rself. For as long as she could remember, she had fought her battles entirely alone. She was so

ospital politics, Julian's cruelty, and Jeb's en

th, defeated. "What do you

ession softening almost

him, sure she ha

ike a dark, fiercely protective guardian. His voice was steady and calm, as if he were discussing the weat

e up in her throat. "You're insan

g your problems can't wait. This is

rrifyingly practical. As his wife, s

a coherent refusal, th

l of them bigger and meaner-looking thugs he must have just scraped together. He was holding an

at Cade, his voice cracking with a mix of pain and

e diner screamed. The waitr

d. She grabbed Cade's a

eassuring squeeze. "Stay behind me," he murmured, his broad shoulders instantly forming an imp

ther. With a pathetic yell, he swung t

to watch. He sidestepped the blow, grabbed the bat mid-swin

he brought the bat dow

ched, girlish scream of agony. Jeb collapsed into a puddle of his

wide with shock and fear at the pure,

osely in his hand. "All at once," he said, hi

and their courage evaporated. They dropped their own makes

etic mess of tears and snot. He tapped the cold metal of the bat

e and returned to the booth

utal, efficient violence she had just witnessed. But a larger, mor

way possible, shielded her from harm. For the first t

ee. "Now," he said, his voice even. "Abo

was Jeb Fields. She knew, with absolute certainty, that if she

ety and the undeniable magnetic pull between them, sh

"Okay," she whispered, her vo

ble and took her hand, his thumb slowly tracing the sensitive skin of her inner wris