16. Hudson
CHAPTER 16
Hudson
Her eyes flicked back to mine, and there was something hopeful and open there, like she wanted to believe me but didn’t quite know how.
My hand inched closer to hers. “You’re not stuck, Sofia.”
For a moment, she didn’t move. Then, slowly, one of her hands released the edge of the bed, and her fingers brushed against mine. The contact was so light it was barely there, but it sent a jolt through me all the same.
Then, her fingers curled around mine just enough to hold on, but as I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand, the air between us shifted, growing heavier, quieter. Her gaze stayed on mine, and I could see the hesitation there—the uncertainty warring with something that looked like anticipation. Excitement, even, though I was almost afraid to believe that, considering what she was going through.
“Sofia…” I said, giving her the space to pull back, to change the subject, to say anything to stop me.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she leaned forward, her hand tightening on mine. It was the smallest movement, but it was all the signal I needed.
I closed the distance between us, tilting my head as my lips met hers. The kiss was soft, tentative—just enough to test the waters, to make sure this was what she wanted. And when she kissed me back in a way that was somehow both tentative and fierce, it sent shivers down my spine. Then her free hand made its way up my chest, coming to rest at the base of my neck.
She squeezed, gripping me hard, and suddenly I was on my knees in front of her. Something about the way she leaned in and held me to her lit a fire under me like I’d never known.
I deepened the kiss, my other hand folding against her cheek. The pad of my thumb brushed against her skin, and I let out a soft groan before pulling away to capture her lower lip between my teeth—just a gentle nip that made her gasp. Her fingers dug into my shoulder in response, and she matched my intensity breath for breath.
When we finally pulled back, her forehead rested against mine, her eyes fluttering open to meet my gaze. Neither of us said anything at first, the weight of the moment sinking in.
And then, a sharp knock at the door shattered the quiet like glass hitting the floor, and I pulled back from Sofia, both of us blinking as the spell broke. Her lips were parted, her breath uneven, and her gaze zipped to the door.
“Stay here,” I murmured, standing and running a hand over the back of my neck as I crossed the room.
I opened the door to find a uniformed officer I didn’t recognize waiting in the hallway. He was young, his posture stiff but professional. He looked past me briefly, likely assessing the situation.
“Hudson Green?” he asked.
“That’s me,” I replied, my tone sharp with the adrenaline still coursing through me.
“Officer Carter,” he introduced himself. “I’m here about the report of the break-in. Officer Sullivan is off duty, but he’s on his way. He called it in so we could secure the scene.”
“Thanks,” I said, glancing back toward Sofia. She was still sitting on the edge of the bed, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. “Give me a moment.”
The officer nodded and stepped back as I closed the door. Turning back to Sofia, I kept my tone calm. “That was one of the officers. They’re here to check your room and start the report. Tommy’s on his way.”
She nodded slowly, her expression unreadable, but I could see the tension in the way her shoulders hunched slightly. She didn’t want to face the mess that had been left behind, and I couldn’t blame her.
“You’ll need to give a statement, but I’ll handle everything else with the cops,” I said gently. “But first, we need to talk about where you’re staying tonight.”
Her brows drew together. “I can stay with Tommy?—”
“No.” The firmness of my tone surprised even me, and I softened it immediately as I crossed the room. “Sofia, it’s not that Tommy wouldn’t keep you safe. It’s just… I’d feel better if you stayed here.”
She rose from the bed, clearly alarmed. “Here? As in, my room?”
I shook my head. “Here, as in… here. ”
Her eyes flitted around the room before locking onto mine. “Why? Because of the break-in or… because of the other thing?”
I let out a short, quiet laugh. “Which answer gets you to stay?”
Her lips twitched like she wanted to smile but couldn’t quite manage it. “Hudson, I can’t stay here. There’s only one bed, and while I’ll admit I don’t hate the idea of us sharing space…” Her cheeks flushed and she pursed her lips.
I took one more step toward her, careful not to crowd her. “Look, this isn’t about that kiss. You need somewhere safe, and I need to know that you’re safe. You can take the bed. I’ll take the chair. It’s not a big deal.”
She tilted her head, giving me that skeptical, searching look again. “But I’d be just as safe with Tommy.”
“Yeah, you would,” I said honestly, my voice low. “Tommy wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
Her brows lifted, like she hadn’t expected me to admit it so easily. “Then why do you want me to stay with you?”
I rubbed the back of my neck as I searched for the right words. “Because… I guess I’d just feel better if you were here.”
“Better how?”
I met her gaze. “I want to be the one making sure you’re okay. Is that bad? Weird?”
She blinked, her cheeks coloring faintly as her gaze dropped to her hands. “I don’t think it’s bad or weird. Because, maybe… Maybe I’d feel better if I stayed here too.”
The confession burned around us, making my chest feel tight and strangely light at the same time. “So… we’re agreeing that this isn’t just about logistics and safety?” I asked carefully. “You want to stay here? With me?”
She let out a nervous laugh, her eyes flicking up to meet mine. “Yeah, I do. But then what does that make it about?”
I gave her a small smile. “Maybe it’s just about us needing to be around each other right now. All I know is, I’m going to feel a lot better knowing you’re close with Dane so bent on messing with you. I’d be climbing the walls all night if you went to your brother’s.”
Her lips twitched. “So, what? You’re just gonna… babysit me?”
“If that’s what it takes. Call it my protective era.”
“Oh, yeah? What kind of era would it be for me, then? My… cling-to-the-protective-guy era?”
If she wanted to cling to me, I was all for it, but this was deeper than that. This was something I felt like I had to do, and I wanted more than anything for her to want to let me.
“Maybe it’s your trust-the-guy-who-has-your-back era,” I suggested, the words coming out lighter than I felt.
She glanced toward the door, and I almost thought she’d push back again. But then, she smiled for real, and for the first time all night, it looked a little more free. “I can live with that.”
Relief washed through me, but I kept my expression neutral. “Good. Now let’s get through this report, and then we’ll get you settled.”
A second knock sounded, and this time, I opened the door to find Tommy and Grace, their faces tight with worry. Tommy’s gaze immediately snapped to Sofia, and he stepped past me without a word.
“Fi,” he said as she practically collapsed into his arms, her shoulders shaking as he held her tightly.
Grace gave me a small, grateful smile as she joined them, and I stepped back, giving them a moment.
But since they’d left my door open, I had a clear view of the officers treating Sofia’s room like the crime scene it was. My fists clenched at my sides. Seeing her so shaken before taking some measure of comfort in my arms only hardened my resolve.
Whatever this was, whatever Dane meant to accomplish with it—he’d regret it. That much, I knew.
Tommy and Grace lingered after the officers had left. I’d been keeping watch over Sofia in my room since the second the officers were done with her, and when they walked through the door, Grace went straight to Sofia with a steaming mug of what looked like tea.
“Hey, babe,” Grace said softly. “You okay?”
Sofia nodded but didn’t speak, her fingers twisting the edge of her sweater.
Grace glanced at me briefly, her expression grateful but concerned, before returning her attention to Sofia. “Got you some tea from downstairs. Wanna sit?”
Sofia nodded again, and Grace guided her toward the armchair near the window.
Tommy’s gaze followed them, his jaw set and his shoulders tense. Once Sofia was seated and Grace handed over the tea, Tommy stepped closer to me, lowering his voice.
“She’s staying here tonight?” he asked, an unmistakable edge to his low voice.
“She is,” I confirmed.
His gaze narrowed. “And why here, exactly? Why not with me and Grace?”
I hesitated, knowing I had to tread carefully. “We talked about it. She felt better about staying with me, and I felt the same. I’d never push her into anything she wasn’t comfortable with.”
Tommy crossed his arms as he seemed to weigh my words. “I get that. But you’ve known her for what, a few weeks? You’ll have to forgive me if I’m not ready to hand over all my trust.”
“You don’t need to apologize for protecting her. She’s your sister—it’s your job to question me.”
He studied me, his chin raised. “What’s going on between you two?”
“Tonight? Nothing beyond making sure she’s safe. We agreed to keep… whatever’s happening between us separate from that.”
“You really think you can keep those things separate when she’s staying in your room?”
I nodded once. “Absolutely. I care about her, and I’d never do anything to make her feel unsafe. Right now, my only focus is making sure she’s okay. Everything else can wait.”
Tommy exhaled slowly, his stance relaxing slightly. “Good. Because if you hurt her?—”
“You’ll kill me,” I finished for him with a faint smile. “I’d expect nothing less.”
His lips quirked, though his eyes stayed serious. “I mean it.”
“And I mean it when I say you won’t have to.”
Tommy studied me for another moment before nodding. “All right. She probably doesn’t need anyone else in her life going to prison, anyway.”
I winced.
Tommy chuckled, shaking his head. “Too soon?”
I held up my index finger about an inch from my thumb. “Just a little.”
“Don’t tell her I said that. Let’s blame it on how tired I am.”
I chuckled, and though I already liked Tommy, the way he was handling this conversation made me like him even more. Other than the bad joke, of course.
“In all seriousness, I appreciate you looking out for her,” he said, his eyes on his sister and wife now. “She’s been through enough, and she doesn’t need anyone messing with her head or her heart.”
“I know. And I won’t,” I vowed.
Grace approached us then, and she glanced between Tommy and me, clearly sensing the lingering tension. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Tommy said, glancing at Sofia and softening as she gave him a faint smile. “Everything’s fine. You ready?”
“Yeah,” Grace nodded, not quite convinced. She gave Sofia one last wave before turning to me. “Thanks for everything you’re doing for our girl.”
I dipped my chin, then watched as Tommy went over to Sofia and kissed the top of her head. He whispered something in her ear that made her snort-laugh, and I couldn’t help but grin in response.
She was going to be just fine. We’d all make sure of it.
Tommy clapped me on the shoulder as he passed, leaning in just enough to mutter, “Take care of her.”
“I will,” I said firmly, holding the door as he joined Grace in the hall.
Later that night, the room was quiet except for the soft rhythm of Sofia’s breathing. She was curled up under the covers in my bed, her dark hair spilling over the pillow. It looked black between the darkness in the room and the fact that it was probably still wet. She’d showered after Tommy and Grace finally left, and since she hadn’t wanted to sift through the mess in her room until tomorrow, she’d borrowed my sweats and a T-shirt.
She swam in them, of course, but there was something about the sight of her in my clothes that hit me right in the chest. And now that she was fast asleep, her features completely relaxed for the first time since she’d banged on my door hours earlier, she’d never looked more beautiful to me.
I shifted in the armchair I’d claimed as my bed for the night, trying to get comfortable, but the ache in my shoulders wasn’t from the chair.
I’d been trained to handle high-pressure situations. Combat, disasters, even the intensity of recruiting duty. But none of that compared to the feeling of watching Sofia fall apart tonight. Seeing the fear in her eyes had sparked something primal in me—something that made me want to burn the whole world down until she felt safe again.
And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.
I scrubbed a hand over my face, exhaling quietly so I wouldn’t wake her. How had I let it get to this point? Weeks ago, she’d been a stranger—a name I recognized as Tommy’s sister. Now, I couldn’t think about her without this knot forming in my chest. Protecting her wasn’t just about doing the right thing. It was personal.
Too personal.
My eyes drifted to the faint outline of the letter she’d folded and placed on the nightstand. The words she’d written to Dane all those years ago were a painful reminder of everything she’d been through—and everything she was still facing. Dane wasn’t just a mistake in her past; he was a shadow creeping into her present. And now, whoever he’d been arguing with in town had added a new layer of danger.
Had Dane done the break-in himself, or had he hired that guy to do it for him, and that was what they’d been discussing?
I leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. It wasn’t just her safety that had me tied in knots. It was the way she’d looked at me earlier—so vulnerable, so open. The way she’d let go of her fear long enough to kiss me. Like she trusted me completely, even after everything she’d been through.
Was it wrong of me to kiss her after she’d gone through something like this? I wasn’t sure. In the moment, letting her lead the way felt like the right thing—and no part of me wanted to tell her what she was and wasn’t ready for when it came to what she did with her own mouth.
But still, on the edges of my mind, I knew I had to stay realistic. If Sofia woke up and told me that kiss was some kind of trauma-response and she didn’t want to do it again, I’d respect that. Even if it would crush me.
A soft sound drew my attention, and I glanced over to see her shift slightly in her sleep. Her brow furrowed for a moment, and I wondered if she was dreaming about tonight—or worse, about Dane.
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees as I watched her settle again. Whatever it took, I’d make sure she was safe. From Dane, from the man in the grocery store parking lot, from anyone who thought they could hurt her.
Because somewhere along the way, protecting Sofia had become more than just a promise. It had become my purpose.