“Sophie.” He waited until she met his gaze. “There was a bomb in your car a couple of days ago.”
He’d been impressed with how functional she’d been, how well she’d been dealing with it over the past couple of days. He hadn’t realized until now that she had just pushed past it.
“Ky said it might’ve been random. A coincidence.” Sophie didn’t look away, but there was a pleading note in her quiet tone. “It could’ve happened to anyone’s car.”
Ah, hell. “I don’t think so.”
Her shoulders slumped slightly. “Why?”
He hadn’t wanted to say this out loud. Not ever. But it was the truth and maybe they both needed to hear it. “I’m a negative influence in your life, Sophie. There hasn’t been anything about me in your days that made your life better.”
“That’s not true.” And there was the snap, the hard edge, the defensive tone she always took on his behalf. She’d done it since high school, even to her father.
“It’s very possible that your association to Hope’s Crossing Kennels, to me and Rojas and Cruz, made you a target.” There it was. He hated even mentioning Rojas or Cruz in that statement because the kennels and everything that happened in conjunction with them were his accountability. But Rojas and Cruz had been neck-deep in the altercations over the last year and they took the onus of the situation as a team. “You’re an integral part of this place and the most accessible.”
“So someone is trying to get to you through me. Possibly.” There was a bitterness in her tone. “Don’t you think Ky will track them down? Or maybe the one thing with my car was a warning and there isn’t more coming. Nothing happened last night. You stomped through my house and scared me out of my mind while you did it and there was no one there.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Sophie hadn’t ever doubted him before, not ever. He’d been an idiot not to recognize the strain she’d been under after the explosion and then losing her job. Sophie’s way of handling adversity was to push forward, head down, and keep going until she came out on the other end.
He couldn’t let her do that this time.
“We need to be careful. This isn’t the sort of situation where reacting will be enough.” Forte hardened his tone. “If we let down our guard, the next time something happens, we won’t be able to save you.”
“I don’t need saving.” Sophie shot the denial back. “My entire life is in limbo. I can’t stay like this, not doing anything but waiting to see if maybe something will happen to me. I have bills to pay and I’m supposed to have a career to continue. I need to—”
“Stop and think about whether you want to keep going with blinders on.” He figured now was a better time than any to talk about her life. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed over the last couple of years. I’ve watched you go along with what you should do and then save your spare time for the real things that make you smile. Those things don’t have to be just hobbies. If you were so happy with your career and doing everything your family said you should do, why were you always here? You’re so good at helping other people realize their dreams. You’re allowed to make some of your own happen.”
She was staring at him, her lips parted. She’d probably been ready to fire back some hot retort. But instead, tears were welling up in her eyes and her lower lip had a barely perceptible tremor.
Shit.
He shot out of his chair as she struggled to get her leg under her. Coming around the table he wrapped his arms around her. “No, Sophie, I’m sorry.”
She shook her head but didn’t try to break free. She slumped into his hold instead, soundlessly sobbing.
He sat down in the chair she’d been using, pulling her across his lap. Once she was balanced, he tucked her head under his chin. “Just hang in there with me a little longer. Let me make sure there really isn’t any more danger, then you can do what you need to do. I’ll help you if you let me.”
But wasn’t this what she was refusing in the first place? She didn’t want his help, especially when it involved saving her when she didn’t believe she needed saving.
“I just keep thinking it’s a bad nightmare, that there’s some mistake,” Sophie whispered against his throat.
He tightened his arms around her. He was going to hell in a hand basket because having her in his arms felt too damned good. He wanted to make everything better, kiss away her tears, and drive every fear out of her head in ways he absolutely shouldn’t be thinking about doing.
“I need you to recognize the very real danger, Sophie.” He craned his neck so he could see her face. Her cheeks were flushed and wet with tears. It tore up the inside of his chest. “Help me keep you safe so you have a life to go on with after this is over.”