Page 21 of Journey

“Why would I get hurt?” I ask.

Her gaze drops to my chest, and I glance down to see what she’s looking at. A second later, she stretches a hand and points at the patches on my cut.

“He hurts people that make him mad. And you’ll make him mad.”

What?

“I’m not gonna let him hurt me.” I hesitantly wrap my hand around hers, fully expecting her to pull away. Shock hammers in my chest when she doesn’t. “I won’t let him hurt you, either.”

Wren’s—or is it Annie’s?—eyes widen. “You won’t?” she asks.

“I’ll never let anything happen to you. I promise.”

The words resonate deep in my soul, and I realize how much I mean them. This woman got her hooks into me from the moment I laid eyes on her, and those hooks have only dug themselves deeper the more I’ve learned about her.

I just wish I learned it all from her and not reports Tracer dug up.

My president’s words roll around in my head.

“Aw, fuck,” Crow mutters.

“What?”

“You’ve fallen, and you can’t get up.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

Crow smirks. “All I’m sayin’ is I’ve seen that look before. And man, are things about to get interesting.”

“My mommy says you shouldn’t make promises.”

The tiny voice coming from Wren’s mouth snaps me back to the present.

“Why’s that?”

“Because promises can be broken, and breaking a promise is lying, and lying is bad.”

I smile at her. “You’re right. Lying is bad. So, it’s a good thing I’m not a liar.” I squeeze her hand reassuringly. “Do you think you can come out from behind the couch for me?”

Slowly, she uncurls her body, each muscle seeming to visibly relax one by one. “Are you sure he’s not here?”

“Who?” I ask, knowing exactly who she’s referring to but needing to hear her say it again.

“Daddy,” she whispers.

I make a show of glancing over my shoulder and around the room before returning my attention to her. “He’s not here, Annie. It’s just you and me.”

And Wren.

After a few moments, she nods and uses my hand for leverage to pull herself up. Even at her full grown height, she’s small compared to me. The top of her head is level with my shoulders, and without thinking, I pull her close and tuck her under my chin.

She shudders as if letting go of all her apprehension. “You’re warm,” she says against my shirt.

I chuckle. Having her this close is pure torture, but I remind myself, and my cock, that now is not the time.

“Are you cold?” I ask.

“A little.” As soon as the words leave her mouth, she yawns loudly.

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