Tank turned off his motorcycle and stared at the front door. His gut sank as he unsaddled his bike.

What the hell would he tell her? The truth? The idea seemed too harsh. She would stare at him with pity. As bad goods. He didn’t want her sympathy, or anyone’s for that matter. He wanted to ignore his past and the person who damaged him.

He inserted his key into the lock and opened the door. Al greeted him with a bark and a wag of his tail. “Hey, buddy.” He bent and rubbed a hand down the dog’s side. Tree sat at the kitchen table.

“Hey, man. Thanks for staying with her.”

The biker stood. “Yep.”

“Where’s Annie?”

“Bedroom.” Tree pointed down the hall. “Since you’re here, I’m going to head out.”

“Yeah, man.” Tank held out his hand. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” He shook. “Bye, Annie.” Tree hollered down the hall.

She walked out of the bedroom. “Bye, Tree. Thanks for staying with me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The man saluted her and left.

Glancing up, Tank stared at Annie. The silence between them thick and heavy. He looked past her and saw her overnight bag sat in the middle of his bed. Full. And a white envelope clutched in her hands.

Shit.

He swallowed. Time to face the issue. “Annie—”

“How was the trial?” She asked, avoiding eye contact.

Stalling. She was stalling. He could use this to his advantage.

“Okay. The man got prison time, and the Guardians are going to make sure Bear gets the help he needs.”

“That’s wonderful.” She gave him a tight smile, gripping the letter in her hand. Her fingers shook.

“Annie?” He took a step closer. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Her voice cracked and she kept her head down. “I was just waiting…waiting to say goodbye.”

All because of a letter? She couldn’t leave. He had to explain. “What do you mean goodbye? Where are you going?”

She raised her head, her eyes glossing with tears as she slowly stepped toward him. “I can’t stay here anymore, Tyler. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, I do, but after seeing this letter, I’ve realized that maybe I’m jumping into something… Well, I’m not really sure what I’ve realized. I’m just not sure it’s a good idea for me to be here anymore. With you.” She handed him the envelope.

He stared at the scribbled writing, the words Correctional Facility practically screamed from the top of the letter. His past always seemed to tear him apart when he felt the least bit of joy.

“Annie.” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “I can only imagine what you’re thinking, but I’m not a criminal.”

“I know you aren’t, Tyler. In my heart, I knew when I saw this letter, and Father told me about the background check.” She turned and paced. “But there is something going on here, something you aren’t telling me, and I’m not sure what it is or what to think. I’m not even sure I know how I feel about anything right now. I’m so confused.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I think it’s best I find somewhere else to go.”

Go? Leave? She couldn’t. Not with Duke still on a hunt to find her.

“Annie.” He moved closer. “Please, sit down and let me explain.”

She stared at him long and hard, her green eyes bright against the gloss of her tears. Her chest rose in a deep, long rise as she lowered her gaze and glanced at the floor.

He did this. He made her cry. Without even trying, he’d hurt her. He’d obviously been reading their connection wrong. Their night on the couch, him waking up to her snuggled in his arms, the excitement, the joy, it was all one sided. Still, one sided or not, he cared too much for her to see her put herself in danger.

“Annie, please don’t cry. Stay. What I have to say, it’s important.”

Just when he thought she would say no and turn to leave, she sat down. “Okay.” She sighed, her eyes softer as she wiped a tear away.

He breathed a small exhalation of relief, and sat beside her. “It’s Duke. I overheard him at the diner. He’s telling people you guys are getting married in the fall. He’s not giving up, and I believe he’s still searching for you. Please, it’s not safe for you to leave. Stay here. With me,” Tank begged. Something he hadn’t done in twenty years. The notion sent a shiver through him, but for her, he would relive the fear.

She stood, and ran a shaking hand through her hair again as she paced. “All the more reason I need to leave. If Duke is still searching that means I’m still putting you in danger. I don’t know much about you Tyler. That’s become more obvious with this letter.” She pointed to the envelope. “But I know you are a good person, and…well…I feel several emotions toward you. It’s all so scary and complicated. I can’t stay here knowing I’m putting you in danger.”

If her leaving was her way of protecting him, the feelings weren’t one sided. But he agreed to protect her, not the other way around.

He couldn’t let her go. Not yet.

“Annie.” He stood and gripped her shaking hand. “I can’t consciously let you leave knowing you will be putting yourself in danger. This letter.” He wafted the envelope in the air. “This is a part of my past I never want to relive. This means nothing.” Ripping the letter in half, he tossed the paper in the air. “Please, believe me.” He gripped her hand again. “Stay. Here. With me. Just for a little while longer. Let me protect you.”

“I’m sorry, Tyler, but I don’t believe you.”

He let go of her hand. How could he make her see he cared? He’d given her a safe haven. What more could he do?

“What can I do to make you believe I want you to stay?”

“I’m not talking about staying, I’m talking about the letter.” She pointed to the shreds of paper on the ground. “That letter means something, or else you would tell me. I’m tired of secrets, Tyler. I’m tired of hiding. I want to live my life again, like a normal person. I want to go back to work. I’ll get a restraining order if I have to, but I don’t want to live in fear or in the dark, and if living with you means living in secrets, I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”

“Annie…” He shook his head, desperate to make her understand.

Secrets. Hiding. He understood her emotions, even felt them at one time, but telling her about him, all of him, he couldn’t, and he couldn’t hold her hostage. But if he let her leave, and walk out of his life, she’d be taking a piece of him with her. A part he thought his father had taken from him.

“Please, just give me some time.” He ran a hand over the back of his head. “And if you really want to start back to work, there is nothing I can do to prevent you. I’ll even go with you to file the restraining order, even though I think—and you know—it’s a terrible idea. But, before you go back to work, before we go to the police, go on the ride with me. Let’s get out of here. Get some fresh air.”

“The ride?”

“Saturday. The Blue Guardians are camping out for the Fourth of July. We’ll dress you in a black outfit, black helmet, and you can pull your hair up. No one will know it’s you as we drive out of town. Please?” He gripped her hand again. “Come with me. I promise, I’ll keep you safe.”

She squeezed his hand. “I believe you, Tyler. But what happened in your past? Why won’t you tell me? You know my secrets. Why won’t you share yours with me?”

“Annie…” He shook his head again.

“Does this have something to do with what you started to tell me in the truck?”

The break in. When he’d nearly revealed it all.

“Yes.” He nodded. “I’m not ready. Not yet. But I promise, in time, when I’m ready, I’ll tell you. Just know, I’m not a criminal and I don’t keep in contact with criminals, but I’m broken. Very broken.”

She stared at him, her eyes full of concern as another tear threatened to fall. She seemed overflowing with care, and fear, and he could relate to her on so many levels, it frightened him.

“So am I, Tyler.”

He caressed her cheek. “No. You’ll never be broken to me.”

Tank leaned in, moved his hands to her waist, and gently pulled her body closer to his, her breasts pressed firmly against his chest. In a slow, steady motion, he inched closer, his lips nearly on hers, giving her ample time to move away.

Instead, she rose, placing her soft, supple mouth to his.

Fire charged through his center. Her salty tear fell to his lips and mingled with the taste of his desires. Slow, steady, she pushed her moist, warm tongue against his. His grip on her firmed as his body hardened.

Don’t mess this up, Wilde.

Fearing his need too intense, he eased the pressure of his mouth on hers. She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, her hand gripping the back of his shirt.

Emotion ricocheted in his gut like a boomerang. She deserved more than him.

He placed his hands, soft and gentle on her cheeks, and pulled back. Her ragged breaths matched his. Wiping away her moist tears with the pad of his thumb, he focused on slowing his breathing and the throbbing in his body.

“If we don’t slow down, there may be no going back for me.” He pressed his forehead against hers.

“You’re right. We should slow down.” Her gaze glowed in the aftermath of their kiss. “But Tyler, after that kiss, do you think it’s such a good idea I stay here with you? My feelings for you were one of the main reasons why the letter frightened me so much. We haven’t known each other that long, and we both have pasts. What if we’re rushing into this?”

“I won’t make you stay.” He leaned back, so he could see her face. “But I don’t want you anywhere else. We can go slow.”

She reached for his hand. “Good, because there isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be. Sleep with me tonight? Just sleep. You think you can do that?”

Inwardly, he groaned. Was he capable of just sleeping in the same space as her? He’d done it once before, but he didn’t want to push his luck. What if he had a nightmare?

Old images flooded his mind, carpet fibers under his bed, his fingers trembling in front of him as he stared at the ground, praying, wishing his dad wouldn’t find him. The same nightmare he repeatedly had over and over.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

She stepped closer, and pressed against him. “Please.”

The firmer she pushed her body to his, the more he tightened to try and block out any sensations. The fear of his past was replaced with the thrill of his future.

“If you keep doing that, then I know I won’t be able to just sleep.”

She let out a soft giggle that hardened his body all over again.

“Fine, we’ll let Alfred sleep in the middle.”

At the mention of his name, his dog trotted next to her and stared at him, his tongue lobbing to the side. Sleeping in the same space with Annie had just as much to do with his willpower as it did his nightmares. In the throws of one, he could thrash around and hurt her. He wasn’t ready to talk about them. Not yet, but he couldn’t sleep with her without warning her.

Her green stare intoxicated him, and her lips pointed up at him, swollen with his kiss. In her gaze he saw heaven. A heaven he had searched for amidst his own personal hell. Screw his past.

Who needs sleep anyway?

“And let this hairy rascal snuggle with you? To hell with that. Let’s go.” He pulled her hand and headed for the bedroom, praying he could keep Little Tank in his pants and his nightmares away.