“I can’t believe you didn’t stay in the hospital,” Hayden says for like the hundredth time.

In answer, I grunt, which makes her roll her eyes at me and huff. It’s cute and for some fucking reason despite all the shit going down, I want to laugh.

“Get in bed. You’re giving me a headache,” I tell her. She’s pacing back and forth in front of the bedroom door while I’m lying on the bed. Her arms are hugged tight against her chest and she just keeps pacing. It’d be annoying as fuck, if she wasn’t so cute.

“I can’t get in bed with you, Michael.”

“Why in the hell, not?”

“There’s men in my living room! Men I don’t know! What would they think if I slept in here with you?”

“I doubt they give a damn. But, if they think about it at all, they probably think we’re sleeping. Which I might be doing if you’d get in bed.”

“Michael!”

“Just do it, Hayden. You need rest. The baby needs rest and it’s not going to get better around here anytime soon.” She studies me for a minute, then mimics one of my grunts, and gets in bed. Once she does, I pull her to me, instantly relaxing.

“Be careful of your leg,” she chastises.

“My leg is fine.”

“That’s why they wanted to keep you in the hospital, I’m sure,” she sasses, but settles her head against my shoulder.

My fingers dive into her hair without me realizing it. The feel of the soft tresses against my fingers calm me. Having Hayden next to me does that even more.

She’s silent for a few minutes, but I can literally feel some of the tension leaving her body. “I can’t believe I got you shot,” she whispers as if confessing she murdered someone. Her voice is full of shame and sorrow…over me. That does something to me, I don’t know how to explain it, or what it does exactly, but there’s something there. Something elemental that shifts in my thinking of her.

I practically claimed Hayden to Skull today. I’ve already taken on the role to protect her and Maggie, and even if I keep going back and forth on the issue, I know that I’m taking her body. What would be the harm in keeping her? If she’s not put off by my scars, then why can’t I keep her? If she’s stupid enough to want me, then why can’t I claim her? She may deserve better, but fuck…I have to be better than Blade. I could make sure her and Maggie are taken care of, are happy enough. Why can’t I keep, Hayden?

“You didn’t get me shot,” I mutter, my thoughts are full of images of tying Hayden to me. Can I trust myself to keep her and Maggie safe…permanently? “You just kept me from ending that fucker’s life. Though, I’ll still get him, I just wish I already had.”

“Do you think Victor has already?” Hayden asks, referring to Victor Torasani, who was the man who showed up at the hospital today. I had a meeting scheduled with them tomorrow at Charlie’s diner. Of all the connections I thought that Charlie might have had with the Torasani clan, I would have never guessed that she was Victor’s ex-wife. How the fuck does that happen? He’s vowed revenge on the Dwellers and he’ll really get it. I could sit back, but that’s not who I am, and I owe the fucker my own retribution, so I’m not going to stop.

“I don’t know,” I tell her, but I’m doubtful. If the Torasani’s already had Blade in their grasp we would know. “I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.”

“I don’t want you to go face them alone. They’re dangerous.”

“I’m not exactly a pushover, Hayden,” I grumble, feeling a little slighted. No man wants to think a woman feels he’s not capable. Me especially.

“I didn’t say you were, but you are just one man,” she sighs in answer.

“I’ll have some of Diesel’s men with me. I’ll be leaving a couple here with you.”

“I have to go stock shelves at the church and the supermarket and places. I’m already late. I don’t want them to stop selling my products, Michael.”

“That preacher will take you, and Ace will be riding with you. I want men with you at all times. I’d rather send Ace with you alone—”

“No,” she whispers, and I can hear the fear. I need to rid her of that someday soon.

“I get you don’t know him and he might scare you,” I start to try and set her at ease.

“It’s not that I’m scared, it’s just—”

“It’s okay, Hayden. That’s why Pastor Sturgill will be there. You know him. He’ll be there too.”

“Are you ashamed of me?” she asks a few minutes later.

“Why would I be ashamed?” I ask, truly surprised and confused. Who knows what women get in their heads.

“Because I’m weak. I try to stop it. I swear I do. I know I need to be stronger, for Maggie,” she continues to whisper.

“Hayden…”

“I really do try, Michael. I don’t like being weak.”

I kiss her forehead. “You are getting stronger.”

“I’m not. Not really.”

“You are. You didn’t have a panic attack today, did you?” I prompt her and she’s silent for a minute and I hope she’s thinking things over.

“No, but that…that was because I knew you were close by. You would find me,” she says and my hand searches hers. Linking our fingers, I stare at our joined hands. It’s a simple connection; it has been from the beginning. Yet with Hayden, the simplicity of holding hands means so much more than it ordinarily does.

“I’ll always find you, Hayden. I promise you that. You don’t have to be afraid or worry about telling me anything. You’re safe with me,” I tell her, and I’m serious, even if there’s this huge fear inside of me that I’ll somehow fail her, like I did Annabelle.

Hayden leans up on her elbow and looks down at me. “I know that. I wish…I wish I had met you a year ago…or even longer. If I knew men like you existed…” she stops talking, her eyes are shining in the semi-darkness of the room.

“Scarred and twisted?” I try and joke, suddenly uncomfortable with the emotion surrounding us.

That’s when Hayden shocks me for the millionth time. She brings her lips to mine without warning and kisses me. Her sweet taste explodes on my lips and it’s that moment that’s my doom. That moment when I surrender everything that I am to her.