Page 99 of Fearless

Since balancing on one foot wasn’t terribly comfortable, she brushed her teeth as fast as she could manage. Turning too quickly, she stumbled. Thankfully, Sean was there again, catching her. He carried her to the bed, where he’d already turned down the covers.

Laying her on the bed, he propped her ankle on a pillow, then covered the rest of her body with a blanket. “You need anything?”

Her eyes were already closing, the exhaustion taking over lightning-fast. “No, thanks. Just sleep.”

She felt a kiss on her forehead and then an even softer one on her lips. “I’ll be close by if you need me. Sleep, my love.”

Pushing the darkness in her mind as far away as possible, Serena did just that.

As soon as he knew Serena was asleep, Sean headed toward the door. Looking back at Hank, he didn’t bother to tell him to stay. The pup was right beside the bed and gave Sean a look that said he knew where he was most needed.

Shaking his head at Hank’s amazing empathy, Sean closed the door and headed downstairs. Even though it was long past midnight, he knew Serena’s parents would be waiting for him. The questions in their eyes when he and Serena had arrived weren’t ones that could wait until morning.

Stepping into the kitchen, he faced two angry and tearful people. Before he could speak, Ed surged to his feet and growled, “What the hell did they do to our daughter?”

“I don’t have the full story yet. I⁠—”

“She’s been beaten,” Mallory said, her voice shaking. “Was she tortured?”

“I don’t know. She hasn’t felt up to sharing the whole story. From what we’ve been able to piece together, she was treated well up until the last few days of her imprisonment. Something happened. I don’t know all the details, but I know that she attacked Kingsley, the guy holding her. Her punishment was apparently being beaten and thrown into a cell. That’s where I found her.”

With each sentence, their faces had gotten darker and more distressed. He refused to soften the details. Not only could they see the results, both of her parents were familiar with the horrors of high-risk jobs. They knew danger firsthand.

“She looks so…broken,” Mallory whispered.

“She’s not,” Sean said firmly. “She’s strong…so damn strong. It’s just going to take her some time.”

“Will you be staying here with her?” Ed asked.

Without hesitation, he nodded. “I’m not leaving her.” Just in case they didn’t completely understand, he added, “Never again. I’m through being stupid and selfish.”

Ed wasn’t going to let him off that easy. “You broke her heart, Sean. You know that, right?”

“Yes, sir. And I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to her.”

As if he hadn’t spoken, Serena’s father went on, “I don’t hold to violence as a way to solve problems, but it took a lot of prayers and talking before my boys and I agreed to not hunt you down and teach you a lesson. Her mother, now…” He sent a look to his wife. “She made no such promise.”

Mallory rolled her eyes and smiled softly. “Oh hush, Ed. You know that’s not my way.” She turned her gaze back to Sean, all amusement gone. “When she lost Drew, we didn’t think we’d ever get our girl back. But when she met you, she came out of her shell and blossomed. We were thrilled to see her so happy.” She leaned forward, and her eyes, so like Serena’s, burned with fire. “And then you broke her heart.” She shook her head slowly. “Sean, honey, I love you like you’re my own, but if you ever pull anything like that again, there’s no place on this earth you’re going to be able to hide that I won’t find you and teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.”

He had watched this woman catch insects and reptiles that were trapped and release them into the wild. Mallory Allen was as close to the saying she wouldn’t hurt a fly as anyone he’d ever known. However, he had no doubt she would find a way to punish him if he hurt Serena again. Fortunately, that would not be necessary.

“Mallory. Ed.” Meeting both their gazes, Sean said with utmost sincerity, “I love your daughter with every particle of my body and soul. I know I made massive mistakes, but I promise you I will never hurt her again. She is my everything.”

“All right, then,” Ed said. “You’ve convinced us, but what does Serena say?”

“We’ve not really had a chance to talk about the future.” That was an understatement. Other than him hearing her interview with Jules and having a few short conversations with Serena, he hadn’t had the heart-to-heart discussion he needed to have with her.

Mallory patted his hand. “That’ll come when she’s ready.”

That was his hope, but for right now, he wanted her to concentrate on her recovery. Then, and only when she was ready, would they talk. And he prayed for the right words that would heal all the broken parts he had caused.

Serena woke to the sound of the shower turning off. Her eyes roamed the room, and a sense of peace washed over her again. She would never again take for granted waking up and knowing she was safe and secure.

She had slept through the entire night. The comfort of having Sean’s hard, warm body next to her had been exactly what she’d needed. It had been so long since they’d slept in the same room together, much less the same bed.

The shower door clicked, and a few seconds later, Sean walked into the bedroom. The old Serena would have thrown the covers back and invited him back to bed. Or even would have joined him in the shower. She missed the old Serena.

With a towel around his waist and his body still damp, her husband was the epitome of tall, handsome, hunky masculinity. She had what she’d prayed so hard for right in front of her, but instead of taking it, she did nothing.