Page 182 of Renard's Deliverance

“Have you had more nightmares lately? Since I was taken?” Had she been so wrapped up in her fears and nightmares that she hadn’t seen his?

What was wrong with her?

“What’s wrong with me?” she repeated out loud. “I didn’t even notice that you?—”

He leaned forward and put his hands on the sofa on either side of her. “Baby, stop.”

“Stop?”

“Yeah, I have nightmares. Yeah, those nightmares have made themselves more known since you were kidnapped. And you haven’t noticed because you’ve been fucking recovering. My nightmares have been there for years. They’ll be there for years to come. But mostly, with you around, they’ve become a whisper rather than a roar. Am I scared I’m gonna lose you like I lost all of my friends? Fuck yes. I am. But all that means is I’m going to work hard to make sure nothing happens to you.”

She sniffled. “Shit. Don’t make me go all teary.”

“No tears,” he warned.

“Then stop being so sweet.”

“Gem, I ain’t never been sweet.”

Uh-huh. Sure he hadn’t.

Her giant marshmallow.

“My nightmares are quieter with you near too,” she said.

“Good, baby.”

She knew he still felt like he’d failed to keep her safe.

And that was because he was an Alpha. A caveman.

A good, decent man.

Who wanted to protect his woman from the world. Even though that wasn’t really possible.

“I still want to go to the house. Not to stay the night,” she added quickly. “I want to get some things, and I just want to go there. Please.”

He eyed her. “I could get your things.”

“Please,” she begged. “I want to check on Mrs. G, too.”

“Fuck. Fine. We’re gonna go there. You have twenty minutes to get the shit you need, then we’ll go see the Grackle. And we tell Alec to sell it.”

“All right,” she said. “Twenty minutes.”

She figured she could get him to stretch that out.

* * *

Okay.

Maybe it wasn’t as easy to be here as she thought it might.

It was getting late in the afternoon and she wondered if she shouldn’t have waited until tomorrow.

Just as Renard had thought. She had no problems with her house, but when she turned to look at the house across the street.

Yeah.

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