Page 55 of Saved by my Baby Daddy Spy
Frustration intensified within me. "That's always your excuse, Holden. 'Last-minute situations.' You disappeared all night, and I'm left here, wondering if you're okay."
He took a step closer, reaching for my hand. "Hannah, you know I do all of this for us, for Kerri. I can't risk involving you in my work."
I pulled away, the tension escalating. "It's not just about me. It's about us. You're never present, Holden. When you are here, your mind is always somewhere else, dealing with who knows what. How can we have a family when you're not even here for us?"
Holden's jaw tightened, the struggle evident in his eyes. "I'm doing this to keep you safe. You don't understand the dangers I face. If I involve you, it puts you at risk."
My frustration boiled over. "Don't use that as an excuse. We're your family, Holden. We're supposed to face things together. Keeping secrets and shutting me out is not protecting us; it's tearing us apart."
He rubbed his temples, the lines on his forehead deepening. "I know, Hannah. I just... I can't lose you or Kerri. I've seen things, been through things. I can't let that darkness touch our lives."
Tears welled up in my eyes. "But you're letting the darkness in by pushing us away. I need you to be present, to share your burdens with me. I can handle it, Holden, but I can't handle being shut out."
His shoulders sagged, torn between the duty that drove him and the love that anchored him. "I want to protect you, Hannah. I want to give Kerri a normal life, away from all of this."
My voice softened, anger dissipating into a poignant plea. "Holden, I don't need you to protect me by keeping me in the dark. I need you to protect me by being here, by facing the challenges with me. I can handle more than you think."
He sighed, realizing the truth in my words. "I'm just scared, Hannah. Scared of losing what I love the most."
I stepped closer, reaching up to cup his face. "You won't lose us by sharing your struggles. You'll lose us by keeping us at arm's length. Trust me enough to let me in, Holden."
Silence hung in the air, heavy with unspoken fears and unshed tears. Holden pulled me into a tight embrace, as if holding onto me could anchor him in the storm of emotions.
"I love you, Hannah," he whispered against my hair. "I'll figure this out. For us."
I nestled against him, my fingers tracing soothing patterns on his back. “I love you too Holden. Just promise me, no more disappearing acts without a word. We're a team, remember?"
Holden nodded, the weight of his secrets suddenly feeling lighter with the realization that he didn't have to carry them alone. In the warmth of our shared embrace, the intricacies of love and trust began to weave a path toward healing. I held onto the hope that our family could weather any storm as long as we faced it together.
“So, I thought of a way to make it up to you and Kerri,” he said.
“I’m all ears,” I say as I raise an eyebrow.
“Let’s go on a vacation,” he says with a wide smile.
“What?”
“How about a different place, a cabin, a private jet? Somewhere all three of us can relax.”
“How about your business?” I shoot him a stern look.
“I need to spend quality time with my family, and I need to show you that you and Kerri come first,” he says sheepishly.
“Alright, when are we going?” I ask excitedly.
Chapter Twenty
Holden
“We’regoingtohavea great time at the cabin,” I say as Hannah looks out the window of the Gould private jet. She glances down at the mountains beneath us. “I really think that it will be good for us all to get away as a family together.”
When she looks at me, guilt starts to tear me to shreds yet again. I really do want to spend time as a family, but the main reason for this vacation is to get all of us to a safer place, out of town. My security team will track down Ludwig while we’re away.
“Yeah,” Hannah says as she gets up and goes to check on Kerri in the bedroom.
I thought also that it would be good to get some time away together. We could reconnect as a family at a cabin in the woods.
As the door shuts behind her, I wonder if this trip is going to actually be the end of us. I know that I’ve been doing a horrible job of keeping my promises to her. Another wave of guilt crashes over me.
