Page 52 of Reckless Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 8)

“I think she’d probably be up for that,” I say, placing the bottle on the side and walking toward the door that’s going to lead me back to my girl.

Joanne doesn’t say anything as I walk away, but I stop before I disappear and turn back.

“Thank you,” I say sincerely. “Thank you for seeing the truth. For trusting me with Jodie.”

“Just don’t make me question it,” she warns.

“I won’t. She’s too important to screw up again.”

“I agree. Now go and make sure she’s okay. I know it might not seem like it right now, but you make it all easier for her. She’s just refusing to accept it.”

With a nod, and a little bit of hope flowing through my veins, I head up the stairs.

I find her asleep exactly where I left her, and after clearing clothes off the chair in the corner of her room, I lower myself down to watch her.

I have no idea how long passes as I sit there with the effects of that whisky warming my body and my head full of all the things I’d love to do to the woman before me when she suddenly starts thrashing around.

One quick glance at the window tells me that it’s soon to be morning before I sit forward, ready to go to her if her nightmare gets worse.

Thankfully, she seems to calm, and I almost relax back when she suddenly screams, “No,” and sits bolt upright.

Her eyes open wide and land on me as she pushes her fingers into her hair, dragging it back from her face.

“You killed him,” she states, her voice hollow. “You shot him. In front of me.”

“To protect you, baby,” I say softly, pushing from the chair and walking to the end of the bed.

“Stop.” She holds a shaky hand up to me. “Stop, please,” she begs.

Dread settles heavily in my stomach once more as my eyes plead with her not to do this.

“Jodie?” I question, terrified about what is going to come next.

Her eyes fill with tears and her bottom lip trembles.

“I need you to leave,” she states.

“W-what? No. No, baby, please.”

She shakes her head and my heart sinks into my feet.

“I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you to stay. That wasn’t fair.”

Words flicker through my mind, all the things I could say to try to convince her to let me stay, but none of them pass my lips.

What’s the point? I shouldn’t have to convince her, and I realise there and then that rescuing her from one scumbag rapist and all the confessions I’ve made about how I feel about her aren’t enough to make her start to forgive me.

“I’ll do anything you need, Jodie,” I tell her honestly as I reluctantly take a step back from the bed.

She nods and releases a long breath as it hits her that I’m not going to argue.

“I’ll call you later,” I tell her, already knowing that I’m going to need to hear that she’s okay.

To my surprise, she nods in agreement as I bend to grab my shoes.

“If you need anything. Anything. I’m right at the end of the phone.”

“I-I know.” The tears she was holding finally spill over, and it damn near kills me to walk away from her when I know she’s suffering, but what else can I do? “Shit, baby. Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” I ask through the messy lump in my throat.