“Yes, and you can’t take it back.”
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She ran her good hand through her hair. “I’m not trying to take it back. I’m just saying that me loving you means me wanting to protect you too. Maybe I can’t do that physically, in the same way you can. But I can do this on my own.”
He cupped her face between his big warm hands and leaned in so the tips of their noses were practically touching. “What you don’t seem to get, babe, is that you not being with me would hurt me.”
She sucked in a breath. Tears threatened. “I’m beginning to see that.”
“Good. Then you’ll understand me when I say you aren’t leaving me. Not for any reason. I don’t let go of what belongs to me. Did it once and have lived with the repercussions ever since. Don’t ever intend to do it again. You got me?”
She nodded. She understood.
“Why are we only going for a week? How’s this going to get resolved in a week? And where is this cabin? What makes you think he won’t follow me there? He always seems to know where I am.”
“He won’t know where you are. We’ll ride up to the cabin. It’s in an isolated spot, nobody but us knows about. You’ll be safe there. I’ll warn you now, it’s a bit primitive. No cell coverage, we’ll take the satellite phones. But he won’t find us. And my brothers are working on a plan to take him out.”
Her eyes widened. “Take him out?”
His eyes narrowed. “He doesn’t deserve your worry. Not after what he’s done to you.”
“I’m not worried about him. I’m worried about you guys. I’m scared this will come back on you.”
He lightly kissed her lips. “You don’t need to worry about us either.”
She wasn’t so sure about that.
“I can ride on my own you know,” she grumbled at West’s back.
She was riding Beast. Her duffel bag was attached to the back of his saddle. West, who was riding ahead of her, had a large backpack on his back. As well as full saddle bags. He also held Beast’s lead.
“I haven’t had someone need to lead me since I was five years old,” she grumbled. “And this is not the first time I’ve ridden with my arm in a sling.”
“You always complain this much?” West shot back at her without turning to look at her.
“Seems to be something you bring out in me,” she said dryly.
“Think you’re just too used to getting your own way,” he said back to her. “Spoiled.”
She took in a breath. “I am not spoiled.”
He just snorted.
Arrogant ass. It was embarrassing, having him lead her horse along. But since it didn’t seem he was going to budge, she decided she might as well stop talking and taken the gorgeous view. They’d been riding for about an hour and a half by then.
Most of that had been spent with her trying to convince him she could ride on her own. But, as usual, West was determined to get his way. Something that happened because he was more stubborn and tenacious than she was.
“I’ve never seen you ride before,” she said to him.
He grunted. “Riding for a long time makes my leg ache. Can handle a few hours, though.”
Oh, she’d never thought about that. He hardly ever mentioned his leg. He never seemed to let it stop him from doing anything, including picking her up and carrying her to wherever he wanted her to go.
Like you don’t love that.
“How long until we get there?” she asked.
“About another two hours,” he told her, turning to look back at her. He ran his gaze over her. “Do you need a break?”