Page 67 of What Lies Within

Rae eases my T-shirt over her head to right the massive fit, cloaking her body from view. “It makes me nervous, Tyke. If your brother—Fox—did this to get at you, it makes me worried you’re walking into the center of the target by going after him.”

“Baby girl.” He smiles, crossing the floor to chuck her under the chin. “Looked after myself this long. Don’t start worrying about me now.”

“I always worry about the people I love.”

He stills at the admission.

She senses his shock, glancing at me and then lunging for her shorts as a distraction. "What?"

“It’s okay.” Tyke softens, taking her by the wrist to still her frantic movements. “I said it earlier, and I meant it. I just figured you were a little further away than us, is all.”

She smiles, ducking her chin to hide it. "I've got to stop lying to myself, right?" Rae squares up to Tyke with such honesty andvulnerability in her gaze that I let loose a breath I hadn't realized I’d held on to.

He jerks her to her feet, shorts falling to the floor, and presses his mouth against hers. “You’llbe the fuckin' death of me, woman." His large hand cups her mound, fingers pressing against where her panties lie soaked between her legs. "Now get." He gently pushes her back. "Go have that damn shower and check on my girl for me, yeah?"

“Of course.” Rae ducks to grab her shorts again, bundling them in her hold and opting to use my T-shirt as a cover for her lack of pants. Her gaze falls on me as she turns for the door. “Thank you.”

“What for?” I rise to my feet. Tower over her where she stands and fucking swell with bullshit masculine pride at being so much bigger than her.

Her protector.

"For loving me when I can't." Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, yet she swallows several times and breathes the emotion away. "I don't think I can ever show you how much it means to me."

“Pretty sure you’re doin’ a good job of tryin’, baby girl.” Tyke wraps his hand around the back of her neck, bunching her hair in his hold. "And I promise I won't ever tire of lettin' you do that." He sets a kiss on her forehead and then releases her.

“Come on.” I hold out my hand. “Let me get you through the common room without any fucker seein’ the state you’re in.”

Her eyes shoot wide. “How bad do I look?”

“Oh, honey.” Tyke chuckles, walking away to retrieve his bike key. “You don’t look bad. Not at all.”

“You look as though you’ve been thoroughly loved.” I give her a wink and snag her fingers in mine. “And if you keep starin’ up at me all innocent of how fuckin’ enticing that is, I can promise you won’t walk out of here with straight legs, baby girl.”

Tyke chuckles, passing us when I tug Rae to follow me toward the door. “Come on. I’ll create a distraction for you fuckers.”

The whole goddamn world could burn down outside that door, and all I'd ever need is in here, these four walls. It fucking blows my mind—how in the middle of chaos, we find peace.

Acceptance.

A promise of a brighter future.

Fuck it all—if that ain’t proof of the power of love, then fucked if I know what is.

27

RAE

I twist the damp ends of my hair over one shoulder and take a moment to study the oddly serene scene before me. Jamie sits on the side of the bed and scrolls her phone; her legs kick out beside Maddie, back against the headboard. My best friend stares at the midnight blue wall before her, jaw twitching occasionally, eyebrows shifting into a peak as though the thoughts flicking through her mind physically pain her. I find comfort in those little expressions, the proof that she's still in there, wherever the shock has taken her.

“Oh, hey.” Jamie slides her legs off the bed, setting her phone on Tyke’s nightstand. “Didn’t hear you come in.”

“She said anything?”

Jamie shakes her head, gaze sliding to Maddie as she does. “Makes a little whimper type of sound every so often, but I can’t get her out of it.”

“Shit.” I cross the floor and crawl onto the bed before her—my best friend. The woman who saved my fucking life. “I’m sorry, babe.” I say the same thing I did when I stopped in after I cleaned up earlier. Before Tyke mistook me being away from her as a sign I’d never come. “I’m sorry you had to do it.”

It should have been me. A piece of me that I’ve only just come to understand wishes ithadbeen me.

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