Page 78 of Hold Me Before You Go

I felt her warm hand over mine then and my head shot up. “Sunshine,” I rasped.

I couldn’t push her.

I couldn’t push her.

If I pushed her, I would lose her.

She dropped the blanket, revealing her naked body to me once more as she moved closer to me, her knees on the mattress. I held my breath as she cupped my face in her hands, her eyes scanning my face. “Hey, hey,” she whispered. “I’m right here, Grayson. I’m right here. I’m okay.”

“He fucking—he fucking touched you,” I seethed through clenched teeth.

She shook her head. “No, Grayson. He didn’t touch me.”

The panic began to fade, and as her thumb brushed over my scar, she told me the truth. When she was done, I pressed myforehead against hers, banding both of my arms around her soft waist, holding her for a few minutes.

When we both heard the front door open, I knew we had to act fast.

Brandon was spiraling and if he was anything like his brother, there was no telling if he would hurt someone else while trying to get to Carrie.

Chapter Nineteen

Carrie

“Hey, Jake,” I greeted, giving him a small smile as he stared at me, his eyes hard.

Grayson, who was standing behind me—against me—cleared his throat. That seemed to snap Jake out of whatever stupor he was in, causing him to blink before he returned my smile with a pained one. “Hey, Carrie,” he rumbled.

He looked down at my sock-covered feet and then back to my face. “Do you want to me look at your feet later?” he asked softly as more people filed into Mag’s living room.

“No, that’s okay,” I assured him. “They’re okay.”

“No pain?” he inquired, raising a brow.

I shook my head, and he made a noise, apparently just as shocked as I was. I was lucky, so damn lucky, and I would never understand it. Jake was about to move away from us then, and I reached out, touching his forearm. “You might need to run another blood test on me, though,” I whispered.

His brown eyes lingered on my me for five long seconds before they flicked up to Grayson’s behind me. Grayson put his hand on my hip as he explained in a low voice to Jake aboutNightwalkerand how Brandon had gotten some from Leo’s boat. With a sharp nod, Jake said, “We’ll do it back at the office.”

“Good idea,” Grayson returned firmly.

Before I could ask the question on the tip of my tongue, Jake moved, and Dominic was there, his dark blue eyes kind. “Carrie,” he murmured.

I gave him the same smile I’d given Jake. “Hi, Dominic,” I whispered.

“You okay?” he asked, putting his hand on my shoulder, his touch almost loving. Knives gathered in my throat.

These guys were good men, and Grayson was lucky to have them. Swallowing the pain in my throat, I nodded, inhaling a shaky breath. “I’m okay,” I promised.

Dominic shot me a wink. “Atta girl,” he praised and moved to stand next to Jake in the kitchen, leaning back against the counter.

A throat cleared, and I pulled my eyes away from the pair to find a stranger standing in front of me. He was large, almost bulkier than Grayson, packed with muscle. His hair was a light brown and had a slight wave to it. His eyes were also gray, but nothing like the Langston brothers’. He was also wearing a brace on his left wrist, and instantly, it clicked.

This was Ash.

The man Grayson had gone to hell to save. He was the reason Grayson didn’t return to Astoria.

“Hi, Carrie. I’m—oof.”

His greeting was cut off when I lunged for him, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist, hugging him tightly. “Hi, Ash,” I whispered. I gave him one more squeeze and pulled back, stepping back into Grayson again, who calmly returned his hand to my hip. Ash was staring at me, something I couldn’t read swirling in his eyes as his throat worked. “I’m so happy you’re safe,” I told him, meaning it. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

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