Page 107 of Nanny for the Firefighter

I have to suck in a deep breath after that, and Mason looks at me expectantly.

“I’m going to need context for that, hun. I’m not sure why that’s upsetting.”

With a sympathetic smile, Mason shakes his head, trying to keep the mood light. He won’t feel that way for long.

“Jai,” I eke out. “He, umm, he’s been following me since I left him. It’s been…”

But my words drop off because I can’t stop myself from crying. I need to suck in several breaths, practically hyperventilating, and then Mason is wrapping his arms around me.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay. I’m right here. Try to breathe slower.”

I do, and after a few moments, I’m able to speak again.

“Three years, Mason. He’s been doing this shit for three years, and I can never get away from him. He always finds me. The rose…it means he’s here. Jai’s here, and he wants what he always wants.”

“What, Bridget? What does he want?” Mason’s tone is so much darker now, and I can sense the anger rolling off him in waves.

I’m not scared of him the way I would be if Jai was this angry, but knowing that he’s so incredibly furious because Jai is here makes me nervous. I don’t want them running into each other.

“Me.”

It’s all I can say.

But I can also show him what I mean. I get up, Mason quickly following, and I walk to the garage, getting the paper bag where I hid the rose.

When I pull it out, the look on Mason’s face darkens even more, and standing next to him is like being near a keg about to blow.

Mason’s hand shakes slightly as he reaches for the rose, lifting up the tag and reading the note.

“You can’t run from me.” Mason looks back over at me, his brows knitted together in a combination of fury and concern. “He’s been pulling this shit for three years? And you’ve just been…”

“Running. It’s why I never came back to town. Why I was so worried about this.” I gesture between us. “He’s unhinged, Mason. I…I should have listened to you all those years ago, but when I figured that out, he’d already beat me down into a shell of who I was. I was too scared to leave him. Until it got really bad, and Jai almost…”

The silence hangs, and Mason steps up to me, his brows down low over his eyes.

“Almost what?”

I can’t stop shaking. It’s wracking my entire body from head to foot, and then Mason is rushing up to me, his hands on my elbows as we sink to the floor.

“I don’t want to be afraid anymore, Mason. I’ve been afraid for so damn long, and I just can’t. I can’t do it. He tried to kill me, Mason, and I finally ran. I should have leftsomuch sooner. I should have never gone with him, and now this is my life? I just…can’t.”

My words tumble out in a flood of pain and regret. I’m a sobbing mess in his arms, and I can hardly breathe around the panic threatening to choke me.

Mason just wraps me up tighter, holding me against his chest until I can finally take a deep breath. And it’s…it’s just everything. I need him more than I like to admit, but everything Jai has done has left scars.

And they’re all I can see most days.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Bridget. You were trying to survive, and manipulation is how those guys work. You didn’t doanythingwrong.”

The sobs wrack me harder. I needed those words more than I realized.

“Bridget,” I force myself to look up at him, “Jai left the rose?”

I nod.

Mason’s rage boils to the surface again, his jaw clenching tightly. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

“No! No, please. I couldn’t stand it if you got hurt. Or if something happened to Mia? I never should have brought all this on you. I’m so sorry.”

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