Page 42 of Stone Cold Savage

“I uh…” she pointed. “Did you hear… over there…”

“I did.”

“Then why are you asking where I’m going?” her voice raised to a panicked pitch. “There’s someone out there. I heard them and…”

“And you’re safe,” Rip said, full of calm. “You’re perfectly safe.”

A tear threatened to spill over, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “You don’t know that. How can you possibly know that? I-I’m scared, Rip.”

Rip hooked the end of her chin with a finger and held it so she couldn’t look anywhere but at him, “You’re safe. This place, your home, it’s safe. If there were anyone out there who wasn’t supposed to be, Diesel would let you know before he went and took care of it.”

Devyn shook her head vigorously, and that tear trickled down her face.

“Darlin’, when you’re with me, you’re always safe. You hear me?” he said, “I’ll never let anything happen to you, and not because it’s my job. You don’t have to be scared when I’m here.”

“Okay.” She whispered.

“You don’t have to be scared when I’m not here either or when Diesel isn’t nearby. You’re the most lethal one here, you know that? Because you’re the smartest. You react strictly off instincts, and that’s far more menacing than the kind of training any of us have had. I’ve seen it with my own eyes and have the bruise on my back where you shot me to prove it. Devyn, when you start believing in yourself, so will everyone else. You’re tougher and braver than you think.”

“Y-you really think so?” she asked.

“I know so, darlin’. I’ve seen you in action. More than once. You learn how to let go of that fear and unlock the fury. You’ll be unstoppable, sweetheart.”

She closed her eyes, bit her bottom lip, and willed away the fear –– and the tears went with it. Devyn sat taller, her jaw tightened, and her shoulders sharpened. Rip reached to swipe away the leftover tears, but Devyn grasped his hand in hers and stopped him. Her eyes shot open, and she looked between him and his hand in hers. Then, she released his grip and let him wipe away the fear that had been haunting her for days.

“Told you. Instincts.” The corner of his mouth quirked up, impressed with her response. “Don’t be scared. Not anymore.”

“I’m not.” She whispered, relaxing into his side. “Not anymore.”

“Besides, it was just Nash and Charlotte walking back from the garden that you heard.”

“How could you possibly know that?” she asked.

“It’s my job to know where everyone is and what they’re doing at all times. It’s why I’m here.”

“I can’t wait to get that superpower.” She snickered.

“I also saw them…” he admitted.

Devyn sat up and swatted at his knee playfully. He was quick to pull her back to his side, where they sat and enjoyed the fire in silence.

12

“Here you go,” Coy said as he handed Kenzie a fresh ice pack. “Charlotte said it’s the last one, and you can rest. Something about watching the swelling.”

“Something about it, huh… that’s pretty specific.” She chuckled, swapping out her old ice pack for a freshly cold one. “I’m pretty sure I’m fine. If I wound up with a concussion, it’s minor. I’ve had zero symptoms.”

Coy pushed his lounger up against hers on the shared balcony outside their rooms and plopped down beside her.

“Well, we aren’t taking any chances. Let me see those stitches.” He asked, leaning in to get a good look at the wounds on her head and face. “Charlotte did a really good job. You can hardly tell.”

“Now I know you’re lying and just being nice. I am fully aware that I currently resemble Frankenstein.” She informed with a huff. “There’s nothing barely about the amount of stitches I’m currently wearing.”

“I’m serious, Kenz. It isn’t bad. A day or so from now, you won’t be able to tell. I didn’t think nurses were trained in this kind of care. At least not at this level.”

“She’s currently training to be more than a nurse. I forget what she called it, but it’s more than a nurse, not quite a doctor.”

“That’s awfully specific.” He said sarcastically. “You sure your head’s all right?”

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