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“I’m here, baby girl. You’re safe,” he whispered as he kissed softly close to my ear.

“Colt’s not okay. He can’t be. Not after this,” I whimpered as I clung to him.

“No, I don’t think he is, but we’ll get him through this,” mason promised me.

“I was wrong. I…I can’t handle this, Mace,” I admitted, which was monumental for me, but being there, surrounded by not only my own memories of hell, but seeing Colt’s too, it was too much.

He gathered me up in his arms and carried me right out of there like I was a child, and I clung to him feeling as lost as one.

I lifted my head from his shoulder as the fresh air surrounded us, and I took in a huge breath. I was shaking again, but this time it was caused by my memories, not by my injury. I looked to Mason and tried for a smile, though it was weak.

“Sorry. I really thought I’d be okay,” I told him.

“You did amazing, baby. Now will you please let me take you back to Jack’s so you can rest a little?”

“I should get back to Colt,” I wavered.

“Jack text me to say he’s out cold for now. Let’s go and get a few hours’ sleep, then we can see Colt this afternoon, okay?”

“Did they find anything here Mace?” I asked as I looked from him to the forensics team who were loading their van.

“They found the knife, as well as the other stuff. We’re hoping for finger prints or DNA but that’s gonna take them a while. There no cameras around here so that’s a dead end, but Colt willbe giving a statement later, Maybe he will remember something that can get this guy,” Mason explained.

“We have to stop him.”

“We will. I won’t stop until he’s dead or behind bars for the rest of his life. He hurt the woman I love. Nothing will stop me from bringing him down,” he promised.

I lay my head back on Mason’s shoulder and tucked my arms under me. It was freezing cold and there was once again a covering of snow on the sidewalks.

“I’m tired,” I admitted.

“Let’s go then.” Mason didn’t put me down until it was to set me in the passenger seat of his car. He shucked off his gray wool coat and draped it over me once I had my seatbelt in place. “Close you eyes and rest, baby,” he told me, and I think I passed out before he even rounded the car and got into his side.

***

I woke up and smiled a little when I realized my head was resting on Mason’s naked chest. He was fast asleep and snoring loudly, but he had a tight grip around my middle where he held me against him. I didn’t remember anything after falling asleep in his car, so I assumed he had carried me inside without waking me. He’d even removed my sneakers and sweats so I was laid in just my panties and sweater.

I managed to reach my cell which was on the nightstand and checked the time, relieved I hadn’t been asleep for too long. I needed to get back to Colt, but the nap had definitely done me good. My pain was less and the pounding in my head had stopped. I quickly opened a message to send to Kylan. I didn’tknow if Deacon would still be there and I was still to annoyed to speak to Jack.

AVA – How’s Colt?

KY – Sleeping. They have him pain meds so he’ll be out for a while. Get some rest.

AVA – I’ll be back soon.

I placed my phone back on the nightstand, feeling better knowing Colt was resting too. He would need to sleep a lot after all of the blood he had lost.

“You should be asleep,” Mason rumbled as he pulled me so I was actually laid across his body.

“I slept,” I countered.

“Do you feel any better?”

“Much better after waking up laid against you.”

“I didn’t want to leave you in case you had nightmares,” he explained. I rose up and rested my head on my arm as I used my other hand to press a finger to his lips.

“You’re exactly where I needed you to be. You don’t have to explain,” I told him, feeling lighter than I had in a long time. I had dreamed so many times of laying in bed with him, usually having hot and wild sex, but also just as we were then, just snuggling and talking. In my dreams Jack would be laid in the bed with us too, but that wasn’t happening right then, not with how pissed I was with him.