“You’re sure you want to stay here?” Thom asked as I unlocked my apartment door and we stepped inside.

“Yes. I can’t hide at your house forever,” I replied as I shut and deadbolted the door.

“Maybe not, but until this situation is over, you might be safer there.”

I smiled to myself at his concern. “I’ll be okay. There are neighbors all around. He’s not stupid enough to try anything here.”

His lips thinned. “I still don’t like it.”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

I was talking big, but in reality, I was nervous staying alone. Rock wasn’t stupid, that much was true, but he was used to getting his way. He was a vengeful bastard if someone crossed him. When he got like that, he didn’t always think things through. In my time with the Ravens, they’d done things I thought were stupid to make a point with someone. All the brothers were willing to go to jail for the club, so they didn’t seem to care if their actions did little other than bringing down more heat. It was all about making people respect and fear them. I used to be all in on that, but now I understood how stupid I’d been. I feared Scott, but I didn’t respect him.

“You call me or send me a text when you get to work in the morning, okay? If you see anything that looks wrong, you get your ass in your car and get to my place, or call me and I’ll come get you, okay?”

“You’re sweet,” I said as I patted him on the chest.

“I’m serious, Carolyn. This guy’s already proven he’s willing to break into a house to get what he wants.” His face was hard but his eyes were soft.

I was under no illusion that he loved me, but he still seemed to care about what happened to me. Letting me spend the night with him, his concern for me now, touched me in a way I’d never felt before. For the first time in my life I felt like something other than a man’s plaything, like my wants and needs mattered too.

“I know. I’ll be okay. I can’t hide forever.”

“You’re not hiding.”

A faint smile tugged at my lips. “Maybe not, but are you ready for me to move in with you? Rock’s going to get a slap on the wrist and that’s it. He’ll be out the day after they pick him up. How long do I stay with you? A week? A month? A year? Are you ready for that?”

“How about for a couple of days, until we see what he does next?”

“That’s what he wants. He wants us to be afraid. He gets off on it.”

“What did you see in that asshole?”

I shook my head. “You know, I’ve been asking myself that for the past four months. The answer is, I don’t know. I was stupid, but I’ve wised up in the past few months.”

“You’re sure you won’t come home with me?”

“No. Thank you for the offer, but I can’t.”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’ll call me, or the cops, if you see anything strange?”

“Yes, Mother.”

He didn’t smile. “And you’ll at least send me a text when you get to work tomorrow?”

“If you want.”

“I do. If I don’t hear from you, I’m going to send you one, and if I don’t get a response, I’m going to come looking for you to make sure you’re okay.”

“I don’t want that,” I said, trying to make light of the situation. “I have a reputation to keep up at work, and you drive a Volvo.”

“I’m serious, Carolyn.”

“I know. I appreciate your concern, I really do.”

“Okay. Send me a text when you get home as well. Better, come to my house and have dinner with us.”

I poked the tip of my tongue out through my lips as I thought. “Okay. Having you cook for me is an offer I can’t refuse. I’ll be there about five.”

“You’ll stay the night?”

“We’ll talk about it.”

He nodded and kissed me, his arm looping loosely around my waist. “I need to go.”

“I know. Send me a text when you get home.”

“I will. Last chance. You can grab a change of clothes and come home with me. I can take you to work in the morning.”

“Go.”

He quickly kissed me again before opening the door. “Don’t forget the text.”

“You either.”

“See you tomorrow for dinner.”

“I’ll be there.”

I closed the door behind him and peeked through the blinds, watching as he quickly strode across the parking lot and got into his car. As his car disappeared, a chill passed over me and I double checked the lock on my door.

I flopped onto the couch and immediately sprang to my feet again. I went the fridge and pulled out a beer before returning to the couch. I opened the bottle and took a pull of the liquid courage.

I wasn’t afraid, not really, but I was concerned for Bláithín. Sometimes Rock was hard to predict. If he felt he or his club had been slighted, or if he felt threatened, he could be quite violent. The problem was, I didn’t know how he’d take Bláithín’s actions. He’d spent the night in jail twice in the time I was his old lady, so that wasn’t anything new for him. I took another pull on the beer as I tried to puzzle it through. Hopefully he would laugh it off and this would be the end of it, but I didn’t think it would be that easy. I’d spoke to Thom about my concerns last night as he held me close. I left out the details about how I knew, but I told him that Rock could be possessive.

When I agreed to stay the night, Bailey had gallantly offered me his bed and he would have a campout in the living room under a blanket tent and some chairs. I didn’t know how to answer that and was still formulating my answer when Thom informed him I would be sleeping in his bed. I smiled in memory when he’d asked where Thom was going to sleep, and the look on his face when Thom had told him he was going to sleep in the bed with me. I could just imagine the questions Thom was going to have to answer when he got home.

Last night was the first night we’d slept together without making love beforehand. I’d slept with Rock lots of times without fucking him first, but it was never like this. Rock wasn’t a cuddler. After we fucked, I’d often snuggle into his side until we went to sleep, but if we didn’t fuck first, he’d give me a kiss good night, turn his back to me, and go to sleep.

Thom, however, seemed to enjoy snuggling up to me. After making love, we’d snuggle, and wake up the same way. Maybe in a different position, but I was always in his arms. Last night neither of us seemed to be in the mood. I was upset that Rock was fucking up my life again, and Thom was on edge. I wasn’t used to the noises of his house, but several times I felt him stiffen for a moment at a noise, a car passing on the road outside, a clunk or bump inside the house, but then relax.

Through it all, he held me. He pulled me back into his chest and wrapped his arms around me, a breast cupped in each hand, his thumb softly drawing circles. We’d whispered as I told him of my concerns, my arms wrapped around his. I felt safe and protected in his arms, but it took me a long time to fall asleep, and Thom even longer.

Bailey had woken us this morning, knocking softly on Thom’s bedroom door and whispering. Thom’s whispered response woke me, but I lay still and quiet as they whispered to each other until he left. I’d bathed while Thom prepared breakfast. When I stepped into the kitchen, everyone was there, along with a big bowl of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes.

I felt rested and refreshed, but Bláithín looked like she hadn’t slept much as she sipped her tea, and Thom didn’t look much better. Only Bailey seemed normal, and though he didn’t stare, he couldn’t seem to stop looking at me. Not in anger, but in curiosity. I had the distinct impression I was the first overnight guest they’d had, or at the very least, the first one to share his father’s bed.

The rest of the day passed quietly. I’d enjoyed lunch and dinner with them. Rock tried to call Bláithín a dozen times, but she didn’t answer. I knew firsthand having her ignore him would enrage him, and I half-expected him to show up on Thom’s doorstep. I’d caught Thom a quiet moment and told him my fears. He thanked me, told me he hoped Rock would show up, and if Rock did, he’d have his ass thrown in jail, not only for breaking and entering, but also for trespassing and harassment.

I finished my beer. I thought about having another one to help settle my nerves but decided a bath would be better. I refused to be some snowflake that needed a man to take care of and protect her, but the longer Thom’s comforting presence was gone, the less appealing the idea of spending the night alone was.

I tossed the empty into the recycle, stripped as I walked to my bedroom, plugged in my phone, and started the water in the shower. As soon as it was warm I stepped in and closed the door. I scrubbed myself clean. I stood under the water for a long time, allowing the heat to leech the tension from my body. When the shower began to cool, I slapped off the water and dried myself. Tomorrow morning I’d have to shower again to get my hair under control, but for now I was wonderfully relaxed. I thought about putting on my blue negligee and calling Thom but decided I didn’t want to go to that well too often so it would remain special.

I hung the towel to dry and opened the bathroom door. I shrieked in surprise and panic, my hand flying to cover my mouth.

Rock smiled as he lounged against the door to my bedroom. “Goddamn how I love making you scream in the bedroom.”

“What are you doing here? How’d you get in?” I yelled. I glanced at my phone, which was on the other side of the bed.

“You gave me a key.”

“I did no such fucking thing! You fucking asshole! You made a copy of my key?”

He smiled, but it was humorless and didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve had it for a while. I knew you wanted me to have a copy, so I saved you the trouble.”

“Get out!” I yelled, pointing in the general direction of the door. “Get out before I call the cops!”

He continued to smile as he heaved himself off the door and sauntered into the room. “No, I don’t think you will. You see, I’m not here. I’m at a bar full of people, all of who saw me come in about five, and I won’t leave until almost midnight.” He began unbuckling his belt. “Besides, I can’t leave, not with you standing there like that, begging me to fuck you.”

My heart almost stopped. I’d given myself to almost all of the Ravens over the years, more than forty men, but the thought of him touching me now made me sick. I turned for the bathroom, only one step for me, but I barely got the door locked before he crashed into it. I backed up as far as I could, staring at the door as if a dragon might come through it.

“Open this fucking door, Mikki, before I break it down!”

“Help!” I screamed as loudly as I could. “Someone call the cops! He’s going to rape me. Someone help me, please!”

Rock slammed into the door again, rattling the entire wall. “Open the fucking door!”

“Get out of here!”

“I want my money, Mikki.”

“What fucking money?”

“Five million.”

“Where the fuck am I supposed to get five million dollars?”

“I don’t give a fuck! Get it from that fucking pussy of a boyfriend, but I want it, and you’re going to get it for me, understand?”

“Help!” I screamed again.

“I mean it, Mikki! Five million! Five million or I’m going to come back here. First, I’m going to fuck you, then I’m going to fuck you up!”

“Leave me alone!” I screamed. “I’m going to call the cops and tell them all about what you and your stupid gang does!”

The door rattled again, and I heard a cracking sound, like something was giving way. I looked around for anything to use as a weapon. There was nothing. “Help!” I screamed again.

“What the fuck is going on over—” another voice, a male voice, said.

An instant later I heard a man bellow in pain, several hard thumps that shook the entire apartment, a crash, another scream of pain, and then silence.

“Five million, Mikki. I want that money or you’re going to fucking regret it,” Rock said close to the door, his voice raspy and out of breath.

I slumped down against the tub, my legs up to my chest as I cowered. Surely someone called the police. Some man had come over to see what was going on, probably Eric from next door, so Rock was probably gone, but I couldn’t bring myself to open the door. I sat for many long moments, staring at the door, shaking in fear.

“Police department! Anyone home!”

“In here!” I yelled as I scrambled to my feet.

I almost yanked the door open, my relief so profound I forgot my nakedness, but I remembered at the last moment and wrapped myself in a towel.

“Hands behind your back! Don’t move!”

“I didn’t do anything!” the man’s voice yelled. “Wait! Just wait a minute. Wait! I was trying to help her! Ask her!”

I opened the door. Eric was standing there, his face a bloody mess as the two cops put cuffs on him. “Wait! Stop!” I cried. “He didn’t do anything! That’s Eric Larson! He and his wife live next door.”

The cops finished cuffing him anyway. “What happened here?” the older of the two officers asked as they pushed Eric down to sit on the bed, the other officer talking into his shoulder radio to summon paramedics.

As I told my story, Bethany, Eric’s wife arrived. The cops ordered her into the living room as I told them what happened, leaving nothing out. Eric sat nodding, and chimed in, telling them how he and his wife heard me screaming, she sent him over to help, and how he’d seen a big man trying to break down the bathroom door. The man had attacked him and beat the shit out of him. One of the cops went to talk to Bethany, and when he returned, he released Eric’s hands.

I gave Eric a wet towel for his face. Everyone vacated my bedroom so I could get dressed. The bathroom door had a large break in the face of it. One or two more attempts and Rock would have been inside. Eric had probably saved me from being beaten, raped, or worse.

It took over an hour before the cops left, and there was a small herd of people clustered around outside as the paramedics helped Eric down the steps. When the cops finally left, I pulled my phone out of my pocket, and with shaking hands, dialed.

“Hey!” Thom said.

Hearing his voice was the snip that cut the thread holding back my tears. “I need you,” I sobbed.