Chapter 16
RIVER
I don’t wantto give Skylar space.
I want to look at her while she’s awake, hear her voice, see her smile, and inhale her scent.
I want to watch her relax on her bed and enjoy everything we’ve given her.
And I need to know that she’s okay.
The last time I held her was when she was unconscious, and it was almost impossible to let the paramedics rip her away from me.
It’s the second time I’ve seen her loaded into an ambulance.
I never want it to happen again.
The last time I touched her was when I pulled the hospital blanket over her shoulders and tucked her in.
There weren’t nearly enough blankets, so I brought her more and spent time watching over her while she slept.
Now, she’s awake, and her house is in view.
My hands shake with the need to be near her, and I crave a cigarette to take the edge off.
But I won’t smoke. She hated it, and I won’t start again now.
Waiting for Skylar is the hardest part of this, now.
Landon, once again, had the ridiculous idea of giving her space and waiting for her to come to us.
And once again, the asshole made sense.
We don’t know how traumatized Skylar is—we still don’t know the full extent of what happened in that shithole in Slatten.
Her captor is in custody, but we only know his side.
I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, lost in thought. My other hand shakes and I clench it into a fist.
Skylar’s back and my panic attacks aren’t as bad as they were when she was missing, but they’re still there.
I wonder what she would say if she knew about them.
Maybe she would say I’m a coward and decide she wants nothing to do with me.
I use her sweet scent to ground me and clear the chaos in my mind. If I have to spend the rest of my life hiding in the shadows just to protect her, I will.
Quit being dramatic, Cain, Vincent had spit at me the other day when I demanded to be the first one to watch over her house.
Well, fuck him.
I can be as dramatic as I want.
And I hope Jason Silver’s truck fucking exploded.
A knock at the car window drags me away from my thoughts, and I look up to see Tammy.
I roll down the window, confused.
We had spoken briefly before, but she was in such a state of despair over losing both April and Skylar that I had only asked her a few questions. Vincent had talked with her more than I had, and he was the one that told her that we would be keeping watch.
“Take care of my girl,” she says, her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare think of breaking her heart.”
I raise an eyebrow, stunned. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” I say coolly. “I’m in this for the long run.”
It’s true. I’ve never been this attached to anyone. Even if Skylar rejected me, my inner Alpha would still belong to her.
At my response, the Beta woman visibly sighs and her expression softens. “Good,” she says. “She has a big heart, but it’s delicate.”
I nod. “I know. But it’s safe with me.”
I probably look the opposite of safe to Tammy. My hair is a mess, my skin is paler than usual, and my fingers are twitchy.
I look like a fucking nightmare.
But Tammy nods with no judgment in her gaze, only a twinge of sadness.
“Bring my other baby back too, please,” she whispers. “I know you can.”
I swallow. How many times have parents or spouses asked this of me? But when it comes from Skylar’s family, it makes it worse.
It fucking kills me that I can’t guarantee anything.
“I’ll do my best,” I say solemnly. It’s all I can do.
“Thank you,” Tammy says softly. “And thank you for saving Skylar.”
I swallow a lump in my throat and nod. “Of course,” I reply.
As Tammy drives away, I settle in for a long night in my car, greedily inhaling Skylar’s scent.