Chapter Seventeen

Rebekah

I sat on the bench outside the police station waiting, my eyes glued to my phone, my brain circling around his words. Not his command to wait. The message that felt like his goodbye.

Thank you for sharing your light with me. This time with you has meant everything…xo

How was I supposed to respond to that?

I glanced at the time. It’d been over an hour since I’d heard anything and I was getting nervous. I’d filed my report, eaten a snack, drank a bottle of water, gone to the bathroom twice, called to check on my grandfather, worried about Tanner, and obsessed about his message. But, in all of that, a couple of things were clear—I was relieved he was safe and this nightmare was going to be over . . . and I was sad this was going to be over. That meant he was going to go back to his life and I would stay here with mine. We were two very different people who lived a world apart. Hell, I lived in the world he’d left behind. The one that hurt him and still haunted him. He wouldn’t want to be reminded of that. I was sure the second he had the chance, he’d be out of here and I’d just be a memory. A good one, if I was lucky.

I bit my thumbnail and glanced again at my phone just as the big black Humvee pulled up beside me.

I stood and Tanner hopped out of the driver’s seat. He rounded the hood and headed straight for me. Without stopping, hesitating, or even slowing down, he yanked me straight into his arms and devoured me in a devastating kiss. I had no choice but to hold on and go along for the ride. I clutched his shoulders and moaned, my body on autopilot, as if I’d been kissing this man my entire life.

He eventually drew back, his forehead pressed to mine. “Get in the car. I’m taking you home, then we need to talk.”

I swallowed. “About what?”

“Everything.”

He stepped away and opened my door, effectively ending the conversation for the time being.

I slid inside and as soon as he got in and drove away, he grabbed my hand. I glanced over at his profile. Something in him had changed tonight. I had no idea what it was, but I could feel it in the air.

My gaze tracked down his strong cheek, his throat and shoulder, chest and legs . . . that’s when I noticed the blood. Lots of it.

I gasped. “Tanner . . .”

His eyes flew to mine.

I pointed. “Are you hurt?”

He looked down, his eyes puzzled. “Oh . . . no. That’s Bubba’s.” He seemed to realize what a mess he was for the first time, drawing his hand back to rake it through his hair.

“Oh . . . oh. I’m so sorry. Is he all right?” I yanked his hand back and kissed his knuckles, ignoring the dirt or blood or whatever else the night had done to him.

He shot me a glance, his heart in his eyes, making my own heart melt in my chest. “He’s in surgery now. The doctor said he’ll be out of commission for a while and will need some therapy, but he’ll be fine.”

“I’m glad.” I blinked back hot tears as the impact of what all these men had gone through on my behalf settled on my shoulders. It was just . . . too much.

Tanner seemed to sense my spiraling emotions. “Hey.” He waited until I looked over. “He’s gonna be fine. Don’t worry. Okay?”

I bit my lip and nodded.

Thankfully, we got back to my house and Mrs. Clancy and my grandfather were waiting for us on the front porch. I flew out of the car and up the steps to hug him.

He collected me close, soothing me with his familiar scents of Old Spice and peppermint. “Oh, sweet girl. It’s all right.” He patted my back as I wilted. “Your young man took good care of you just like I knew he would.”

I drew back and looked into his eyes. “He’s not . . .”

Tanner clomped up the steps. “Hey, James.”

“Tanner.” Grandpa smiled up at him. “Thank you for bringing my girl home safe.”

“Of course.”

Mrs. Clancy ushered us all inside and we all drank hot tea and pretended like I hadn’t nearly been killed by a drug cartel. It was a bit surreal. After a while, she helped get Grandpa back to bed when he started fading then let herself out for home with a kiss to my cheek.

“I’m glad you’re back,” she whispered in my ear.

“Me, too.”

I locked up behind her then spun to face Tanner. He was so familiar to me in so many ways, yet right now, he was a stranger. This man had fought for me. He would’ve died for me. His friend nearly did. And for what? I was a nobody. A poor girl from the Mississippi Delta who waited tables. Yet, when Tanner looked at me, I felt like somebody. Somebody special and beautiful and cherished.

“You wanted to talk?” I managed in a choked voice.

“Yeah.” He cupped the back of his neck. “Would you mind if I took a shower first?”

“Of course not.”

He blinked, studying me, then nodded. “I’ll just run back to my apartment then. Be back in a few minutes? Or do you want to meet me there?”

I thought for a second. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay. Give me ten minutes.” He paused at the door and peered back. “Tex wanted me to tell you he’s sorry he didn’t get to visit very long, but . . .”

“But this wasn’t really a social visit,” I finished for him.

“Right.” He nodded, his gaze raking me up and down. “He said he’ll be in touch as soon as things settle down so you can catch up.”

I nodded. “That sounds great.”

I watched him go, my mind a tumble, my heart a mess. What would he say when I got to the apartment? What did he want from me?

There was only one way to find out.

I ran to my bathroom, washed up quickly to get the filth of the night off my skin, then changed clothes. I checked on my grandfather then dashed out to Tanner’s apartment.

I knocked softly.

“It’s open.”

I stepped inside and found him in clean jeans, a plain white T-shirt, his feet bare, his black hair wet, his eyes blazing.

The door squeaked closed behind me and suddenly I was engulfed in his clean soapy scent.

He crossed his arms and stared me down. “You didn’t answer me.”

“What?”

“You heard me. My text. You didn’t answer.”

Oh. That. “I’m not . . .”

He lifted a brow. “I’m trained to detect liars, Rebekah. Don’t bullshit me. If you don’t feel the same, just say so. I’m a big boy. I can handle it.”

“It’s not that I don’t . . .” I shook my head and turned to look out the window a moment, gathering the courage to face him again. “Does it matter what I feel, Tanner?”

His brows thundered down now. “Of course, it does.”

“I’m not so sure about—”

Before I could get the rest of my words out, he stormed over and swallowed them with a kiss. His tongue thundered across mine in a brutal show of possession that shattered my soul and spoke a million words that I knew he could never say otherwise.

Breathless, I drew back, clutching his waist. “You’re leaving,” I whimpered.

“What?”

I closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest. “You’re leaving. What I feel for you can’t matter. You’ve got to go back to your life and that’s not here.” I looked up at him, my heart shattering in my chest. “But my life is.”

I watched as the realization of all that separated us dawned on him. We might’ve felt a world of emotion for each other, but in the end, we both knew all we could do was say goodbye and chalk it up to one perfect night that would have to last us both a lifetime.