Page 71 of Shelter for Shay
Jacob’s expression softened. “She’ll be protected. Her name’s going to surface, but I’ll do everything I can to keep it from becoming a circus. She’s a victim here. We’ll make sure that’s how the story is told.”
Andy pushed off the wall. “He thought she’d break. But she didn’t. That woman’s got grit.”
Moose didn’t say anything. He just nodded—because grit didn’t even begin to cover it.
Andy and Jacob exchanged a few final words and let themselves out, promising updates soon. The door clicked shut behind them, and Moose allowed himself a moment of stillness.
Then it creaked open again.
This time, Shay stepped in.
Her hair was pulled back into a low knot, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She wore a long-sleeve shirt that hung a little loose on her frame and held herself like someone who wasn’t quite sure if the ground beneath her feet was real.
Moose sat up straighter. “Hey.”
She didn’t speak right away—just crossed the room slowly and sat on the edge of the chair beside him.
“You look like hell,” she murmured.
He smiled faintly. “Bullet holes will do that to a guy.”
Her hand found his, fingers trembling as she twined them with his. The danger was over, but what lingered in its wake was far from finished for Shay and that tore his heart into pieces.
“You saved me,” she whispered. “He was going to kill me. You knew that, and you came anyway.”
“I’d come every time.”
Her throat bobbed. “I watched you get shot.”
“And I watched you stand toe-to-toe with the man who’s been controlling your life since the day you were born.” He reached up with his good hand, brushing his fingers across her cheek. “You didn’t back down. You didn’t break. That’s strength, Shay. That’s the woman I love.”
Her eyes filled. But she didn’t cry—not really. Just leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his.
“I don’t feel strong,” she whispered. “I honestly feel broken. I can’t close my eyes and not see it all unfold right in front of me like it’s happening all over again.”
“I know,” he said softly. “I’m here to help you unload it and I’ll carry it for both of us.”
They sat there like that for a long beat. Breathing the same air. Steadying each other.
Eventually, Moose pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. “I was thinking… The Refuge. It’s quiet. Safe. It would be good for you, considering everything you just went through. It will help you work through everything… maybe more than I can.”
“The guys were all talking it up.” She nodded. “Thor said it really helped him and Danni.”
“It did.” He nodded. “And since I’m technically injured and under orders to rest?—”
“You want to come with me?”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight for a while,” he said. “Besides, it was no walk in the park for me to see that man holding a loaded gun to your head. That’s not a visual that will leave my brain overnight. It’s what the people at The Refuge are for. To be a lighthouse in wake of a storm like this.”
A small smile curved her lips, fragile but real. “Okay.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded. “I want to go, but I don’t want to do it alone. I’m tired and I don’t feel strong.”
“I know me telling you that you’re one of the strongest people I know feels like just words right now, but it’s true. Being at The Refuge will help you find that person again,” he said, leaning back against the pillow. “We’ll disappear for a little while. Let the world spin without us.”
“I do feel lost,” she said, resting her head against his shoulder, “and The Refuge sounds perfect.”
