Page 11 of Awakening the Wild
"Tonya." Kevin's voice was gentle but firm. "Look at me."
I raised my eyes to meet his, and what I saw there stole my breath. Not pity or concern, but cold, deadly purpose.
"He's not taking you anywhere," Kevin said quietly. "You're under my protection now."
Protection. The word sent a shiver through me that had nothing to do with fear.
"You don't understand," I whispered. "Michael always gets what he wants. He has money, connections, private security."
"I don't give a damn what he has." Kevin stepped closer, and I could feel the controlled violence radiating from his massive frame. "He's not taking you, if you don’t want to go."
The certainty in his voice made the tightness in my chest loosen and I felt like I could breathe again.
"Let’s get you settled into the cottage," Kevin said. "Then we'll deal with your ex."
Deal with him. Like Michael was just another problem to be solved, not the controlling force that had dominated my life for two years.
Maybe, with Kevin standing between me and my past, he was.
Chapter 3
Kevin
The cottage was worse than I'd expected.
We stood in what used to be the front yard, staring at what became of Mary Lorenzo's home. The roof had partially collapsed, and I remembered that Mary had mentioned that she wanted to have the roof looked at the last time I'd seen her alive. A broken window gaped like an empty eye socket, and vines had overgrown through the front yard, slowly reclaiming it for the forest.
"Oh no," Tonya said, standing horrified beside me. "It's completely destroyed."
Not destroyed. Abandoned. Left to deteriorate because an old woman couldn't afford repairs and had no family to help her. Just like Tonya had been abandoned by the people who should have protected her from controlling bastards like Michael.
"The foundation's solid," I said, walking around the perimeter. I'd helped Mary shore it up five years ago when the frost heaves had shifted the stones. "The repairs will be extensive, but the house is salvageable. The first order of business is the roof."
"It’ll cost a fortune to fix." Her voice was hollow, defeated.
I watched her dreams crumble in real time, saw the hope drain from her face as she realized her inheritance wasn't the fresh start she'd planned. Her escape route, her chance at independence had been reduced to a pile of wood and broken glass.
But I saw something else. I saw potential. I saw a project that would keep her here, on my mountain, for months. Maybe longer.
"Not if you do most of the work yourself," I said. "Materials aren't that expensive if you're not paying labor costs."
She looked at me like I'd suggested she build a rocket ship. "I can't rebuild a house. I can barely make breakfast without burning it."
"You can learn. I can teach you." The words came out before I'd fully thought them through, but as soon as I said them, I knew they were right. "You could stay with me while we fix it up. Take your time, do it right."
"I couldn't ask that of you.”
"You're not asking. I'm offering." I stepped closer, close enough to smell the vanilla scent of her shampoo mixed with the crisp mountain air. "I liked Mary. This would honor her memory."
And keep Tonya here, where I could protect her. Where I could slowly, carefully claim every inch of her until she never wanted to leave.
"For how long?"
Forever.The thought hit me with startling intensity. I wanted to rebuild that cottage with her, wanted to teach her how to use my tools, wanted to watch her gain confidence with every board we replaced. Wanted to see her belly grow round with my children while we worked side by side.
"Eight to ten months, minimum if we improve it instead of just restore it," I said instead. "Longer if we hit permit delays or bad weather. And that's also assuming we do most of the work ourselves."
She studied my face, her beautiful eyes searching for something. "Why would you do that? Help me rebuild it?"
