Page 65 of Silver Sanctuary
“That is the very least I can do for my wife. The very, very least.”
“I’m still going to be your wife?” Her small, emotionless laugh had Nash’s stomach cramping.
“Of course you are. This doesn’t change how I feel aboutyou. What I want for our future… for Embrie’s future. If anything, it makes me think we need to tell everyone to meet us at the courthouse this afternoon so we can just make it official.”
“But you haven’t heard the rest.”
“Then tell me? Please. I won’t lose my cool again. And I promise, baby, it’s not going to change how I feel about you.”
“Give me one s-second.” She sniffled, dropping his hand as she turned back to the truck. A minute later she was returning with a bottle of water. “I don’t have anything to wrap your knuckles in, but I can at least flush out the small bits of bark you have stuck in there.”
“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that. I’m not… I’m not a hot head, Lace. I just hate knowing you were hurt like that—violated that way. I would never… You and Embrie are safe with me. Always.”
“I know,” she whispered, bringing her lips down to his hand where she pressed a kiss just below his torn and tattered skin. “Stone will need to look at this, maybe even Jake.”
“Doc can wrap it for me. We should… I don’t want to force you into doing anything you don’t want to, but we need to bring my team in on this. They’ll be able to help me keep you safe. Sebastian will have resources we can use to figure this all out.”
“They’re going to hate me. I lied to everyone. I’m exactly what this town says I am, Nash. I don’t know if I can sit there and watch them all realize that.”
“Stop. They would never…” Her eyes dropped to the ground. “No, beautiful, look at me. You are so strong. You survived a life that has been so horrible to you.” His voice wavered, but he cleared his throat and kept going. “They are going to want to help. Do you trust me enough to believe me on that? Do you trust that I know my team, my friends, my brothers, enough to know that they will see you how I do?”
She bit the corner of her lip, and nodded. “I can’t lose Embrie.”
“You’re not losing anyone. You don’t have to tell me any more right now. Let’s go back to town. We’ll figure this out together, as a family.”
Twenty
Was it possible for a heart to beat so fast that it could explode? Because with the way Lacy’s own heart fluttered in her chest as they walked through Montgomery Defense, she feared the possibility was actually more of an inevitability. As much as she feared Nash’s reaction, he’d responded to everything she told him with nothing but support. It wouldn’t be the same with his friends, though. She hadn’t told them the truth… and she knew that broken trust was not easily repaired.
“All right, we’re all here. Why the disappearing act and then the message to get our asses down here, Wings?” Stone grumbled as Nash led Lacy into the conference room.
“You didn’t knock her up before the wedding, did you?” Hawk chuckled. “You guys haven’t even been on a honeymoon yet.”
“Sit.” Nash’s booming voice jolted Lacy into action. Their ride back into town had been quiet. Not uncomfortable, just heavy with worry. His hand never left her thigh, gently squeezing any time she forgot to breathe, tracing nonsensicalpatterns over her thigh with his thumb when the silent tears rolled down her face. But with Nash’s barked command silencing the room, Lacy felt herself slipping down into a seat before he could pull it away from the table for her.
“I didn’t mean you—you’re not in trouble, baby. I want them to know what’s going on so we can all figure out the next step to keep you and Embrie safe, okay?”
His whispered words were meant to soothe her, but all they did was spread the heavy weight in her stomach.Relive it one more time, Lacy. Trust that they’ll be able to help.
She found Gunner’s eyes. “Is Embrie okay? I’m sorry I just left her with Lily and ran.”
“She’s fine,” he answered, not a single emotion readable on his face. “I think it’s time you tell us what the hell is actually going on here.”
Lacy struggled to get the words out, to pick a starting point. After what felt like an eternity with all the eyes in the room stuck on her, she just started regurgitating the information she’d dumped on Nash at the lake. Not even a minute in, and she’d stopped looking around the table, her sole focus the steely blue eyes that she’d found an ocean of comfort in so many times before.
When she finally got to the point of telling the men about Adam, and the moment she stabbed him, Nash pulled her chair so close that their knees bumped into each other’s. His hands framed her face, so warm and tender that the tears she’d been fighting fell freely down her face.
“Lacy, you did what you had to—you kept her safe. I hate what you had to go through, that you were still carrying all that around on your shoulders by yourself. But now I know, and I’ll carry it for you. I’ll carry it for the both of you.”
“I can’t ask you to do that, Nash, because you know that’s not everything.”
“You aren’t asking me to do it. I’m doing it because I love you, and I love Embrie.”
Her lip quivered. “You…”
“I love you, Lace. I fucking knew the minute I saw you standing behind the counter at Petals the first time I walked in there that I was never going to be able to stay away from you. And boy, was I right. You’re everything I love about life. You’re funny, kind, protective of Brie. You’re the best friend I never knew was missing from my life. I’m fucking proud of you. I’m proud to know you defended yourself against that fucker who was abusing you.”
The warmth that flooded her body as his words washed over her was short-lived. Lacy bit down on her bottom lip, shaking her head back and forth. “I stabbed him. He… I knew I killed him and I was relieved.”
