Page 17 of Guarded By Them

I blushed, though it probably wasn’t noticeable considering how flushed I already was. I wasn’t incredible. Far from it.

I was merely a survivor.

Chapter Six

Dillon

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I WOKE WITH RUE CURLED up against my chest, one leg hooked over my thigh and her hair beneath my nose.

I didn’t want to move, happy to stay like this and enjoy the feel of having her to myself. It was fun when we were all together, but moments like this made my heart swell with love for her.

It was early morning, and as much as I would have been happy to lie around in bed with Rue all day, I didn’t think it was a good idea to stay in one place for too long. I didn’t know who Kodee’s contact was, but the sooner we got that part over, the better. Kodee was a good judge of character—better than me—and he knew what he was doing, but right now I wanted to get out of the country and get Rue to safety. Only, it wasn’t just about Rue now. We had killed to get her back, and the people who worked with those men weren’t going to be happy about it. As much as I wanted to protect Rue, I also wanted Ryan and Kodee to be safe. I had to accept that I’d played my part in our current situation. I wouldn’t go back and remove Rue from our lives, but I’d put Ryan and Kodee in danger by getting involved with the wrong people.

A light knock came at the motel room door.

I stiffened, my heart racing, and reached out and picked up the gun from the nightstand.

Rue woke at my movement and lifted her head from my chest.

“What—” she started, blinking up at me sleepily.

I pressed my finger to her lips to tell her to be quiet. I was sure it was nothing to worry about, but I wasn’t about to start taking any chances. She sat up, pulling the sheets around her bare breasts, and I swung my legs out of bed and got to my feet. I was naked, but I wasn’t about to start worrying about that now. It was more important that I make sure whoever was knocking wasn’t going to prove to be a threat.

I kept to one side of the door, making sure there was a wall between me and whoever was knocking, and not just the wooden door. A bullet could easily breach the wood. But I needed to lean in to check the peephole.

Sensing danger, Rue had slid off the side of the bed, the sheet still wrapped around her, putting the bed between her and the door.

Quickly, I leaned over and pressed my eye to the peephole. Kodee’s slightly blurry face came into focus, and I allowed myself to breathe.

“It’s okay,” I said, reaching for the lock, “it’s only Kodee.”

Rue smiled in relief and climbed back onto the bed. I unlocked the door and opened it.

Kodee stood in the open doorway. His eyebrows lifted, his gaze dropping down my body.

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