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Pulling her into my lap, I wrapped her in my arms, smothering her protests with a deep, drugging kiss.
"None of it matters, Kitten." I whispered against her lips.
Her eyes slid shut just as the first tear fell, her head shaking softly.
"I wish I knew the right thing to say. Emotions aren't really my thing."
A soft laugh escaped her. "The blonde leading the blind then."
That earned her a smile. "Yeah, something like that."
I lifted her chin until her eyes finally met mine. “There’s a fundamental difference between the two of us, Tierney. Your soul might be as black as mine, but that’s from your family running over it with a blowtorch for so many years. Now, it’s charred, through and through. Me, on the other hand, I was born without a soul, never had one to corrupt or damage.”
Her fingers traced along my jaw. "There are a lot of things I don't know. Especially when it comes to people. But I know you have a soul. I can feel it as sure as I can feel my own heart beating in my chest—I can feel your soul. And it's beautiful."
"Tierney. I want whatever this is between us. More than I want my next breath. I'm sure as hell not going to let you go over some flowers."
She nodded. My chest swelled as she nestled her head under my chin. This was the first time since my mother died anyone had sought comfort in my arms.
My father was always a mean drunk, but after her death, he got worse. He hated my tears and made it his mission to beat every bit of emotion out of my young body. The night I took his life, I fully embraced the monster he wanted me to be. It's suited me well these past almost thirteen years.
I never minded being the heartless bastard. Until that night in the grove. Something buried deep inside me cracked open when she looked up at me, surrendering her life to me.
"All made up then?" Connor's sarcastic voice called out as she entered the kitchen, thankfully walking steadier than she was earlier.
"Fuck off." I gruffed, pulling my girl in tighter.
She dropped into the chair I had just pulled Tierney from. "Who found me?"
"I forgot you were out of it. Tierney and I found you. I carried you out of the house and-"
She held her hand up, silencing me mid-sentence, her head shaking from side to side.
"No. What I mean is, how did you know where to search? What led you to that exact house?"
I blew out a heavy breath, somehow calmer with her in my arms than any moment in my lifetime, despite the pressure and less than eight hours until the clock ran out.
"Tierney and I noticed some irregularities in the photo she sent us." I jutted my chin toward the counter where the photo still laid. “We made an educated guess about what kind of house you would be in and I sent to Jax and had him cross reference against maps of the area.”
"So, he told you where to look."
I nodded.
Her eyes widened expectantly.
"Fuck!" I growled, rising from my seat and releasing Tierney as I started pacing.
"What did I miss?" she asked, her head snapping between Connor and me like a spectator at a tennis match.
"The clue spelled out MVP." Connor started, still piecing things together, though I had no doubts about her conclusions. "There have been a few little scenarios—"
"Like the ambush at the grove."She supplied.
"Exactly. And the broker. And—the kidnapping." she finished, the slight tremble in her voice almost unnoticeable.
"Who helped me the most? Who was the most valuable to our little team?" I asked.
"Jax." she whispered.