to her feet. "The adventurer, the adrenaline junkie, will risk his neck without a second thought. But he's afraid to risk his heart?"
He raised his head. The anguish in his eyes burned to her soul. "You don't understand."
"I'm here for you," she said gently. "Help me understand."
He raked his fingers through his hair. His throat worked. "You don't understand." Each word wrenched out of him. "I … can't … give you … enough."
Even after everything they'd been through, all they'd shared, he was afraid to trust her. She stepped toward him, hands outstretched. "I understand far more than you think. Talk to me. Trust me."
Were those tears glittering in his eyes? "I don't know how." He strode across the room, jerked open the door. The raging storm burst inside, the cold blast making the fire tremble wildly.
Her heart breaking, she blurted out a desperate, last-ditch challenge. "You can run away from me, but unless you face your fears head-on you'll never be able to escape them."
Gabe couldn't bear to hear her say it. He flung himself across the threshold. Not fast enough. She shouted after him, "Under all the bravado, you're scared!"
He hurtled outside, slamming the door on Tessa's words just like he'd slammed the door on her love. His chest heaving, he lifted his face, exposed and unprotected to the storm's brutal fury. Icy rain pelted him. Soaked and shivering, he let the stinging drops pummel his face, his bare torso. But the rain couldn't wash away the facts. He was scared.
Scared? Hell, he was terrified. His hands knotted into fists as he strode down the driveway. His stride lengthened, then he broke into a run.
He ran until his lungs burned and his side ached. He ran until his muscles screamed for mercy. But he gave none. He didn't deserve mercy. Punishing himself, he pushed his body to the breaking point.
Tessa was right. No matter how far or how fast he ran, he couldn't outrun the truth.
She loved him. And God help him, he loved her, too.
How the hell had it happened? How had she breached his defenses, defenses that were so firmly in place, he usually didn't have to try to maintain them? He'd thought his heart was barricaded behind an insurmountable wall. Thought it was safe. His deepest, most primal instincts had recognized the truth the instant he walked into the bank, but he'd managed to cling to denial. Until now.
The day he'd kidnapped Tessa, she'd captured his heart.
But if this woman walked out on him, he wouldn't survive. She'd annihilate him. Destroy him once and for all.
He just couldn't take that chance.
* * *
Chapter 17
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The storm had blown out hours ago, but clouds hung heavy and dark, merely changing the horizon to menacing gray with the dawn. Tessa peered out the window into the gloom, anxiously seeking any sign of Gabe. He'd been gone all night. Alone and hurting.
He'd return. His responsibility would force him to finish the case. Her stomach clenched. Knowing the master of emotional retreat, he'd probably dump her in a safe house at the first opportunity. But she'd fight him every inch. She would see this through to the bitter end. She trudged to the kitchen. Somehow, she'd get through to him. Somehow, she'd convince him to trust her. Somehow, she'd convince him that needing her wasn't a weakness.
After coffee and a shower, she dressed in black slacks and a cream sweater. Gathering her curls into a pearl clip, she wandered into the living room, and jerked to an abrupt stop.
Gabe had just walked in the front door. Wearing only jeans, he was soaked and shivering, his skin blue with cold. His torn feet oozed blood onto the carpet. He looked at her, his face shuttered. His taut, drawn features and flat gaze confirmed her worst fears. He'd shut her out. He'd closed himself off and locked away his soul.
Her heart aching, Tessa's throat tightened with unshed tears. She'd pushed him too far, too fast. And lost him. "You look like you need a hot shower, strong coffee, and breakfast." The effort to keep her tone casual cost every ounce of strength she possessed.
"Leo call?" he asked hoarsely.
"No."
He thrust his fingers through his wet hair as he brushed past her. The bathroom door slammed behind him. The shower kicked on with a hiss.
Her knees collapsed, and she sank to the sofa. She stared at the bloody footprints on the ivory carpet. He'd built a wall of ice between them, and