Page 88 of When He Fights
His gaze held hers.So many emotions swirled in his hazel stare.
“You love me now,” she realized with utter and complete certainty.“And you’re still sending me away.”
“Because you have to be safe.Sending you away is the best way to ensure your protection.If you’re not safe, then I’m not sane.”
Tyler cleared his throat.Poor guy.How many times had he cleared it already?He also heaved a sigh.“We have to go, Ana.My phone is blowing up with texts from Gray.”
It was?She hadn’t noticed.If there had been any telltale dings as the texts arrived, she’d missed them.
“Turner made bail,” Tyler revealed.“Gray wants to tail him.He wants Kane there with him, and our ride—as in, yours and mine because I’m your escort—is waiting outside.We have to go.”
She didn’t want to leave Kane.She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
“I’ll always come to you,” Kane told her.“Nothing could keep me away.”
Tears filled her eyes, and Ana had to blink quickly.“I’m holding you to that promise.”One hundred percent, she was.Ana did not want to leave him.She didn’t want Kane facing the threat without her.She wanted to grab Kane and runwithhim.
But…
She understood.
She did.
He was worried about her.He couldn’t track Logan and guard her at the same time.Couldn’t hunt and protect at once.She was leaving.The only reason she was leaving, though, was because she couldn’t protecthim.She didn’t have fighting skills.Hadn’t been trained by the military and special ops.Lethal fighting and operational deployment were not exactly her skill sets.So she would back away.She would allow him to focus.She would hate it with every breath in her body, but Ana didn’t intend to make the situation harder on anyone.
“Come for me, Kane.I’ll be waiting for you.”Ana surged up onto her toes and threw her arms around him even as Kane was reaching down for her.He lifted her up.Kissed her frantically.Deep.Hard.Passionately.
“Jeez.”A disgruntled exclamation from Tyler.“I’d tell you two that you should get a room, but, apparently, you had one.”
Kane let her go.Slowly.Her feet touched the floor.Then he…
He reached into his back pocket.He wore jeans.A blue button-down.He pulled a wallet from his pocket and reached inside.
Kane handed her a worn, folded piece of paper.Voice gruff, he explained, “My mom—she was always big on me writing notes to people.An old-school stickler about things like that.”
Ana frowned at the paper, turning it over in her hands.
“Thank you notes.Apology notes.”
Surprised, her gaze rose to collide with his.
“I was serious when I said I’d write a note to the doc, apologizing for being an ass.”A sheepish smile flashed on his lips.“My mom would haunt me forever if I didn’t.”The smile vanished.“After you got your new life two years ago, I wrote you a note.”
Her grip tightened on the paper.
“Two years ago,” he repeated.“You wonder how I felt then?It’s in the note.”
“A note you never sent.”
“Yeah, mom would not be pleased with me.”
Her lower lip wanted to tremble, so she clamped her lips together.
“I considered getting Gray to give it to you a dozen times.But then I always thought…” He rolled his shoulders in a shrug that was far from casual.“Some things are just better delivered in person.So I’d drive by your place every now and then, hoping to get a glimpse of you.”
Tyler had backed away.She didn’t spare him a glance.
“That’s what kept me going.You.Glimpses of you.”Kane clasped his hands behind his back.“I’d live and die for you, Ana.”
