Page 21 of Snowed in with My Protector

It might not be good enough for her, not with the echoes of my memories haunting me, but I’m going to make sure that I’m the man who holds her heart. I’ve already given her mine even if she doesn’t know it yet.

CHAPTER 9

FALLON

Hutch’s jaw is hard like granite, and I can tell that he’s clenching his jaw. I know it’s not from annoyance and anger, but determination. It’s written all over his body. His need to protect me is sexy as hell.

The snow stopped falling late last night, but what is unspoken is the fact that we’re still stuck here. No, there’s no plan to leave, but knowing that you can’t is unsettling. Hutch is an amazing distraction when it comes to my worries and fears.

It would be ideal if I could just get lost in him, in the way he makes me feel, while getting to know him and experiencing pleasure I’ve never known before. But the reality is that there are people out there out to get me. Only because I did the right thing.

That truth is a heavy weight around my neck. I wish it weren’t there, but wishing and hoping won’t do a damn thing.

Which is why I’m listening intently as Hutch takes me back to his safe room again. He had already shown me the room and how to get in and out the second day I was here since he didn’t want to overwhelm me too much during the first tour. I’m glad he did because I was too freaked out after arriving to even consider the need for a safe room.

I’m still scared now, but I feel stronger. Hutch will do his best to stand between me and danger, but I want to feel like I can help myself as well.

I had no idea there was more to see, but as he presses against part of the wall and it pops open, I can see there’s a lot more to this room than meets the eye. I’m a little shocked with the number of guns on display in the portion of the wall exposed now.

“Woah,” I breathe out. “You have a whole armory in here,” I muse and glance up at Hutch.

His hazel eyes are already intensely locked on me. I want to fidget under his gaze, but I hold myself still.

“You need to know that you have weapons in here,” his voice is gruff. He turns toward me fully and a muscle in ticks in his jaw. “If I tell you to come into this room, you need to do it. Don’t ask questions. Don’t hesitate.” He reaches out and grips both shoulders and gives them a gentle squeeze. “I’ll only ever ask you to come in here unless it’s serious and I need you to be safe. I’ve changed the settings so that if you activate this room then it’ll let Duncan know.”

I swallow hard, hating that we need to have this conversation. There have been moments when I’ve been able to forget about why I’m here and just allow myself to get lost in the feeling of falling for the man in front of me.

But that’s dangerous. I need to remember why I’m here and be on alert.

“I don’t want you to be afraid and live in fear here, Fallon,” Hutch’s tone is filled with concern, like he knows exactly where my mind went.

“No,” I shake my head, “I need to remember why I’m here. It’s not a vacation. I’m here running from people with way too much money because I did the right thing.”

“You did do the right thing,” he assures me.

I give a curt nod and turn back toward the wall. I wave my hand in that direction. “Okay, tell me what I need to know.”

He pulls a small handgun off the wall, and I recognize it immediately. The sight of it has me thinking about the day before the storm rolled in. Hutch had asked, out of the blue, if I had ever fired a gun. I shook my head even though Dad had tried to take me to the gun range more than once while I was growing up.

After Hutch helped me get all bundled up, he led me toward the back end of the clearing around the cabin. I didn’t know what was happening until he pulled a handgun out and went over gun safety before showing me his the middle of nowhere gun range set-up. Even though I was nervous when it came time to shoot, the way Hutch walked me through everything put me at ease.

He didn’t rush me and didn’t make fun of me when my first few shots were wildly off target. I won’t be labeled as a sharpshooter anytime soon, but I was able to hit the target by the time we were done.

“This one should look familiar,” Hutch teases and I smile up at him.

“It does,” I whisper.

My gaze travels around the room and I take it all in while looking through it in a new way. I could be trapped here for an unknown amount of time if Hutch thinks this will be the safestplace for me. There is not a single part of me that wants to be trapped in here.

I’m barely aware of Hutch putting the gun back in place and closing the hatch on the wall. This room is so small even though it’s been decked out as comfortable as it could be. The futon against one wall has just enough room to lay out flat.

Will I have to sleep in here? Will I have to eat in here? I know there is a cache of food and water, but I don’t want to be in here so long that I need to use any of it.

“Fallon,” Hutch’s voice sounds like it’s far away. “Hey,” he barks as his large hands cup my face and tilt my head back.

As I blink a few times, he comes into focus. When I do, I realize that air is sawing in and out of my lungs. The concern in the hazel eyes of the man who has vowed to stand between me and danger has my shoulders relaxing slightly.

“You’re okay, Beautiful,” he murmurs softly. “I’ve got you.”

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