CHAPTER NINE
HE WASN’T ASLEEP. Tucker was in bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying not to think about just how close Dawn was to him.
When his door creaked open, every muscle in his body tensed. His gaze jerked toward that door and he saw her standing there, the light spilling behind her.
“Tucker?” her husky voice whispered to him.
He didn’t move. “Is something wrong?” His own voice came out far too rough.
“Yes.” She shut the door behind her. Immediately, the room was plunged into darkness. “I missed you.” He could hear the faint rustles of sound as she came toward the bed.
Baby, be careful. I warned you... “Stop.” He sat up in bed. “My control isn’t going to hold.” He wouldn’t lie to her. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone. I’m trying to do this right. Trying to keep my distance and keep you safe—”
She touched him. Her fingers trailed over his bare shoulder. “I am safe with you.”
She hadn’t always believed that.
His shades were down, the thick curtains in his room covering them and blocking the lights from the city. He could only see the vaguest outline of her body. And that meant she could only see the same when she looked at him.
Did that make it better for her? Or worse?
“Is there someone else?” she asked as her fingers lingered against his skin. “If someone is waiting for you back in DC, tell me and I’ll—”
“There is no one else.” For him, there never was anyone else. She was the only one who’d gotten beneath his skin. Sure, he’d had other lovers. He had needs, and some nights he had to get relief. But in the dark...
They are always her.
And that made him feel even worse when he saw the dawn.
She leaned in closer to him and put her mouth to his. A light, tentative brush of her lips against his. His hands grabbed the bedding and fisted. “Dawn...”
Her tongue licked his lower lip. His mouth parted and she thrust her tongue inside. Baby, I missed you, too. His control was splintering. He should send her away. He was working on the case, pulling protective detail and—
It’s her. I can’t ever turn away from her. Not even if his damn job was on the line. She was the one dream he’d had all his life.
The one thing he wanted most.
The one fucking thing his brother had tried to take from him. And, now, finally, she was back in his arms. Kissing him, pressing her sweet mouth to his. Just like in his dreams, she wanted him again.
He wasn’t going to stop. He tasted her. Explored her mouth. Got drunk on her the way he always had even as he kept his hands fisted at his sides. He’d swung his legs to the side of bed and she...she straddled them. Her body came closer to his, brushing against his chest, and that was when he realized that Dawn was naked.
She’d come to his room—naked.
He’d had that fantasy too many times. He’d woken up, without her, more nights than he could count.
Her knees slid toward his hips as her hands curled around his shoulders. Her breasts—her nipples tight—pushed against his chest. He wanted those nipples in his mouth. He’d always loved licking and sucking them and she’d been so responsive. She’d moan, choking out his name, and she’d get so wet for him when he sucked her sweet nipples.
I need her wet. I need her ready.
He wouldn’t repeat the past. No way. “I want to...touch you,” he rasped out. He wanted her to say it was okay. Needed those words. Because of their past.
Because of their present.
“Put your hands on me,” she whispered. “Everywhere.”
Slowly, his hands lifted. They curved around her hips, carefully, lightly. Her head bent and she pressed a kiss to his throat, licking and then giving him a soft bite.
His teeth clenched. He’d always loved that one spot. His cock was rock hard beneath his sweats, so eager to sink into her the thing was about to start twitching. But she had to want him. Had to be desperate for him.
Because he wasn’t going to have the same ending this time. They wouldn’t end that way.
Her hands slid down his chest, her touch like silk. She reached the top of his sweats and she started to push down the cotton fabric—
“No.”
Dawn froze.
“Not yet, baby. I’m already too close.” And she wasn’t. He lifted her up, turning his body and placing her on the bed. Then he moved on top of her, still slowly, waiting to hear her tell him to stop—
But in that darkness, in the dark where she couldn’t see him, Dawn didn’t tell him to stop. He stroked her breasts, teasing the nipples with his fingertips, then bending forward and licking her. She gave a quick gasp, one that just made him hungry for more, and he sucked her deeper. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, his muscles ached because they were clenched so tightly, but he moved carefully with her...
Don’t fuck this up again. Can’t fuck this up again.
He kissed a path down her body. When he got to the juncture of her legs, he hesitated.
“I want you.” Her voice was certain, a husky temptation.
His fingers slid between her thighs. She was soft and hot, her skin slick to the touch, but...
I need more. I need her wild for me. He wanted her to be the way she’d been back in the beginning.
His hands settled between her legs. “If you get scared, stop me.” Easy words to say in the dark.
“I won’t stop you.” Her promise, even huskier now.
He put his mouth on her. Her hips jerked and he held her there, using a light but steady grip. He licked her, he kissed her, he thrust his tongue over her clit, moving fast, stroking lightly, then harder, wanting to push her to the edge—
And over it.
He felt her first orgasm against his mouth. Heard the pleasure in her moan, and it made him desperate for more. He rose up, grabbing a condom from the wallet on the nightstand, and then he was ditching his sweats and shoving that condom on as fast as he could.
He went back between her thighs. He guided his cock to the entrance of her body. She was wet and hot and just as he’d wanted her.
But he hesitated. “Dawn?”
Too dark to see her eyes. Too dark to see her face.
Too dark for her to see my face.
“Don’t make me wait longer, Tucker.”
He wouldn’t. He thrust into her, sinking deep and nearly losing his mind because she felt so utterly perfect around him. His hands slammed down onto the mattress, on either side of her body, and he withdrew, only to thrust again, harder, deeper into her.
Her legs rose and locked around his hips. She arched toward him, demanding, meeting him eagerly. There was no hesitation now, no room for fear. There was only the driving heat for them both as they raced toward the climax.
The bed shook beneath him. He grabbed her hips and lifted her even higher. He was rough now, too far gone to hold back.
It’s Dawn. My Dawn.
He slid his cock over her clit and she cried out his name. Her sex squeezed around him and he knew her second orgasm was coming. He wanted to feel that orgasm all along his cock. He drove into her, even as his hand slid between them and pressed to her clit. He knew what she liked. He knew every inch of her body. He knew her.
She gave a little scream, one that he stopped with his kiss. Her sex squeezed around him, contractions of release that sent his own orgasm pounding through him. He stiffened, holding her too tight, but unable to stop.
The pleasure blasted through him, so good that he could barely suck in a breath. He shuddered and held his body off hers even as her sex continued to contract around his cock.
Slowly, the madness faded. His drumming heartbeat settled and the frantic thunder stopped filling his ears. His breath came in pants as he strained to see her in the dark. “Dawn?”
“I missed you.” The same words she’d uttered when she’d first slipped into his room.
He kissed her once more, then pulled away from her. Tucker went into the bathroom to ditch the condom. He turned on the water, making sure it was warm as he prepared a cloth for her. He’d clean her off, take care of her, and then...
Then we figure out what the hell we are doing next.
He opened the bathroom door. The light from the bathroom spilled onto the bed.
Dawn was gone.
* * *
DAWN STARED AT herself in the bathroom mirror. The bathroom that was connected to her room. Because the minute Tucker had left the bed, she’d fled.
Did that make her a coward?
Probably.
But...
She stared at herself. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were bright. Her lips still swollen from his kiss. She’d done it. She’d made love with Tucker again.
Was it love? Was it sex? Does it even matter?
A knock sounded on the bathroom door. “Dawn?”
Her fingers curled around the edge of the granite countertop.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She was not handling this well.
Silence. Then... “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” She realized she’d spoken too softly. “No.” Straighten your shoulders. Open the door. Talk to him. She’d put on one of the fluffy white robes that hung behind the door. Lifting her chin, she stepped from the sink and opened that door.
He stared at her. She stared straight at him. No darkness to hide behind this time.
“You ran.”
She’d actually walked—rather quickly—to the other restroom.
“Is sex in the dark all you wanted?”
She didn’t know what all she wanted. She just knew what she could have. And maybe it was time for some hard truth between them. “It’s not you.”
He took a step back and she saw pain flash on his face. That handsome face that haunted her best dreams—and her worst nightmares.
She grabbed his hand. “I have sex in the dark with all of my lovers. Not just you.”
His face hardened and a muscle jerked along his jaw. “Your other lovers?” The words were a furious growl. “That’s not what you want to be talking about with me right now.”
She held him tighter. “Yes, it is. It’s what you need to know. I didn’t keep the lights off because...because of you.” Dawn stumbled over those words. Because you have his face. Because you have his eyes. “I’ve had other lovers in the years since we’ve been apart. I need the dark. It...it helps me to hide.”
“Why the hell would you want to hide?”
She let him go and walked around him, pacing toward the window and staring out at the city. Her curtains were pulled back so that she could see all of the glittering lights. “At first, I was hiding my scars. They were ugly, even when they stopped being so red. So jagged.” Her breath whispered out. “And then...then I was hiding because no matter who I was with...” God, this was so hard to say.
He didn’t speak behind her and the silence was stretching too long. Dawn eased out a slow breath and turned toward him.
“No matter who I was with, I was still afraid.” Truth. “It became easier to stay in the dark.” Maybe if she’d fallen in love with one of her other lovers, it would have been different. She’d tried to live a normal life. Tried to have relationships, but she put up too many barriers. She knew that.
It was hard to let men close. It was hard to trust.
Tucker stared at her, his eyes so bright and blue. Emotion swirled in those depths. He’d turned on all the lights in her room. No more hiding in here. He wore a pair of sweatpants around his hips, and his muscled chest was bare. Strong, determined Tucker. Her gaze drifted over him, staring at him fully in the light.
He had scars, too. But then, he’d always had them. Even when they’d been together before, she’d noticed his scars. Some were small, barely an inch long. Others were bigger, deeper. A few thick ones were on his back, just below his shoulders.
She’d asked about them before. She’d kissed them all before.
He’d told her they didn’t matter. Accidents. Marks he’d gotten in battle. Wounds to be forgotten.
If only her own scars were so easily forgotten.
“Were you afraid when you were in my bed tonight?”
She’d been afraid going to his room. Been afraid as she stood just outside his door, but then he’d begun to touch her, and the feel of his callused fingertips had been so familiar. “No.”
He nodded once, as if satisfied, then he was stalking toward her. One slow step at a time. She didn’t retreat. Where was there to go? The window was behind her. He was in front of her.
And—
He reached behind her. Lowered the shade. Pulled the curtains closed. “Take off the robe.”
“What?”
“I’m not your other lovers.” Again, that muscle jerked in his jaw. “I’m not going to be some faceless man in the dark. That’s not who I am to you. Take off your robe. Let me see you in the light.”
It was so hard. The way his eyes were gleaming. The way his face had gone hard. The way—
He caught her chin in his hand. Tucker tilted her head up when she hadn’t even realized that she’d turned away. “Who am I?”
“Tucker.”
“Fucking right. Remember that. I’m not Jason. I’m not anyone you’ve been with in the past. I’m Tucker, and you can trust me.”
Easy words to say.
“Take off the robe.”
Her fingers fumbled with the belt. Slowly, she shrugged off the robe. It fell to a pool at her feet.
He sucked in a quick breath and then he took one step back as his hand fell away from her chin. His gaze—almost burning it was so bright—swept over her. Going first to her shoulder and to the cluster of three roses that had been tattooed there. The scar on her shoulder had been the worst, so Jinx had spent extra time layering the petals there.
Jinx.
She had to blink away tears.
His gaze slipped down to her right side. Another rose, one that curled over her hip. Then he looked at her stomach. Two more roses, twisting together there over the long, thin slice that had been left from Jason’s blade.
She had three more roses on her body. One on the top of her thigh. He was staring at that one now. One on her back. One small rose along her inner arm.
“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” His gaze was slowly moving over her as he spoke and his voice was a deep rumble. “You were made to be in the light. Made to be seen, not hidden away in the dark.”
Her breath came too fast. Her heartbeat seemed to shake her chest.
His head cocked as his gaze met hers once more. “I’m going to touch you.”
He’d touched her plenty in the other bedroom. He’d—
He pressed a kiss to the three roses on her shoulder. “And I’m going to have you...in the light.”
It was too bright. Too many lights. And he—
“Say my name.”
“T-Tucker.”
He kissed her, a deep, drugging kiss. One that wasn’t as gentle as the ones that had come before. One that took and demanded. One that made her ache.
“Still wet for me?”
She was still turned on from the sex before. He rocked against her, and he kissed her again. Harder. The thick length of his arousal shoved against her.
Her breasts were tight, her nipples aching, and she shouldn’t want him again this quickly, should she?
“Your eyes are closed.”
They flew open. She stared at him.
“This time, I need you to see me. Every second of me.”
He pulled back from her. Ditched his sweats but pulled a condom from the pocket. Staring straight at her, he rolled on that condom.
His cock was huge, thick and long, and she could still feel him inside of her.
She would be feeling him inside of her.
“Right here, Dawn. Right now.” He came back to her. Lifted her up. Held her between his body and the window. “Keep your eyes on mine. Every minute. See me. Got it?”
She was seeing him right then. The flecks of gold hidden in the depths of his eyes. The passion on his face. The raw need.
He thrust into her.
“See me.”
Their gazes held.
He withdrew, the length of his cock sliding along her sensitive skin.
“Because you’re always what I’ve seen,” he growled. “Only you.”
She wouldn’t look away from his eyes.
He thrust in, out, and he pinned her there with his body.
Her legs locked around his hips. Her hands clamped around his shoulders. This wasn’t soft and tender. It was raw. Primitive.
Her breath came faster, her heart thundered and he drove into her again and again, pushing her ever closer to her release.
And when it came, the climax seemed to rip her apart.
“See me.” He jerked inside of her and she saw the pleasure wash across his face. “Me.”
* * *
DAWN HAD FALLEN ASLEEP. Tucker’s arm was wrapped around her body. He was in her bed, and he’d made sure that when she slept, she went to sleep with her body pressed to his.
Over the years, he’d seen many expressions in Dawn’s eyes. Once, she’d even looked at him with love in her gaze.
Love.
Trust.
Fear.
Hate.
That night, he’d seen desire again. She’d stared at him and wanted the man that she’d seen.
Maybe it hadn’t been fair to give in to the desire they felt. He knew her emotions had been raw. The discovery of her friend Jinx had been brutal and she’d been desperate—probably looking for a way to escape the pain. A gentleman would have just given her comfort and walked away.
His father had made sure he hadn’t raised a gentleman. He’d raised monsters instead.
His fingers slid over her arm. The softest silk. Did she know that he’d checked on her over the years? When the need got too great and he’d just had to make sure that she was all right? He’d been so relieved when she went to see the shrink. When she started training to be a PI, he’d been proud.
When she’d started to date again, he’d been a jealous bastard. When she’d gotten engaged briefly to that boring jerk of an accountant, he’d drunk his way to the bottom of a bottle—or three.
No other woman had ever gotten to him the way that she did. Dawn was beneath his skin. Soul deep. And that had been the problem. His brother had realized just how hard he’d fallen for her, and he’d attacked Dawn because of that attachment. She’d been targeted, she’d been hurt...
Because of me.
That guilt still twisted deep within him.
He pressed a kiss to her cheek, but Dawn didn’t stir. After her day, the woman needed her sleep, and he needed to work because sleep sure as hell wasn’t going to come easily for him. He slipped from the bed and padded into his room. A few moments later, he was booting up his laptop and pulling up the profile sketch that he’d created on their perp.
Organized killer. Meticulous. Closely followed the Iceman’s exploits, possibly even received access to the case files that should not have been granted to a civilian. Because the cuts were too precise.
He kept typing his notes as his mind spun. He always worked best at night. Mostly because he had so much trouble sleeping. He’d been raised to sleep with one eye open because you never knew when an attack would come.
That same belief had followed him when he’d been a SEAL. Don’t sleep too deep. You might not see the threat until it’s too late.
Pity that the worst threats had been so close to home.
His fingers tapped over the keyboard as he considered all that he’d learned. He liked to get his thoughts down, to summarize his notes from the investigation and see where that led him.
Possibly seduced Jinx Donahue. Could be using charm in order to get close to his victims. If he seduced Jinx, then he may have used the same tactic on Heather Hartley. An agent needs to question those who knew her in Baton Rouge.
Baton Rouge. He hadn’t been back there in years. There had been some talk from the folks there about putting up a headstone for his brother. What had been the fucking point of that? There was no body to dump in a grave. And no one to mourn around a headstone.
Jinx revealed details about Dawn to the perp. Number of tattoos. Potentially other intimate details. Killer is fixated on Dawn. Finishing Iceman’s last kill?
His fingers stilled as he reread what he’d typed. Then his fingers began to tap once more.
Perp is linked to Iceman. Since the first victim we found here ties back to Baton Rouge, it’s possible the man we’re after knew Jason Frost.
And that made him wonder...wonder something that he had never thought before.
What if Jason Frost hadn’t been working alone?
The killings had stopped when Jason went into the Mississippi River. But...that didn’t mean there hadn’t been an accomplice. And this perp that they were after now—perhaps he understood so much about Jason’s crimes not because he’d read case files...but because he’d been there before, watching from the shadows. Helping?
A sudden, loud peal of music cut through the quiet suite. His gaze shot up. The sound was coming from Dawn’s room. He surged to his feet and hurried inside just as Dawn grabbed for her phone. She’d turned on the bedside lamp and illumination spilled onto the bed.
“Jones?” One of her hands held the sheet to her chest. “Wait...you found him? Where is he?” Her eyes had flared wide. “You are amazing. Yes, thank you. Thank you.” She hung up the phone. “Jones said one of his regulars just came by...”
He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s one a.m.”
“Yes, and in restaurant land, that’s closing time. Jones always stays after the kitchen closes down to tally the day’s accounts.” She grabbed for her clothes, dressing quickly. “He gave out a meal a few minutes ago and asked the guy if he’d seen Red. Turns out our missing witness is bunking down at a motel tonight, probably making good use of that hundred I gave him.”
Tucker watched her in silence. “Where’s the motel?”
“Just under the overpass. Hard to miss because it’s the one with the big red roof.”
He nodded. “I’ll be able to find it.”
Dawn froze. “Um, excuse me?”
“I want you to stay here.”
Her jaw dropped.
Yeah, this wasn’t going over well. He knew that even before her cheeks reddened.
“Tucker. I thought we were working together on this, I thought—”
“I’ll call Anthony and get him to meet me at the scene. I want you to stay here and stay safe for the night.”
She paced toward him with an angry stride. “We sleep together and now you’re barking orders? I can handle myself.”
“I don’t doubt that.”
“Then why—”
“Because this is my job. Keeping you safe. For tonight, you’re staying here.”
“Tucker, you can’t—”
There was a knock at the door. “Just in time.” Actually, the guy was right on time. He turned on his heel and marched for the door. Tucker glanced through the peephole and saw Bowen Murphy’s stony visage staring back at him.
Bowen had texted him earlier and said when he’d be arriving. The fellow had a thing about being on time. Tucker opened the door.
Bowen cocked a brow. “Checking in before I crash. Just wanted you to know I was here—”
“There’s been a change of plans. I need you to stay in this suite.”
Bowen blinked. “Come again?”
“If you don’t, she’ll just try to leave.”
Bowen’s gaze took in Tucker’s form, sliding over his still bare chest and noting his jogging pants. “She... Let me guess who that she is...”
Tucker backed away from the door.
“She is the woman who is currently feeling very pissed,” Dawn muttered. She’d crossed her arms over her chest as she stood in the doorway to her room, and the glare on her face could have melted ice.
Bowen glanced between them. Then he nodded once and said to Tucker, “Bring me up to speed?”
“We just got a hit on a potential witness. I want to track the man down, but I need eyes on Dawn. Right now, she’s the perp’s next suspected target. She has to stay safe.”
“This is bullshit,” Dawn threw out. “You told me we were partners—”
Okay, time for the gloves to come off. He glanced at her. “I lied.”
She flinched.
Shit. “When it comes to your safety, I’ll do anything. You need to remember that. You just got a tip to where the guy is, you want to go running out to find him, but guess what? Our perp could be tracking him, too. The last thing I want is for you to show up and get in the killer’s sights. He doesn’t know where you are right now. I’m keeping it that way.”
Her eyes showed her fury. “I’ve never lied to you, Tucker.”
He’d told her too many lies over the years. That had been part of their problem. But... Now he stalked toward her. “Yes, baby, you have.”
Her lips parted.
He made sure his voice carried only to her ears. “You told me that you didn’t see a killer when you looked at me. And we both know that’s not true.”
She didn’t speak.
What had he wanted? Her denial? That lie had always been between them.
“This is Agent Bowen Murphy.” Now his voice was louder.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Bowen called.
She gave a little growl.
“He’ll make sure no one gets in or out of this room until I get back.” Tucker turned away from her, but Dawn’s hand flew out and caught his arm.
“I’m not going to be the FBI’s prisoner, Tucker.”
For that night, she was. She didn’t get it—he just wanted her safe.
She tightened her hold on him. “No more lies.”
He couldn’t make that promise. He pulled away and went to his room. He changed clothes, holstered his weapon and then he was heading for the door.
Bowen had made himself comfortable on the couch. Dawn still stood in her doorway. “She doesn’t leave,” Tucker said flatly as he pointed at Dawn.
Bowen waved him away. “Got it. Find the witness, and I’ll take care of her.”
He didn’t look back, mostly because Tucker didn’t want to face Dawn’s fury. When he got into the elevator, he pulled out his phone and called Anthony. The detective answered on the second ring. “We’ve got a tip on Red’s location,” he said as the elevator doors slid closed. “Can you meet me?”
* * *
HE’D LEFT HER. Benched her. Lied to her.
All after making love to me again.
What in the hell? Was he just trying to make her feel like shit or what? Making love with him had been a big deal for her. Life-changing big. Because I didn’t let any fear stop me. I fought for what I wanted.
And then...he’d walked away.
Was it supposed to hurt that much? Because it felt as if her heart was being cut out of her chest. And she couldn’t stop staring at that damn shut door. She kept thinking maybe it would magically reopen. Tucker would be there. He’d apologize, he’d tell her—
“His heart is in the right place.”
It was the other agent. The blond guy. Bowen. The guy who was leaning back on the sofa looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
She didn’t think she liked Bowen. Actually, she didn’t think that she liked Tucker much right then, either.
“I heard about your friend.” Bowen’s head turned and his dark gaze met hers. “I’m sorry.”
The sympathy on his face was genuine, and she found herself softening toward him. It’s not Bowen’s fault that Tucker is an ass.
“You found one body today. Did you ever consider that Tucker wants to make sure you don’t have to discover another?”
She wasn’t trying to understand Tucker’s point of view right then. It hurt enough just understanding her own. “I can help on this investigation.”
His gaze swept over her. “You look different, from your picture.”
Some of the heat left her cheeks. Crime scene pictures. She’d met plenty of cops who’d seen those images of her worst time. Those cops usually handled her with kid gloves and stared at her with sympathy in their eyes. Tucker is handling me that way, too. As if I’ll break too easily. I won’t. “Victims always look different.” Her gaze sharpened on him. “Let me guess...did you study my case before you came down to New Orleans? Were you told to do a brush-up on the Iceman and you saw what he’d done to me?”
“Absolutely. Wouldn’t be doing my job if I hadn’t stopped to review all the case files.” He nodded, then rubbed his cheek. “But I wasn’t talking about any crime scene photos. I was talking about the picture that Tucker keeps of you in his office. You look different in that picture.” What could have been sadness flashed on his face. “You were smiling and your eyes were bright. For some reason, I thought that picture was taken after the attack, but...it was before, wasn’t it? I can see that now. Your eyes...they’re different.”
She didn’t move. “I don’t know what picture you’re talking about.”
“You’re standing in a field, looked like damn daisies, and you’re smiling from ear to ear.” His lips twisted. “I wanted that picture to be after. I needed it to be.” His gaze fell. “I see too much pain in this job. I needed to know there was more happiness out there. That there could be more.”
He’d kept the picture. For some reason, the pain in her heart eased a bit. “What has Tucker told you about me?”
“Not much. I learned what I could, like you said, from reading the Iceman’s case files.” But his attention shifted to her once again. “And I saw the picture in his office one day. I learned a lot from that...”
“Like what?” What could you possibly learn just from a photograph?
“Like...the way you were looking at the man who’d taken the picture. I know that look. Haven’t seen it very much, certainly not directed my way,” he murmured with a wry smile, “but it’s a look a woman gets if she’s in love.”
Wasn’t Bowen the chatty one? “That was a long time ago.” Her voice sounded hollow to her own ears.
“Was it?”
“Yes.”
He studied her in silence. She hated silence. In silence, it was as if you were always waiting for something to happen. Something bad.
“He lied to keep you safe. He failed before, and I don’t think he intends to fail again.”
There was something Bowen needed to understand. Something that Tucker needed to see, too. “I’m not a victim this time. I won’t be.” She intended to fight back, not hide.
“People don’t ever wake up wanting to be victims.” Sadness was there, rumbling in his words. “They don’t ask for bad things to happen to them. They don’t ask for pain. For sorrow. Things happen. Attacks happen. It doesn’t matter how strong you are, anyone can be hurt.”
I’m ready to fight now. I will never be the woman who begs while a knife goes into my body.
“There’s nothing wrong with being a victim,” he continued carefully. “But I’ve never met anyone stronger than a survivor.” His stare held her. “When I look at you, I don’t see a victim. I don’t think Tucker does, either. We both see a survivor, and Tucker? Well, the reason he’s being such a controlling ass with you is because that man would do anything to make sure that you stay that way.”