Page 18 of Kingston

Tears filled her eyes, a shuddery exhale leaving her.“Kingston, you’ve given me so much in the last twenty-four hours alone.Between helping me with Iris at the hospital, to allowing us to sleep here.You arranged for a specialist to squeeze my sick daughter in on a Saturday.And don’t you dare try to tell me again that the ENT had some random cancelation.Unless it’s one of those urgent care kind of clinics, I don’t know of any doctor, let alone a specialist, that is open on a Saturday.Hell, you even bought all these supplies so I could earn a little money from selling the one thing I can actually do right—bake.I owe you more than I’ll ever be able to repay.”

Swallowing my groan as a few tears spilled down her cheek, I grasped her chin between my thumb and index finger.Tipping her head up, I wanted her to see that I was speaking from the bottom of my heart.“Listen really, really closely, because what I’m about to say is important, okay?”I waited for her to nod, uncertainty filling her entire face.“You’re important to me.Not just you, but Iris as well.And I know you haven’t realized yet how monumental that is, but if you give me a little more time, I promise I’ll show you exactly what that means.”

“But I’m no one, Kingston.Iris and I are strangers to you.And you don’t know what kind of trouble is chasing us.I’m being so reckless, staying in one place for this long.If my ex finds us, I don’t know what will happen, but I do know it will be bad.”She gulped, her rising panic causing her pulse to flutter like a hummingbird’s wing at the base of her throat.“I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

Watching the fear fill her eyes, seeing the concern she had for me, caused that freshly awakened monster in my head to thrash against the walls of my sanity.But I didn’t let her witness that.I couldn’t.It would terrify her, and I would do everything in my power to ensure she never had anything to fear ever again.If I were to scare her or Iris, it would kill me.

“He’s not going to find you, Demi.I promise you, on everything I hold sacred, you will never have to worry about that bastard again.”

“You don’t know him,” she whispered, her eyes shooting toward the door, then the windows, as if making sure we were still alone.As if she fucking needed to double-check that no one was going to barge in and attack her.“His family has connections.It would be better if Iris and I kept moving.As much as I appreciate everything you’re doing for us, it would destroy me if you or your mom were pulled into the middle of my nightmare with Iris’s father.They wouldn’t hesitate to take away everything you’ve worked so hard for.Kingston, they have the kind of power that they could shut down Aggie’s.They could snap their fingers and have your diner razed to the ground.Those monsters would attack you financially and then physically.They would kill you without thinking twice.Charlie’s dad…”

Her voice trailed off, her face going ghostly pale.Pressing her lips together, she tried to push back from me.“Damn it, I shouldn’t have said his name aloud.The last time I did, it was like I conjured him out of thin air, and he showed up in the small town where we had been for barely a few days.”

It was clear she thought she had a valid reason to fear those people.But what she didn’t know was that I was more dangerous than those motherfuckers.Whatever evil she imagined them capable of, that they must have rained down on her in the past to cause her to feel such terror from simply speaking her ex’s name aloud, was nothing compared to what I was going to return to them with interest.

Wrapping my arms around her small body, I pulled her against me.Murmuring soothingly to her, I rocked her against me, pressing kisses to the top of her head.After a heartbeat, she began to relax in my hold, her body melting into mine.“I don’t doubt that whoever this piece of scum is, he thinks he is untouchable.But he’s not God, Demi.And he sure as hell doesn’t hold any power here.Please, give me a chance to prove to you that you’re safe here.I won’t let anyone hurt either of my girls ever again.”

“I can’t be selfish,” she said so quietly I nearly didn’t hear her.“I can’t put you in their path.”

Panic at the thought that she might leave me at any moment caused my arms to tighten around her.“One month,” I begged, touching my lips to her ear.“Please, babe, give me one month.Stay here with me.I’ll cover the cost of Iris’s procedure to get the tubes in her ears.I can give you a new life, with new identities, and everything you ever hoped for.All I need is for you to take a chance on me.”

She jerked back at that promise.“That’s not possible.”

If I explained all the things that Sanctuary was capable of providing, I was scared she would want to go there instead of staying with me.I was too selfish to let her go.Not when I knew I could protect her and Iris so much better than the women’s shelter.“Give me one month, and I’ll make it possible,” I vowed.

“What if he finds us?What if he hurts you?”

Jealous rage tried to blind me at the thought of her ex touching her again.I couldn’t handle the idea of anyone getting close to what was mine.“Thirty days, sweetheart.Please.”

Indecision clouded her eyes.I felt her inner battle, her fear of Charlie doing something to harm her, Iris, and even me.But I could also sense how much she wanted to give in, to believe me, to allow me to make it better for her.She was so damned tired.Her wary soul stared up at me from the depths of her eyes, silently begging me not to let her down.

“I shouldn’t,” she murmured half under her breath.

“But you will?”I needed to hear her say it.“Baby?”

“Y-yes.Fine.Thirty days.But if Charlie finds us here, things will end bloody.”

Bloody was exactly how Charlie was going to end, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Thank you, Demi.”I brushed my thumb over her cheek, aching to kiss her, but I knew it was too soon.As much as I wanted to rush everything, I knew she wasn’t there yet.Once she didn’t have to constantly worry about looking over her shoulder to double-check her past wasn’t chasing her, then she might trust me enough to let me into her heart.“I swear that you won’t regret trusting me.”

—

Mom was in her yard, weeding the flower beds around the front of the house, when I pulled into my parents’ driveway the next afternoon.Seeing my truck, she waved and her eyes lit up.

“Gammy!”Iris squealed the moment I unfastened her from her car seat.As soon as her feet were on the ground, she was running.

“Hey, sweet pea.”My mom bent to hug Iris before she took the small backpack I had in my hand.

“Her medications are all in there.She just had a dose of her antibiotics with lunch, but she’s due for some pain relievers in about an hour.Stay on top of that, because she won’t let you know she’s uncomfortable until her ears start throbbing.”I racked my brain, trying to think of anything else that was important.“If she starts tugging on her ears, there are drops in there to help her get a little extra relief.Demi was taking a nap when I left, so call me, not her.”

“I don’t have her number,” Mom reminded me, and I clenched my jaw.

“Does she even have a phone?”I grumbled to myself.Fuck it, I’d take care of that after I dealt with a few other things first.“I’ll get you the number this evening.Where’s Dad?”

“What do you need, boy?”my father asked as he walked from around the back of the house where he had a detached garage he kept his bike in.Most Sundays, he tinkered around in there, pretending not to keep an eye on Mom as she pruned her flowers.

Seeing him, Iris wrapped her arms tight around Mom’s leg.Her wide eyes went to me, as if seeking reassurance that she was safe.I crouched down, holding out my arms for her.Without hesitation, she launched herself at me, hugging her little arms around my neck tight enough to choke me.

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