Kara replayed Grayson’s words in her head. Don’t leave this spot. She knew deep down she should listen, but every sound was making her nervous. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and it felt like someone was watching her. When a black town car pulled into the parking lot, Kara knew she needed to move.

A family of four exited the side of the building. Slipping her hand in between the door and the frame before it could shut, Kara made it into the motel without having to go through the front. She also wasn’t in view of the town car that pulled into the parking lot.

Kara rested her back against the wall closest to the door so she could see out. She slowly slid down the wall and planted her ass on the floor, the layers of her dress piled around her. When she looked down at the bloodstained fabric, the events of the day came crashing down.

Her father might still be out there. She had no clue if he was alive or dead. And she had also pulled Grayson into her problems.

As if summoned by her thought, Grayson ran by the door, and she jumped into action. He would be pissed she had moved. After checking to see that no one else was around, she yanked the door open.

“Grayson, I’m over here.”

His head whipped around at the sound of her voice, and he jogged over to the door. “I told you to stay put.” His voice was full of worry.

The last thing she wanted to do was make him angry. He had helped her out so much already. If he hadn’t been at the stoplight, she wouldn’t still be alive.

The words came out between sobs. “I thought… I saw… a town car.”

Strong arms wrapped around her body. Grayson pulled her against his firm chest. He smelled like the outdoors. She let out a long breath and laid her head against his chest.

Grayson rested his chin on top of her head. “It will be okay. I was worried when I didn’t see you outside. Let’s get you out of this dress.”

“Okay.”

Kara followed Grayson to their room. It was a basic corner room next to an emergency exit. A king-size bed was covered with a crisp white bedspread, and a plaid couch sat under the window. 

He must have noticed her staring at the bed. “I’ll sleep on the couch. Why don’t you jump in the shower and get the blood out of your hair? You’ll feel better when you’re clean. While you’re in the shower, I’ll order us some food, and we can talk more about what happened.”

“I hope you like cheese bur—” Grayson’s words stopped midsentence when Kara stepped out of the bathroom.

“Holy shit,” Grayson gritted out. “Let me find something for you to wear.”

She had stepped out of the bathroom in a small white towel. There was no way she would have put the ruined wedding dress back on. Kara had forgotten to ask if he had a shirt before she stepped into the bathroom to take her shower.  

Grayson tossed her a white T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

“Thank you,” she whispered and headed back to the bathroom. The shirt reached her knees, and she had to roll the shorts over five times before she could get them to stay up.

When she exited the bathroom, Grayson was standing next to the window, watching the cars go by. At the sound of her footsteps on the carpet, he turned around.

“Our food is here.’”

“Thank you. I’m starving.”

“Let's sit down on the couch to eat, and then you can tell me everything.”

“Thinking about it is making my appetite go away.” Kara was frustrated that her day had not gone the way she had planned at all. 

She felt Grayson’s gaze as he looked her over. She had examined herself in the bathroom mirror, so she knew what he was seeing. She looked exhausted. Dark circles had formed under her eyes. She felt Grayson’s body go tense when he looked at her neck, where Rovshan’s grip had left dark bruises.

“What the fuck happened to your neck?” he asked loudly.

“Rovshan,” she muttered, giving him her profile. She reached for her neck to cover the bruising. “He didn’t like my back talk.”

“He won’t put his hands on you again.” Kara went to speak, but Grayson shook his head and continued. “From what you’ve said, Rovshan Nikitovich wants you as his wife. When was the last time you crossed paths with him?” She noticed he was gritting his teeth.

“Today was the first day I’ve ever met him,” Kara stated in an irritated tone.

“Russian thugs kidnapped you from baggage claim and took you straight to a church so you could marry a man you’ve never met. You are one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. But why would one of the largest crime bosses in the country want to get married?”

Kara didn’t answer his question right away. She was wringing her hands in her lap, her appetite completely gone. “My father owes him a large debt. Rovshan said the debt would be forgiven if I married him.”

“The marriage is to pay a debt,” he repeated under his breath. “It still makes little sense. We need to figure out why he needs a wife.”

“I overheard something when I was running out of the building.”

Grayson pulled her into his arms, and his eyes were full of anger. “Kara, I need to know everything. Even if you think the detail is too small.”

Her chest ached at the thought of her mom’s ranch. She’d always wanted to live close to it. She had dreamed of her kids learning to ride and spending time with her mother. After her mom had died, living on the ranch wasn’t an appealing option. Everywhere she looked, there were reminders of her. Kara knew she would need to go out to the ranch one last time to say goodbye to her mom.  

She pursed her lips and blinked hard a few times. Thinking about the ranch or her mother always brought tears to her eyes. She hadn’t cried since her mom had died, but the past six hours had turned her into a crier. She couldn’t stop the tears.

“He was talking to another man about a trust, and if we were to get married, the ranch would be his.” She didn’t understand. “The ranch is my father’s. How would marrying me get him the ranch? If he wants the ranch so badly, why doesn’t my father just give it to him?”

“Are you sure the ranch is in your father’s name?”

“No.” She realized she was still wrapped in Grayson’s arms and went to pull back. He tightened his grip, holding her in place. 

“Were you able talk to your dad today?” he asked.

“No. Rovshan kept saying I would see him at the wedding. There was supposed to be a meeting tonight at nine. I didn’t hear the location. The man Rovshan was talking to—his voice sounded familiar. I’m still trying to place it, but I never saw his face.” Her voice came out shaky.

He pulled her in tighter. “I’m sorry.”

Kara wasn’t sure why he was sorry, but it felt good to be safe in his arms.

“We will find your dad and take care of Rovshan,” he told her in a gravelly voice.

“You can’t know that!” she said, her voice too loud with emotion.

Grayson didn’t shy away when she raised her voice. “I do. I will send your information to my brother, Noah. If there is a trust or land out there in your name, I have faith he can find it. When it comes to computers and finding things on the internet, he can do it.” He cleared his throat. “Do you trust me to take care of this and help protect you?”

For only meeting him a few hours ago, she trusted him. It was something in his eyes that made her feel like he would protect her from the world. “I know we only met this morning, but something deep down tells me to trust you,” she explained.

Grayson nodded. “I will call my brother and see what he can dig up.”

“Grayson, why are you helping me?”

Grayson stood from the couch. He bit his bottom lip and looked at her for a few seconds too long to be polite. “Not sure. Like you, it’s something in my gut. After I make a call, we’ll contact the local sheriff and let him know what is going on.”

“Oh.” She had forgotten about contacting the police. “Are you sure we have to?”

 “Yes.” He reached for her hand and pulled her off the couch. The amount of force he used catapulted her into his arms, and she let out a loud squeal of surprise. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, she gazed up at his blue eyes.

Slowly, he dragged his fingers up her back and wrapped them in her hair. Grayson tilted her head back. Slowly lowering his head until his mouth was just inches away from her lips, he whispered, “If you don’t want me to kiss you, say something now.”

Her breath hitched, and he leaned down the last few inches. His lips were soft and tasted like the cheeseburger he’d been eating. He swiped his tongue across her lips, demanding entrance. She opened them and leaned farther into his kiss.

Kara ran her hands up and down Grayson’s back and gripped his T-shirt tightly. He deepened the kiss, demanding more. A fire ignited in her belly. She wanted to crawl up the man as if he were a tree and wrap her legs around his waist.

The kiss was causing her knees to become weak. Had he not been holding her up, she would have collapsed to the ground.

Grayson pulled back from the kiss. They were both panting. He rested his chin on the top of her head and whispered, “Angel.”

The moment was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Grayson groaned in frustration before picking up the call.

Kara couldn’t hold back the laughter bubbling up from her chest at the noise Grayson made.