Snow Job by Tara Wyatt (best large ereader .txt) 📗

knot of fear and determination, relief and bitterness. Gratitude and anger. He was a snarled mess, and he hated that things were only going to get messier. Hated that Kayla had been dragged into it and was suffering for it. He’d never forgive himself for putting her in this position. Ever.

But he had to face it all, head on. There was no more running. No more shoving the blame onto others. This was his mess, and he had to be the one to clean it up and keep Kayla safe. No matter the price, it was what he had to do.

He held her until her trembling subsided and she softened against him. “Will you come to bed? I don’t want to be alone,” she said, her voice raw with tears. He shouldn’t. He wasn’t worthy of touching her. Of comforting her. But he wasn’t going to deny her. Not tonight when her world had been turned upside down because of him.

“Of course, baby. I’ll come hold you.”

She nodded against him. “Please.”

He carried her back into her bedroom and set her down on the bed, helping her under the covers. Then he stripped down to his T-shirt and boxers and climbed in beside her, pulling her against him. She laid her head on his chest, snuggling into him.

“I was so scared that they were going to find you and…” She broke off again and he felt the wetness of her tears bloom on his T-shirt. He stroked a hand up and down her back, savoring the feel of her. Trying to memorize it. His stomach churned sickly, as each pass of his hand up and down her spine felt like he was dirtying her even more.

“Shhh,” he soothed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Sleep, baby. We’ll talk about everything tomorrow.” He kept stroking her back until her breathing deepened and her muscles relaxed against him. But Sebastian knew that sleep wouldn’t come for him. Not with his mind racing about what tomorrow would bring.

Tomorrow, he would start looking for Coldhurst so he could end this.

Tomorrow, he would let Kayla go in order to keep her safe.

But it wasn’t tomorrow yet, and so he’d let himself hold her for just a few more hours.

19

Kayla slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the bright sunshine streaming in through the large window on the other side of the room. Her head pounded dully, and she felt sluggish, almost hungover. For a second, she didn’t know where she was, but as her eyes opened all the way, everything came rushing back to her. She turned toward Sebastian’s side of the bed, reaching for him, but it was empty and the sheets were cool under her touch.

She sat up slowly, her stomach in a snarl. Yesterday had been the most terrifying day of her life, and it had made her realize one very important thing. It didn’t matter who Sebastian had been in the past or the things he’d done because she was deeply in love with the man he was now. Her eyes stung as she remembered the relief she’d felt when she’d heard his voice, had seen him standing in the living room with Lucian. Safe and in one piece.

She got out of bed, pulled on her discarded leggings and sweatshirt from yesterday and then stepped into the adjoining bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she winced, turning her face to examine the three finger-shaped bruises lining her face from her jaw to her temple. She lifted her hand and hissed out a breath at the throb that started as soon as she touched them. Some of the panic from yesterday started to come back and she closed her eyes, taking several long, deep breaths.

The bruises will heal. You’re safe. Willa is safe. Sebastian is safe. You’re okay. Everything is okay.

She repeated the words to herself until the worst of the panic had ebbed away, and she busied herself with splashing cool water on her face, twisting her hair up into a bun and using the brand new toothbrush and toothpaste she found in one of the drawers.

When she stepped into the main living area of Lucian’s loft-style penthouse, her eyes landed on the two brothers, huddled together at the kitchen table, discussing something in hushed, tense voices.

“Good morning,” she said carefully, having the distinct impression that she was interrupting a tense conversation.

Both of their heads whipped in her direction, Sebastian’s features hardening into a mask of barely leashed fury as he took in her bruises. He rose from the table and crossed to her, his blue eyes burning with an intensity she’d never seen before.

“He hit you.” It wasn’t a question.

She nodded. “I’ll be okay. No permanent damage done.”

He turned to Lucian. “Who—”

Lucian shook his head. “Don’t worry. The man who hit her won’t be hitting anyone for a very long time.”

She sucked in a shuddering breath, a wave of nausea rocking her. “Did you…did you kill him?”

The corner of Lucian’s mouth turned up and he stood and moved into the kitchen. “No. I did send him back to his employer with a couple of holes in his hand, though.”

Kayla pressed her trembling fingers to her lips. “Oh my God,” she whispered, trying to wrap her mind around it all. Everything felt slippery, as though just when she thought she’d fully grasped the situation it slid through her fingers, leaving her reeling all over again.

She sucked in another breath and then moved into the kitchen, not stopping until she was directly in front of Lucian. “Thank you, for yesterday. I don’t have the words to tell you how grateful I am for everything you did. Max, too.”

Lucian pressed a button on his fancy espresso machine and simply nodded. “I look after the people I care about,” he said, as though it was no big deal. As though he shot people all the time.

Then again, maybe he did. He was a scary bastard, one she was glad to