Page 128 of Fragile Sanctuary

My stomach twisted. So, chances were Davis had gotten himself killed. And for what? Image? Prestige? “What a waste,” I muttered.

Anson’s lips ghosted over my temple. “I’m sorry you’re hurting.”

“He wasn’t always like the person you met. He used to be funny, a little cocky, but kind deep down. I don’t know what happened to him.”

“It could’ve been a million different things. That’s the thing about life. Events and circumstances have the power to mark you. Change you.”

I burrowed deeper into Anson’s hold. “I don’t ever want to let those difficult things change me into a hard person.”

He brushed the hair out of my face. “You won’t.”

I looked up into those blue-gray eyes. “You sound so sure.”

Anson stared down at me. There was so much tenderness in his expression. “I am. You’ve faced more hardship than almost anyone I’ve known. But you’ve never let ithardenyou. That’s a miracle, Rho. You let those things make you better instead of worse. There’s no way you won’t live the rest of your life that way.”

My heart pounded against my ribs. Those three little words swirled around my mind and teased my tongue, but I swallowed them back. “Thanks for believing in me.”

“There’s no one on this planet I have more faith in.”

It wasn’t anI love you, but I would take it. I moved in to brush my lips across Anson’s when Biscuit let out a low growl.

I straightened, twisting to find the pup. He’d crossed to the windows and was baring his teeth at something through the glass.

Anson instantly pushed up from the couch, moving to a bag he’d brought in from his truck—the same duffel he’d taken to carting back and forth with him as he came and went.

“Biscuit,” I called. But the dog didn’t respond; simply kept growling at the glass.

Anson pulled a metal box out of his bag, quickly pressing in some sort of code. The lid popped open, and he retrieved a metal object.

I gaped at him. “Is that a gun?”

He glanced at me quickly as he wrapped his fingers around the grip and moved to the windows. “Yes.” He pulled one curtain and then the other as Biscuit kept growling.

“You brought a gun into my house?”

“Rho, I always have a gun within reach. It’s a safety measure. I’m trained. I don’t put them anywhere a child or someone untrained has access.”

My stomach roiled. Anson always had a gun within reach because he never truly felt safe. The thought was enough to make me sick.

He moved quickly around the room, shutting every blind and curtain. “Hand me your phone.”

I stood, handing it over. “It was probably an animal.”

“You’re probably right, but let’s be safe.” He took the device from me and punched in my code.

My jaw went slack. “How did you know my code?”

His lips twitched the barest amount. “I was a profiler, remember?”

Damn him.

I waited as he opened the security camera app, twisting my fingers in my sweatshirt as nerves took hold. Too much had happened lately for me to be anything more than jumpy.

Anson cursed.

I couldn’t help but jolt as he shoved the phone back at me. “CallTrace. Tell him someone’s lurking around your place. Tell him I’m in pursuit and armed.”

I fumbled the phone and then reached out, grabbing Anson’s shirt. “You can’t go out there.”

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