Page 47 of Reins

Is this her keeping herself small? Or a legitimate argument?

Either way, we have to get back to the car first.

I don’t want to let her go, so wrap her waist to keep her tucked along my side. Half carrying her, half leading her, I don’t bother with going through the trees.

It’s only after I catch sight of the car do I finally start to relax.

Buckling her in, I take my first real breath.

And as we hit a few miles away, my hands start to shake when the adrenaline dumps out of my body and the truth settles over me.

I promised to protect her and failed.

Chapter 25 - Rosalyn

We drive in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts while his headlights pierce the night and drifting snow.

By the time we pull in the driveway at his place, the sore has shifted to stiffness.

“Hold on,” he grunts as he bales out his side, briskly moving around the hood to open my door.

I want to tell him it’s no big deal. The moment I try to shift, the words are ripped out of my mouth by the stab of pain in every joint.

His scowl deepens. “You really need to let me take you to the hospital.”

My fingers slip into his palm to gingerly work my way out of the seat. “I’ve had worse falling off my horse.” I grimace when my feet hit the ground from the jolt.

“I’m tempted to argue,” he grumbles. “But I ain’t gonna make you do anything you don’t want to do.” He’s careful as his arm circles my waist to help me up the first stair.

Whew. I can’t wait to not move anymore.

“Cade?” I pause halfway up. “Thank you for coming for me.”

I had wished he would. It’s why I kept going to the window, in some desperate hope he’d see me.

“There’s no way in hell I was gonna leave you there.” He doesn’t look at me, but I feel his arm tighten slightly around me.

This isn’t exactly the circumstances I expected, yet I’ll enjoy having him hold me for the moment.

It makes me feel safe.

He rescued me again.

After I made the stupid mistake of going in the first place. For what? Nothing.

“I was dumb. I should have listened to you.” I let him lead me inside, then stand trembling inside the entrance. “He never hurt me before,” I exhale. My shoulders slump in defeat. I expected too much from my brother.

“He shouldn’t have. We’re gonna talk to Pete and press charges.” Cade helps me thread my jacket down over my arms. “The hospital can document all of your injuries—”

He flips on the light and freezes, staring at my mouth. “Fuck, Ros. Hold on.”

My tongue darts out to be flooded with the metallic tang of blood.

Pulling a paper towel from the wall, he runs the water in the sink, then dips it under before turning back to me.

“Hold still.” His pupils swell as his finger gently dabs my lip.

I get an up close view of the scars on his cheek. They aren’t awful to look at, they give him character.