He grunts with the force of my affection but doesn’t miss a beat, catching me easily and hugging me tight. “I’ve been so worried about you. Are you okay?” I’m on the verge of tears as his signature scent invades my lungs, sending overwhelming relief to soar through my body.

“Yeah, Liv, I’m okay,” he replies quietly, but I can tell by the sound of his voice he’s far from it.

I lean back to look at him and gasp. A dark shadow darkens one side of his face but the dim porch light is bright enough for me to see the cut above his eye and his busted lip. “Oh God, you’re hurt,” I say on a choked whisper, my fingers fanning gently on his bruised jaw.

“Just some scratches, nothing I can’t handle,” he says, but his eyes tell me a different story. They’re dimmer than usual, troubled. He looks almost…lost.

It completely breaks my heart.

I shake my head, my throat growing thicker by the minute. “Come on, come inside. I’ll clean you up.”

“I’m fine, Liv. Really, I…” He trails off when I give him a silent warning not to argue. Then a soft, sexy smirk transforms his face, making my tummy flip. “All right, baby, let’s go inside and you can fix me up.”

After he places me on my feet, I take his hand and lead him inside the house. “Go on and take a seat.” I point to the kitchen table. “I’ll be right back.”

He does as instructed while I grab the first aid kit from the bathroom. As I walk back in the kitchen and get a better look at his face, my heart aches all over again. Pulling up a chair in front of him, I get to work. My hands shake when I open the small gauze packet, wetting it with alcohol and applying it to the nasty cut above his eyebrow.

“Who did this to you?” I ask, trying to keep my emotions in check.

He watches me carefully, his eyes roaming my face, but I continue to focus only on his wounds. “I don’t know,” he answers quietly. “There were a few of them, and their faces were covered because they’re a bunch of fucking cowards.”

My eyes shoot to his at the fury pouring from his voice. “It got worse after I left?” I voice it as more of a question, even though the answer is obvious.

He nods, his expression hard. “Yeah. It did.”

I drop my gaze from his, not wanting him to see the tears threatening to fall. My eyes land on his right hand. It’s even more battered than his face, proving he threw some punches of his own. My breathing grows heavier as I struggle to hold in the burning emotion fighting to erupt. I shield most of my face with my hair, thankful it’s loose from its usual braid as I dig through the kit, having no idea what I’m looking for.

Grayson’s other hand reaches up, brushing my hair aside and cupping the side of my face. “Liv, look at me.”

I shake my head as hot tears track down my face and onto his hand. No matter how hard I try to hold it in, I can’t. The dam breaks free and my forehead falls to his injured hand as an uncontrollable sob spills from my lips.

Grayson leans down, bringing his mouth close to my ear. “Hey, come on, baby. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.” He pleads. “Everything will be okay. I promise.”

I shake my head. “No, I don’t think it will be, not anymore. Every time I think it can’t get any worse it does, and after what I saw today I know it’s nowhere near over.” I hiccup, trying to catch my breath. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I’m so tired. I haven’t slept in weeks. Every sound I hear I think it’s them, coming back to finish what they started,” I admit for the first time, fear sneaking up my spine with heated ease. “I hate that I’m so afraid. But with Reggie pleading not guilty and everything that happened today… I’m scared, Grayson. I’m terrified what this means for us all.” I cry harder, clinging to him for comfort, because right now he’s the only peace I know.

He’s been the burning candle guiding me through all this darkness.

“Liv, look at me.” He doesn’t give me a choice. He lifts my face, forcing my gaze to his. “Listen, I know things are bad right now, but you need to stay strong, just like you have been. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’d never let anything happen to you.” He leans in closer, eyes fierce and determined. “No matter how bad this gets, no one will ever fucking touch you again. I promise you that.” His extreme confidence quiets the anxiety I feel and my tears begin to subside. “Trust me. Trust me to keep you safe.”

“I do trust you, completely. When I’m with you I feel safe, but when I’m not…” I stop myself, not sure how to explain it. The fear of leaving the house and never knowing what I’m going to encounter, especially after what happened today, leaves me anxious. And what about the men who are still out there, the ones who had a hand in my attack—do I pass by them and not even know? The thought instills an incredible fear inside of me.

“Don’t hold out on me now, baby.”

Exhaling a deep breath, I shake my head. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. I guess it’s just going to take some time before I feel safe again.”

Grayson’s eyes hold mine, so many emotions raging in their blue depths. Remembering I was in the middle of cleaning up his injuries before my meltdown, I instantly feel guilty. I reach for the bottle of alcohol again but Grayson gently pulls it from my hand. “Wait, what are you—” I gasp as he stands and picks me up off the chair, cradling me in his arms. “What on earth are you doing?” I ask, winding my arms around his neck.

“Where’s your room?” My eyebrows shoot up at his question, causing his sexy lips to lift in a smirk. “I’m going to lie down with you until you fall asleep.”

Oh.

My face heats with embarrassment at my assumption. “But your injuries. Let me finish cleaning them.”

He grunts. “I’m fine, Liv. You need to sleep. Let me do this. Let me hold you.”

The thought of falling asleep wrapped up in his arms sounds like heaven right now, and my eyes immediately grow heavy with the thought. Nodding, I point in the direction of my room. “Down the hall, second door on the right.”

He heads that way, carrying me in his arms as if I weigh nothing, and I can’t help but think about his words earlier.

Trust me. Trust me to keep you safe.

My room is bathed in moonlight as he enters. He lays me down on my bed before closing the door quietly, then shuffles next to the bed, removing his shoes. His eyes stay with mine, making silent promises. The bed dips with his weight, and I turn on my side to face him. His arm curls over my waist, pulling me in close to his hard body.

I soak up the intimacy and the warmth he offers without hesitation. His mouth is but a breath from mine. Reaching up, I gently touch his wounded lip with my finger. “I don’t like seeing you hurt,” I whisper, feeling my throat clog with tears again.

“I’m fine, baby. I promise.”

I contemplate asking more about what happened after I left but decide against it. We’ve had enough heaviness for one night. Perhaps even a lifetime.

My fingers hover above his lips, tracing the outline, remembering how they moved against mine with such effortless grace.

With his intake of air, I lift my eyes, seeing his darken with desire. “Stop looking at me like that, Liv.” He warns.

“Why?” I don’t want to stop. I need to feel his lips on mine as much as my next breath.

“Because if you don’t stop I won’t be able to control myself.”

Desire pulses through me, my heart leaping in my chest. I’m desperate for his kiss, his touch. Rising up, I place a kiss to the wound on his lip, tender and slow.

“Liv, I’m serious, you need sleep.”

I push forward, ignoring his warning.

“No. I need you to kiss me.”

With a curse he moves in quickly. His hand racing around the side of my neck, aligning our mouths in heated bliss. Blood ignites inside my veins, desire flooding every part of my mind and body. The need rushing through me is something I thought I would never feel again, and Grayson seems to only intensify it.