Free Protecting You (A McCord Family Novel Book 1) by Amanda Siegrist Page B

heard a scream. The piercing sound was loud and frightening as it sent shivers throughout his body. Almost like someone was dying. He sat up in bed, glanced at the clock that read 2:35 and threw the covers off in a quick sweep. Rushing out of his room, he realized the screaming was coming from Ava's bedroom.
    With nervous steps, he swiftly opened her door. She thrashed around in bed screaming. Her words froze him.
    "Jimmy! Please, stay with me. I've stopped the bleeding. You're going to be fine. Jimmy, wake up."
    Over and over, she repeated that. Just stood there like an idiot in her doorway. Until Zane couldn't take it anymore. Hurrying over to her bed, he sat down, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into his arms. He started to rub her back and whisper, "Shhh, Ava. It's okay. It's just a nightmare. You're safe. Everything's fine."
    Ava instantly stopped screaming and started to weep softly into his chest. Her tears ran down him, making him tremor deep inside. They soaked into his skin as her words earlier had seared into his brain. He sat there holding her, rubbing her back, whispering to her that everything was okay. He wasn't completely sure if she was fully awake or actually crying in her sleep, and he was afraid to pull her away from his chest to find out.
    Gradually, her body stopped shaking and the tears stopped flowing. He stayed there a few more minutes rubbing her back just in case. When her breathing returned to normal and she was definitely asleep, he gently laid her back down and pulled the covers up around her, almost like tucking a child into bed.
    He gently moved a piece of hair off her cheek and slightly caressed her as he did. She looked so peaceful now as she slept, as if it all never happened. How could he hate a woman who held so much pain inside? She had cried out Jimmy's name as if she thought she could have saved him. Didn’t anyone tell her that he couldn't have been saved? That he died instantly.
    It broke his heart a little inside as he remembered seeing her scream like that. In that moment, he regretted every nasty word he said to her. He wished he could take it all back. He wished he could take her pain away, but he couldn't. He couldn't even manage to take his own pain away.
    This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to feel anything for her. He wanted to hate her so much, and yet, he couldn't anymore.
    He caressed her cheek one more time, the urge to touch her again too much to resist. Then, standing up, he went back to bed. Around five o'clock, his alarm went off.
    Ten minutes later, he walked into Ava's room and turned on the light. He decided after he left her room last night that Austin had been right. She needed help to heal and she needed to do it here. He was going to help her in the only way he knew how. Perhaps it would help him a little, too.
    "Ava, wake up," Zane growled.
    Ava blinked at the intruding light. She moaned slightly and rolled over to her side. She opened one eye as Zane glared down at her next to the bed.
    "It's time to get up. Let's go," Zane said, throwing the covers off her.
    "What are you doing? Are you making me leave already?" Ava cried as she grabbed for the covers.
    Zane was faster than her, grabbing for the covers and threw them all the way on the floor. "No, I'm not making you leave. I'm telling you to get up. We got work to do. Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen. Wear good shoes. Nothing crappy like sandals or heels. You got five minutes."
    "What are you talking about? What work?" she asked confused, as she was still trying to adjust her eyes to the light.
    "The farm—animals to feed, pens to clean—that kind of work. Get up," Zane snapped at her again. He started for the door and turned around. "Five minutes. If you're not out in the kitchen in that time frame, I'll come back and dress you myself. Underwear and all."
    Zane turned back around and walked out with a smile at her surprised expression from his last comment. As he made his