Page 43 of Unraveled Love

I pounded the table, frustration eating at me. “Dammit.”

All I knew was I wanted this asshole. Hiding in the mountains would take me out of the running to be the guy to take care of Daniel for Addi, but if it kept her alive, I’d do anything to help.

“This shit will eat at you, more so when it’s someone you care about.” Jaxon’s sudden presence didn’t surprise me. The man was known to be like a ninja, quiet on his feet despite his size.

He wasn’t wrong. “It was easier when I was investigating farm fires and the random cow being shot,” I admitted.

I swore he made a sound that was close to a laugh before he met me at the table. His home in the mountains was circled, just around the corner from Beech Mountain. We were the only home on the long drive, close to town where we could get food, secluded enough we’d have privacy.

Hell, some time in the mountains sounded like heaven, and being alone with Addi in them even better.

But not now. Not like this.

“I feel lost. He could be anywhere. Hell, he could have given up.” It was a wishful thought, but a man could dream.

“You think that?” Jaxon asked.

“No.” I shook my head. “Of course not. From what Addi has said and now knowing more about what his father did, I’m guessing he’s obsessed with her. I don’t think he wanted to marry her—he wanted to own her. That kind of obsession won’t evaporate.”

“So he’s hunting her.”

“Yeah.”

Jaxon shrugged, a tiny, evil glint in his dark eyes. “Then we hunt him.”

15

Shawn

Iwoke up with Addi’s body pressed to my front, my arms around her, and my thigh draped over hers. The scent of her coconut shampoo was light, my face buried in her hair. The room was pitch-black, telling me I hadn’t slept as long as I wanted, but somehow, I was more rested than I’d been in days.

It took me a moment to realize why.

Addi hadn’t had a nightmare.

Exhaustion and stress must have worn her out. The previous night had definitely been no picnic, and she’d fallen asleep as soon as we hit the sheets. She hadn’t woken up screaming and thrashing like she’d done every night for the last week, and that in itself was a good sign.

I let her sleep, mostly because she needed it, but I figured as soon as she woke up, the day wouldn’t get any better than it had the night before. Carefully pulling my arm from beneath her, I rolled to the other side to get out of the bed. My clothes were thrown on the floor, so I grabbed them on the way to my closet to toss them in the hamper.

Something about that had me smiling, despite the sleepy feeling still lingering.

Addi’s clothes mixed with mine in my hamper and in my closet.

She’d practically moved in.

I glanced at her sleeping in my bed, and a strange, warm pulsing started on the left side of my chest and spread outward.

Later, when the chaos was behind us, we had to talk. After two weeks of her living with me, taking up space in my rental townhome, her presence made it more of a home than any I’d had as an adult.

She was mine.

And I loved her. That was that warm pulsing in my chest that spread hotter and faster every time I saw her, every time I touched her.

I was in love with Adrianna Marquess, and there was no way in hell I was ever letting her go. Hopefully she felt the same.

But that was a conversation for another day because today, we had shit to talk about, plans to make, and knowing Addi and her need to be so independent, I was about to have a battle on my hands.

I grabbed workout shorts from the shelf in my closet, tugged them on, and headed to the bathroom, closing the door behind me so I didn’t wake her up. Once I used the bathroom, splashed water on my face, and brushed my teeth, I headed to the spare room where I kept gym equipment.

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