After a moment, Claire stood straighter and nodded. Although he admired her strength, watching her hold back tears was almost too much. When she started to walk past him toward her room, Tony seized her arm and stopped her movement. Indignantly, Claire looked up at him. His voice echoed against the long hallway and wooden floors. “You are not staying here another night.” Despite him sounding to the contrary, Tony was exercising all the self-restraint he possibly could. Claire’s bruise-covered face, pained expression, and the empty envelope had him on the edge of sanity. Obviously, the person with the laptop was warning them that he wasn’t done. Tony’s proclamation wasn’t debatable.
Thankfully, Claire understood. “I know. I want to finish packing.”
This POV was originally written as a gift to my amazing readers in the Goodreads Group: The Consequences Series Group Reads, Therapy, and Hugs. I wrote it as a thank you when that group reached 1000 members. At last check, that amazing group has surpassed 4000 members!
There is no doubt. I have the greatest readers in the world!
The version you’re about to read has been tweaked and edited for Behind His Eyes Truth.
Thank you for joining me on this dark and insightful journey.
~Aleatha
Love is about giving freedom and power, not about gaining control or possession.
—Jeffrey Fry
Tony steered the rental car through the now familiar streets of Palo Alto. Glancing toward the passenger’s seat, he couldn’t help but grin. Somewhere between the last stoplight and now, Claire had fallen fast asleep. With all she’d been through in the last few days and, of course, her condition, she had every right to be exhausted. Tony understood. Lately, exhaustion had become his norm. He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since he was with Claire in Iowa. He definitely hadn’t had one in the last few days. Truthfully, he didn’t anticipate having one for a while. There were just too many unanswered questions and too much uncertainty. Focusing on the road before him, Tony contemplated the recent events.
It seemed like a lifetime ago, but in actuality it had only been six days since Claire had come to Iowa, not just Iowa, but to the estate. Reaching to his right, Tony gently brushed her hair away from her sleeping face. Through the dimly lit interior, Claire’s features came into focus and his smile quickly faded. Though difficult to see by the dashboard light, the swelling near her eye was no longer red. Now, it was blue. He knew from experience it would change to purple, green, and then yellow before it faded away. Tony wished with all his might that he didn’t know that information, that he hadn’t seen her face this way before, and that neither one of them had those memories.
Refocusing on the road, Tony pushed the thoughts of her accident away. This wasn’t the time. They had too many other issues at the moment. The most pressing was getting Claire back to Iowa. Tony chastised himself. If he’d only kept her there in the first place. If he’d never paid off Chester. If he could start his whole damn life over. None of that was possible. Besides, when did Anthony Rawlings have regrets? He reminded himself: regrets don’t solve problems—actions do.
By God, Tony was taking action! Tomorrow Claire was going with him to Iowa, and he would move heaven and earth to find out who’d sent the flowers with the name Rawls. Thankfully, Claire had agreed. This wasn’t like the first time. They both knew the estate was the safest place; however, if she woke in the morning with a changed mind… Tony wasn’t against forceful persuasion. Her safety was not debatable.
Hearing Claire groan, he turned, seeing her shift in the seat and wince. Slowing the car for a red light, Tony reached over and pushed the button to fully recline her chair. He watched as she settled against the soft leather and her expression relaxed.
The car behind him honked, alerting Tony that the light had changed. Pushing the gas pedal, he thought about how it wasn’t only the light that had changed: his whole life, her whole life had too. They were going to have a baby! He’d experienced many life-altering events, but none of them had hit him like that news. Everything in his life was planned. Well, everything up until Claire and that ultrasound picture. After she left for California, he’d stared at it for hours. It didn’t look like anything really, mostly fuzz, but it was a part of him. How could someone he’d never met, who didn’t have a name, and whom he couldn’t even visualize, have captured his heart so completely?
Then with Roach’s call, Tony’s life stood still. Phillip Roach hadn’t kept Claire safe. It wasn’t as if Tony expected miracles from the man, but how difficult was it to keep a psychopath away from Claire?
As Tony pulled the car into the hotel’s garage, he remembered his relief when he entered her hospital room and saw Claire sitting up and awake. Yes, she was bruised and battered; however, he didn’t see the red and blue colors. No, all he saw was green—the most beautiful, sparkling green eyes in the world.
Walking around to Claire’s side of the car, Tony thought God help the person who tries to stop me from keeping them safe. As he opened her door, he bent down and kissed her cheek. Instantaneously, he was once again peering into seas of emerald. Despite the week from hell, a smile came to his lips and he said, “I’d gladly carry you to my suite, but I’m afraid we’d attract more attention than either of us wants.”
“I’m pretty sure I can walk.” Claire gripped Tony’s hand as she stepped from the car. Although she tried to pretend it didn’t exist, pain radiated behind her gaze as her jaw clenched and body tensed with the effort of standing. Before he could speak, she continued, “I could do this alone, but I’m so thankful I don’t have to.” Unexpectedly, she tilted her face toward his and gave him a fleeting kiss. “Thank you.”