Well, he’d almost succeeded. It had unnerved her, but apparently, not fast enough for JR.
Addie shivered. He’d been in my room while I was sleeping! The skin on her arms prickled as she hugged herself a little tighter. That thought terrified her. He could’ve taken her then—when Cade had been in the guest room after they’d beaten him and broken his ribs. JR could’ve done several things to her in her bed and no one would have known until it was too late.
A sob pushed into her achy throat, but she swallowed it down. She could do this. It was her home and she wasn’t going to let JR take it away from her.
“Are you ready to go in?” Cade’s soft voice startled her, but his hand on her back nearly made her scream. She hadn’t even noticed that Helga had backed up and driven away.
Get a grip, girl!
She smiled at Cade, ashamed of her automatic reaction. She’d pulled away but stepped back to his side. “Yeah, I…I guess so.”
“Okay, then,” Cade said, but to her dismay, his hand did not return to her back. “Helga said the door’s open.”
Addie stiffened. Anyone could be inside.
Cade glanced back at her, a crease between his brows. “Do you want me to check it out first?”
A sigh escaped her. She was being ridiculous. JR was dead, and his buddies were still in jail. No one else would care about her.
“Yes, please.” Her cheeks burned. Those words had just slipped out without her knowing she would say them.
Cade grinned and she felt slightly better. “Sure thing,” he said as he turned the knob and stepped inside.
Her chest squeezed tight as he disappeared through the doorway. Cade had been hurt, too. How could she ask him to step into danger for her? Again. What if JR had left traps inside? What if one of his other friends—or enemies, like the ones he had owed money to—were waiting inside, thinking to get whatever they could from her? What if…? Her mind thrashed through so many horrible scenarios, ramping up her anxiety, and the longer Cade was gone, the worse it got. I will never forgive myself if I get him hurt again…or worse.
But no matter how much she berated herself, she couldn’t force her feet to move.
A wave of dizziness swept over her as Cade reappeared. “Nothing to worry about,” he said with a reassuring grin, but even with his strong presence waiting for her, she was reluctant to take another step closer.
She must not have done a very good job of hiding her fear because Cade rushed down the steps toward her.
“Hey,” he said, looking down into her eyes and rubbing his palms up and down her arms. “It’s okay. You’re safe with me. I promise you that.”
She tried to smile, but it felt forced. Still, she was determined not to let what happened ruin her home for her. She swallowed, took a few deep breaths, and straightened her spine. “I know, and thank you, Cade. You don’t have to stay. I know how much you wanted to go home.”
“I am home,” he said with a soft smile that melted something inside her. “Wherever you are, Addie, is home for me.”
Her breath stuttered and her gaze darted around the yard, looking anywhere but into his deep blue eyes. The emotions his words stirred up were almost too much. She had wanted to hear something like that before, and hearing those words now made her heart swell with love and gratitude, but she couldn’t help wondering if he only said them because he thought she needed him—not because he really meant them.
“You want to head inside?” he asked. “It’s a little cold out here.”
Addie realized then that her shivers were caused by more than just dread. The snow was quite deep now and the sneakers that Helga had brought along with their changes of clothes weren’t exactly made for snow. Her fingers were starting to freeze and her toes felt a bit numb. The jacket she wore should’ve been adequate for the low temperature, but the icy wind still knifed through it and her.
Forcing another smile, she nodded and Cade’s arm slipped protectively around her.
“Okay,” he said cheerily, “let’s go in and get you warmed up.”
She let him usher her forward and, before she knew it, they were up the steps and through the front door. Cade set the bags of clothes from the hospital beside the door, shut it behind them, and then helped her out of her jacket.
Glancing around the room, it didn’t look any different than it had before, but it was different. Her heart sped up and beat so hard, she thought her ribs might break.
“Are you hungry?” Cade asked as he turned from hanging up his quilted coat.
She shook her head and, hugging her middle again as something cold slithered around inside her, tried to ignore the sudden churning in her stomach.
“How about some hot chocolate?”
Her mouth felt dry and some of the chocolaty goodness would go a long way to warming her and cheering her mood. She nodded and he grinned.
“Okay, then, follow me,” he said, rubbing his big hands together as he headed for the kitchen.
Addie’s legs and feet seemed to weigh a ton as she attempted to follow him, every step harder to take than the last. Sweat beaded on her upper lip and trickled between her breasts, which seemed strange to her. She was so cold she shivered, but then why was she sweating?
The kitchen door came into view and her throat grew tight. The refrigerator, sink, and counter came next, and the pounding in her chest intensified. The walls seemed to close in and suddenly, she was pressed up against that counter again with JR’s fetid breath in her face. He held her down with his greater size and weight, while his hands and mouth
