Page 91 of Wild Bliss

“What did he make you do?” Sawyer leaned against the wall,waiting for the answer. “He would need leverage on you, and I doubt he wouldthink the money laundering would be enough.”

Wyatt stood there, unblinking and absolutely not answeringthe question.

A million horrible scenarios played through her mind.“You’re saying they would have made him do something criminal?”

Sawyer nodded. “I should have thought about it, but Wyattnever said a word. So that makes me think it’s bad. How did you fake it,brother?”

“I didn’t,” Wyatt said, looking around as though making surethey were alone. “I didn’t fake anything. I did it.” He turned Sabrina’s way.“I killed a man, Sabrina. I killed a man who might have been able to testifyagainst my brother. He said he wouldn’t, but my brother doesn’t like looseends. I should have let him kill me so I never took another man’s life. That’swho you’re willing to risk everything for.”

Did he think this would work? Wyatt was perfectly capable ofkilling a man. She’d seen him fight, and it could absolutely happen when he wasin that state. He could kill a man who threatened the people Wyatt loved.Without hesitation.

But in no world she could imagine did he ruthlessly plan andmurder a man who’d done him no harm to simply free himself from the Horde. Sheknew Wyatt, and he wasn’t capable of it. Again, Sawyer was right. Also, whenhad he gotten so damn chatty? “And I will continue to do so.”

“Damn it, Sabrina.” Wyatt got into her space, looming overher. “I confessed to murdering a man.”

“And I do not believe you.” He was trying so hard tointimidate her, but it didn’t work. He was kind of hot when he played thehardened criminal. She put her hands on his shoulders, wishing he would stopfighting and let her take care of him. “You found a way. You tricked them. Youwould not kill a man to get yourself out of a bad situation. You only did itbecause it got you both out.”

His head fell against hers, their foreheads touching as hishands cupped the sides of her face. “You can’t ever say that, baby. You can’tsay it. Not even when we’re alone.”

She was right. She knew she was, and he was beyond scared.He was protecting more than his own heart. “Just because we don’t say it,doesn’t mean we can’t help you carry the load.”

His head shook against hers, but he didn’t move away. “I’llget you killed.”

“No,” Sabrina countered. “If someone kills me, it’s theirfault. It would be your brother’s fault. It’s not your fault, Wyatt. You didn’tdeserve any of this. You did everything you could to survive and get out. Youdon’t have a curse. You have a terrible brother who makes bad choices and whodoes not get to manipulate your life anymore.”

“You were brave when you left, Wyatt.” Sawyer stood besidethem, a hand on each of them. “Be brave again. I got a whole lecture on what’sgoing to happen if you leave, and it was bad. Sabrina’s going to cry and thenRachel Harper will set her assassin six-year-old on you and apparently Poppy,the toddler, will help because she’s some kind of spy. Aliens will rain down onEarth. I’m not sure if it’s your fault or bad timing, but Mel’s pretty certain.The point is, they would rather face down a pack of murderous bikers than haveSabrina Leal even think about needing a fresh start somewhere other than in herclassroom. The people of Bliss have had a taste of what it means to be able toput a kid in school for eight hours, and they are not going back.”

“I liked it better when you didn’t fucking talk so much,”Wyatt muttered. He brought his head up, and the worry was still in his eyes,but he hadn’t moved away. He looked over at Sawyer. “You think this town canhandle the Horde if they decide to punish me by taking it apart?”

“Somehow I think the Horde is going to find out how meanthis town can be when their citizens are threatened,” Sawyer replied. “Theseare smart men and women we’re talking about, and a whole bunch of them havebeen in tight spots before and fought their way out. Trust them. Trust in us,man, because I don’t think I can do this without you. I just figured out whatyou bring to the table. You can watch all her home and garden shows, and Idon’t have to. I can be in a relationship and also be alone because you’realways here. This can work.”

He was so romantic. “Ignore him. He needs you as much as Ido. We need each other. I think we might even love each other.”

“I’m never going to say those words often. Probably,” Sawyeramended. “But I will say I didn’t think I would ever want to do this. The wholerelationship thing. But I do, and it won’t work without you. Teach and I wouldbutt heads too much, but you handle us both. I don’t miss my brothers so muchwhen you’re around.”

It was as close as Sawyer would ever get to telling Wyatt heloved him. Because he did.

“I don’t know what to do,” Wyatt whispered, looking intoSabrina’s eyes. “I can’t lose you. I would rather die than lose you.”

“You can lose me at any moment. We don’t know how much timewe have, but if you walk away, then we won’t get any time at all. Wyatt, Iwould rather die trying to keep my family together than live without it.”

Something seemed to break inside him. He leaned over andpressed his lips to hers, devouring her like a starving man. Sabrina could feelthe emotion cracking off Wyatt. Fear. Rage. Anxiety. Love. So much love. Allthose emotions were forming a hurricane inside him, and she had to show him shewas safe harbor.

She let her hands find the silk of his hair, pulling himclose. “I love you. I don’t ever want to leave you, but if it happens, know howmuch I loved you.”

He picked her up and started to carry her away. To thebedroom. Where she would show him why they belonged together.

* * * *

She loved him. She fucking loved him, and in the end it wasall that mattered.

Wyatt was trying to protect her, but if he walked away, hewas marginalizing her because he knew damn straight if she was in trouble, hewould never allow her to go because she worried he might get hurt. He wouldstand by her no matter what. He would step in front of her to take whatever wascoming her way. He wasn’t going to allow her to take pain for him, but he gotit now.

Love meant risk. Freedom was risk. Life was fucking risk,and the only thing a person could hope for was to have the absolute best humanshe could find to risk everything for.

Sabrina and Sawyer were his family. His real family. Bloodwas an act of coincidence, a roll of the dice that could only be forged intotrue bonds with love and patience and service to one another. He hadn’t foundlove from his blood relatives, but he’d found it in abundance here.

Damn, but Bliss was his family, too.

---