Page 39 of Erik's Salvation
Erik’s hands fisted. He vaguely recalled seeing the man the previous night with her friends, while Erik had searched for Hannah, but his attention had quickly zoned in on Marco and Hannah on the dance floor.
Erik kept his gaze on them as they moved to the counter.
“Well, look who’s here,” Andi said in a singsong voice.
He turned back to her. “Are you trying to get a rise out of me today?”
“Always, and I feel absolutely no remorse.”
Suddenly, he was remembering other reasons he’d stayed away for so long. He tried to refocus on what his parents were talking about, but from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the guy moving to the bathroom.
He told himself to stay in his damn seat, even as his legs twitched.
Fuck it.
“I’m getting another coffee.”
He was up and across the room before anyone could respond, but he distinctly heard the sound of his sister’s laughter.
He stopped at the counter beside Hannah, so close his shoulder almost touched hers. “Hey.”
Her navy-blue eyes lightened. “Hey.”
Damn, her voice did things to him. “You doing okay today?”
“Yeah, just a dull headache.”
He told himself not to ask…hell, he just about yelled it in his head, but he clearly wasn’t listening to his damn brain anymore. “Who’s the guy?”
Her brows shot up. “James? We work together. He’s another real estate agent.”
They worked together. But did the asshole want to get into her—
“He’s also been with Brigid for over four years.”
The familiar band around his chest released, and he fucking hated that it had been there at all.
She turned to face him fully and wrapped her fingers around his forearm. That simple touch seared him. “Thank you for finding the charm. You have no idea how much that means to me.”
“Who gave it to you?” She’d mentioned a guy last night.
Hannah swallowed and looked down, her finger brushing over it. “There was a guy who I spent several years with in foster care. I thought of him as a brother. He died a couple years ago, and now this and a couple photos are all I have to remember him by.”
Grief filled her voice. So much that it pressed down on his shoulders, making him itch to reach out and touch her. Comfort her in some way. It was only James returning to the counter that brought Erik to his senses.
The guy stood beside Hannah…too close. “Hi. I’m James.”
“Erik.” His gaze shifted back to Hannah. “I’ll see you around, Hannah. I’m glad I was able to help.”
Then he forced himself to walk away, even though it felt so much harder than it should have.
CHAPTER12
Cross, cross, jab.
The bag flew back with the violence of each hit. At the sheer fucking force of his emotions.
Erik’s basement was dark, bar a dim light that centered the ceiling. He’d been down here for hours, beating the shit out of this bag in an attempt to chase away his demons. Because today, more than any other day, he had them in droves. They crawled along his skin, pricking his flesh like he was a fucking pin cushion.
