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“Good.” I take her hand and gently bring it up to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “You’re with me, Sunshine.”

“Oh, I can’t go home, we’re still working on Stacy, and⁠—”

“We’re not going home, but I need to be alone with you.”

I lead her to the women’s restroom, make sure that none of the stalls are occupied, and then shut and lock the door before I lift her onto the sink, frame her gorgeous face in my hands, and tip my forehead to hers, trying to keep from losing my fucking shit.

“I want you to show me every single place on your perfect body that he hurt.”

“Carson.” It’s a whisper, and her lower lip trembles, and it’s almost my undoing. “Jesus.”

“Hey, I’m right here. I’m right here. I’m so sorry this happened, baby. I’d give anything to go back and stop it.”

A tear falls down her cheek, and I swipe it away with my thumb.

“I love you so much that I can’t stand the thought of you hurting like this.”

She lets out a sob and clings to me as she cries. “That’s the first time you’ve told me that since⁠—”

She can’t finish the sentence, and I’m suddenly ashamed that it’s taken me so long to tell this amazing woman that I love her. I’ve always loved her. What the fuck was I afraid of that this is the first time she’s hearing it?

“You’re so damn amazing, and I love you so much,” I tell her as I wipe more tears away.

“I love you too. I always have, and I was so scared that I’d be taken away from you again, that I wouldn’t be able to raise Charlie, and⁠—”

“Whoa. No, baby. Absolutely not. Jesus, I’m never leaving your side again.”

“You had a bad feeling all day. At first, I thought it was ridiculous to carry the gun with me, and I won’t do it when I’m home with our son. I can’t risk that he might⁠—”

“Okay.”

“But then I reconsidered and went back for it on my way out to help the doctor, and thank God I listened to you.”

“I’m always right.”

She barks out a tiny laugh at that. “Sure you are.”

“We’re going to talk about some stuff, but first, I want you to show me everything that motherfucker did to you.”

“You’re going to be so mad.”

I’m already furious.

“Right now, baby. What’s under this bandage?”

With her eyes pinned to mine, she gently removes the bandage, revealing a long line of stitches.

“He had a knife,” she whispers. “And he caught me with it while we were fighting.”

My eyes fly to hers. “You engaged in hand-to-hand with him?”

“I had to. He was going to kill Stacy, and she’s so badly hurt that she might die anyway.” She licks her lips. “There are twenty-nine stitches. I have a bruise on my hip.”

“Show me.”

I back up enough so she can hop off the sink, and she lowers her scrubs to show me her skin, and this is not merely a bruise.

“Fuck.”