Page 14

BEAU

“I have to hand it to you,” Will whispers in my guest bedroom. “That was poetic justice at its finest.” We stand in this room, giving his wife, Mandy, a nurse practitioner, and Brynn some privacy in the living room as she assesses and cleans the redhead’s injuries.

I rub my hand over my face. “It was far too merciful. But I’m here to stop sickos from hurting the innocent. God can give them their just desserts.”

“Well, you certainly did that.”

I nod, the weight of the burden I bear not remotely lifted by his words.

My head spins with the sickening discoveries the coroner made about Rachel Maxfield and Penny White’s murders. I may be a vigilante and former sniper, but I’ll never wrap my head around killing without provocation, out of some sick pleasure-seeking impulse.

I raise an eyebrow, muttering, “Will my creativity make things difficult for you?”

“Not at all,” Will shrugs. “You rescued Brynn, and in the ensuing struggle, Wade fell over the cliff into some of Vengeance County’s most impenetrable, rugged terrain. By the time someone finds him, if someone finds him, the bears, wolves, mountain lions, and badgers will have had their way, I imagine.”

I pulled the arrows from Ralph Wade’s corpse myself and threw the shovel over the cliff. Leveling my gaze on Will, I nod an unspoken understanding. “And the announcement about what happened?”

“Already written. But I’ll give you and Brynn a few days before I release her name, and the media frenzy begins. While I can keep you anonymous, your girl’s famous. So, don’t expect to get off as easily with her.”

I grunt, “A sheriff’s perimeter would be welcome.”

“Done.”

Now, I just have to convince Brynn to stay with me. Easier said than done. Especially after the side she saw of me in the woods. A side I warned her about but could never truly prepare her for.

Mandy confirms Brynn has no concussion and that her jaw and wrist aren’t broken. The nurse practitioner rules out other injuries, and she prescribes pain pills and a wrist brace as needed.

After Will and Mandy depart, I stand in the entrance to the living room, assessing Brynn’s bruised face and split lip. She’s covered in perspiration, dirt, and blood, and I wonder why in the hell I ended Ralph so mercifully. I should’ve cut off his balls and dick with the shovel before ever touching his neck.

Fat teardrops roll down her cheeks as her wide, periwinkle eyes observe me. I expect to see recrimination or terror. Instead, I find relief, gratefulness, and tenderness. I can’t stand the distance between us any longer, striding towards her. She rushes in my direction, meeting me in the middle of my living room and clinging desperately to my waist.

I palm her cheeks gently, running my thumb over the red, swollen patch that’s already beginning to bruise. My other thumb glides over her bottom lip, barely touching the newly formed scab. Tears flood my cheeks as I say in broken tones, “I can’t stand to see what he did to you, Butterfly. It breaks my fucking heart. It makes me want to kill him again and again.” My voice sounds far away, and I feel myself slipping into a very dark place I try never to go.

“Beau, you saved me,” she squeaks, bringing her hands up to my cheeks to wipe away my tears.

“I should’ve gotten there sooner. To think what he almost did to you… God!” I scream, every muscle trembling with rage.

“I knew you were there, baby. I could feel your eyes on me. I knew no matter what happened, you would save me.”

“What do you need from me, Butterfly? Anything… There’s nothing I won’t do for you.”

“I need to feel clean again.”

Nodding, I lead her to the bathroom, starting the shower. But she shakes her head, looking towards the bathtub. After I draw a full bath with soapy, sudsy water, I help her undress, brushing over her flesh with soft, comforting caresses. I help her step into the water, but she sits on the edge, only letting her legs and feet dangle in the hot water.

I grab a couple of fluffy, white bath towels and washcloths for her from the cabinet beneath the sink, placing them next to her. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

“Yes,” she says, looking at me with pleading eyes. “Get in with me, I need to feel you … in every way .”

My throat tightens, and my pulse races. “Are you sure?”

Tears splatter her cheeks. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I may never let you out of my sight or my arms again. I need you.” She says the last sentence from the same place where I need her, my soul instantly recognizing the fierceness of her plea.

Hurrying out of my clothes, I climb into the water, encouraging her to follow me inside the massive, porcelain tub with jets and other features similar to a hot tub. But I don’t press any of the buttons or mess with the gadgets. Instead, we soak up the intimacy of silence as I wash her gently with a washcloth. Never have I felt so close to another human being in my life.

I shampoo and condition her hair gently, running my fingers through her silky locks to remove tangles and sliding my hands over her body with gentle, reassuring touches. Once I’ve covered every inch of her with water and soap, she climbs on top of me, straddling me with an exquisite urgency.

Whispering against the shell of my ear, she asks, “Beau, do you remember when you asked me what I would do if you got me pregnant?”

The question catches me so off guard, I stare blankly at her, nodding.

“I should have told you this at the time, but I was afraid I’d scare you away. If we had a baby together, I would love them as much as I love you.”

Her words slam into me, unexpected and more needed than she could possibly realize. “You love me?”

She nods. It was all I could think about when Ralph was holding me hostage, the regret I would feel if I never got another chance to tell you. A fat tear drop crashes over her lashes, the most beautiful fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life. And then another and another. I’m mesmerized by her raw emotion, her intense vulnerability in this moment. As if I can feel every emotion vicariously through her body.

The numbness of a lifetime crashes down around me, staring into her gorgeous eyes as I repeat again, “You love me?” Before she can answer, I capture her mouth, my tongue sweeping into her with breath-stealing intensity.

Pulling back, I stroke her cheeks softly, admitting, “I’ve never said this to any person in my life … except for my mom.” My voice cracks over the last word, even though so many years have passed since Mom’s death that I sometimes have trouble remembering what she looked like. “I love you, Brynn. More than I love myself … or this life or any fucking thing I thought I was attached to a week ago. I love you so much it scares the shit out of me because I’m not good enough for you, and I should probably let you go. But dammit, I refuse to.”

“Don’t ever let go of me,” she answers, wrapping her hands around my neck and returning my passionate kiss. Her tentative tongue slides between my lips, making my cock rock-hard.

“Let me make love to you, Brynn. Like you and I are the only two people that exist.”

“Yes, Beau. Please make me yours.”

Emotion blurs my vision of the beautiful woman as I drink in her face, pouring every inch of love and tenderness I feel into my gaze. Grasping her hips gently but firmly, I slide into her tight channel, shivers of desire traveling up and down the length of my spine as she moans, letting her head fall back slightly and surrendering to the passion welling between us.

I lean forward, sucking her tits as my hand sinks between her legs, finding her clit. I circle her slowly but masterfully, savoring the way she tightens and flutters around my cock, heightening my need with each stroke. Her hips buck forward, her cries growing more intense as we come undone together, screaming into the echoing bathroom.

Afterwards, she rests her cheek on my chest. “I love the sound of your heartbeat,” she says quietly, tracing the fingertips of her right hand over my muscles. “It makes me feel so safe, so loved. I never want to go another night without hearing it.”

I swallow loudly, my throat tightening with raw emotion. “I don’t want to ever go another night without you, either, Butterfly. I don’t have a ring yet. I’m sorry. But I fully intend on making you my wife and my life for as long as I live if you’ll have me?”

“Yes, Beau. A thousand times, yes.”

I kiss the crown of her head, finally able to relax.

“What you did at the cliff today… Is that what you tried to tell me about before? That you take matters into your own hands sometimes?” Her eyes flutter to mine, and my pulse increases.

“Yes, but if that’s a problem for you … if you can’t handle me in that role, I’ll stop.”

“No,” she says, pursing her lips, her chin trembling. “Thank you for giving Rachel and Penny the justice they deserve. Vengeance County needs you. I need you. Just promise me you won’t take unnecessary risks.”

“Never … now that I have someone to come home to and protect. But I’m not leaving you alone for a long, long time. Until you feel better. Until you heal from what happened, mentally, emotionally, and physically.”

“Thank you, baby,” she says, suppressing a sob. “Have you let my parents know I’m okay?”

“Yes, and when you’re ready, we’ll call them together, so they can hear your voice. I know they’re beside themselves with worry.”

“Does Dad know about you and me?”

“He does,” I confirm, stroking her upper arm gently.

“And he’s okay with it?”

“More like resigned to it. But he knows you’re safe with me.”

She climbs on top of me again, kissing me. “I’ve never felt safer than when I’m in your arms. Although I didn’t think I’d ever say this, I’m thankful Dad hired you to stalk me. Because you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I can’t even think about life without you.”

Her words heal an ache so deep in my heart, I didn’t know it was there. They restore my soul along with her tender kisses as she sheaths my rod, riding me again and entangling our souls for all time.

* * *