Page 48 of Hero Unbound

“Yes.”

“What we were talking about in the barn the other day still stands. There are people here you can talk to. Me. Becky. Professionals. I won’t pretend to know what your situation was and is now, but I know that having support makes a lot of difference. I learned that the hard way.”

Her brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Not the same as your situation, of course, but when I was younger, my sister Savannah and I lost our family. We were trying to live on our own in the wilderness.”

“I didn’t know that. I knew Dorian and Ray adopted you guys, but I didn’t know anything about you living in the wilderness.”

He stepped forward.He hadn’t gotten nearly as wet as she had, but he’d taken off his jacket and was now in just his sweatpants and T-shirt. He held out his arm. “Rememberhow we were comparing scars last week? I got mine trying to skin a rabbit. I cut myself pretty badly, it got infected, and I nearly died.”

“What?” She couldn’t stop herself; shereached outand touched the scar marring the skin on his muscular forearm. Theo wasn’t prone to exaggeration. If he said he’d almost died, it had happened.

“I had to trust Dorian and Ray. It was hard—I didn’t know them well at the time. I was concerned for Savannah’s safety. But in the end, it was the best decision I ever made. Savannah and I became their kids, and I even got another pain-in-the-ass sister out of it—Amari. We’re all a family, even if we’re not related by blood.”

She stroked her thumb along the long patch of puckered skin. “I’m glad you trusted Ray and Dorian.”

His hand covered hers. “Trust can be hard, especially when your trust has been broken in ways like yours has.”

She blinked up at him. “How do you know my trust was broken?”

“Typical abuse or not, I know that anyone who would hurt those dogs you love so much violated your trust in a huge way.”

She dropped her head. She had to tell Theo the rest. “He said he didn’t do it. That they were playing and hurt each other.”

Gareth had gone to multiple vets and shown her the reports, all of which said Sugar’s and Spice’s injuries were consistent with two dogs who’d gotten tangled up with each other and fallen down some stairs. Eva had even looked at the X-rays herself and had to conclude it was possible.

But she knew the dogs, knew that sort of aggressive play was not in their nature. And once she saw how terrified they both were of Gareth, she’d known he’d done it.

He’d even suggested to one of the vets that if Eva had done a better job keeping an eye on the dogs, this wouldn’t have happened. He’d successfully disarmed any attempt she would’ve made to accuse him of hurting the animals.

“Do you think that’s what happened? That they hurt themselves goofing around?”

“No.” There were so many things she wasn’t sure of, but that wasn’t one of them.

Gareth had gone too far. She might have continued to allow him to convince her she was forgetful or clumsy or downright crazy when it came to herself and things that happened to her. But when it came to the dogs, she’d known it was his fault.

“You took them and you left. You did the right thing.”

His hand was still covering hers on his arm. “I did. I love them and don’t want anyone to hurt them. Including me. I shouldn’t have gone out in the storm.”

He let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. “I’m glad you’re okay. I’m glad you’re here now.”

She was too. Not just because the storm was still raging outside. She was glad to be here with Theo. To be in his arms.

And she wanted more. She wanted a night where the demons of her past let her out of their shredding grip. Wanted a night where she could let loose this passion inside her while still knowing she was safe.

She wasn’t sure about a lot of things, but she was sure Theo Lindstrom wouldn’t hurt her.

She swallowed her nerves and eased back from his chest. The small smile he gave her as their eyes met made it easier.

“Does the offer you made to an intoxicated woman the other night still stand now that we’re both sober? Especially after I dragged you out of your warm, dry house in the middle of the night and made you risk your life to get me and my dogs out of a monsoon?”

She wouldn’t blame him if the answer was no.

But his smile morphed into a sexy grin that had heat flooding through her whole body. “I might need you to be a little more specific.”

Eva could feel her face burning. She couldn’t possibly get the same words out now as she had when she’d been drinking.

---