Page 81 of Sniper

This, right here, is what I fought so hard for.

I don’t take my eyes off them as Autumn falls asleep. Aurora slowly lays her down, and then strokes her face.

I don’t say a word; I watch her and wait to see what she does. I know she knows I’m here. Our bodies are in tune with one another.

“I didn’t mean for her to see my sadness; I thought I was protecting her from it,” she rasps after a few minutes, and my heart breaks.

Rubbing a hand over my mouth, I murmur, “You’re her momma, Firecracker. She knows when you’re hurting.”

She nods before gently kissing our girl’s head, then slowly stands. She winces, and I push off the doorframe in a panic. She gives me a small smile and whispers, “I’m okay,” but I don’t nod; I focus on her movement. It’s only when she makes her way to me without wincing that I slightly relax.

The tension completely disappears when she walks straight into my body, her head on my chest, her arms around my waist.

Instantly, I wrap my arms around her, placing my nose to the top of her head, breathing her in.

“I love you, Theo,” she whispers, and I hold her a little tighter and reply, “I love you, too, Rory.”

She sniffles, and I pull back, cupping her bruised face, my thumbs wiping away her tears.

I beg, “Talk to me, Firecracker…”

She shakes her head. “I just feel so guilty, and I know I’m blocking you out, but I don’t mean to. After Hannah helped me escape back then, I was so alone, and I returned to my shell after everything; it was the only way I knew how to survive.”

I nod, then gently kiss her lips, tasting her salty tears, and I whisper, “I have someone downstairs who wants to speak to you.” She opens her mouth to protest, but I kiss her gently again and rasp, “This is the most you’ve spoken in a week, Rory. Please come down and talk, if not for me or our daughter, then for yourself and our son…”

Her eyes race between mine before nodding, and I sigh in relief, and gently guide her out of our daughter’s room. My arm is tightly wrapped around her waist, and I close the door behind us with the other.

Slowly, we go down the stairs, and I hold my breath as we get to the bottom, and I gently turn my girl toward the people in our home.

Aurora sucks in a breath before gasping with a cry, “Hannah….”

28

Aurora

“Hannah,” I gasp with a cry, seeing my savior again.

Tears fall from her brown eyes, and I rush toward her, her meeting me halfway. We throw our arms around each other.

“You're really here?” I cry, and she squeezes me tighter.

“I’m here, Aurora, I’m here,” she whispers back, and I bend my head into her neck and sob.

For so long, I had thought he’d found her, that he’d killed her for helping me, but when he admitted he hadn’t last week, my hope blossomed.

She’s okay, she’s here….

Pulling away, she cups my cheeks, wiping away my tears.

“You're okay?” I rasp, and she nods, before taking me into her arms again. I hold her tight.

I don’t know how long we hold each other before Trent speaks up, making me look his way.

“Don’t I get a hug?” His eyes twinkle, and I giggle, rushing his way. He takes me into his arms, holding me tight, and whispers, “Fuck, it’s good to see you, sweetheart.”

I hear Theo growl, and I pull back from Trent, all three of us looking at Theo. I raise a brow, and he clears his throat, rocking on his feet.

Theo shrugs. “I can’t help it. I don’t like you in the arms of another man; you're mine.”

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