Page 103 of No Fear
The only reason he’d even had the gun was because Colt brought it to give back to him. It had been Rachel’s. The one she left in Skylar’s salon that his brother had taken from her for safekeeping. Colt had brought it with them for some reason and Remy had tucked it into his jeans. He’d had it but he hadn’t thought he would need it… until he did.
What would have happened if he hadn’t? If he hadn’t gotten that bad feeling and gone to check on her? If he hadn’t been close enough to hear her screaming? If he had hesitated for even a moment, she might be the one dead and he never would have recovered from it.
God, he loved her so damn much.
“Remy?”
He pushed back up to his full height as Rachel sat up in the bed. The blankets fell to her waist and as he moved closer he could see the outline of her breasts through the old white shirt he’d given her to wear. He pulled his gaze back up and focused on her bruised face, that was sure to kill his libido.
She was bruised because he hadn’t gotten to her fast enough.
“Hey, baby.”
“Everything okay?”
He sighed as he sat down beside her on the bed and cupped her unbruised cheek gently, “No.”
“What is it?”
“Rach, I almost lost you tonight.” He shook his head when she opened her mouth to say something, “No. I almost lost you. I came so close. If even one thing had gone differently, you wouldn’t be here with me and I can’t… I wouldn’t have known how to go on without you.”
“Don’t say that.” Rachel cupped his hand with her own, “Please don’t say that.”
“It’s true. I can’t imagine my life without you. I don’t want to.”
“You don’t have to. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Don’t ever put yourself in danger like that again, okay? I know I said I’d support you but…” He struggled past the knot in his throat, “I can’t lose you. Not when I just found you.”
“Oh, Remy…” Rachel wrapped her arms around him and managed to crawl into his lap, “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” He stroked her hair and held her close.
“Craig’s gone. He can’t hurt me anymore. That’s because of you. Thank you.”
“Rach, baby, I killed your brother right in front of you. I shot him and he died… on top of you. He bled out while you watched. I never wanted that. I…”
“You saved me. You saved me, Remy.” She cut him off, “I may have nightmares about it but they’re not about you. He was going to kill me. I knew it the moment I saw his eyes. He was high and angry and out of his mind. He would’ve killed me if you hadn’t stopped him.”
“But still, he was your brother.”
“He wasn’t my brother. Not anymore. He was a monster.” She bit her lip and then winced again and he stroked his thumb over the cut she’d reopened, dabbing at the blood, “I can cling to my memories of him, of those good days when he saved me, but that isn’t who he was at the end.”
“Rach…”
“I’m okay with what happened tonight.” She sighed and shook her head, “Or, not okay, but I’ll deal with it. We’ll deal with it. Together. As long as I have you, I can deal with everything else.”
“You have me, love. You’ll always have me.” He sighed, “But there’s something else you need to know.”
“What?” She pulled back and studied his face.
“Ford had to set the trailer on fire to cover up the scene. I’m so sorry. I didn’t ask if there was anything you wanted out of there before we left and now it’s all gone. Everything. All of yours clothes and books and pictures… I’m so sorry.”
Rachel’s bottom lip quivered but she blinked back tears, “It’s okay. It’s just stuff. I don’t need any of it.”
“But it was yours.”
“You’re mine and I told you, you’re all I need.” Rachel gave a shaky nod.
