Hopefully, the incident would help him perk up long-term.
I’d originally headed to the bar with every intention of getting Kara off of my mind.
That hadn’t worked out so well. I felt her pull as soon as I opened the bar door, but then when I stepped in, anxiety washed over me, as well as a sense of duty. It pressed on me so hard, I’d had to find her and fast.
Thank goodness I had. The thought of what could’ve and would’ve happened to her if I hadn’t come in when I had made me nauseated.
And worse, it made me think about my past.
Not that I’d ever forced myself on a woman. I was fucked up, but not that kind of fucked up. But I’d turned a blind eye a few times when a girl had been harassed. If I ever thought a woman was about to be raped, I would’ve stepped in, but I also never bothered to make sure they were okay.
If I hadn’t shown up, and all the other men in the bar had done as I would have just a few months before, what could’ve happened to my sweet mate? I didn’t want to think about it, or nothing would’ve stopped me from turning around and going back.
I was immature as hell, and I didn’t like what I was discovering about myself.
Kara stared at me with her head tilted as worry raced through my mind. What if I didn’t ever make it past that guy, that immature, selfish guy? What if I disappointed my family? And Kara?
I really hoped there weren’t any repercussions from scaring that guy. He could still sue, even with me being a Kingston, that was no guarantee. He could press assault charges or something.
And that would mean I hadn’t kept my nose clean. They could’ve taken away my inheritance.
They would understand, had to understand. There was no way I could’ve let that dick get off scot-free. No way.
I was protecting my mate.
“You look like you’re holding in something bigger than yourself.” Her voice was sing-songy and dreamy.
A loud laugh slipped past my lips. She had no idea what I held back. And Valor was certainly bigger than me. “A lot of people fight inner demons.”
She nodded wisely and tapped her nose. “That is very true.”
“What are yours?” I blurted, hoping she’d actually answer. Maybe I was relying a bit on her inebriation to get her to open up, but I’d already shown personal growth by not beating that fucker within an inch of his life. Prying for information from Kara wasn’t something I could talk myself out of.
She went quiet for a long time. I began to think she’d passed out, but finally, she spoke. “I’m worried I’ll become my parents. My biological parents, not my foster father.” She sighed, sounding forlorn and worried.
“What’s wrong with that?” I asked. I winced, suddenly unsure if I wanted the answer.
The scenery rushed by as she considered her answer. “I don’t want to become addicted.”
I hesitated, then asked, “To what?”
“Anything. Drugs, alcohol… A person.” Her nervous laugh made my heart freeze. Did she mean she didn’t want a relationship at all?
Then I had to tamp down my fear because it didn’t matter if she wanted one. I didn’t want one. Not for a long time. If ever.
Valor growled but quietened when Kara continued talking.
“I’m scared I’ll develop an addictive personality and latch onto someone who will eventually leave me.” Her voice dropped to a whisper and she wrapped her arms around herself. “Everyone leaves me.”
Damn. Her pain carried in her voice like a fist around my heart. It was enough to break it into a bunch of small pieces.
I didn’t want to push, but my curiosity wouldn’t let me be silent. “What did your parents do?” I asked quietly.
Her voice was decidedly more sober than when she’d first collapsed in the passenger seat. “I was put in the foster care system when I was nine. My parents were addicts and pretty much left me to fend for myself. A neighbor caught on. When child protective services came, there wasn’t any food in the cabinets. I’d been swiping snacks from the gas station down the road from my house to keep from starving. My parents had been gone for several days.”
The pieces of my heart broke again into even smaller bits, but at the same time, my blood boiled with rage. I was glad she was opening up, but my protective instinct was kicking into overdrive and I could feel Valor’s undivided attention on her.
“I see them around town occasionally. I’m not sure they noticed I was gone until much later. They don’t even recognize me now.”
By the time she finished, if I hadn’t had excellent hearing, I wouldn’t have been able to make out her words. I clenched the steering wheel hard again. She deserved so much better than that.
“This sounds cliché, but it’s their loss,” I said loudly. “You’re the most amazing person… I think I’ve ever met.” The need to hug her was strong, almost enough to make me pull off the road to her house and pull her into my arms.
But we didn’t have that kind of relationship. She probably would’ve thought I was attacking her like the guy in the bar.
Find her parents. We will char them to ash.
I had to remind him that murder was bad, but he didn’t lose his anger. Neither did I. We stayed there in that moment with her. She needed us.
When I pulled into her driveway, she was quiet. This time, I was nearly sure she had passed out. I ran around the truck and opened her door, but her hand hung limply beside her in the seat. Yep. She was out cold.
After unbuckling her, I tried to rouse her, but it was no good. “Okay,” I said. “Up you go.”
Picking her slight frame up into my arms was far easier than
