Page 104 of Saving Grace

She writhes in my hold, and I release her, leaving my arms wide to give her room to move. Her hand curls around my wrist. Her breathing is shallow and rapid. “Nooo. Don’t.”

She jerks and then stills.

A tear runs down her temple, soaking into the sheet beneath us.

That’s it.

“Wake up, Gracie.”

I grip her shoulders and gently shake her. But her eyes stay shut. Her face breaks. She’s crying. Sobbing. I sit up and lift her into my chest. “Gracie. Wake up. Come on.”

My voice is a harsh rasp.

Her hands move in front of her and shrink to fists. Like she’s... protecting herself?

Goddammit, Grace.

I shake her again. “Gracie, open your eyes. Enough!”

The words snap in the quiet of the early morning. She jerks awake, a cry tumbling from her lips as she cowers away from me.

Sitting on the bed, the sight of her afraid of me twists my gut into knots and shreds my heart.Sweet Jesus.I open my mouth to say something. Nothing comes.

I extend a hand to her but retract it faster than I mean to.

She hugs her arms around her body and swallows. Tears flow, flooding down her face. Her hair, a tangled mess that spillsover her shoulders, is stuck to the tears wetting the sides of her cheeks. She’s dazed. As if she has no idea where she is.

“What happened?” I ask. The crack in my voice takes me by surprise.

“Mack?”

“Yeah, Gracie,” I force out.

Her face twists with something like regret as she searches my face. “I’m—” A sob chokes her words out. I’m desperate to hold her. To know the look of terror on her face wasn’t from me.

“Did I hurt you?” I rasp. My hands fist the sheet by my sides.

Her head shakes. She’s still disoriented.

What the hell did she live out in that damn dream?

“You—you’re okay?” She sobs, her hand lifting as if trying to touch me but not able to get there.

“Of course, gorgeous. I’m good. What’s happening?”

She’s scaring me now. I glance at the phone. Has that asshole been harassing her all this time? Is that what had her stuck in a goddamn nightmare with no way out?

“I need—” She tilts her head, her face breaks.

“Come here.”

The flood gates open. She sobs, crawling into my lap and curling up against my chest like a little kid.Fuck me.I run a hand over her hair, brushing the wet, matted strands away from her face and smoothing out the chaos her tossing and turning created. Tears slide down my skin as she chugs through sobs. I wrap myself around her, like I can shield her from any fucking thing that could ever hurt her.

A muffled request finally reverberates over my pecs, and I loosen my hold. She sniffs, wiping her face before looking up at me with those stunning blue eyes, and sits on the mattress. Something like sadness and fear laces through her eyes. My gut sinks. Shaking my head, I ask, “What, Gracie?”

“He was . . .” She closes her eyes.

“Who?”

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