Page 16 of Sabre’s Guard

“You didn’t have to come. You could have texted. You have my number from when I messaged you for my next class.”

“Wanted to see for myself that you and your boy were all right. A text or phone call seemed like bullshit after what happened last night.”

I know I should send him home. But instead, I find myself saying, “The tea’s not great, but there’s more of it in the kitchen if you want a cup.”

He sets his helmet down on the step and drops down on the top stair, close enough that we can talk in low voices.

“Noah’s okay,” I tell him after a moment. “Better than okay, actually. He’s been asking questions all day. That’s how he processes anxiety. As long as he’s asking questions, I know he’s dealing with it, you know?”

“Yeah, what kind of questions has he been asking, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“He wanted to know if you were scared.”

“Tell him, yes.”

“I didn’t think you looked very scared, but I told him you probably were because anyone would be in that situation.”

“I wasn’t scared of the danger. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to stop him in time, and someone would get hurt.”

He runs one finger over the seam in his helmet. “You just have to shove all the fear and doubt aside and do what needs to be done, if that makes any sense.”

I glance at him sideways. I’m not used to men being so candid about their feelings with me. Most men I’ve known in my life spent all their energy on making sure I thought they were in control and macho.

“He’s also been talking about you teaching him to throw knives.”

“That’s your decision, Linsey. I meant what I said last night. I’ll do it with practice knives. They’re made of metal, but they don’t have a sharp point. You throw them into foam. No is a complete answer. If you don’t want this, you don’t even have to explain.”

“He’s eager for anything he sees as related to his main interest in life, which is anything to do with the military.”

“He might be more focused because of what happened last night. Kids sometimes get more obsessed about protectin’ themselves after a scare like what happened at the mayor’s event, especially for a boy who already has an active interest.”

I think it over for a bit and Sabre doesn’t pressure me at all. While I’m lost in my thoughts, there’s the loud bang of a car door. I jump before I can stop myself. It isn’t much, just enough to embarrass me.

A big, warm hand covers mine, steadying me. “Hey, I’m not surprised you’re jumpy, Linsey.”

His voice softens. “Is this all because of what happened at the banquet last night?”

I open my mouth to say yes but stop myself. Turning my hand over in his, I explain, “It’s more than that. I found out the other day that my ex was released from prison a couple of years early for good behavior.”

“He was in prison?” Sabre asks.

I nod. “He tried to kill me.”

Sabre goes very, very still, his hand gripping mine harder. “Do you think he’s gonna come for you, Linsey?”

I find my bottom lip trembling slightly as I struggle to answer. “Realistically, no. He’s in Montana. That’s where we’re both from. It’s also where he was locked up, which means his parole officer is there and he likely isn’t allowed to leave the state.”

“Are you sure about that? Convicts are notorious for jumping parole and doing stupid shit they shouldn’t.”

“I’m as sure as I can be, given the situation. It’s worrying me though. When he was locked up I felt safe.”

“All that was already eatin’ away at you and then the banquet shit just heaped on an extra level of stress, right?”

Glancing away, I tug my hand from his. “Yeah, that’s about the size of it.”

“If I had a son, I’d stop at nothing to have him back in my life.”

“I was pregnant when I left him. I wrote him in prison that I had a miscarriage and that I never wanted to see him again. I blocked him on everything and went no contact with everyone back home.”