Chapter 12

He tried to deny the thought that persisted in his mind but the tortured, defeated look in her eyes made it scream louder in his head. He wanted to shout, throw something and punch, no, pummel the man responsible for her pain until he was nothing but a bloody pulp. He wanted to tear him apart and cause him more pain than he’d caused Loraine. Hell, he too was in pain just watching her suffer.

“What do you need from me?” he’d asked, hoping there was some way he could take her pain away, even if it was for the night.

She’d crawled toward him and he’d tensed, watching her, keeping his body still. She climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his torso. All she wanted was to be held and so he did, holding her tight against him. When she barreled into him, he held her tighter rocking from side to side until he felt her go limp and her breathing became shallow. He put her in bed, intending to sleep on the chaise beside the window but she moved into him when he laid her down, holding t