Page 74 of Hidden Memories

It’s barely a whisper, but it guts me all the same.

I reach across the table, covering her hand with mine. Even through the thick sleeve of her sweater, I feel the electricity, the magnetism, the thing that’s never stopped drawing me to her. “Whatever you need, I got you.”

She’s resolute. “I want to do this on my own.”

“That’s what friends are for, Kat. You’d do it for someone if you could.” I meet her gaze, holding it steady. “Besides, what am I going to spend my money on if not the people I care about?”

Her eyes search mine like she’s looking for a loophole, a reason to argue. But she knows me. Knows that all I’ve ever cared about is my family, my horses, and the land under my boots. That I’d give my last damn dollar if it meant making someone I love breathe a little easier.

Her voice is quiet. “Why didn’t you ever find someone?”

The question lingers in the air between us.

I don’t hesitate. “For the same reason you settled for Nic.”

Her lips part slightly, but no words come out.

I spoke the truth but it’s dangerous. Because even if I wanted to let myself reach for her, something is standing in the way now. Owen. I can’t risk my application; can’t risk the life I’ve promised to build for him. The agency is already combing through every part of my life. The last thing I need is any question about where my priorities lie.

The tension between us crackles, heavy and suffocating. If I were any other man, I’d take her face in my hands and kiss her. I’d prove to her that there was never a moment inthe last thirteen years that she wasn’t mine. But I can’t. Because she deserves more than that. More than a moment. More than history repeating itself.

I shift the conversation back to what matters. “These break-ins… can you think of any reason why someone might be after you?”

She exhales sharply. “I’ve been racking my brain since the farmhouse. But maybe… maybe Nic was doing shady business. Maybe there were other people involved.”

I tense. “But why would they come after you?”

Her fingers tap absently against her mug. “I don’t know. I mean, my assets are frozen. All I have is Theo and some clothes. I don’t have anything anyone else would want…”

She stills.

“What?” I push.

She furrows her brows. “Maybe I do have something. After Nic died, like people often do, I ransacked the house and went through all his things. There was a loose floorboard under his desk and that’s where I found a locked box. It took me hours to find the key, but when I did… there were flash drives. And pictures. Of a woman.”

A sick feeling slithers through my gut. “A woman?”

She nods. “An older woman. A collection of photos of her through the years. And three flash drives.”

I sit up straighter. “And you didn’t think this was important before?”

She starts to explain, “It appeared to be a family member or something, which was strange because…"

Just then, Theo’s cries pierce the quiet.

Kat bolts upright. “Theo!”

I’m already moving, taking the stairs two at a time, her frantic footsteps behind me. His cries grow louder, raw, andpanicked. I push into the room just as Kat drops beside him, smoothing his hair, whispering soft reassurances.

I watch her take him into her embrace, rock him gently, her breath shaky. And in that moment, something inside me solidifies.

I won’t let anything else happen to them. No matter what it takes.

Nothing will ever touch them while I’m still breathing.

Chapter Eighteen

PRESENT

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