Unafraid (Amber Ridge #1)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

A spen’s heart crashed into her throat as a scream built in her chest. She was a second away from kicking the sheets back and clawing at the man’s eyes when he spoke.

“It’s me.”

Jesse? It was just Jesse. The air rushed from her chest. She wasn’t being attacked. She was safe.

His head lowered, his face finally coming into view. “There’s someone in the house.”

Her skin chilled, her pulse once again speeding up.

“I’m going to remove my hand,” he whispered. “But I need you to not make a sound.”

She nodded, but the move was jerky and stiff.

Slowly, he lifted his hand from her mouth.

“Who?” she whispered, as soon as she had a chance.

“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out. I need you to promise me that you’ll stay here, regardless of what you hear.”

Her brows flickered, a new fear spidering through her veins. Fear for Jesse. That he was about to face an unknown threat.

Then she saw the glint of the gun in his hand.

“I don’t want you to go out there.” The words rushed from her throat. “Call someone.”

“I’m the sheriff, Aspen. I’m the person people call. I’m well trained. I’ll be okay.”

She didn’t care if he was the sheriff or if he’d spent his entire life training for this very moment; she wanted someone else to put themselves at risk. She opened her mouth to tell him that, but he spoke first.

“Please, Aspen. Promise me you’ll close the door after me and stay exactly where you are.”

She swallowed. It was the last thing she wanted to do. But his eyes…they pleaded with her, almost looking desperate. “I’ll stay.”

Relief washed over his features. “Thank you.”

She climbed out of bed and rose with him. He was about to open her bedroom door when she grabbed his arm. “Jesse…” He stopped and turned. “Be careful.”

“Always.” He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, then he was gone.

Oh God, oh God, oh God. Who was out there? And how had they gotten in?

Her heart stopped. The front door. Had she locked it after grabbing her phone? She’d been so angry that she couldn’t remember. What if she hadn’t?

Stupid. So stupid! It was her fault someone was here. And if Jesse got hurt, that would be her fault too.

No . He wouldn’t get hurt. He was well trained. One of the best-trained soldiers in the country. If anyone should be scared, it was the intruder.

She laid her head on the door and waited, flinching when she heard Jesse’s deep voice as he yelled at the person. She couldn’t make out his words through the door, but he was angry.

When the second voice sounded, it was muffled, but it had Aspen’s spine going ramrod straight.

No… It couldn’t be.

They spoke again, and the familiar muffled voice had Aspen yanking open the door and sprinting into the living room.

“One more chance to stop, or I will restrain you,” Jesse yelled.

Aspen stepped into the room to see her mother pulling it apart. Drawers were pulled out, their contents on the floor. Little knickknacks that had been sitting on end tables had been swiped off.

“Mom!” Aspen gasped, drawing the attention of both her and Jesse. “What are you doing?”

Jesse growled. “I told you to stay in the bedroom.”

That was never going to happen with her mother here.

Karen Davies stepped forward. Her hair was a mess, the scowl on her face murderous. “You took it. Where’d you put it?”

“Put what?”

“ My bracelet . Where’d you put my bracelet?”

“I haven’t touched it.”

Her mother’s eyes spat fire. “Don’t lie to me. I saw the way you looked at it today. You were jealous and wanted it for yourself.”

No…not here. Not in front of Jesse. “I didn’t—”

“First you turn the waiter against me. Now this. You’re an ungrateful little—”

“Don’t even think about finishing that sentence, Karen,” Jesse growled.

Her mother’s gaze shot to him. “Of course you’re defending her. Are you in on this too? You gonna sell my bracelet and split the profits?”

She was out of her mind. “Mom, you need to leave.” There was no anger in her voice, just an awful mix of disappointment and embarrassment and exhaustion. God was she tired. Physically. Emotionally. In every way a person could be tired.

“Aspen—”

“ Now , Mom. I will not have you follow me across the country and pull the same shit you always pull.” Aspen crossed over to the door and pulled it open. “I do not have to put up with this behavior if you refuse to seek help for your mental health.”

Her mother’s cheeks reddened. “I do not need—”

“You do. And until you get that help, we can’t have a healthy relationship…or any relationship at all. Now leave, before Jesse calls his deputies to arrest you.”

“You wouldn’t—”

“I would,” he cut in. Then, as if to prove his point, he lifted his phone and moved to stand beside Aspen.

Her mother huffed. “Fine. I’ll leave this house, but I’m not leaving town until you return my bracelet. You hear me? I’ll press charges if you don’t.”

Her mother stormed toward the door, and Jesse inched in front of Aspen. Which was fair. Her mother had never physically assaulted her but she was unstable, so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

The second her mother stepped outside, Aspen closed the door, making sure she turned the lock this time. Then she leaned her head against the wood, and for the second time that night, she wanted to cry. She tried to hold back the tears. Lord knew she’d been embarrassed enough already.

But then Jesse’s warm fingers curved over her shoulder, and he turned her. Without a word, he tugged her against his bare chest and held her.

Finally, she let the first tears fall.

She let out the anger that her own mother would treat her like that. The frustration at the unfairness of it all. And the disappointment because, once again, she’d been let down by the person who was supposed to love her most.

Jesse looked from the coffee he was preparing to Aspen on the couch. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she looked so sad, all he wanted to do was fix this. Make it better.

But he couldn’t.

His muscles tightened as he poured milk into the mugs. Fuck, he was angry. The anger crawled up his chest, burning his throat. But he was trying to keep it off his face. She didn’t need his anger right now.

He carried the coffees to the living room and handed one to her.

She slipped it from his fingers. “Thank you.”

She didn’t even sound like herself. She was too quiet, her voice too sad.

He sat beside her on the couch. “What are you thinking?”

“That I should have locked the door.” She half laughed, but there was no humor behind it.

Jesse didn’t so much as crack a smile. Another thing he was pissed as hell about. He usually checked every lock in the house after she went to bed. Tonight, he hadn’t.

He wanted to kick his own ass.

“Can I ask you something?” he asked.

Her gaze lifted, apprehension skittering through her eyes. “Sure.”

“Why haven’t you cut her off completely? What she did tonight wasn’t an isolated incident. And the way she spoke to you… You deserve better.”

Aspen lifted a shoulder. “Because she’s my mom. She’s the only family I have, and there are moments like today where, just for a second, I feel like I have a real parent.” She shook her head. “After tonight, that probably sounds stupid.”

“It doesn’t. It sounds like you look for the good in her and hope that the good sticks.” Which made it even worse that the woman couldn’t be what Aspen needed.

She frowned at her coffee. “I was twelve when I realized she needed help. We were learning about mental health at school. Borderline personality disorder came up, and she displayed every symptom. But she also fit about three other mental illnesses. I was so happy because, in my mind, the mystery of why she behaved the way she did was solved. And if we knew the why behind her behavior, she could get help.”

A pit formed in his stomach. “What happened?”

“I ran home and told her. Mistake. Big mistake. She was so angry. Angrier than I’d ever seen her before. Screaming that there was nothing wrong with her. Throwing things at me.” Aspen pulled down the shoulder of her pajama top and pointed to a small scar. “This is the result of a framed photo hitting me in the shoulder.”

The anger returned, squeezing his chest. “Why didn’t anyone do anything? Teachers? Neighbors?”

“Everyone knew something wasn’t right with her. I used to hear kids at school gossiping about it all the time. I’m still scarred from that too. But she never did anything in front of anyone. Nothing serious enough to warrant being reported.”

Jesus, his heart hurt for her. “I’m sorry.”

“I thought by coming here that I’d finally gotten away. And then I do something stupid like give her my address.”

“You didn’t know she’d come.”

“I should have.” She tilted her head, the first small smile since her mother had left tilting her lips. “Thank you for having my back tonight.”

“I’ll always have your back.”

Something flashed through her eyes. An emotion that came and went so quickly, he couldn’t place it.

“Okay.” She straightened. “I’m ready for you to tell me the real reason you were so freaked out when I got home late tonight.”

“I told you—”

“No. You left something out. And at the time, I was so blissfully happy with the illusion of having a normal mother that I didn’t ask, because I didn’t want to pop the bubble. But the bubble has well and truly exploded, so now I’m asking.”

Shit. Telling her about Dylan felt like kicking her while she was down. But he couldn’t avoid the truth a second time. “Did you know Dylan was engaged?”

“Yeah, when he lived in Billings. Her name was Lilly.”

Jesse dipped his head. “Correct. But did you also know she was beaten so badly, she ended up in a coma?”

Aspen flinched. “A coma?”

“Yes. She said it was a home invasion, but police never found any evidence of anyone else being in the house.”

The color drained from Aspen’s face.

He set his coffee on the table and closed the small distance between them. Then he placed a hand on her thigh. “You left him. You did everything right.”

“Not everything. I should have left sooner.” She kept her eyes on his.

He cupped her cheek. “But you did leave.”

She frowned. “I wish I’d met you first.” Then, without a word, she lay her head on his shoulder.

Warmth bloomed in his chest. He slipped the mug from her fingers, set it on the coffee table and wrapped his arms around her. She fit so perfectly against him. Like this was exactly where she was meant to be.

“Thank you for looking out for me,” she whispered.

He tightened his arms. “Always.”

And he meant that. He might not have known her for long, but she’d worked her way into his life, making herself something he couldn’t live without.

He wasn’t sure how long they sat there, but at some point, her chest relaxed with deep, even breaths. She was asleep. Still, he didn’t move, not for a long time. Because being with her felt good. Holding her felt good.

Eventually, he slipped an arm under her legs, rose and carried her to her room. He’d just eased her beneath the covers when she grabbed his arm.

“Jesse…” Her eyes were still closed, voice half asleep. “Lie with me. Just for a bit.”

Fire laced his veins. The idea of holding her in bed…it did things to him.

“Please,” she added softly.

Usually, he liked to think of himself as a strong person. But right now, every part of him felt weak. Far too weak to say no to her. He slid beneath the covers, and immediately, she nestled her head on his chest and her breaths evened out once more.

Jesse lay there, holding her, wondering how the hell he was ever supposed to let go.