Page 30 of Silver Sanctuary (The Silver Springs #3)

Nineteen

T he air between them stilled as he watched Lacy waiting with her breath held for his response.

But Nash wasn’t sure what to say. Because the idea that Lacy—his beautiful, incredibly kind, always thinking of other people and doing her best to just raise her daughter in a safe environment fiancée— had been forced to defend herself so violently made him want to burn down the entire world.

“How did it happen?” He had to know. He had to hear it for himself. Because once he memorized every detail of what she’d been through, every moment of what she’d endured, he wouldn’t rest until he set it right for her.

“He had a key. I installed a deadbolt on our door two weeks before, but my mom came for a visit and I walked out of the room to help Embrie get ready for school. That’s the only way I can think of that would explain how he got the key.”

“Jesus…”

“I woke up to him calling out my name—drunk and slurring his words. He was in my kitchen throwing my dishes on the floor. I could only afford a place with one bedroom, so Embrie and I shared a bed. There was no way I’d wait until he made his way down the hall, so I slipped away as fast as I could.

I didn’t want her to see… and I didn’t want him to see her.

When I got to the living room, he was more intoxicated than he’d ever been around me before, shouting about nonsense.

I couldn’t even understand half of it and before I could shove him out the door…

” She bit down on her trembling bottom lip.

“Before I could get him out, he had his hand in my hair pushing me down to the ground… and when I choked on him… he…”

“Fuck!” Nash roared. He knew what she couldn’t say.

That the greasy fucker, the man he was going to hunt down and kill, had forced himself on her.

He staggered away from Lacy, a red haze covering his vision.

He was a selfish, hot-headed prick as a kid, but the last time he’d felt rage as strong as he did hearing what she went through, he was battling through the loss of his parents.

It was a point of pride for him that he never flew off the handle as an adult—he took time to think about the next move.

But right then, when the love of his life couldn’t get out the words to tell him she’d been sexually assaulted keeping her little sister, the sweet little girl who was really her own daughter in every way that mattered, safe… Fuck!

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Nash! Please stop! You’re going to break your hand! Stop!”

Faintly, he registered the ache building in hand, running up into his arm.

Even his shoulder felt like it was on fire, but that was no match for the hatred burning through his veins.

There was so much to do. So many things building up on the list before he’d be able to end that asshole’s life.

Gunner would want to help, but he’d have to stay back with Lily and Sage.

Gage was a better shot than Hawk, but Hawk had a better right hook.

“Nash, please. Please. You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep hitting that tree! And if you do, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”

His hand fell to his side like it had been ordered to by his commanding officer.

“Let me see what you’ve done to yourself,” she ordered.

His chest heaved as he fought to catch his breath. “I’m fine. I just… I can’t believe…”

“That you almost married someone so dirty? Someone who would let something so disgusting happen? Someone so weak that a man knew he could just take whatever he wanted from her, so he did?”

“Lacy, no.” She cast her eyes down, looking over his bloodied hand with such tenderness.

But he didn’t miss when the first tear fell and mixed with the torn skin that was turning into an inferno of pain.

Yeah, definitely not his smartest move beating up a tree in a blind rage.

He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, waiting until he felt her relax against him.

“Never dirty. Never disgusting. A survivor. An incredible protector. A woman who did everything in her power, sacrificed something so precious so that her sister would never have to carry the scars that she does. I already knew you were so strong, baby, but my god… I’m going to make them pay.

I’m going to tear apart the world until every single person who ever hurt you pays, Lace.

And when that’s done, and we live an incredibly happy, love-filled life together, I’ll carry it with me into the afterlife.

And the souls who thought they finally escaped punishment in death will have to deal with me there, too. ”

“Nash…”

“That is the very least I can do for my wife. The very, very least.”

“I’m still going to be your wife?” Her small, emotionless laugh had Nash’s stomach cramping.

“Of course you are. This doesn’t change how I feel about you. What I want for our future… for Embrie’s future. If anything, it makes me think we need to tell everyone to meet us at the courthouse this afternoon so we can just make it official.”

“But you haven’t heard the rest.”

“Then tell me? Please. I won’t lose my cool again. And I promise, baby, it’s not going to change how I feel about you.”

“Give me one s-second.” She sniffled, dropping his hand as she turned back to the truck. A minute later she was returning with a bottle of water. “I don’t have anything to wrap your knuckles in, but I can at least flush out the small bits of bark you have stuck in there.”

“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that. I’m not… I’m not a hot head, Lace. I just hate knowing you were hurt like that—violated that way. I would never… You and Embrie are safe with me. Always.”

“I know,” she whispered, bringing her lips down to his hand where she pressed a kiss just below his torn and tattered skin. “Stone will need to look at this, maybe even Jake.”

“Doc can wrap it for me. We should… I don’t want to force you into doing anything you don’t want to, but we need to bring my team in on this. They’ll be able to help me keep you safe. Sebastian will have resources we can use to figure this all out.”

“They’re going to hate me. I lied to everyone. I’m exactly what this town says I am, Nash. I don’t know if I can sit there and watch them all realize that.”

“Stop. They would never…” Her eyes dropped to the ground.

“No, beautiful, look at me. You are so strong. You survived a life that has been so horrible to you.” His voice wavered, but he cleared his throat and kept going.

“They are going to want to help. Do you trust me enough to believe me on that? Do you trust that I know my team, my friends, my brothers, enough to know that they will see you how I do? ”

She bit the corner of her lip, and nodded. “I can’t lose Embrie.”

“You’re not losing anyone. You don’t have to tell me any more right now. Let’s go back to town. We’ll figure this out together, as a family.”