"I don't want you to die."
Dawn was breaking outside. The birds were singing. The sun was rising. And Noah and I were lying on our bed with the blankets crumpled up around us.
We had spent the last five days crammed up in this hotel suite, snacking on unhealthy food, watching crummy movies and not bothering to get dressed.
Not having anyone interrupting us or demanding his attention was even better.
We had spent the night going over everything – and I mean every little detail – from our past and it was only now that I was getting to the core of Noah's issues.
"Nobody's dying, Noah," I assured him.
Stretching out my leg, I used my toes to rub his bare stomach.
He was lying crossways at the foot of the bed, looking stressed out.
His hair was a mess, ruffled from running his hands through it.
All he had on was a pair of black sweatpants.
The moment my foot touched his stomach, I felt the muscles bunch together and tighten.
Snaking a hand around my ankle, Noah caught hold of my foot and pressed it harder to his stomach.
"Famous last words, Thorn," he grumbled, caressing my ankle with his thumb.
"What do you mean?"
"The only people I have ever allowed myself to care about have died at the hands of the Dennis family." His voice was gruff and thick with emotion. "My mother. My father…well, the guy I thought was my father," he laughed humorlessly. "There's only one person left."
He stared pointedly at my face.
"I'm not leaving you," I promised, refusing to allow the fear to overthrow common sense.
"You saw what they did to my mother, Teagan. What they made me do?" Noah covered his face with his huge arm and sighed heavily. "They want to take you from me because you are the only thing I ever took for myself – you are the only living soul I ever took the risk of loving."
"I am not leaving you, Noah," I repeated slowly. "JD can kiss my lily white ass. It's going to take a hell of a lot more than bullets, flowers, and stupid notes to take me away from you."
"If anything ever happened to you because of me," Noah squeezed out. "Well, they better have a cell strong enough to keep me locked in because I would burn the fucking world down."
"What if we set up a meeting with him and find out his demands?" Shrugging, I added, "Surely there's something we can offer him to make him go away."
I thought that was a just and rational suggestion, but from Noah's reaction you'd swear I'd asked him to steal the hope diamond for me.
"Are you insane?" he roared.
Leaping off the bed, he began to pace the floor like a caged animal.
"No," I shot back, insulted. "I'm trying to think outside the box here." Rising up on my knees, I began to plot. "If it's money he's after then you have it. Hell, I can sell my half of the gym – it wouldn't be much, but I could get sixty grand for it."
"Jesus Christ, you really are fucking crazy." Laughing humorlessly, Noah ran a hand through his hair. "There's must be something funny in the water over in Ireland because the Teagan I remember wasn't so fucking gullible."
"I am trying to figure a way out of this for us."
"There is no way out of this for us," he roared into my face. "Your fucking blood is the only currency he's interested in!"
Hearing Noah lay it out there in black and white caused my stomach to twist.
"I was just trying to help, Noah," I mumbled, red-faced and trembling.
"You want to help?" he snarled, chest heaving. "Then stay alive. Stay out of harm's way and stay the fuck away from JD Dennis!"
"I wasn't going to go after him myself," I choked out, wrapping my arms around my body. "I just thought that…"
"Good, because he would kill you, Teagan. He would take your life the first chance he got," Noah hissed, as he ran a hand through his thick, black hair. "I will fight for you. I will protect you. Hell, I'd give my fucking life for you. But I will not –" His voice broke off as he stalked towards where I was kneeling.
Cupping the back of my neck with one hand, Noah dragged me forward, leaning down to press his forehead to mine.
"Just…just leave JD Dennis to me, okay?" He exhaled a shaky breath, and then roughly kissed my forehead. "Forget about him. I have everything under control."
"But…"
"No buts," Noah barked, knotting his fingers in my hair. "I don't want you worrying about that prick." He kissed my forehead again, softer this time. "I'll sort everything out."
"Fine," I said in retreat and Noah visibly sagged. "But would you at least teach me how to fight?"
"What?" Noah took a step from me, brows furrowed in confusion. "Why?"
"So I'll be able to defend myself," I replied honestly. "I want the peace of mind of knowing that I have at least some measure of protecting myself." Stepping closer to him, I reached up and cupped his cheek. "Teach me how to fight, Noah."
"Absolutely not," he said in a gruff tone.
"Noah…"
"No, Teagan," he warned. "I'm not pushing you around. Forget it. It's not happening." Shrugging his shoulders, he let out a sharp breath. "You don't need to raise your fists, Thorn. You've got my fists to do your dirty work."
"And when you're not with me?" I shot back defiantly.
"Then you'll have Lewis," Noah countered swiftly.
"And who the hell might Lewis be?" I demanded.
Smirking, Noah took my hand and dragged me through the suite towards the door.
"Lewis is head of security," Noah announced as he swung back the door. "And your new bodyguard."
My jaw fell open when my eyes took in the huge barrel of a man standing outside our hotel room door. He was dressed in black from head to toe.
Huge was an understatement.
I'd never seen a man so big in my life.
I found myself studying his bald head and the huge scar that ran from his scalp to his jawline.
He was the definition of built like a brick shit house.
"Noah," Lewis acknowledged in a deep timber voice. Turning his attention to me, he nodded curtly. "Miss Connolly."
"Just Teagan, please," I replied, offering him an awkward half wave.
Christ, he was enormous.
I had to crane my neck to look up at his face.
Heck, Noah was 6'4" and this guy was even taller.
Come to think about it, he vaguely resembled one of the doormen from a nightclub back home in Galway. Old Lorry, people used to call him – for obvious reasons.
"Teagan." Lewis nodded in confirmation before returning his attention to Noah. "Everything okay?"
"Everything's fine, Lewis," Noah assured him before closing the door.
"How long has he been here?" I demanded the moment the door was closed.
"Since we arrived."
"And you didn't think to tell me?"
"I'm sorry." Noah shrugged sheepishly. "I was preoccupied."
"With what?" I hissed. "And you need to work on your communication skills, buddy!"
"With you," Noah admitted shamelessly.
Taking a step towards me, he snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me flush against him.
"I finally got you home," he said gruffly, eyes locked on mine. "You're the only thing going on in my mind right now."
"Okay," I breathed, feeling my resolve melt into a puddle at my feet. "Good answer."