Page 60 of Crossing the Line (Whitecap)

Once I got all that aggression out and lowered my head, trying to pull in a calm, centering breath, I was able to feel that his presence had snuck up on me at some point.

“You feel better?” he asked in that velvet voice, clearly having witnessed my scene.

“Not particularly.” Turning off the wheel, I grabbed a towel and wiped at my hands. “I have questions,” I stated in a monotone voice as I swiveled on my stool to face him.

“Figured you would. That’s why I’m here.”

He shifted, moving so that the sun no longer backlit him and I was able to see his face clearly. His left eye was ringed in an angry blackish-purple color. “What the hell happened to your face?”

He pointed at his black eye. “Courtesy of your best friend. Was that one of your questions?” he attempted to tease, but I didn’t take the bait.

“It isn’t, but I can’t say it’s not a silver lining.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, he propped his shoulder on the frame of the opened garage door and asked, “What do you want to know?”

“How do you know Charlotte?” I asked. That was the one question that had been churning in my brain since the day before. “And how did you know I was in hiding? Last I checked, the news was reporting I was dead. Why would you bother looking for me?”

He let out a sigh, and I got the impression he was gearing up for a long explanation. “After I retired from the military, I came back to the states and took a job with a security and private investigation firm in Virginia called Alpha Omega. There was a situation in our town a while back involving a known meth dealer. Charlotte was caught in the middle of it.” I sucked in a gasp, a million icy pinpricks jabbing into my skin. “Your sister didn’t have it easy, growing up, but she was never a bad person.Ever,” he stressed. “She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“When the dealer was sent down, a few of the dirty cops who’d been on his payroll decided they wanted to pick up his work. They’d gotten used of the cash they were getting from the operation and one in particular decided to pick up the reins for himself and take out everyone else involved so he didn’t have to split the take. Including an officer who had been investigating him.

“Charlotte started informing for two detectives on the force, and they pulled in my buddy Dalton, a few of the other guys I work with, and me, to keep your sister protected. During that whole thing, Charlotte and Dalton ended up falling for each other. They’re together now. Engaged, actually. Set to get married early next year.

“Before we were able to pull Charlotte clear of the shitstorm that had been brewing, she and another woman were caught in the crossfire. The cop was killed, but not before he hurt Charlotte. It was a big story that ended up getting national attention, and we can only assume that Knightly, or someone who works very closely with him, caught wind of it. They saw Charlotte on the news, saw the uncanny resemblance between the two of you, and started digging. One of Knightly’s guys showed up several months back, broke into her place and worked her over, trying to get information out of her on your location.”

Goosebumps erupted across my skin, making the tiny hairs stand on end as ice trickled down my spine. “Is-is she okay?”

“Yeah. She’s good, baby,” he answered gently. “A hard life made her tough. Sucks she had to go through that, but it meant she was strong enough to pull herself out of the muck and demand a better life for herself. But when she was attacked, Dalton lost his fucking mind. We started doing some digging of our own and asked the exact same question you just asked. Why would a husband send his lackey to scare a woman into giving information she doesn’t have on a sister who was supposed to be dead?

“Charlotte was scared you were in trouble, and because she’s one of ours, we decided we needed to find you, one: so we could protect you, and two: so we could give Charlotte back the sister she’d missed with every breath in her body.”

The chill had worked its way through my body and down to my bones. As I sat on that stool in a room that had only ever given me peace and comfort, I started to shake uncontrollably.

Seeing that I was dangerously close to a nervous breakdown, Trent moved in, crouching down in front of me and taking my hands in his big, warm palms. “He doesn’t know where you are. I swear to you. My boss employs some of the most talented men in the country, including hackers and guys like me and Dalton. We’re two of the best trackers you’ll ever meet, and it still took me six fucking months to find you. You hid yourself well, sweetheart. Covered your tracks. You and Renee are safe. You have my word.”

That was a relief to hear, but that wasn’t the only reason why I felt myself coming apart at the seams. “She—” I had to swallow down the wad of cotton in my throat. “She got hurt because of me,” I said so quietly it was a wonder the sound didn’t get swallowed up by the roaring surf outside my workshop.

“No, Cheyanne. She got hurt because of that piece of shit, Knightly. Don’t take responsibility for the fucked-up shit he did. It’s not on you, and Charlotte knows that.”

I squeezed my eyes closed and pulled in a calming breath, filling my lungs with the salty sea air. “Is she—she’s good now? Happy?”

His smile was so soft and tender, his dimples making an appearance for the first time in almost two days. “She is. Only thing that’s put a damper on that is how bad she’s been missing you. She’s been refusing to set a date for the wedding for a long time now because she wanted to find you first so you could be a part of that.”

Tears sprang to life, burning the backs of my eyes. “I’ve missed her too. More than anyone could possibly know.”

His hands squeezed mine. “I know, honey. Knew it when your daughter told me who she was named after, and again when I heard you telling her that story about the princesses who lived in the clouds. You’ve always kept her with you in the only ways you knew how to.”

My throat bobbed on a thick swallow. “You said she’s had a hard life. What did you mean by that?”

His chest rose on a deep inhale, his breath gently skating across my face when he finally blew it out. “That’s not my story to tell. It’s hers.” My brow furrowed, but before I could question him, he continued. “She and her man will be here tomorrow morning. After last night, they booked the first flight they could get seats on. She couldn’t wait, but if you aren’t ready, you just say the word, baby, and I’ll hold them off until you’re okay to see her face-to-face.”

My head had been swimming with everything he’d just told me, making it impossible to really focus on anything else. But at that statement, I came back to reality, pulling my hands from his grip and standing up so I could put some much-needed distance between us. “That’s really not your place, Trent. I’m not your responsibility, and it’s not your job to protect me.”

He stood to his full height, his sheer size eclipsing everything and making the workshop seem much smaller than it really was. “That’s where you’re wrong, Cheyanne. I fucked up, I know that. I betrayed your trust, but there isn’t a goddamn thing I won’t do to earn it back. That includes protecting you from everything and everyone that could cause you the slightest discomfort, even if that person is your own flesh and blood. You’re mine. You’re mine and I’m yours.”

I didn’t have the energy to argue with him about this, not after everything he’d just piled on me. Reaching up, I massaged my throbbing temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache forming there.

“I don’t want you to protect me from her,” I finally said two minutes later—I knew the time because I’d counted out the seconds while willing my heart to stop racing. “I want to see her. Tomorrow, when she gets here, I want to see her, but right now, I need some space. I need you to leave, Trent.”

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