Page 26 of Single Mom for the Mountain Men
Her body trembles as she tries to get the words out. I rub my thumbs into her shoulders and the nape of her neck, dragging them through her hair, careful to not pull at the tangles. Anything to calm her down.
“The man…it had to behimfrom earlier. He tackled me and threw me down to the floor—I must have hit my head in the struggle. I feel so woozy,” she says slowly, and her breathing accelerates quickly.
“Your ex?” I clarify grimly.
Saying those words triggers something in her, because her body locks up in shock, her eyes dilating in the dim light.
“Lena,” I begin firmly, holding her face tightly so she’s forced to look at me, “I need you to breathe with me. Take deep breaths, come on.”
Her shoulders tremble, her mouth opening as her throat clicks from her dry swallows.
“Breathe, baby, breathe.”
I take loud, deep breaths, and she copies me, her breaths wheezing out of her painfully. Tears roll down her cheeks as shefollows my commands, holding in each breath before letting it out.
Once her breathing becomes more regular, I envelope her hands in my own and repeat the question I asked her a few moments ago.
“I guess it could have been him,” she continues hesitantly in a hoarse voice.
“Good, you’re doing great, Lena,” I encourage her as she completes her train of thought.
“I’m—is Sophie okay?” she asks, her voice fading into a murmur as she relaxes in my arms, her eyes blinking sleepily. The adrenaline has faded from her system, leaving behind only exhaustion.
“She’s perfectly safe with Tanner and Aiden. You sleep, sweetheart,” I tell her, and she snuffles, turning more fully in my embrace.
Twitching a few times, she insists softly, “I don’t wanna sleep.” Periodically, she twitches, her eyelids fluttering, but then, she stops fighting and falls into slumber.
Her face, which was marred with worry and panic a few moments ago, is now relaxed and peaceful. The lines between her brows have faded, and her petal-pink lips are parted just slightly.
I grab a wet wipe from the box I find in her bedside drawers after a closer look and softly wipe her forehead, making sure to be careful around the gash. I cease my motions when her eyes flutter again, a soft moan escaping her lips.
The dim light of her room emphasizes her cheekbones and the sheer beauty of her face, even in such a horrible condition. Her soft body is pressed against mine, each malleable curve tantalizing me.
Something pulses in my chest, my body growing warm with some kind of feeling I have never felt before. It’s annoying, and I don’t understand it. I want to grab Lena tightly and never let her go, then hunt down the man who did this. What I woulddoto that man…he would be praying that he had died before I got my hands on him.
Tanner walks in with soft steps, holding a mop in his hand. He cleans up the blood, casting a glance at a sleeping Lena in my arms.
“She’s all right?” he asks.
“As all right as she can be.”
“Sophie’s sleeping in her room now. Aiden’s with her.”
“That’s a relief. Lena thinks the man who attacked her is her ex, the same guy who was stalking her this morning.”
Tanner’s jaw tenses as he continues mopping the floor.
“He couldn’t have gotten too far. We’ll find him. And once we do…”
A terrifying thing unfurls in my chest, ready to let its claws sink into something.
“You both can leave. It’s pretty late,” I tell Tanner once he’s done picking up things around the room. “I’ll take care of Sophie and Lena.”
“You sure, man? One of us can stay here and keep watch, if you’re too tired. I’m sure Lena wouldn’t mind.”
“Nah, I’m sure. You both need to sleep. I’ll stay here for the night. I can brief you two tomorrow if there’s any more developments,” I say with inarguable finality in my voice.
“You sound like a SEAL again,” he says with a smile, then he shrugs, taking the mop with him as he leaves. “We’ll still do a perimeter check before we head home, though.”
