Page 38 of Guarding the Singer

Selene blew out a breath and nodded at Cooper. "What was it about the damage in my trailer that made you decide that this... That you needed to bring in help?"

William felt a painful knot in his chest when he heard her question.

She'd seen damage in the trailer.

Before he could think to hold back the words, he asked her his own question. "How much did you see of the damage?"

"I opened the door and got up inside, but that's when I saw some of the damage." She shuddered. "I smelled it, too. There was something rotting inside the trailer. The smell... it nearly made me sick. The cushions on the bench seat were torn up. My copy of the script that I'd left behind had been torn to pieces. The door to the bathroom was open, just a hint of open.

"I didn't go and look behind the door. I think I was scared of what I'd find if I went back there. And honestly?" Her shoulders tightened. "I didn't know if there was anyone in there. I was already feeling like my private space was violated, I wasn't about to open that door and see."

Selene turned her head to look at him and he was once again fixed on her beautiful face, but it was so much more than that. There was something abouther that was hooked deep inside him, and he felt he could see layers and layers of her personality.

She was incredible.

Gorgeous. Talented. Crazy smart. And just brave.

She was facing this like...

Hell, he didn't have a word for it.

He'd never been so proud of anyone before.

He held out his hand and she took it. William cupped his free hand around her hand, cradling her hand in both of his. "That was a good thing, Selene. You didn't want to get trapped in there. You left and got help. That was good thinking."

She looked at him and he saw the haunted look in her eyes. "That's the thing. I wasn't thinking, not in a strategic way. I was afraid and I ran."

William stood up, drawing her along with him and moved out of the room to the landing outside of the library. He didn't stop until they were somewhere near a light. When he found it, he stepped in front of her and looked down into her face. "Selene."

She reacted to the sound of her name on his lips.

Her eyes sparkled with tears, and he felt her shudder with his arm around her back. "There's time to run." She smiled and forced a laugh. "You don't have to be here for this." She looked down, shaking her head. "What have I done to deserve this?"

"Hey."

William moved the arm he had around her, easing his hold on her. His free hand lifted up and with thepad of his thumb he wiped at the tears welling up on her lashes.

"I need you to listen to me."

He waited until she looked right into his eyes and pulled a quick breath in through her lips.

He smiled at her. "That's good."

"You're acting like running is a bad thing, Selene. That's a survival instinct. Nothing is wrong with that. Police often talk about feeling things 'in their gut.' As a soldier I've heard more than my share of people I worked with talking about the hairs on the backs of their necks standing up, or a hunch that paid off. It's like having a Spidey sense. You looked in your trailer and you said that something wasn't right.

"And you left. That was survival instinct."

He wasn't sure he was getting through to her.

"Have you seen that commercial about those kids hiding behind a curtain of chainsaws and the killer shaking his head?"

The corner of her mouth crooked up. "Yeah. I've seen that."

He chuckled softly. "Or when you watch a slasher film and you're almost yelling at the screen for them not to be an idiot and walk into the dark room where they heard a noise?"

She shuddered again, but this time there was a light in her eyes. "Oh, that gets me so upset."

"Well, you were not that person, Selene. You sawthe damage and you went and got help. You have that instinct that protected you."

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