Chapter 4
FOUR
JUNIE
Sleep pulls at me quickly, but even as I drift off, my mind stays on him. On the way he looks at me. On the way he makes me feel safe and wanted at the same time. On the way I’m starting to wonder what it would feel like to let him in completely.
To let him have all of me.
I wake up a few hours later to the soft glow of the fire and the low sound of typing.
Wyatt’s sitting at the small desk in the corner of the room, his laptop open, fingers moving across the keys with quiet focus.
The light from the screen casts sharp shadows across his face, highlighting the strong line of his jaw and the concentration in his eyes.
He looks intense. Dangerous in a controlled way. My heart skips a beat as I watch him.
He must sense me stirring because he turns his head. His gaze softens the moment it lands on me. “You’re awake. How do you feel?”
I push myself up slowly against the pillows, careful of my leg. The pain is still there, but it’s dulled now, more of a deep bruise than the sharp fire from before. “Better. The sleep helped. And the tea. Thank you.”
He closes the laptop and stands, crossing the room to sit in the chair beside the bed.
He’s close enough that I can smell the clean, pine-and-soap scent of him.
It makes my stomach flutter in a way I’m not used to.
I’ve never been around a man who makes me feel like this. Warm. Aware. A little breathless.
“I looked into your brother,” he says quietly.
His voice is steady, but there’s a seriousness in it that makes me tense.
“Caleb Bellis. Twenty-four. Last known address in Denver. Financials show some large cash deposits six months ago. No clear source. Phone records go dark the night you said he called you. I’m still digging, but it doesn’t look good. He was in deep with some bad people.”
I feel my stomach drop. I don’t want him knowing the truth.
Not the full truth. Caleb got mixed up with dangerous men.
The kind who don’t let you walk away. If Wyatt digs too deep, he might see things that make him send me away.
Or worse, put himself and everyone here in more danger than they already are.
“I told you he was scared,” I say, trying to keep my voice even. “He got in over his head. I just need to find him before it’s too late.”
Wyatt watches me closely. His eyes are sharp, like he can see the things I’m not saying. “If I’m going to help you, I need the whole story. Who is after you? Why? What exactly did your brother get involved in?”
I look down at my hands. They’re still bandaged from the glass cuts. I don’t know how much to tell him. He saved my life. He’s been kind. But trust is a fragile thing, and I have had mine shattered too many times. My father taught me that lesson well.
“I will tell you more when I’m ready,” I say softly. “I promise. I just need a little time. Everything is still so fresh.”
He nods. He doesn’t push. “Take the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
The words settle over me like a warm blanket. I believe him. At least for now. I finish the fresh glass of water he brings me and set it aside. My leg is starting to throb again, but I don’t want to complain. I shift carefully, trying not to wince.
Wyatt notices immediately. “Pain?”
“A little. It’s not bad.”
He stands and grabs the bottle of pain medication Eli left. He shakes out two pills and hands them to me with a fresh glass of water. I take them without argument. The exhaustion is creeping back in. My body is still recovering. I need rest.
Wyatt helps me settle back against the pillows.
His hands are gentle as he adjusts the blanket around me.
He tucks it carefully around my injured leg, making sure it stays elevated.
The simple act makes my chest feel tight.
No one has ever taken care of me like this.
Not like this. Not without wanting something in return.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “For everything. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“You don’t have to,” he says simply. “Just get better. That’s all I want.”
He sits back down in the chair. I watch him for a moment.
He’s so still. So solid. His presence fills the room without him having to say a word.
I feel safe with him. Safer than I’ve felt in months.
But I’m also aware of him in a way I’ve never been aware of a man before.
The way his shoulders fill out his shirt.
The way his jaw tightens when he’s thinking.
The way he looks at me like he wants to devour me whole.
It turns me on. I’m a virgin. I’ve never felt this kind of pull before. Never wanted someone to touch me the way I want him to touch me. The thought makes my cheeks flush. I look away, hoping he doesn’t notice.
“Get some rest,” he says softly. “I’ll be right here.”
I nod and close my eyes. Sleep pulls at me quickly. But even as I drift off, my mind stays on him. On the way he looks at me. On the way he makes me feel safe and wanted at the same time. On the way I’m starting to wonder what it would feel like to let him in completely.
To let him have all of me.
When I wake again, the fire’s still burning low. Wyatt’s still in the chair, but his laptop is open on his lap now. His fingers move across the keys with quiet focus. He looks up when I stir.
“You’re awake again,” he says. “How’s the leg?”
“Better. The medicine helped.”
He closes the laptop and sets it aside. “Good. You should eat something. I made more soup. It’s still warm.”
I nod and let him help me sit up. He brings the bowl over and sits on the edge of the bed this time, close enough that I can feel the heat from his body.
He feeds me again, spoon by spoon, patient and careful.
Every time his fingers brush mine when he hands me the spoon, a little spark runs through me.
I’m hyper-aware of him. The way his shirt stretches across his chest. The faint stubble on his jaw.
The way his eyes darken when he looks at me for too long.
I’ve never had a man look at me like this. Like he wants to consume me. Like he’s holding himself back by a thread. It makes me feel things I’m not used to. Warm. Achy. Curious. My cheeks burn every time our eyes meet.
This is all too much. “I have to go to the bathroom.” I sit up to quickly, and he helps me the rest of the way. I stand, and hobble to the bathroom across the hallway.
Once inside, I splash some cool water on my face. “What is wrong with you?” I ask myself. I blow out a deep breath, hoping I can go through with all of this. I’m not lying to Wyatt when I tell him bad men have my brother.
Hostage.
And I have to complete this mission to get him back. And I’ll do anything to achieve that.