Grace

“I’m so sorry we made you suffer. It broke my heart keeping you in the dark.”

“Oh, baby, it’s okay. I’m just so thankful you’re alive.” My mother hugged me hard, sniffling in my ear. I could tell she hadn’t taken care of herself over the past few days. Her brown hair was stringy and unkempt, and her eyes had dark circles beneath them.

“Me too.”

She let me go and I sat down on the bed, while she glanced around at the guest bedroom Ian put me in. The window on the opposite side of the room had the most glorious view of the Grand Teton Mountains in the daylight. I could stare out that window for hours. Even now, at night, I could see all the stars in the sky.

My father was outside with Ian and Reed, most likely talking about the case. I didn’t want to stay hidden forever, but the thought of looking over my shoulder every minute of the day, not knowing who wanted me dead, didn’t appeal to me.

My mother walked around the room. “Ian’s such a good man, he’s taken you in and cared for you. I’ve always enjoyed his company.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “So do all the women he’s around.”

She smiled. “He’s a charmer, that’s for sure.”

“Have you seen Mya at all?” I asked, changing the subject from Ian.

Her lips tightened and she nodded. “She came over yesterday and brought us dinner. The poor girl looked horrible. Not that I can talk.” She picked up a chunk of her hair and let it flop down. “Now when I go out in public, I have to pretend to be distraught. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good problem to have. But hopefully, I’m a good actress.”

I patted the bed and she sat down. “You’ll do fine.”

“Oh, before I forget, I brought some of your things to you.” She jumped up and reached inside her purse. “The night you were taken, you dropped your purse. I have your wallet and house keys, but not your phone. The police have it right now, however,” she pulled out another a phone, “here’s a prepaid phone your father got from the store. That way, you can call me anytime you want.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’ll call you every day.”

She hugged me again. “You better.”

The front door opened and I heard the guys come inside. “Jenny, you about ready to go?” my father called.

I walked my mother to the door, where my father waited. Ian smiled at me and I tried to ignore my erratic heartbeat, but failed miserably, heat rising to my cheeks. “Bye, Dad,” I said, hugging him tight.

He kissed my head. “Stay safe, sweetheart. I’ll let you know if we find anything new.”

Ian and I followed them outside and stood on the porch so I could watch them drive away. “I see your mother gave you a phone,” he said.

“Yep.” I held it up. “I’m only going to use it to call her and my father. She also gave me my house keys. At least, we don’t have to break in now.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” he said with a laugh. “Speaking of which, we should probably go while it’s dark.”

I glanced down at my frumpy clothes. “I’m good with that.”

We jumped in his old blue truck and it rumbled to life. Luckily, we didn’t have to go through the city to get to my house. “Is your mom okay now?”

I nodded. “Yep. It’s a load off my mind, but I’m still concerned about Mya. I know she’s sick with worry. I hate keeping her in the dark.” I trusted her, but I knew she wouldn’t be able to keep it from her husband, and he tended to talk too much when he drank. I couldn’t risk word getting out.

“You’ll be able to tell her soon enough,” Ian assured me.

We arrived at my house and the kitchen light was still on from the last time I left. Ian parked in the back and we entered through the patio door. “It won’t take me long,” I whispered.

“I’m going to look around, and make sure everything looks okay.”

I nodded, then hurried off to my room. The bed was still made, not a single wrinkle in the purple comforter. Mya’s landscape pictures still hung on my walls. There were so many things I wanted to take with me. Grabbing the largest suitcase out of my closet, I packed as many clothes as I could, along with a picture of me and my parents, and another with me and Mya. I even included a few pieces of lingerie I’d never had the chance to wear.

“Everything looks normal,” Ian announced, entering my bedroom. He looked around with a smile on his face. “So, this is where you dream about me, huh?”

I rolled my eyes. “You wish.”

He walked around while I went into the en-suite to grab my toiletries. When I came out, he had a picture in his hands. “Is this your ex?”

The last time I saw that picture was the night before I was taken. I’d thrown it in the trash, ready to be rid of it forever. Clearing my throat, I stuffed my toiletries into my suitcase and zipped it up. Thinking about Trey brought back lots of painful memories.

“Yes.” I glanced over at the trashcan beside my bed, where all his things still sat, ready to be discarded. But I’d never gotten the chance. There were other pictures in there too, along with letters he’d written, and a couple of his T-shirts.

Ian threw the frame back in the trash and took a step toward me, his gaze guarded. “What happened between you two? You never told me.”

I shrugged and avoided his stare. I felt stupid for trusting Trey for all those years, only to be made a fool. “What’s there to tell? We were together for four years, engaged, and then he cheated on me. I guess that’s what happens when you have a long-distance relationship.”

“No, it’s not, Grace.” Closing the distance between us, he cupped my chin. I had no choice but to look up at him. “Someone like him would cheat on you even if you shared a house. He was just too stupid to realize how good he had it. You deserve a whole hell of a lot better than what that dildo could do for you.”

That was for damn sure. I just wished I’d figured it out before giving him my heart. “It still hurt,” I murmured. “I gave him four years of my life. After that, I buried myself in work.”

He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ears and moved back. “Is that why you turned me down? Afraid you’d get hurt?”

“Trey was one of the bad boys,” I said, meeting Ian’s gaze. “He was smart, funny, charming, and good-looking . . . everything a girl could want. But it turns out, every guy I’ve met since Trey have all turned out to be douchebags. By the time I finally met you, I was already done. All I wanted was to find a nice, average guy who wouldn’t get hit on by every woman in a ten-mile radius; someone who could stay faithful. And you, my friend, are clearly not average.” I sighed and shook my head. “He was supposed to move to Wyoming, but he kept putting it off. Turned out there was a red-headed Broadway dancer he wanted more than me.”

Ian pulled me into his arms and I melted against him. “I’m sorry, Grace. If it makes you feel any better, there was a girl I fell in love with in Charleston.”

“What happened?” I asked, looking up at him.

“She died in a car accident. I was only eighteen, but I cared about her. After that, I devoted my time to training and school, so I could join the FBI. You see,” he placed his hands on my face, “although it’s not the same, we’ve both lost people we cared about. The good thing is, we can heal. We can make sure our pasts don’t define us. We can move on. I joke around and it may piss you off at times, but I do know one thing.” His lips were so close to mine.

“What?” I whispered.

He kissed me gently, and I opened up to him, begging him to take more. His hands clutched my face tighter, and I moaned when his tongue explored my mouth. He pulled away first and I was glad. It wasn’t the right place or time. Resting his forehead to mine, a deep chuckle escaped his lips.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited to do that?”

“Probably just as long as I’ve waited for you to do it. But what were you going to say before we got distracted?”

His thumb brushed over my lips. “I said that I may piss you off at times, but I didn’t spend all my time trying to break down your walls just to hurt you. You trust me with your life, so I’m hoping one day, you can trust me with your heart.”

“Spoken like a true romantic. Who would’ve thought you had it in you?” I teased.

He smirked and it turned me on even more. “You haven’t seen nothing yet. Now let’s get home so I can take a cold shower.”

Rolling my eyes, I chuckled and watched him carry my suitcase out. I was going to need a damn ice bath.