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“Evening, beautiful,” he said.

Betty smiled but he saw she didn’t believe his compliment. She never responded to them either.

“You didn’t have to come,” she said. “You said I could call and I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“I was drinking beer, hanging out with the guys. Trust me, it wasn’t all that thrilling.”

Again, a tentative smile.

“I wanted to try something.” He kicked off his boots and pulled off his jacket, climbing up onto the bed. He patted the bed beside him, and she looked hesitant at first. “Trust me, I’m not going to bite. You know I’m only going to take care of you.”

She nodded her head and let out a little giggle. “You’re right.” She slid into bed, getting beneath the covers. “What’s your experiment?”

“Simple, I’m going to stay here all night long, and you’re going to fall asleep. You’re going to trust me to not let anything happen to you.”

“Grim, you don’t need to do that.”

“I know I don’t need to, but trust me, I want to.” He laid down and pulled her in close so she was able to cuddle with him. “No one is going to wake you. I won’t let that happen. You’re safe with me.”

She let out a sigh. “It shouldn’t be this hard.”

“And one day, it won’t be. For now, lean on me. Do what you need to do to feel safe. I’ve got your back.” He felt her slump against him.

“I’m so tired.”

“I know, baby.” And he wished he could go back in time and kill that bastard that had been paid to hurt her all over again. Only this time, he’d make the bastard pay. There would be no rest, no reprieve. He would make sure that man longed for death long before he delivered that final blow.

He couldn’t go back and change the past. All he could do was hold Betty, and he felt her start to slump, then the softness of her breath as she eventually fell asleep. She was a good woman. Kind, honest. She didn’t deserve to be going through this, but he would stay with her every night if she needed it. He had nowhere else to be.

Chapter Two

Betty yawned and slowly opened her eyes to see the sun casting a glow through the curtains. It had felt like a lifetime since she’d been able to sleep completely through the night. She turned her head and saw Grim was right where she’d left him last night, and he was awake.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Morning, beautiful.”

She wasn’t beautiful. She wasn’t even pretty.

“Did you stay awake all night?” she asked, feeling guilty. That was the best night’s sleep she’d ever had, and the thought of him not sleeping as well made her feel incredibly guilty.

“Yeah, I slept.” He winked at her.

She frowned. “You’re sure?”

“Yep, I sure did.”

“Do I snore?”

He laughed. “You don’t, actually, and I was waiting to see if you did.”

She felt her cheeks start to heat. She looked toward her bedroom door, and then toward him.

“Your aunt already knows I’m here.”

“She does?”

“Yep, she came in a few hours ago.”