Page 36 of Wildest Forever (Lovelock Bay #3)

My hand is on her head, fingers smoothing down her hair as I try and calm her down.

I was terrified, but I didn't want her to know that.

“Riggs has taken him,” I kiss the top of her head, and she clings onto me like I am her lifeline.

“Where was he?”

“Rummaging through the cabinet in the living room.”

She shudders.

“I hate that someone has been in our home,” and my chest aches.

“Me too baby, me too,” I whisper against her hair.

I have no idea how long we have sat on the floor for, but I needed to move. My ass was numb, my back ached.

Trying to push to my feet, she stops me by holding me close to her.

“Don't leave me.”

I shake my head.

“I wasn't going to, I just need to get up,” I give her a sad smile and she pushes away from me, eyes all wide and I could lose myself in her beautiful green eyes.

Standing, I hold my hand out for her to take which she does, and I smile a little wider at how her hand fits perfectly in my palm, her delicate wedding band catching my eye.

Pulling her to her feet, I lift her hand to my lips and kiss over her wedding band.

“Mine, wife.” I whisper against her skin and lead her to the bed.

She sits on the edge, watching my every move.I reach for the blanket and tug it towards me.

“What are you doing?” she asks, and I can hear the fear that has wrapped itself around her voice.

“Making a bed on the floor, I need to clean the glass up downstairs and didn't want to wake you when I come back upstairs.”

She shakes her head from side to side, hands buried in her lap of her frilled pink shorts and matching cropped tee and I can't stop my greedy eyes wandering over the small bit of skin that is on show.

“Sleep with me, I need you next to me,” her voice tremors and I drop my head, looking down at my feet for a moment.

“Of course, Sunflower,” I lick my lips, fingers still clutched to the blanket that I toss back onto the end of the bed.

Glancing back towards the door, I sigh, before stepping and closing it softly.

“The glass can wait until the morning,” I whisper through a smile, and she still looks absolutely terrified.

Pulling back the covers, I usher her to get back into bed and my heart aches a little more when I look at her.

I climb onto the bed and lay myself behind her, one elbow propped up as my head rests on my hand, the other is resting on my side.

“No one would have hurt you,” I whisper and she rolls to look at me, eyes all glassy and I fucking hate it.

“I wasn't worried about that,” her bottom lip trembles and my brows soften, my eyes locked on hers

“Then why are you so upset?” Curiosity peaks and I find myself leaning a little closer to her.

“I was scared you were going to get hurt, I was scared you were going to die,” and a fresh tear rolls down her cheek, but I swipe it away with my thumb pad.

“Nothing was going to happen to me,” and her eyes fall to my scar that is on my stomach, and I sigh heavily, her eyes lift to my tattoo and her shaky fingers draw it out.

“But what if it did,” her eyes flick to mine and I want to tell her over and over that it won't but how can you promise something you can't keep?

“Baby, none of us are promised tomorrow,” my hand slips and I cup her face, the need to have her skin on mine overwhelms me.

“I don't want you to die,” her chin wobbles and a light-hearted laugh slips from my lips.

“Sunflower, believe it or not...” I pause for a moment, rolling my lips before my tongue darts out and runs across my lower one.

“I don't want to die, but these things are inevitable.

We will all die, the question is when...

no one knows that. You can't go through the whole of our lives worrying about me dying.

I don't want you to die but do you know what...” I pause and let go of her face as I wrap my arm over her small waist and pull her towards me.

“I'm not worried about it because right now, in the moment, we're both here, alive...” I curl my hand around her wrist and drag her hand down, placing it on my chest. “You feel that?”

Boom, boom, boom.

Her lips curl into a soft smile.

“That's my heart baby, it's beating.”

Her eyes well again.

“Now, close your eyes and sleep. I promise I won't leave your side.”

She nods, snuggling down and I finally lay my head on the pillow next to her, holding her close to me and not letting her go.

I wake, startled and it takes me a moment to realize where I am. There is a loud tapping that pulls me around a lot sooner than I would have liked. Blinking my heavy lids a couple of times, I finally come to.

Smiling proudly at her still laying in my arms warms my chest. Shuffling slightly, I try my hardest to get back to sleep but that tapping noise grows louder.

Sighing, I slip her from my arms and roll her away softly. Hate that I need to leave her lying here.

Glancing at the small alarm clock on her bedside table, it's just past six and panic claws inside of me.

Shit.

My alarm goes off at four a.m., so does hers, so how the fuck had we slept through both of them.

Moving from the bed, I stand before turning and looking over my shoulder at her, her blonde hair fanned out behind her, full lips parted as soft breaths slip through them and I am instantly jealous of the air that passes.

Shaking my head, I sigh and move downstairs, the tapping continuing.

Once I am at the bottom, my eyes drop to the shards of broken glass and for just a moment I had forgotten about last night.

Then I see his boots.

“Wakey wakey, sunshine,” Riggs beams at me, tapping on the outside of the door again.

“How long have you been here for?” I groan, running my hand around the back of my neck and giving it a squeeze.

“Ten minutes maybe,” he looks at the hole in the glass then back up to me.

“Why didn't you let yourself in?” I yawn, nodding for him to follow me into the kitchen.

“Bit rude, isn't it?”

“Not really,” I shrug a shoulder up as I go about putting the coffee pot on.

The sound of his boots crunching over the glass has my eyes tracing over my shoulder.

“Didn't think of cleaning this up?” he looks disgusted before his eyes find mine.

“Morgan was spooked, didn't want me coming back down.”

“So, you just left it like this... all night?”

“Yeah,” I say as if it isn't a big deal but in reality, I was really quite stupid.

“Idiot.”

“Coffee?” I ask as the pot begins to warm. He doesn't answer, just pulls the chair along the tiled floor and takes a seat.

I am assuming that is a yes.

Filling the cups, I twist and sit opposite my big brother, handing him his coffee.

“Have we found out who our little friend is?” I ask, bringing the cup to my lips and blowing softly.

“Oh yes,” a wicked smirk tugs at his lips, his eyes cast down.

I wait for a moment when I hear Dusty's voice.

“Hello,” his voice drawls through the hallway, “what in the hell happened?” his boots crunch.

“In here,” I call out and he is in the doorway, eyes bouncing over me. “We had a little visitor last night,” I grumble, and Riggs looks over his shoulder, greeting Dusty with a boyish grin on his face before he turns and takes a mouthful of coffee.

“The fuck, who?”

“Still waiting to find that out,” I swing my leg forward and land a foot into my brother’s shin.

“Ouch you fuck bag,” he groans, and I chuckle.

Dusty walks in the kitchen, helping himself to a coffee as he stands, back to the work surface waiting for Riggs to spill.

“Morgan okay?” he glances at the time and I know he thinks something is off.

“Yeah, just what with the broken sleep last night, we both slept through our alarms. Sorry man,” I wince as I catch his glare.

“It's cool, she covered for me all day yesterday, pulling a few hours for her really isn't a big deal,” he smiles, placing his hat down beside him and taking a sip of his drink.

“Riggs,” I tilt my head at my brother.

“Yeah?”

“Who was it?” I shuffle in my seat, both elbows on the table as I stretch my arms out, pushing my cup along the surface of the table.

“Luke,” he says bluntly.

“Luke as in...”

“Luke as in,” he sighs, nodding his head.

“Fuck, I thought he was dead.”

“Unfortunately not,” he smirks, “but he took a good beating, still none the wiser on who sent the little weasel.”

“Was half expecting another word to round that sentence off.”

“Little weasel cunt, better?” Riggs snorts a laugh, and I chuckle softly.

“What happened last night? Who's Luke?' Dusty asks, pulling his own chair out, the legs dragging across the tiles and echoing.

“We heard someone rummaging around down here, found him in the living room. No idea what he was looking for, called Riggs for backup, he still wouldn't talk so Riggs took him away...” I sigh, scrubbing my face with one of my hands, the cool metal from my ring on my skin.

“So, who is he? Who is Luke?” and even hearing his name is like fingernails on a chalk board; I find myself shuddering.

“Luke is Aspen—my wife's—dickhead ex who cheated on her.”

“Right,” Dusty looks confused as hell.

Poor Dusty.

He doesn't do drama.

Just gets up, kisses his wife and kids goodbye and works the ranch, a very simple, but happy and rich life.

“He got in with the wrong crowd... then he disappeared when Clay Attaway died.”

“Ohhhh, the guy who was found on your land?”

“Who we didn't kill, might I add,” thought I better get that in there, just to keep the record straight.

Dusty nods but edges closer, clearly enjoying this a little more than he thought he would.

“And well, he is back but not sure why,” I let out an exasperated sigh when I hear the floorboards creak above us and my lips twitch.

Within a couple of minutes, she walks into the kitchen like a pure ray of sunshine. Hair wild and messy, eyes glistening as she looks at the full kitchen and a ghost of a smile creeps onto her lips.

“Morning, Sunflower,” I raise a brow and a smile tugs at the corners of my mouth.

“Morning,” her voice is soft and quiet and the most perfect sound on an early Friday morning.

“Morning sweetheart,” Riggs chimes and she shakes her head, looking down at herself and tiptoeing past us.

Riggs and Dusty soon avert their gazes and fall into quiet chatter.

But me? I couldn't stop staring even if I wanted to.

Something had shifted but I was unsure what... but whatever it was, I counted my lucky stars because I never thought I would feel something other than an icy block where my heart once was, but slowly, ever so fucking slowly was she thawing it out.

My eyes trail over my shoulder and I get a teasing look at her legs, desperate to skim my fingers up the back of her thighs, tucking them under the hem of her shorts just to feel how she feels under my fingertips.

Dusty coughs and it has me spinning my head quickly, cheeks blushing softly at being caught.

“What's the plan with Luke then?”

“Luke?” her voice swarms around me, tucking me up safe.

“Yeah darlin', the coward who broke into your house last night.”

“Who is he?” she asks as she stirs creamer into her coffee and she hasn't even noticed the time, or if she has, she clearly isn't bothered.

“Aspen's ex,” Dusty fills her in and I smirk, eyes loitering on him slightly and I can see just how much he cares for her.

Best of friends those two.

My heart aches a little.

Bit like me and Aspen but I burned that bridge eleven years ago when I spilled truths that weren't only mine.

Sure, it's rebuilt, but it'll never be as strong as it once was.

“Oh,” is all she says. She steps forward and perches herself on my knee at the table and I try my best to keep my cool, but inside I am like a lovesick teen who's ultimate crush has sat on his lap.

Riggs eyeballs me and I look away, not wanting him to make me a joke.

“Do we know what he was after?” she curls her fingers around her cup and my hand finds itself resting on her upper thigh, my fingers tracing slow circles on her skin without a second thought.

“Well, that's where I was hoping you could help us,” and I watch as her eyes widen slightly as she looks at my brother, his eyes on hers. His hair thick and curly and unruly, eyes glisten slightly, his cheeks a little rosy.

“Me?” she stutters.

“Yes darlin', you.”

She swallows and I feel the way her shoulders lift and sag.

“Do you know of anything that your pa would have had that would have been of interest? I am sure Luke is working with the suits, makes sense seeing as he was approached by them way back when,” Riggs clenches his fist and then unclenches.

“No,” she shakes her head softly.

I can see the disappointment that spreads across Riggs' face, he drops his head, and I sigh, my fingers still on her thigh and that's when I twist my head to see Dusty, his mind is ticking, his eyes locked on the mug that sits in the middle of the table.

“What is it Dust?” his reaction piques my interest.

Riggs' brows lift at my words and his narrowed gaze drifts to Dusty.

“He knows something,” Riggs points his finger at him and Morgan twists her face so now we're all looking at him.

“Not necessarily,” he screws his face up, rubbing his hand across his stubble.

“But...” he pushes to his feet and after a beat or two Riggs is up.

I slip my fingers from my mug then place both hands on her hips, gently lifting her from my lap as we both begin to walk towards where Dusty disappeared to.

He ducks into the living room, Riggs is hot on his heels and Morgan throws me a concerned look, worry etched into her eyes.

My fingers flex beside me before they trace her fingertips.

She freezes when Dusty unhooks a painting from the wall and I hear the soft gasp that leaves her lips. Dusty looks over his shoulder but his eyes trail to her and only her.

“This was just between me and your pops,” he gives her a frown, lips turning down.

She says nothing, just waits with bated breath.

Dusty twists the dial for the safe and it clicks open after four turns.

Riggs catches my gaze, and I am as confused as him.

I had no idea.

Gerry didn't mention any of this on his death bed, but then again, he rambled on about a few things and I still hadn't been through the paperwork. Guilt twists my gut, but I don't have a second more to think about it when Dusty says, “This.”

My eyes widen and Riggs floats his gaze my way. Swallowing down the dryness that coats my throat.

“Is that what I think it is?” Riggs steps closer, his eyes narrowing on what Dusty is holding between his fingertips.

“No fucking way,” my lips part, my eyes widening as I step closer, pulling Morgan behind me.

I glance at Riggs, his cheeks puffing out.

“How did they know?” I turn to Dusty who shrugs it off.

“No idea, the only two people who knew that it was hidden here was me and Gerry.”

“What is it?” Morgan whispers from behind me, head popping over my shoulder as she looks at the glistening stone between Dusty's fingers.

“The Montana Pearl,” myself and Riggs say in unison.