Avery's Point of View
The absolute silence in the foyer was terrifying.
Rhett stood completely frozen. The powerful, aggressive captain who had just been towering over me looked like he had been struck by lightning. His eyes were wide, fixed entirely on Jasmine, tracking the way she rubbed her eyes and clung to her stuffed rabbit. Every drop of color had drained from his face.
"Mommy?" Jasmine asked again, her small voice cutting through the heavy tension. She took a step closer, her little bare feet padding softly on the carpet. "Why is he looking at me like that?"
Maternal instinct overrode my fear. I immediately dropped to my knees, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her small body flush against me. I needed to shield her. I needed to hide her from the storm that was about to b
