I can't deal with it if I think—"

"Go back?" Lila pulled out of his chest, one hand to his shoulder, until she was meeting his gaze. "Go back where?"

"Home. To the office. I have to keep working, Lila. My father's behind this. We have to find him. We have to stop him—"

"No, Dane. You need to stay here with me. Stay safe. If you go out there and your Dad can't get to me, he's going to come after you. It's only a matter of time. You have to hide with me and let them find him—"

"Lila, babe, I can't."

"You have to!" Her eyes were wide and panicked. "I can't sit here alone and wondering what's happened to you like that. It was killing me, Dane. I mean it."

"It's only for a few days until we figure out how to—"

"Dane!"

"It's not the whole time, Lila. I'll come and go. I promise. But I can't use my cellphone here. It's too risky that it'll lead someone to you. I have to go back. I have to be there. I have to stop him before this goes any further. We have to figure out what other staff he's got." And I have to find him, Dane didn't say. She wouldn't let him do it, he knew. But it was an idea that had been turning over in his mind ever since he realized his father had gotten into his inner circle. Dane had to find a way to stop him once and for all, or they'd never be safe.

Tears were silver on her lashes again when he pulled her in and kissed her, then whispered into her ear. "I'll be here whenever I can. No one else knows about this place. I'm not going to risk giving you away. But I will be here, I promise. And this way I know you're safe when I can't have my eyes on you. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." He lifted her chin when her eyes dropped and she stared at him.

"You don't get it," she whispered back. "It's not me. I know I'm safe here. It's you. I want you to be safe. I want to know you're not in trouble. I want to help you, watch your back. No one else can be trusted, Dane. I'm so scared he'll get to you."

Dane had to swallow, hard. She had no idea—none—how amazing she was. He kissed her to cover for his own emotion.

No one had ever wanted to protect him before. Ever. He'd always been the one doing the protecting. And the hurting, of course. That ached to think about. But this? She loved him in a way he'd never been loved before. And he loved her even more for it.

"I'm so glad I married you," he whispered. Then he sighed. "Now, we aren't done. There's some stuff I have to tell you."

There was a pause before she sighed too. "Okay, I'm ready. What's going on?"

He took a deep breath and stroked her hair again. "I have to tell you exactly what my father's like. Exactly what he does. And… you have to understand some stuff. Just in case."

"In case of what, Dane?"

"Just in case."

*

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If you're enjoying this book you might also like my fantasy romance, FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE KING OF BEASTS:

Elia is transmigrated to Anima, where humans have the blood and senses of animals. She's forced to mate Reth, the King of Beasts, but they soon fall in love. Together, they must fight for the Kingdom—and their lives—against the villainous wolf-tribe.