threatened to overwhelm her again when light hit her eyes.
“Lilly! What happened? Are you okay?” Deep lines etched around Braden’s eyes as he lifted the top half of the coffin. She tried to sit up but with the bottom half still closed she could barely move. Braden looked over his shoulder. “A little help here!”
A moment later Reverend Ingram lifted the bottom hatch open. As soon as her feet touched solid ground, she crumpled into Braden’s arms. His heartbeat was as strong as his embrace and strength was exactly what she needed right now.
“What happened?” His voice was soft and soothing as he stroked her hair.
She shook her head, trying to find the right words. There was no way she’d imagined this. She sure as hell hadn’t locked herself in the coffin and the rug burn on her chin was real. “A man in a mask knocked me out and locked me in. I don’t know how long I’ve been unconscious.”
Braden took a step back to assess her. He kept his hands protectively on her shoulders, as if he was afraid to let go of her. “Are you hurt?”
Instead of responding she glanced at the reverend, then back at Braden. Her legs shook so bad she could barely stand, but she needed to talk to Braden alone. “Can we talk somewhere private?”
Still frowning, Braden nodded, then turned to the other man. “Excuse us.” He gently took her by the hand, then strode down to the office they’d been in earlier. She collapsed on one of the chairs.
He hunkered down so they were face to face and he tightly grasped one of her hands. “Talk to me, Lilly. Walk me through what happened.”
Anchored by his touch and the concern in his eyes, she found the words. “I heard someone calling my name. I thought it was you so I went searching. A masked man attacked me in that room. I fought as hard as I could but he pinned me to the floor and…he was excited. I could feel it. He told me that he was going to enjoy every inch of me later.” Despite her efforts to stay calm, her voice cracked on the last word and a few unwanted tears spilled down her cheeks. She flinched when Braden made an attempt to comfort her.
If someone was truly after her, then she couldn’t afford to let Braden get too close to her. After watching one of her best friends die in Africa and now her aunt, she couldn’t lose someone else she cared about. She and Braden might not be close anymore, but he meant a lot more to her than she dared to admit aloud. Not to mention she couldn’t take his brand of kindness right now. If she let him console her, the dam would break and she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from blubbering all over him.
His hand dropped as he straightened in his chair. “How did he get you in the coffin?”
“He put something over my face. Maybe it was ether because I remember whatever it was, smelled sweet. Do you think it’s the guy you’re looking for?”
A muscle in his jaw ticked as he studied her face. “It’s possible…no, it’s probable. You’re going to need to make a statement down at the station and I’m going to send some of the guys down to dust for prints.”
“He was wearing gloves.” She hated telling him the next part because now she felt so stupid, but she had no choice. “Braden, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this guy.”
“What?”
She looked down at her clasped hands. God, this was so embarrassing. “For the past year I’ve been suffering from PTSD.” When he didn’t respond, she met his gaze. Thankfully she didn’t see pity or judgment. He just looked at her with those dark, soulful eyes and she knew he was listening. Really listening to her. “Last night, right before you showed up I saw a masked face in the kitchen window but I thought it was a waking nightmare. An effect of the PTSD. Then it happened again this morning while you were in the shower. The second time he had a knife.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” He didn’t seem to be judging her or shocked even. He
“Lilly! What happened? Are you okay?” Deep lines etched around Braden’s eyes as he lifted the top half of the coffin. She tried to sit up but with the bottom half still closed she could barely move. Braden looked over his shoulder. “A little help here!”
A moment later Reverend Ingram lifted the bottom hatch open. As soon as her feet touched solid ground, she crumpled into Braden’s arms. His heartbeat was as strong as his embrace and strength was exactly what she needed right now.
“What happened?” His voice was soft and soothing as he stroked her hair.
She shook her head, trying to find the right words. There was no way she’d imagined this. She sure as hell hadn’t locked herself in the coffin and the rug burn on her chin was real. “A man in a mask knocked me out and locked me in. I don’t know how long I’ve been unconscious.”
Braden took a step back to assess her. He kept his hands protectively on her shoulders, as if he was afraid to let go of her. “Are you hurt?”
Instead of responding she glanced at the reverend, then back at Braden. Her legs shook so bad she could barely stand, but she needed to talk to Braden alone. “Can we talk somewhere private?”
Still frowning, Braden nodded, then turned to the other man. “Excuse us.” He gently took her by the hand, then strode down to the office they’d been in earlier. She collapsed on one of the chairs.
He hunkered down so they were face to face and he tightly grasped one of her hands. “Talk to me, Lilly. Walk me through what happened.”
Anchored by his touch and the concern in his eyes, she found the words. “I heard someone calling my name. I thought it was you so I went searching. A masked man attacked me in that room. I fought as hard as I could but he pinned me to the floor and…he was excited. I could feel it. He told me that he was going to enjoy every inch of me later.” Despite her efforts to stay calm, her voice cracked on the last word and a few unwanted tears spilled down her cheeks. She flinched when Braden made an attempt to comfort her.
If someone was truly after her, then she couldn’t afford to let Braden get too close to her. After watching one of her best friends die in Africa and now her aunt, she couldn’t lose someone else she cared about. She and Braden might not be close anymore, but he meant a lot more to her than she dared to admit aloud. Not to mention she couldn’t take his brand of kindness right now. If she let him console her, the dam would break and she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from blubbering all over him.
His hand dropped as he straightened in his chair. “How did he get you in the coffin?”
“He put something over my face. Maybe it was ether because I remember whatever it was, smelled sweet. Do you think it’s the guy you’re looking for?”
A muscle in his jaw ticked as he studied her face. “It’s possible…no, it’s probable. You’re going to need to make a statement down at the station and I’m going to send some of the guys down to dust for prints.”
“He was wearing gloves.” She hated telling him the next part because now she felt so stupid, but she had no choice. “Braden, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this guy.”
“What?”
She looked down at her clasped hands. God, this was so embarrassing. “For the past year I’ve been suffering from PTSD.” When he didn’t respond, she met his gaze. Thankfully she didn’t see pity or judgment. He just looked at her with those dark, soulful eyes and she knew he was listening. Really listening to her. “Last night, right before you showed up I saw a masked face in the kitchen window but I thought it was a waking nightmare. An effect of the PTSD. Then it happened again this morning while you were in the shower. The second time he had a knife.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” He didn’t seem to be judging her or shocked even. He
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