Chapter 15 #2
One of them actually grinned, while the other gestured to his two henchmen holding Hendricks. “It’s one thing to slap around a woman if she gives you lip, but hurting your own daughter? That’s a new level of slimy.”
My skin crawled. I wanted to be away from these males, even if they were doing me a favor right now. I nodded curtly and turned for the door.
The goon with the gun stepped aside, and behind me I heard one of the LeClair brothers announce, “We’re taking a hiatus to deal with this shit. Somebody call the butler What’s-his-face. Bring in the brandy, y’all make yourself comfortable. We’ll be awhile.”
The door closed on Hendricks’ snarl of defiance.
And I was satisfied to close that door, because as much as I wanted him to pay for what he’d done to Stevie, I wouldn’t have to be the one to charge him. His own misdeeds would dictate his punishment.
Because I had far more important things to do.
I knew Stevie hadn’t gone far; there’d been a moment, when I’d seen her expression, that I worried she’d disappear on me again. But I could feel her, her agitation, her fear, her sorrow. She wasn’t far, and it was up to me to find her.
Our bond led me right to the room where I’d found her originally. She’d removed her heels and was staring morosely out one of the large windows, her arms around her stomach and her shoes dangling from two fingers.
I stopped to admire her for just a moment, even though everything in me urged comfort. But she was my Mate; she could feel me the same way I could feel her, and before I could do more than inhale, Stevie was turning.
The fresh tear tracks on her face nearly broke me.
“I’m sorry,” she half-whispered, half-sobbed, shrinking in on herself. “I’m sorry.”
I was moving before I even realized it. “I’m the one who’s sorry, sweetheart.”
Reaching her, I scooped her into my arms. Dimly, I registered her shoes hitting the floor, but then her arms were around my waist, clutching me, and my Kteer settled, feeling her cheek pressed against my heart.
I stroked her hair, glad my shirt could absorb some of her tears. “You look stunning, Mate. I’ve never been prouder than I was when you stood up in there.”
“I’m sorry,” she hiccupped once again, and I doubted she knew what she was saying.
“Hush.” I bent down and kissed the top of her head. “Everything is okay. I swear, Stevie, everything will be okay.”
I’ll keep you safe.
“I tried so hard to be strong, but I just couldn’t—”
Her explanation broke off with another hiccup, and I realized I wanted to smile, but not at her distress. “Dkaar, you are courageous and strong. I will protect you when I can, but I also know that you don’t need me—”
“No!” She jerked her head away to turn devastated eyes up at me. “Of course I need you, Garrak! I’m so sorry I left—”
I silenced her with a soft kiss. “I know, love. I know.”
But she shook her head in response to my whisper. “You don’t know. I’m sorry. I love you, Garrak, but I can’t be who you want me to be!”
Gods below, she was magnificent, wasn’t she? My Kteer purred with pride as I stroked her back. “I know, Stevie, and I love you for it.”
She froze. For a moment, I thought she’d forgotten to breathe.
“What?” she croaked.
And my grin grew. “I love you, Stevie.” Slowly, I loosened my hold on her so she could stand on her own as I stroked my palm gently down her spine. “I love you.”
“You…” she whispered, her lips forming an oh of surprise.
I resisted the urge to kiss her. Instead, I took her chin, brushing her lower lip with the pad of my thumb.
“I love you, dkaar. I love how strong you are, I love your courage. I love your mind and your heart and your wit. I love how you don’t just seek to understand people, but you want to help them too.”
Her lips parted beneath my thumb. “I do?”
Unable to help my smile, I leaned down. “You do. You deserve to spend the rest of your days wrapped in warmth and safety, relaxing.”
She stiffened and pulled away, her blue eyes twin pools of torment. “Garrak, I can’t—”
“I know.” My hands fell to her upper arms, but I held her gently, mindful of where her father had hurt her earlier. “I understand now.”
Stevie watched me warily, and I winced, knowing I’d given her no reason to believe me.
“You deserve all those things, love, but I know they would not make you happy. Although I hope you’ll still allow me to protect you?”
Her tone was guarded, but I could feel her hope, when she said, “I’ll always need you, Garrak. I’ve never had someone I could rely on.”
“Then you have to know that you can lean on me anytime you need, dkaar. Life won’t always be smooth, but together we can get through anything.”
She was shaking her head. Why was she shaking her head?
“This is part of what I mean, Garrak. I need you—I need you! But…” Stevie took a shaking breath. “But you don’t need me. You lost your fucking leg, and you still don’t need anyone.”
I was stunned by her words. “What? I love you, sweetheart. Of course I need you!”
“You don’t need me to help you. You don’t need me to take care of you. You won’t let me!”
I opened my mouth to assure her I did, but my Kteer stopped me. I saw her tears of frustration, I felt the tension in her shoulders, saw it in her jaw…and I took the time to consider her accusations.
“What…what would that look like?” I asked cautiously.
I think my mother had been the last person I’d allowed to take care of me, and that had been when I was a child. Even in the hospital, learning how to walk again, I’d refused any more help than necessary.
From the way Stevie sighed, the softening of her lips and the corners of her eyes, I knew she saw the truth.
“Oh Garrak…” She placed her palms on my chest, and I knew she could feel my heart beating for her.
“Even little things. Let me get your leg in the morning, it’s not a big deal.
Let me make you breakfast. And I’m a pretty good cook—let me take over dinner sometimes?
It’s not like I’m doing anything else useful.
” She sighed, her smile a little watery. “Let me help. Please?”
Her words—her pleas—stunned me. I stared down at my perfect little Mate, my voice harsh as I confessed, “I can’t believe I’ve been so selfish that I didn’t realize—”
“You’re not selfish, Garrak,” she interrupted sternly. “You’re strong. So strong, strong for everyone, always. But…” Her fingers curled around my lapels. “You don’t have to be strong all the time. I can be strong for you too. We can be strong together.”
Together. I’d said that, hadn’t I?
“We can rely on each other,” I rasped, amazed at these realizations.
“Yes.” Steve nodded firmly, then seemed to deflate. “I need a reason to thrive on Eastshore, and if I knew I had that…”
Hearing the defeat in her voice almost broke me. Oh, my little Mate, how I’ve failed you.
I brushed another soft kiss over her lips and released her, stepping back. She lunged to grab my hands before I went far, which suited me.
“Garrak, I love you, and I want to be with you. I love your home, I love Eastshore, and I love what you’re doing there. But I can’t not be a part of it.”
“I should never have asked that of you.”
I could see from her expression she still didn’t understand.
Shaking my head at my own poor communication, and still holding her hands, I sank down to one knee in front of her.
Stevie gasped, her hold on my fingers tightening. “Garrak, what—”
“Dkaar, your note was revealing. I had never considered you might feel the way I do, needing to contribute to the world, and I was devastated I’d hurt you like that.
You are right; I shouldn’t expect you to be someone you’re not, even if I do want to cover you in bubble wrap and keep you in my bed. ”
She didn’t laugh at the joke, but looked panicked, tugging at my hand. “What are you doing? Get up! You can’t be kneeling like you’re about to—”
“Once I thought about it, the solution was obvious.” Ignoring her frantic yanking, I allowed my smile to grow. “Stevie, would you do me the honor—”
“Garrak!”
“—of becoming the new director of the Eastshore Isle Community Center?”
Her mouth snapped shut, and she stared down at me in stunned silence, her expression unreadable. After a long while, she uttered a confused little, “What?”
I pulled her fingers to my mouth, pressing a kiss on her knuckles. “You’re perfect for the job, love. You understand what people need and how they think. Not just humans, but apparently orcs too.”
Her lips twitched, and my Kteer leapt.
“I guess I do…”
I squeezed her fingers. “The community center was my idea, but you’ve been planning the space as much as I have. This is your space now, too, to make the world a better place. It can be your dream too, if you want it.”
My voice had turned hesitant by that last part, as I realized she hadn’t responded to my offer or my words. But now, I felt the tension leave my body as Stevie’s face slowly lit with a smile.
“You mean it, Garrak?” she whispered.
“I do. I’ll get the money for the endowment, somehow.” Because somewhere around losing Stevie, I’d realized her father’s money meant little to me now. “If you could believe in the community center as much as—”
“Yes!” she cried, throwing herself down into my arms, wrapping herself around me. “Yes! Of course it’s my dream!”
This last part wasn’t said quite so smoothly, seeing as how she was peppering my face with kisses. Unable to help myself, I began to laugh as I wrapped my arms around her and stood, bringing us both to our feet.
“You mean it, Garrak? I can run the community center?”
“It’s yours now, Mate. I trust you to ensure the humans and orcs of Eastshore have a peaceful place to make their own.”
From the way her breath caught, I knew she understood how important this was. Of course she did; it was why I loved her.
“Thank you, Mate,” she whispered, stretching up to brush her lips over mine. “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry I hurt you.” I pressed my forehead to hers, cradling her against my chest. “I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy, Stevie, but I need you to tell me what I’m doing wrong so I can fix it, okay?”
Her exhale was shaky. “Do you know… Garrak, no one has ever offered to change for me. I don’t want you to change either, I just want…”
“Me to let you in,” I finished, my eyes closing. “It won’t be easy for me to ask for help, but I can’t expect you to allow me to help you, if I can’t accept help in return. Thank you for showing me that, Mate.”
I felt her exhale, felt her peace pouring over me. And I knew I’d found that same peace as well because I’d pleased her.
“I love you, Garrak.”
I squeezed her. “Did you like those shoes?”
The change of topic confused her, judging from the way she pulled back. I opened my eyes to see her frowning in confusion.
“I hate those shoes.”
“Excellent.” I spun about, leaving those heels on the floor by the window, and strode toward the door. “Because I’m not putting you down until we get to my hotel room.”
“Your hotel room, hmm?” Her little fingers played with the hair at the back of my neck. “And what are we going to do there, Mate?”
“Yes,” I growled, deliberately mistaking the double meaning of the word as I nodded to the goon to open the door for me and trotted out to find the driver who’d brought me still waiting. “And then I’m going to show you exactly how much I love you. Seven or eight times.”
Stevie was laughing as she pulled my head down to hers to capture my lips in a kiss.