Free Protecting His Forever by LeAnn Ashers

we pull up to the club. I know she is close, and my body is begging to be close to her. Hold her in my arms to make sure she is okay.
    Sydney
    Sliding down the wall, I pull Brae into my arms. She sobs into my chest. Heart breaking sobs. I do the only thing I can: I hold her.
    What the hell does that guy want? He’s been following her for years. Did unspeakable things to her and then torments her for years. I was attacked by some random guy, but then… maybe it’s not so random.
    There was that letter on my car as I was leaving the mall. The guy is in jail so it could have been a prank or meant for someone else. I actually forgot about it until now.
    “Sydney!”
    Bracing myself against the wall, I push myself to my feet. Kane is here. Unlocking the dead bolt, Kane charges in and takes me into his arms. My body sags against him. Relief. He lifts me off the ground and my head goes to the crook of his neck. My arms around his neck.
    “Baby, are you hurt?” He sets me down on the counter. My arms fall to my lap. His eyes search my body for injuries.
    Touching his face with my hand, I reassure him. “I’m fine, Kane.”
    “Baby…” he trails off, his eyes full of torment. Shaking my head, I pull him to me again and rest my chin on his shoulder.
    Ethan has Brae in his arms. A hand on the back of her head and the other hugging her tightly to him. Her body shakes from the sobs. Ethan’s eyes are shut tight with his jaw set. He’s mad.
    My hands roam Kane’s back and arms. Just being close to him makes me feel safe.
    “Let’s go home.”
    Nodding my head, I slide off the counter and down to my feet. Braelyn is holding onto Ethan for dear life.
    “What if that man is still outside?” Brae asks against Ethan’s neck.
    “Baby, he’s long gone. We know the owner, so we’re checking the cameras. The man will be caught. He fucked up big when he decided to mess with my girl.”
    My eyes widen. Brae just got claimed. She has a smile tugging on her lips, but I’m the only one that can see it.
    “Let’s go.” Ethan tells us and walks out of the bathroom with Brae in his arms.
    Kane wraps an arm around me and pulls me into his side. We follow after Ethan. People don’t notice us as we walk pass. People bump into Kane, but he is a man on a mission to get out of here.
    Once outside I take a deep breath, finally feeling like I can actually breathe . Kane’s truck is parked right by the door. Ethan’s already in the backseat with Brae sitting in his lap. Kane pulls me toward the passenger door.
    Opening the door, he picks me off the ground and up into my seat. He buckles me in and walks over to the driver’s side. Slamming the door, he starts the truck and takes off, tires spinning.
    The truck is silent except for the rumble of the engine. I watch as the lights of the town pass by in a blur. My mind is reeling from what happened. I tased a man in the neck and squashed his balls. He wanted to kidnap Brae. The shock of what’s happened is wearing off.
    A warm hand touches mine. Opening my hand, Kane laces our fingers together. Unbuckling my seat belt, I move over to the middle seat. My head resting on his shoulder, he kisses the top of my head. Closing my eyes, I try to keep the tears at bay. Brae’s crying in the backseat breaks my heart. I can hear Ethan whispering to her. Kane squeezes my hand and lays our joined hands in his lap.
    ~*~
    As soon as we get to my house, I walk straight upstairs. Kane sheds his shirt and hands it to me; I wear one of his shirts to bed every night. He climbs into bed and opens his arms for me. I lie on Kane’s chest with his arms wrapped around me as he trails his fingers down my arm. Goosebumps break out across my skin and I snuggle deeper letting out a deep breath.
    The house is quiet. Too quiet. My mind won’t shut off from everything that happened. “Kane, tell me something about you.”
    His hand stills. “Baby, there isn’t anything to know about me. My life growing up was hell