Page 99 of Keep Me Safe

“It was a fourteen-year-old girl. Her parents filed charges against him,” he explains.

She takes a couple of deep breaths, her hand shaking as she tries to hold the phone.

“Thank you for telling me,” she says, her voice cracking.

She hangs up the call, and her eyes, filled with tears, meet mine. Without a second thought, I pull her into me, running my fingers through her hair.

“Talk to me, princess. What happened?” I ask as I move my hands to her back.

Her jaw clenches as she looks at me, a mixture of emotions swimming in those brown eyes.

“They arrested him. Zach. He raped another girl,” she explains as the tears flow freely down her face. “She was only fourteen.”

My grip tightens around her. I should have killed him. She wipes her tears, frustration creeping onto her face.

“I should have tried harder. I should have fought that detective. Then he might not have been able to hurt that girl.”

“Kira, don’t blame yourself for this. None of this was your fault. It’s not your responsibility to protect the public from that asshole,” I tell her, needing her to hear me.

“It’s not your fault,” I repeat.

She nods into my chest, taking a moment before looking up at me. She’s so beautiful, even like this.

“You’re right. I won’t let him have that power over me again.” She sniffles, and I wipe the tear that falls.

“That’s my girl.”

She smiles up at me, and my heart melts. She is so resilient. So strong.

“Well, how was your day?” she chuckles through her tears.

I eye her, and she knows exactly what I’m thinking.

“I will be okay, I promise. I just don’t want to think about that right now.”

“Well, it wasn’t too bad considering you’re looking at the new fire commissioner,” I say, finally feeling the pride that comes with that statement.

I still don’t entirely feel like I deserve it. Al is a fantastic boss,and there’s no way I can compare to him, but I am confident I will do everything possible to be a good leader to our crew. For the first time in a long time, I’m moving forward instead of staying stagnant.

“That’s amazing, Noah,” Kira squeals, her face lighting up.

The admiration in her eyes almost brings me to my knees. I run my thumb over her lips, comprehending just how lucky I am. Unable to resist, I press my mouth to hers. Her lips are soft, and the kiss is slow. I grip her jaw with my hand, kissing her harder. Her hand comes up to my chest, pushing me back.

“We need to celebrate. Let’s go out to dinner tonight,” she breathes.

I groan, mourning the loss of her kiss. I would much rather stay in. I can think of plenty of ways to celebrate with only the two of us, but something in her eyes catches my attention.

“If you don’t want to, I get it. People might judge,” she says.

Does she think I don’t want to be seen with her? If so, she’s crazy. I grab her chin, forcing her to look at me.

“I would love to get dinner with you,” I tell her. “Now go put on one of those little dresses and meet me downstairs in fifteen.”

A blush creeps onto her cheeks, and she nods.

chapter thirty-one

kira

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