Gunn

There were sounds, voices coming to me. I couldn’t make them out. They were underwater. Rage drove them there. All I could see was Tim Rose’s hand on Brenna. One look in his eyes and I knew his mind. He would hurt her. Crush her. Break her.

I would end him.

I saw my fist driving into his face. I saw him on the ground, bloodied. Still. I would have done it. It was in me. I would kill any man who ever tried to lay a hand on Brenna. I would end them. More than my own rage, it was almost as if I felt Scotty’s presence rise up from the grave and swirl around me like smoke.

Take care of her.

“Gunn!” Only Brenna’s shout cut through the haze. Her mother screamed in the corner. Tim’s eyes widened with fear as he cowered and raised his elbow to try and block the blow he knew I would deliver.

I grabbed him by the shirt collar and drove him into the wall. “Run,” I said, not recognizing my own voice. I shoved him hard. He fell to the ground but quickly scrambled back to his feet. His wild eyes went from Brenna to me then back to Susan. I never touched my gun, but he knew it was there.

“Gunn, let’s go,” Brenna said. She was oddly poised. She pulled on my arm. “Let’s just get the hell out of here.”

“That’s right,” Tim said, straightening. “You make your choice. If that’s the life you want, then you wallow in it. But you’re done. Not another penny of my money. You’re on your own. You’re not welcome here.”

“Are you serious?” Brenna said. “It’s not your money. How many times do I have to tell you that? It’s Scotty’s money. He meant it for Mom and me.”

“Brenna, don’t do this,” Susan cried. So, she’d made her choice. I watched Brenna’s heart break as she realized it too. Susan would choose this asshole over Brenna. I knew I shouldn’t blame her. Deep down, I didn’t. Tim Rose was the monster she couldn’t break free from. I would try to help her again, for Scotty. But today, Brenna was all that mattered.

“Mom?” she said. “Come with me. Leave this house if you have to. We’ll figure it out.”

“No,” she said quietly. “It’s different now. You’ll see.”

It took everything in me not to knock the smug expression off Tim’s face. Brenna found the strength her mother didn’t yet have. She grabbed her purse and took my hand. I could see the tears struggling to fall from her eyes, but she wouldn’t let them. Not now. I knew she didn’t want to give her father even that much power. Dammit, it would have been so much easier if she’d just let me end him here and now. Instead, it was enough to just get her as far the fuck away from him as I could.

I pulled her against me and we headed for the front door.

“You leave with him, you don’t get to come back!” Tim shouted.

Brenna stiffened beside me. She turned one last time to plead with her mother. Susan had gone dead silent. Then she closed the door behind her.

She had no words as she climbed on the back of my bike. I handed her a helmet and mounted. A few of her neighbors had come out to see what was going on. They gave Brenna sad, knowing glances as I pulled away from the curb and helped Brenna put Donnelly Street behind her.

“Just ride,” Brenna shouted. “Go fast. Go anywhere. Just please ... don’t stop.”

I knew what she meant. She needed to feel the power of the bike between her legs. She needed the freedom to fly. I could give her that. I took the rural highway away from town. I let the throttle out as we hit a straightaway. The mountain loomed ahead of us. If it had just been me, I might have pushed the envelope even more and ridden as fast as the bike would go. Something told me she could have handled that. That she craved it. But I wouldn’t risk her safety even for the thrill.

With each mile, I felt a little of the tension drain from Brenna. She kept her grip around me but softened. I pushed it as much as I thought Brenna could take. As much as she wanted the wind and freedom, she wasn’t used to riding like I was. Once we left Green Bluff behind, instinct took over. Once again, I felt a little of Scotty’s ghost guiding me. When we were kids and wanted to disappear, there was a special place we used to go.

I took the exit to Timber Cove. Two and a half hours seemed to pass like minutes. I knew a little stretch of beach no one ever goes to. It was quiet out here, desolate. Almost like another planet with sand-swept dunes and the ocean crashing in at high tide. I slowed to a stop and parked the bike.

Brenna was a little stiff as she climbed off. I took her hand after she peeled off the helmet and set it aside. She’d been crying. I pulled her to me and felt her fall to pieces.

“Come on,” I said. “There’s a little clearing just over that rise. It’s the most gorgeous sunset you’ll ever see. Scotty and I used to come here.”

She blinked hard as she looked up at me. “You did?”

“Yeah. Usually after your old man did his worst. Scotty knew he’d never find him here.” There was a darker truth I couldn’t bring myself to tell her. Scotty used to fantasize about burying Tim out here. No one would ever find him here either.

Her breath caught as we came over the rise. The blue expanse of the ocean stretched for miles. A breeze picked up, bending the tall grass. We picked a spot and sat side by side.

“How did you know?” she asked. “You just came out of nowhere.”

Adrenaline still coursed through me. She still had a faint red mark on her upper arm where Tim had grabbed her.

“Susan’s next-door neighbor called me,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. Dark thoughts still swirled in my mind. There was a monster inside of me. One that would snuff out anyone or anything that would try to touch Brenna.

“She dropped the restraining order,” Brenna said. Her own tone was flat. It felt less like she was telling me than trying to process it herself.

“I figured,” I said. “Brenna, your mom needs help. It’s more than just you or I can provide. I can try to get it for her. I’m going to keep tabs on what goes on at her house. This time, it worked. But if she leaves with him …”

“If my father really wants to hurt her, he’ll always find a way. I know, Gunn. God help me, I know.”

I turned to her. I was careful how I touched her, but I had to touch her. I needed to convince myself that she was here. She was whole. That I got there in time. I needn’t have worried. The second I lifted my hand, Brenna folded into my arms.

“Never again,” I said, kissing the top of her head, burying my face in her soft hair. “He doesn’t come near you. He doesn’t touch you. I’ll kill him if he tries. I can’t pretend I won’t.”

She sighed against me. “I know. He’s never done that before. He’s never even come close. He’s gotten bolder. My mother let him get bolder.”

“She’s not thinking straight,” I said. “That’s the power that kind of asshole has over her. It was the same with my mom. Until she finally got smart and disappeared.”

Brenna let out a choked sob. “But had to leave you behind to do it, Gunn. God. I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

“I’m sorry about all of it. You came from a war zone. So did I. But we’re here. We survived. You don’t need them. I hope your mother can see a path away from it. If she doesn’t though, you’re not getting sucked back into it. I won’t let it happen. I promised …”

“Stop!” she sobbed, tearing away from me. “Don’t say you promised Scotty. I just can’t right now. I can’t think about him. I can’t think about everything I’ve lost. Because you’re right. I can’t go back to that house. Maybe ever. I don’t know how he did it, but he took the last thing away from us. He got my mother to sign over the trusteeship. Tim controls the money Scotty left us. He’ll make good on his threats. I have nothing, Gunn. No home. No money. I mean ... I have like a thousand in my own bank account.”

She started to pace and tear a hand through her hair. The magnitude of what happened today slammed into her.

“You don’t have nothing,” I said.

“I have to start over,” she said. “I will. I was so stupid to rely on her. God, I can’t even blame her. I can’t do anything but feel sorry for her.”

“You don’t have nothing,” I said again. When I went to her, this time she let me put my arms around her. “I told you I would take care of you. Your school ... whatever you need.”

She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I can’t,” she said. “I have to find a way to dig out of this hole myself. Otherwise I’m just like her.”

I went to stone. “I’m nothing like your father.”

“That’s not what I mean. I mean ... I have to be independent. I can’t ever let something like this happen again. I’ll just get a job. Take out a loan if I have to. I may have to put off my senior year until I figure it all out. God, Christine begged me to go with her to Prague just this morning. Her father could have arranged it.”

I let go of her. I couldn’t believe I was about to say it, but it just came out. “Maybe you should. Maybe getting far away from Green Bluff is the best thing for you.” I hated the words. Just the thought of her being so far away tore at me. But one thing hadn’t changed. There was still turmoil with the club. What right did I have to offer her a place in my world when I didn’t know if it was about to burn?

“Is that what you want?” she asked.

“No. But I want what’s best for you.”

“And I think it’s up to me to decide that. I know what you’re doing. I know you. You’re still trying to protect me, even from you. Gunn ... I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid of you. I’m not afraid of my father. I’m not afraid of your club.”

“I am!” I shouted. “Dammit, Brenna. This has been killing me. But people around me have gotten hurt. Scotty was just the first. Someone came after my shop. I could have been there. You could have been there. I’m trying to do the right thing. Fuck! I know you want to stand on your own two feet. That doesn’t mean you can’t accept help. If it’s money, I have it. I know it’s hard, but maybe you need a fresh start. At least until things die down around here. Until I know it’s safe.”

She dropped her hands to her sides. “Gunn ... look me in the eyes and tell me the truth. You can’t ever promise me that. I know the club now too. It’s in you. These are good men. But there will always be some kind of danger just around the corner. Scotty knew that too.”

She was right. “So go,” I said. “Go with your friend to Prague.”

Her soft smile gutted me. She came to me and put a light hand on my cheek. God help me. God help her. The truth slammed into me. I loved her. I was in love with her. I wasn’t afraid to tell her.

“I love you, dammit.”

“I know.” She smiled.

“Fuck.”

“I know.”

“So what?” I asked. “What the hell do we do about it?”

She went up on her tiptoes and tugged gently on my ears until she’d angled my head just how she needed. I kissed her slow and deep. Brenna molded against me. That simmering heat flamed inside me. I needed her. I wanted her. I knew I might destroy her.

The kiss became urgent. I explored Brenna’s mouth with my tongue. Brenna’s nipples went hard. I felt them pressed against my chest. I knew I should be strong. I knew I should make her take that trip to Prague or go somewhere far away. Green Bluff had brought her nothing but heartache and loss. She could do better, maybe. She could be free.

God help me though, I wanted her too damn bad. She wanted me just as much. We sank to the ground together into the hot sand. Later, I might take my time with her. But something else was happening between us. A catharsis.

Brenna wriggled out of her jeans and pulled at mine. I had time to get them down just low enough for her to close her fingers around my rigid cock. My whole body throbbed for hers. I worked my fingers between her legs. Her jeans caged them together, tangled just below her knees. That didn’t stop me.

I rolled until I hovered over her; my palms sank into the sand. Gasping, Brenna gripped my ass and drew me down.

“Are you sure?” I managed to ask. God, I was selfish. I wanted her to go but I wanted to keep her just the same. I wanted to claim her again. Take the choice away from her. I knew that made me no better than her old man.

She nodded and brought her lips back to mine. Fuck. I could feel her heat rising. Her juices flowed, coating my balls. Then I couldn’t hold back a single second longer. I found just enough space to guide myself into her. She was so hot. So wet. So ready. She felt like home.

“Gunn!” she cried out, digging her nails into my back. She drew blood. I was glad. I wanted her to mark me just like I was about to mark her.

She was mine. Forever. No matter what else happened between us. No matter where she ended up. She’d always be mine and I meant to drive that point home.

Her slick pussy gripped me hard. I planned to take it slow with her later, but for now, my need burned way too strong. So did hers. I felt her come almost as soon as I slid into her. She bucked beneath me, wild and raw. She screamed my name. It was good. It was perfect. No one could hear.

Pressure built inside me. There was no going back. My hips ground into her and I seized up. “Yes!” she cried. “Please!”

I poured my seed inside of her. It was reckless. Careless. But neither of us could stop if the world depended on it. At that moment, ours did.

She was mine. Even if I was damned for it. Even if I had to let her go.