Page 22 of Her Demanding Biker
“Of what?”
“He didn’t say. He showed me a stack of papers. Evidence. He had a friend come over, too. Military Police.”
“Paxton.”
The name was suddenly there between us.
“You know him?”
Arylis nodded, her eyes a little too wide and her skin was suddenly too pale for my peace of mind.
“I knew him as Lieutenant Paxton. He came byevery few weeks.My dad would stay up late with him drinking.”
Her eyes lowered so he couldn’t see them.
“He always made me feel… off. Uncomfortable.”
I was reading her body language, and I didn’t fucking like what I was seeing.
Not one fucking bit.
I lifted my hand and reached out for her but stopped when she flinched.
“Did he hurt you?”
She stared and looked at me in horror. “No. No, he never came close to me, he just… looked at me. It was enough…”
So much I didn’t know.
“I left because I thought I was protecting you.”
I watched her, wanting to wrap my arms around her.
“Maybe I was a coward, but I-”
“You were right.”
I heard the words, but I couldn’t really believe them.
Over the years I’d thought about things over and over. I’d wondered if I’d made the wrong decision.
And then I’d wondered if she could ever forgive me.
Part of me thought I’d finally gotten my head knocked in and I was living in a delusional dream.
“You’re different now.”
I felt her hand on my arm, and I looked down to see it.
Her skin was more golden than pale now.
Her fingernails just as short as they always were but she had them painted with color.
“I hope that’s a compliment.”
I felt the words fall flat.
Humor had never been my strong suit.
