I blinked, and reality seemed to return. I wasn’t trapped back there. I was in Dax’s truck. I realized he’d pulled off the road. I hadn’t even felt the truck stop.
Dax’s hands were shaking where he still clutched the steering wheel.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I wish I could kill Rob. I wish I could hurt him. I wish I could do every goddamn torturous thing I’ve ever done to anyone to him.”
“It’s okay. It’s over.”
“When Jean-Charles said he wanted to take you back, he… I’m going to find LePlatt, and I am going to end him, and everyone associated with him, and everyone who’s even thought about touching you or harming you or—”
“Dax, really, it’s okay. I just want to be with you.”
He started to speak and then stopped. A moment passed, and he took a slow, steady breath. “What happened next?”
“Jean-Charles shot Rob and left him to die. After he was gone, I ran. Rob begged me to save him. I should’ve shot him again and made sure he was dead, but all I could think about was getting away. He found me a few weeks later. He hadn’t died after all. Somehow he’d managed to drag himself to his phone and get some help from some of the other fools he’d manipulated. I thought he was going to kill me.”
“And that was when he dropped you off in the bayou and told you he never wanted to see you again?”
I nodded.
“Is that the worst of it, or is there more?”
“There are plenty of other ugly things, plenty of times he hurt me, but that one scared me the most. I didn’t think I was going to come out of that alive.”
“Jesus, baby, I wish I’d been there.”
I’d tried to hold back, but I started to cry. “I wish you had too.”
Dax cupped my face and kissed me. His lips were gentle. There was no force, no demand. It was all about soothing and comfort.
I kept crying, and he pulled me against him. I clung to him as I let out all the emotion I’d been holding inside.
When no more tears would come, I sat back and wiped at my eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to take so long.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re just giving Ambrose more time to see my message. We’ll stay here as long as you need to.”
“Thank you for listening.”
“You’re welcome, baby.” Dax dried my cheeks with his thumbs. “Does Beau have any idea how bad things were for you?”
“Maybe after we talked last night he can guess, but you’re the only person I’ve ever told about that night.”
“I would never share anything you told me. Whether or not you tell him is totally up to you. There’s no reason Beau needs to know unless you need to talk about it more.”
“I didn’t think I needed to talk about it all, but actually…” I paused to take a deep breath. I was shocked by how much lighter my body felt having been purged of that awful night. “I feel better.”
“I’m glad. I’ll listen anytime to anything you want to tell me.”
“Same for me.”
Dax shook his head. “Oh God no. You don’t want to hear the details. You don’t want to know about how I became what I am.”
“Dax, I’m here for you just as much as you’re here for me. I will listen to anything you need to tell me.”
“But you’re… you’re squeamish and—”
“I’ll get past it. I’ll be strong for you.”
“You are strong, Travis. So damn strong.”
“I’m trying.”
“Are you up for this?” he asked.
“For getting shot at by your brother then told off?”
He grinned. “Basically. Yeah.”
“I am.”
Dax put the truck in gear and eased back onto the road. He hadn’t looked at me with pity. He just been angry on my behalf. I knew if Rob was still alive, Dax would track him down, and Rob’s death would be far more gruesome than it likely had been.
I didn’t care about that. What I cared about was that Dax hadn’t treated me differently afterward. Sure, his kiss had been soft, but he hadn’t been afraid to touch me. He hadn’t thought he needed to back away, and he hadn’t been horrified or told me what a mistake I’d made ever going with Rob.
“When we get back tonight,” Dax said, “I’m going to do everything I can to make you forget you ever had ugliness like that in your life.”
“Dax, I…”
“Don’t you dare say you don’t deserve it. I want to pamper you. What’s your favorite dinner?”
“You don’t have to—”
“I want to. I want to make you happy. I want to give you the world.”
“I would give you anything. I want to be yours. I… I like you being in charge. I like you taking care of me. You don’t scare me. You never have.”