Mine to Hold (Mine 3)

Austin didn’t fight Noah’s grip. “No more investigators, Claire!” He called out as both Noah and Drake shoved him toward the door. “No more lost jobs! No more trouble from my family ever again, I swear!”

She took a tentative step forward.

“I know you never wanted money from me,” Austin said, and he was right at the door now. “You didn’t take it before, but if you need it—if you need anything—I want to help. I want to make this right. I have to make it right!”

There were some things that couldn’t be made right.

“I’ll take him downstairs,” Drake said as he once again curled his fingers over the back of Austin’s neck. “And I’ll make sure he doesn’t get up here again.”

Noah leaned in toward Austin. “This was it. You had your say. Now stay away, understand?”

Austin nodded.

Then he was gone. Drake hauled Austin away and Noah slammed the door behind them.

He didn’t speak. Neither did Claire.

The sound of her breathing seemed overly loud in that room. Her whole body was tense, and she pretty much wanted to sink into a puddle on the floor and just tell the world to go away.

But there were about two hundred people waiting down in the ballroom. This was supposed to be an engagement party. If they vanished for the rest of the night, what would people say?

So she squared her shoulders. She lifted her chin. Adjusted her bracelets. And she walked toward the door.

Noah didn’t move.

She slid around him. Reached for the doorknob.

In a flash, he was behind her. His body curved over hers and his fingers wrapped around her hand.

His touch seemed to electrify her. Claire closed her eyes. She couldn’t handle the intensity between them, not at that moment. “We…we have to get back.”

“Not yet.” He turned her around. Kept his grip on her right hand. “I need to know that you’re okay.”

The laughter that escaped from her held a ragged edge. “Okay doesn’t quite describe me right now.” She was too raw for okay.

“I didn’t want him near you.”

She shook her head. “Austin has never hurt me.”

His eyes flickered. “He said he tried to give you money.”

“He came to see me when I was in the hospital after my—” Say it. “After my suicide attempt. He wanted to give me money to leave town.” She could still see the stark expression on his face. He’d been so pale and shaken. “But taking money from his family, I-I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want anything from them.”

I just wanted to get away.

“Don’t see him again, Claire. Promise me.”

“He’s not a threat to me—”

He put his forehead against hers. “I don’t trust him, and I want you to stay away from the guy. And when I find out who let him up here, that jerk is done.”

Claire put her left hand on his chest. “I don’t like games.”

His head lifted. His gaze gleamed.

“You should’ve told me what you had planned. I nearly passed out when you announced to those people that we were getting married.” She pushed against his chest. She needed some space between them. Talking was too hard when he was that close. Her body was hyper-aware of him. Too attuned.

Too weak where he was concerned.

“I was afraid you’d say no,” Noah admitted, and his words had her stilling. “If you knew what I wanted to do…”

She knew exactly what he wanted to do now. “You think this killer is fixated on me, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

At least he wasn’t trying to deceive her anymore.

“He’s picking off the people who’ve hurt me.” She’d pieced this together. “And he wanted to eliminate you—”

“Because I’m standing between him and you.”

Her voice lowered as she said, “You just put a big target on yourself. Didn’t I tell you…I don’t want you dying for me?”

“I’m not, but I’m also not going to just wait for the bastard to strike again. I pushed him, so now he’ll push back. I’ll be ready.”

She was afraid he wouldn’t be. “We don’t know anything about this guy.”

“Not true. He’s good with demolitions, he uses a silencer when he hunts—”

Her brows climbed.

“He has to use the silencer because no one reported hearing gunshots.”

“You keep saying ‘he’—”

“A man called me. A man is focused on you.” His pupils seemed to swallow the gold of his eyes. “He wants you, and he thinks that he is going to take you from me.”

“So you decided to publicly tell the world that I was yours.” The anger and fear twisted inside of her. “My life, Noah. You shouldn’t have pulled this stunt without telling me first.”

“I’m trying to let you have a life!” Noah snarled back.

His anger had her tensing. Noah had never really been angry with her before.

But he sure seemed furious then.

“I don’t want you always looking over your shoulder. I don’t want you wondering who is watching you or what some sick freak might do next to you. I want you to be free.” A muscle flexed in his jaw. “And no matter what I have to do, I will get you that freedom.”

Then he caught her chin. He tipped her head back, and his mouth crashed down on hers.

***

Drake escorted Austin Harrison out the back of the Towers. He stopped under a streetlight and jerked the guy close as he warned, “Don’t forget what Noah told you. Stay away from Claire.”

Austin nodded. “I’m done,” he muttered.

“You’d better be.” Drake shoved him away.

Austin straightened his suit. Fumbled in his pockets. Hesitated.

Does he want an ass-kicking?

“Why were you at the funeral?” Austin asked him.

“Let’s just say it was a pit-stop for me.”

Austin stared down at the ground. “If he hadn’t died, Ethan would just have come after her again.”

Drake tensed.

“He would have kept coming. He had pictures of her that he kept in his cell. He wouldn’t have stopped. Not until Claire was dead.” He swiped his hand over his face. “I knew that, and this time, I had to stop him.”

Was the guy making a confession?

“I should’ve done it sooner.” Austin turned away. Began to walk into the darkness of the night. “But it’s hard to send your own brother to hell.”