Page 4 of Securing Her Secrets
She leans against the cool metal of the SUV, staring up at me with those wide brown eyes. She’s scrutinizing me, every single detail, every word I’ve spoken, trying to piece together the truth.
“I’m Miller,” I state, my voice dropping to its lowest register, the sound rough with control. “Former military intelligence specialist and current bodyguard with Aegis Security. You are in immediate danger, Rya.”
Her warm, brown gaze is a living, breathing thing, wrapping around my soul and pulling me under. I look into those eyes, and all my resolve cracks. I don't just want her to trust me; I silently beg her toseeme, to give this a chance. I need her to understand that I am hers, utterly and completely, from this moment until the end of time.
I could take her by force. Hell, I was ready to drag her into this SUV and crush her into the seat if she resisted. But the thought of putting that fear in her eyes is a cold knife to my gut. It would be easier, infinitely better, if she justcooperated. Rya just needs to understand that I’m only doing this to keep hersafe, and that every action I take is driven by the savage need to protect what is mine.
She’s still staring, assessing, calculating. I don't know what it will take to earn her trust, but I will do whatever is necessary.
Then, she does the unexpected. Rya holds her hand out for me to shake. I stare at the small, tentative offering, feeling a moment of awkward confusion before I clumsily take her hand in mine. It’s swallowed whole by the size of my palm.
She tightens her grip, which is surprisingly strong, and tries to pull me forward. I’m a fucking brick wall, a mountain of muscle, and she’s a tiny mouse attempting to tow a boulder. She doesn’t move me an inch. Instead, she loses her footing and pulls herselfsmackinto my chest.
The contact is a shockwave. My entire body stiffens, fighting the raw, savage urge to crush her in my arms, bury my face in her strawberry blonde hair, and kiss her breathless.Mine. Mine. Mine.The internal chant is deafening.
Rya quickly backs up, a little shaken but her wits returning in seconds. She clears her throat, the anxiety making her want to take control of a situation she can’t possibly understand.
“Now that introductions are out of the way,” she says, matter-of-factly, her voice steadier now. “Tell me where you’re taking me in this non-descript vehicle that has… I’m guessing bulletproof glass and multiple weapons hidden in plain sight?”
A smirk attempts to pull at my lips, and I suppress it with a fierce grunt. She’s sassy, brilliant, and already reading me better than most agents. Unfortunately for her, I am the one in charge right now. Her safety is my only mission.
Click.
The sound, faint and metallic, slices through the air behind us. It’s too precise to be accidental. My razor-sharp instincts detect a threat, and that’s all it takes to ground me back in reality. Before I let myself get lost in everything Rya is, I needto get her to a safe house. I stand at full attention, my focus instantly turning lethal. The urgency of my mission, of keepingmyRya alive, overrides the possessive fire burning for her.
I pivot back to her, my voice low and fierce. “We don’t have time for a full debriefing. You need to listen to me, and I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
She tries to interrupt, her brow furrowed. “Is it about the?—”
I cut her off. My hand is over her mouth before she can finish the sentence, a silent, non-negotiable command. I gently guide her toward the back door of the SUV, opening it.
“Get in the back. Lie down. Now,” I tell her, keeping my instructions simple and absolute. Rya doesn’t need to know every detail right now, she just needs to trust me.
She looks ready to protest, to argue, but then she just nods against my palm, still covering her mouth. Rya must have some idea what she stumbled onto and the danger associated with it. I remove my hand and watch as she climbs in and gets low, just as instructed.
I sweep the area, eyes tracking every shadow, every person walking past, before I hop into the front seat and accelerate, peeling out of the parking lot. As I drive, my eyes flick to the rearview mirror. Rya is on her side, hands tucked under her head like a small, lost child, staring through the front windshield.
From my cursory research and the handful of moments I’ve spent with her, I know Rya is strong, independent, and a formidable hacker who protects the little guy. Iknowthat. But after being manhandled by me, dealing with my growly, grunted responses, and being told her life is at risk… this is the first glimpse of the vulnerable girl behind the brilliant hacker.
I will protect you.I vow to myself as much as Rya. I will get her to the safe house, bundle her up in the thickest blanket I can find, and not let her go until the threat is annihilated. Eventhen, I’m going to convince her to stay with me long after the Syndicate is dismantled for good. Rya already has me wrapped around her little finger, and all I want to do is fill her life with safety, security, and more love than she can handle.
Hold up.Love?I mean, yes, that’s what this is, right? Love? It’s not an adequate word for the depth of emotion I already have for her, but I can figure out the right vocabulary later. Right now, I’m on the most important mission of my life.
I look at Rya in the rearview mirror again, her tragically beautiful eyes are rimmed in red as she tries to keep her tears at bay. Her rosy cheeks have turned ashen, and she’s biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling. Fuck, it’s like a physical blow to my sternum to see her like this.
“Hang on, sweet girl,” I rumble. “You’re safe with me.”
Rya gives me the tiniest nod, signaling the tiniest bit of trust. She’ll never regret putting her life in my hands, I’ll make sure of it.
4
RYA
Warmth. That’s the first thing I register. A heavy, solid, comforting heat that wraps around me like a cocoon. I haven’t felt this safe in… well, ever. My mother was a whirlwind of colorful chaos, leaving me to anchor myself in the quiet corners of libraries and the digital certainties of code. But this? This is different. This is a physical weight that grounds me.
I stir, blinking my eyes open. My cheek is pressed against something hard but yielding, covered in soft, black cotton. I inhale, and my lungs fill with that scent again: gun powder, cedar, and something purely masculine.
The edge of my vision is still blurry, like the last of a dream fluttering away before you can catch it. I stay suspended in this hazy moment between sleeping and waking, soaking in the grounding, steady feeling surrounding me. I know I have to wake up, but this is the best dream I’ve ever had.
