Guarded from Sabotage (Blade and Arrow Security Bravo Team #2)

Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

SARAH

I still can’t wrap my mind around it.

A woman I’ve never met orchestrated the sabotage of my life and plotted to kill me.

Not just plotted—she nearly did. Twice. If not for Dante, she might have succeeded.

And all of it because of a terrible lie.

Why couldn’t Blake have owned up to his crime? Why did he have to paint me as the villain? He had so many choices back then—going to a local college, getting a job, seeing a counselor, using the mandated community service as an opportunity instead of a punishment—but instead, he squandered all of them.

Blake didn’t just ruin his own life, he ended up taking his sister down with him.

It’s hard to hate Tamara, even after everything she’s done.

Do I wish she’d looked into my accusations instead of taking Blake at his word? Yes. A thousand times, yes.

But at the heart of it all, she was a sister grieving the loss of her beloved brother. Does that mean I forgive what she did? Of course not. What Tamara did to me was beyond reprehensible. But I understand why she did it.

If I’d known back then how it would all turn out, would I have still turned him in?

I don’t know.

On one hand, Blake needed to be stopped before he could hurt another woman. Even now, I still feel guilty for not reporting the assault sooner.

Maybe if I were the only one affected, the answer would be easier. But I wasn’t. Dante nearly died in the car accident. Ivan spent weeks in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. And Blake… he hurt me. Traumatized me. But I never wanted him dead.

I guess it’s good I can’t go back, because I’m not sure what decision I’d make.

“Sarah.” Dante perches on the end of the couch and gently squeezes my foot. “Do you need a pain pill? It’s been six hours since your last one, so it’s safe to take another.”

“Not yet.” I push myself up from the mountain of pillows behind me, trying not to wince as a flare of pain shoots through my side.

“Let me help you.” Dante leans over, slipping his arm behind me, and carefully raises me to a seated position. Then he rearranges my pillows with the intensity of a surgeon before sitting back to look at me, his brow pinched and gaze dark with worry. “You need to be careful. Your ribs?—”

“I know.” There’s little likelihood of me forgetting about my two fractured ribs, given that they’re shrieking their disapproval every time I move. “I’m trying to be careful. But the doctor said I should sit up as much as possible.”

“Yes,” he concedes, “but with your shoulder, and all the bruises, and it just happened…” Dante trails off, his face crumpling. “I hate seeing you in so much pain, Sarah. I’d do anything to make it better.”

My heart twists in a knot. Poor Dante. I know he’s feeling guilty about me being hurt, even though it’s not remotely his fault. But I heard him talking to Niall in the hallway while I was being examined by the emergency room doctor, his tone low and agonized as he said, “If I’d just brought her to the interview, this wouldn’t have happened. Why did I go to Austin? It was too soon. I should have known something was wrong.”

How could he? If Tamara managed to trick the San Antonio police department and the FBI, how could Dante be expected to discover such an unlikely suspect?

But I know that’s an argument I’m not going to win, at least not when everything is so fresh. I’ve been home for twelve hours and Dante hasn’t left my side for more than a few minutes at a time—dashing into the kitchen to get me something to eat or taking a lightning-fast shower—and practically sprinting back to make sure I haven’t magically disappeared.

Although, as I was just abducted, I guess it’s not a completely unreasonable worry.

As I watch Dante struggle to control his emotions, my own pain shifts to the side. Reaching for him with my uninjured arm, I say, “Sit. Please.”

He eyeballs the couch, frowning. “There’s no room, Sarah. I don’t want to hurt you.”

I scooch my legs up and pat the empty cushion. “Here. I can put my legs on your lap this way. And—” My throat gets thick. “I need to feel you. Please?”

His features soften. “Anything you want.”

I wasn’t exaggerating. Once Dante’s on the couch with my legs draped over his lap, his hand lightly stroking my knee, I can feel my muscles unclench. My jittery stomach settles. The band wrapped around my chest loosens a little.

“You are helping,” I tell him, holding his gaze. “Everything you’re doing helps. Bringing me food, making me eat, fluffing my pillows, checking on me, calling my parents and Hanna…”

“Still.” His lips press into an unhappy line. “You’re in pain. I can tell. And I hate it.”

“A little.” A lot, but I’m not saying that. “But I’m going to be okay.”

Dante stares at me for a second before saying quietly, “I’m so sorry, Sarah. I should have been there. I feel like I let you down.”

“Let me down? No way.” Ignoring the pain in my ribs, I lean forward to catch his hand. “You absolutely did not let me down, Dante. You came for me. You stopped Tamara and you rescued me. And not just this time. You’ve never not been there for me. I knew you’d come. I knew it. That’s why I was trying to get her to talk. There was never any doubt that you’d come for me.”

“Always. But—” He swallows hard. “I just wish… I’d been with you. Bringing you to lunch. To the interview. Then?—”

“She would have tried another time. Tamara wasn’t giving up. Not until…” A lump lodges in my throat, stopping the rest of my words from coming out.

“Oh, Sarah.”

“She thought it was my fault,” I finally manage. “Tamara. She really thought it was my fault her brother’s life was ruined. That he died.”

“ Never . It’s not your fault. Not at all.”

“I know that. But… she didn’t know.”

“She should have checked .” Anger flushes his cheeks. “Before she came up with her insane plan, she should have done her research. Found out it was her brother who was the monster, and not you.”

“Yes. She should have. But still. I can’t help feeling… sad. Guilty. Blake died. Tamara’s going to jail for decades. Ivan… I don’t know how he’ll come back from spending weeks in jail. And you. You were almost killed, Dante. All because of a decision I made almost fifteen years ago.”

“No.” Dante leans over and cups my cheek. His eyes flare with intensity. “Everything that happened was Blake’s fault. He’s the one who hurt you. The blame falls on him. Not you.”

The band around my chest eases even more. “Then… you shouldn’t feel guilty, either. If it’s his fault. Right?”

After a second or two, his lips curve into a reluctant smile. “I guess you’re right.” He presses a soft kiss to my lips. Then, with a bigger smile, he adds, “I’m lucky to have such a smart girlfriend.”

A lightness fills my chest, and I smile back at him. “You are lucky.” A beat, and then, “I’m lucky, too. To have such an amazing, brave, badass boyfriend.”

“Badass, eh?” Dante raises his eyebrows. “I hope that’s a good thing?”

“It is. You’re all tough and strong and protective, and you look really sexy doing your bodyguarding thing.”

His gaze heats. “I’ll guard your body any time.”

Despite my exhaustion and fractured ribs and strained shoulder, desire coils in my belly. My womb clenches, and my nipples go hard. “How long until we can make love again?”

Dante grins. “Not for a month, at least. But—” His hand grazes my breast. “Maybe in a week or so, if we’re careful, I can do some other things to you.”

Oh. That doesn’t sound too bad.

“What kinds of things?”

“Well…”

But just as Dante’s about to elaborate, his phone buzzes with a text. And another. And another.

At least ten messages must have come through before Dante grabs his phone off the coffee table, chuckling as he looks at the screen. “I told everyone to give you some time to rest before checking in, but I think they’re getting impatient.”

“Impatient? To see me?”

“Yeah.” Dante kisses me again. “They want to see you. Everyone’s been worried. They really care about you a lot.”

“Oh.” My chest warms. “That would be nice.”

“Are you sure you’re feeling up to it? If you need more time, they’ll understand.”

Am I up to seeing the people who dropped everything to help me? To rescue me? The people who have quickly become like family? “I’m sure.”

And over the next hour, as Dante hovers protectively beside me, I realize just how right he was.

When Niall and Jade come in, carrying a giant gift basket filled with aromatherapy candles and essential oils and gourmet chocolate, Jade bursts into tears as soon as she sees me. “I was so worried,” she tells me between sniffles. “And I’m so glad you’re okay.”

After a pause, and a small grimace, she amends, “Well. Not okay. But you will be. And if you need anything, a shoulder to cry on, if you want to talk, or if you just want to veg out and watch movies, I’m here.”

Matt visits next, his expression tight with worry and guilt, and I immediately can tell he’s beating himself up for not figuring out the truth about Tamara sooner. As he hands over a cuddly teddy bear, he says quietly, “I’m sorry, Sarah. I should have?—”

“No,” I tell him firmly. Hugging the bear to my chest, I hold Matt’s gaze as I continue, “You have helped me so much. I can’t thank you enough. Don’t ever apologize.”

Then I get teary and Matt looks all awkward, and he pats my head, muttering, “I’ll be back to check on you later,” before darting out the door.

Erik comes bearing a weighted blanket, which he presents with a shy smile, explaining, “I know you have Dante to help you. But when my PTSD gets bad, a weighted blanket helps. Not on your ribs, of course,” he adds quickly. “But the weight of it… I just thought it could help.”

The last visitors are Xavier and his girlfriend, Lucy, who could be the sweetest person I’ve ever met. She gives me the warmest smile as she hands over a gaily-decorated gift bag. “It has some cookbooks and some other books I thought you might like. Xavier says you love angsty stories, so I tried to find a good selection of new ones for you to try.”

“Luce works at the bookstore in Seguin,” Xavier says as he looks at her affectionately. “Just part time. She’s really an author.” He pauses, beaming with pride. “Romance novels. Over twenty published, right?”

Lucy blushes. “Twenty-five.” She turns to me. “Don’t worry, I didn’t put any of mine in there. I don’t want to push them on you.”

“That’s okay,” I tell her, smiling. “I’d love to read some of your books.”

Right after Xavier and Lucy leave, Hanna calls, announcing she’s coming to visit this weekend. Dante called Finn earlier to fill him in on everything, so Hanna knows I’m okay, but it doesn’t make her any less worried.

“Don’t tell me you’re fine and I don’t need to visit,” she tells me sternly. “I’m visiting. So is Finn. We’ve already booked the flight for Saturday.”

Honestly, I could use my best friend right about now, so I just say, “Okay. I’m not arguing. I’d really like to see you.”

And then, so Dante can’t hear me from the kitchen, I whisper, “I have to talk to you about Dante. He’s so amazing. I think he’s the one.”

Hanna shrieks. “I knew it! I knew it! I had a feeling ever since I saw you two at my wedding. And I never really liked Tanner. Dante is so much better.”

So that’s pretty great.

After I hang up with Hanna, my parents call, informing me they’re also coming to visit first thing next week.

“I want to meet this Dante,” my dad says sternly. “Make sure he’s good enough for my little girl.”

“He saved her life,” my mom replies with a what do men know sigh. “More than once. And he’s been protecting her. Plus, he was so polite when he called earlier.” I can hear her smile as she adds, “I can’t wait to meet your Dante, honey. He sounds lovely.”

By the time I finish with all the visits and phone calls, I’m happy, but thoroughly exhausted. My eyelids are drooping and my body feels boneless, and the pill Dante finally convinced me to take is kicking in.

“Let’s get you to bed.” Dante strokes my hair as he gazes at me with a soft expression. “You’ve had enough excitement for today, don’t you think?”

“I guess.” As I start to push up from the couch, I stop halfway. “Will you come to bed with me?”

He carefully loops his arm around my waist and helps me up. “Of course.”

And minutes later, when we’re both snuggled into bed and I’m moments from falling asleep, Dante says, “I love you, Sarah. Words aren’t enough to tell you how much. But I’ll spend my life protecting you, taking care of you, making you happy, if you’ll let me.”

Oh.

I take his hand and press a soft kiss to his palm. “I love you, Dante. And nothing would make me happier.”

This time, when my eyes blink shut, I let them.

In Dante’s arms, I know I’m safe.