Forged in Desire (The Protectors #1)(101)

“You tell him everything, Uncle Roland. I’m too jumpy to do so right now,” she said, snuggling closer into the comfort of Striker’s arms. She wasn’t sure where Striker had gone when he’d left town or whether he had begun to deal with all his issues. All that mattered was that he was here and had saved her life once more.

Striker tightened his arms around her, and Margo appreciated that. Hearing Roland retell the story for Uncle Frazier’s benefit sent chills through her entire body. She hadn’t looked into the barrel of just one gun today, but two. She was fine now, though. Striker was here with her.





CHAPTER FORTY

“YOUR BATH IS READY.”

Margo glanced up as Striker walked down the stairs. Why now, of all times, did he have to look so damn sexy? Hot. So irresistibly male. “Thanks. And thanks for saving my life again. It seems to have become a habit.”

Striker slid beside her on the sofa. “Hell, I hope not.”

He took her hand in his, linking their fingers. “You’ll never know how I felt when I saw Liz holding that gun on you. It reinforced my realizations about a few things.”

“What?”

“Mainly, that you need a forever-protector.”

A smile curved Margo’s lips. “You want to apply for the job?”

His gaze locked on hers, his expression serious. “Yes.”

She swallowed deeply. They hadn’t had a chance to talk. More police officers had arrived asking for statements. Reporters had also shown up in droves. No doubt, the media would dig into that old case involving the police officers and their possible involvement in her parents’ deaths. The media would also expose Roland’s connection to her family, and she hoped he was okay with that.

Once everyone had left, except for the few members of the media who were intent on hanging around, Striker had locked up her home and brought her to his place. The news crew hadn’t been allowed near his home since Striker lived in a gated community.

Margo had fallen in love with his town house the minute she walked through the door. It was spacious with a beautiful view of the mountains. And for some reason, she felt right at home. He had told her to get comfortable while he ran her bathwater because a good soak in the tub would work wonders for her. When she told him she had nothing to put on, he told her he had plenty of T-shirts. That reminded her of the last time she’d worn one of his shirts.

“Talk to me, Striker. Share your thoughts.” Margo had a feeling she was asking him to do something he didn’t do on a regular basis.

“I went home,” he finally said.

“To Little Rock?”

“Yes. I haven’t been back since I left. There was no need. Wade and Mom were gone and my mom’s only sister, Aunt Gussie, died while I was locked up. I stayed away because I wanted to start a new life. Have a new beginning. I found that here in Charlottesville. I had everything I thought I needed. The only people in my life were those I wanted, and I didn’t need anyone else.”

He paused before saying, “And then...”

She’d been hanging on his every word. “And then what?”

“And then I met you.”

Elation swelled Margo’s heart. “I hope meeting me was a good thing.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t think so at first.”

She could accept that. “But now?”

His hold on her hand tightened. “And now I can’t imagine my life without you. But I had to come to terms with some things. I hadn’t buried the past as deep as I thought. Not as deep as I should have. That’s why I returned home, and I’m glad I did.”

He paused again and then said, “Going home, visiting with people like my high school coach, who’s still there, and walking the neighborhood and seeing the changes, good changes—all that made me appreciate how that town shaped me, molded me. Gave me values. I also went to visit the man who fathered me. He had a stroke a few years back and is in a nursing home. After seeing the condition he’s in, I could no longer hate him for how shabbily he treated me and my mother. I even apologized to him for hating him so much.”

He didn’t say anything for a minute. “Whoever said you can’t go back home didn’t know what they were talking about. For me it was important to go back before I could move forward. I can do that now. And I want to do that. With you.”

Margo swallowed. “You’re sure of that? That you want to move forward...with me?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He shifted so they were facing each other. “I love you, Margo. I knew I loved you when I left here that day, but I felt I’d failed you. And the thought of how close you’d come to dying—of how close I’d come to losing you—shook me up a bit. That’s why I had to come to terms with some things. I’ve done that, and more than anything, I want you in my life.”

“Oh, Striker.”

Striker pulled Margo into his arms and held her tight. Close to his heart. “But I want us to do this like normal people and not rush things. I want us to date, have fun, enjoy things together as a couple, and then when we’re ready for that next step, we’ll take it. Together. We won’t be using anybody’s timeline but our own. Okay?”

She smiled at him, fighting back tears of joy. “I wouldn’t want things any other way.”