Elite (Eagle Elite #1)(67)

I sighed and stepped back into Chase’s arms. It was Nixon’s turn to look confused and a little pissed off.

“Thank you, Chase.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and closed my eyes. “I love you.” Yes, Nixon had helped save me. But Chase, he had literally saved my life with his perceptive question. Tears burned at the back of my throat as Chase’s blue eyes warmed.

“Love you too, Farm Girl.” He pulled away and held my chin in his hand. “You call me if you need me, okay?”

I nodded as he stepped back and walked out of the room.

The minute the door closed, my body started slumping to the ground. Nixon’s strong arms came around me. In an instant he was lifting me and carrying me to the bathroom.

“No, please, no I just—” I fought against him as he carried me to the room and gently placed me on one of the small benches in the bathroom.

“Trace.” Nixon cupped my face. “Look at me.”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

He exhaled. And finally with tears streaming down my face I opened one eye, then the other. Nixon had tears in his eyes as his thumbs rubbed my falling tears away. “Thank God, I don’t have experience in this sort of thing…” His nostrils flared for a brief second. “But I figured you’d want to take a bath or shower or something.”

I nodded and broke down into more sobs. Everything hurt on my body, even my skin. Again, I wanted Nixon to touch me, to tell me that I was still pretty that what happened to me wasn’t my fault, that Phoenix’s ugliness hadn’t tainted what I had.

“You’re beautiful, Trace,” Nixon murmured as he kissed my forehead. “And Phoenix is a monster. You know that, right? What he did — it’s unforgiveable, and I promise you, I will make it right.”

“By killing him?” I asked in a small voice.

Nixon shook his head. “It’s your call, sweetheart. I don’t want to upset you more, but believe me when I say your family and mine won’t let this slide without a severe punishment. We don’t typically turn people over to the authorities, but if you want him to rot in a hell hole all his life, just say the word. I’ll link his accounts to prostitution and a drug ring in five seconds. Hell, I’ll frame him for murdering a politician. Just say the word.”

I chewed my lower lip and slowly lifted my arms toward Nixon. If he rejected me — I’d be broken forever. I needed him more than I needed to shower, more than I needed to deal with Phoenix. I just wanted to forget. And though I told my heart to stop loving Nixon — it never listened. He was all I wanted, all I cared about.

My arms went around his neck. He stiffened, then hugged me back.

“Will you help me?”

Nixon sighed. “Whatever you need. I’m here, Trace.”

“You aren’t going anywhere?”

“No.”

“You aren’t going to pretend to like me today and hate me tomorrow?”

“Hell no.”

“You aren’t going to say you love me and then take it back?” My voice dripped with emotion as new tears found their way down my face. What the hell was wrong with me? I knew I was stronger than that! I looked at Nixon and waited.

Nixon jerked away from me, and his gaze met mine. “Listen to me because I don’t want you to ever forget this.”

My body swayed in his arms as he tightened his grip around me. “Remember what I said about making promises?”

I nodded.

“I promised, Trace. As a man I promised your grandfather that nothing would happen to you. He believed the longer I was with you, the sooner Phoenix would put the pieces together. He already blamed you for everything. If he saw us together…” He swore and looked down for a brief second before meeting my gaze again. “I had to make you believe me. I didn’t know what else to do. I thought the day before when we’d talked — damn, Tracey, I thought you knew me better than that. I’ll protect you until the day I die, even if it means I have to protect you from myself. Because in protecting you from me, I was protecting you from them.”

“But you weren’t.”

“I know that now. And I’m not leaving, but Chase—”

“—I love him too.” I shrugged. “He was there for me when you weren’t.”

“Do you love him like you love me?” Nixon asked.

“Who said I loved you?” I fired back.

“You did.”

“When?”

“That night when—”

I smirked.

“Glad to see you still have your sense of humor.” Nixon rolled his eyes as he leaned his head lower. “I’ll understand if you’re not ready. Shit, I don’t even know if I’m ready, but Trace, I really want to kiss you.”

I nodded. “First a bath, I don’t want any part of him on me when you touch me.”

Nixon nodded and backed away as I stood in front of him. He gently helped me take off the jacket Chase had given me.

“Son of a bitch!” He looked like he was ready to punch a wall. I looked down and noticed a bruise making itself known around my stomach. Nixon’s eyes glittered with tears as he brushed my hair away from my shoulder and examined my neck. I’m sure there were bruises there too.

You would think standing in front of Nixon in nothing but my skirt and bra — I would feel exposed and vulnerable, but instead everything felt comfortable, normal. As if he was the only person I could stand naked with after going through such an ordeal and feel safe.