Page 96 of Untamed

“Get some rest. I’ll be back soon, baby,” Colter murmurs, brushing his lips against mine before he pulls away.

The sound of the door closing is the last thing I hear, before I snuggle into the pillow, and let sleep take over.

My eyes flutter open at the sound of a phone ringing.

Groaning, I roll over, reaching out to my nightstand to shut the damn thing off. But my hand hits nothing but air. Frowning, I push myself up into a sitting position, confusion setting in as I take in the unfamiliar room.

For a split second, panic shoots through me, my heart racing, before everything that’s happened comes rushing back, each moment hitting me like a ton of bricks. My head snaps to the side, and I exhale in relief when I see Colter fast asleep beside me, his arm slung over my hips.

The ringing stops abruptly and that’s when I realize it’s Colter’s phone. Mine got lost somewhere in the chaos and I have no idea where it ended up.

“Colter?” I murmur, pushing against his chest.

He groans in his sleep, his arm tightening around me. “What?”

Despite everything, I can’t help but smile at how grumpy he sounds. “Your phone,” I say, just as it rings again.

“I’m gonna break the fucking thing,” he grumbles, rolling over and snatching it off the nightstand. His eyes flick to the screen, before landing on me. He clears his throat.

“It’s your dad.”

My stomach twists with nerves, and I bite my lip anxiously. We could ignore the call, but something tells me he won’t stop calling and it’s better to just get it over with. Sighing, I take the phone from Colter, swiping my finger across to answer and bringing it to my ear. “Hello?”

“Mila?”

“Yeah. It’s me,” I whisper, glancing at Colter.

“Right. Okay.” Dad clears his throat, but he sounds off and I can already tell I won’t like what he says next. “Your mother gets into town in three days. We’ll both expect you home by then.”

My eyes widen in disbelief. “What? You called Mom?” I ask, incredulous.

“Yes. Now get home by then. I won’t ask again.” His tone is firm, leaving no room for argument before he ends the call.

I drop the phone to the bed, nausea rising in my stomach. “Jesus Christ.”

Colter moves quickly, gathering me up in his arms and pulling me onto his lap. “What’s wrong?”

I swallow and take a calming breath. “Dad called my mom. She’ll be in town in three days.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Colter asks, his hand stroking my hair from my face.

I shrug, unsure. “I don’t know. I mean, Mom is more chilled than Dad. I’m hoping she’ll have my back on this, but I just don’t know what he’s filled her mind with when they talked.”

Colter exhales, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Whatever happens, I’ll be right there with you. Fighting for you. Fighting for us.” I snuggle into him, hoping he doesn’t see the worry on my face. As much as I love that he’s ready to stand by me, I’m not sure what kind of war we’re about to walk into. “But,” he adds cautiously, and I immediately tense. “We need to talk about the things your father said about me. Then, if you still want to be with me, we can get on the road and head back to Montana.”

Chapter Fifty-Eight

COLTER

Mila pushes up, her eyes curious as she looks at me. She licks her lips, blinks, swallows, and my heart pounds against my rib cage.

“Nothing you say will change how I feel about you. You’re a good man, Colter,” she says softly.

My eyes squeeze shut, chest tightening. This woman. She is so damn good. Pure. Innocent. She’s my light in the darkness that threatened to pull me under. But there she was, shining so bright and dragging me from the pits of hell.

“Colter?” she says tentatively, her small hands coming to my chest.

My eyes snap open, locking with hers. She watches me cautiously, waiting for me to speak. Exhaling, I mull over what to say, where to start. I don’t want any secrets between us, but I also don’t want her to look at me differently, with disgust, like I’m a monster. She deserves the truth, though. More than anyone, Mila needs to know the truth.

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