Page 31 of The Verdict

“I made a lot of mistakes that night,” she said quiet, but firm.

Disappearing? Or being with me?

I grabbed her garbage and tossed it. Meanwhile, she sat frozen on the counter stool, her head turning side to side, her hands linking in front of her as she rubbed one thumb and then the other. She looked worried… afraid…No.

She lookedimprisoned.

Shit.

“Put this on,” I ordered, striding around the counter and shrugging out of my leather jacket to give it to her.

She’d been on the run for three days. Hiding from a killer. Hiding from the police. And now, cooped up here, she needed some space to breathe.

“Come with me.” I made for the front door of the cabin, opening it into a small clearing in the woods. Merritt hesitated only a moment before sliding her arms into my jacket.

It was too big for her, that was for sure. But the dark leather against her golden skin, her midnight hair kissing the edge of the collar… it fit her. Not her size or shape, buther.

Air hissed through my lips, and I forced myself to look away. This was ridiculous. One goddamn night, and my brainwas a fucking scramble around this woman. She was toxic. Treacherous.And she didn’t even know it.

“Thank you,” she murmured and walked by me, her posture visibly relaxing as soon as we were outside.

It was cold enough, but not too bad for the beginning of March. For me, the cold was good. Like the fridge. It seemed essential to cool the heat in my blood.

For several minutes, we wandered through the small glen, the evergreens studded throughout the property still providing thick enough coverage to obscure the other cabins from sight.

Mine was the closest, so I made sure we wandered in the opposite direction.

“Why did you run, Merritt?” I asked again.

“Why do you think?” Her eyes snapped to mine. “I didn’t know what I was thinking—what just happened. What was going to happen.” I watched her swallow, my eyes catching on the flutter of her pulse on the side of her neck. “I didn’t know who you were or what…”

Anger surged. I understood I was a stranger—so was she.And still… “I protected you.”Killed for you.

“And I’ve gone twenty-six years having to protect myself. One moment of one night wasn’t going to change that,” she said quickly and then caught her breath, regret blanching her face.

I tensed, her words hitting me like a strike to the gut.Shit.I exhaled a heavy breath. I was being a dick. Yes, I’d killed her attacker, but to act like it meant I deserved her blind trust…

“I’m sorry.” Her eyes returned to mine, shimmering clear with truth. “I’m grateful for what you did. Grateful you saved me from… that man. I just…Dios mío,I never should’ve been there that night. That’s all.”

Her head dipped, and I let her lead us onto a path that cut from the small glen into the thick of the trees.

“Who have you had to protect yourself from?” I shoved my hands into my pockets so she wouldn’t see my fists. My fury.

She let out a humorless laugh. “The world.”

“After your dad died?”

She looked at me, her eyes wide with understanding, for a second before she nodded slowly. “You looked into me.”

“Ty did,” I clarified like it mattered. The urge to explain more—to justify it—sat on the tip of my tongue, but by some miracle, I held it back. There was something about this woman—something that made me want to believe her even as it warned she was hiding something.

“I understand,” she said after a beat. “I’m a suspect.”

I reached for her arm, stopping us both as I claimed her gaze. “I’m trying to protect you.” Because I was holding her, I felt the shiver that went through her for a second before she pulled away and crossed her arms.

“And I’m trying to let you.”

“Trying?”

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