Rowan’s phone rang and when he picked it up, he was both surprised and dismayed to see Becca’s number. Why was she calling him so late at night? This couldn’t be good.
“Hey there,” he said.
“Rowan?” Her voice was raspy and quivered.
“What’s wrong?”
Her words tumbled out of her in a rush and she started crying somewhere in the middle of it, making it hard to understand her.
“Wait, wait. Slow down,” he said. “Someone attacked you and held a gun to your head?” He was on his feet, his free hand clenched tight in a fist, his vision going red with rage. Had to be Abram’s guys. No one else would come after her like that. “He asked about me?”
“Yes,” she sobbed, “and he said if he found out I had anything to do with you, he’d kill me. I almost didn’t call you because I didn’t want him to hurt you, too, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
“No, you definitely needed to call me. Don’t worry about me. They already tried to kill me, remember? And they couldn’t. Where are you right now?”
“In my living room.”
“Is the door locked?”
“Yes. And the deadbolt, and the couch is in front of the door.”
“Good. I’m leaving now. I’ll call you when I get there so you know it’s me.”
Rowan ran out the door, pausing only to grab his helmet and a second gun, both of which sat on the top shelf of the entryway closet. He hopped on his bike, moving so fast that his body screamed at him in pain. He took off down the street, ignoring the sharp stabs along his back and the aches. He wove between cars, dodging the slower vehicles to keep his speed up.
When he saw her building, he slowed a bit, but only enough to avoid wiping out in the gravel parking lot. He stopped his bike and hopped off, then called her.
“I’m in the parking lot.”
“Okay.”
He heard a loud scraping sound. “What’s that?”
“I’m moving the couch,” she said.
He took the stairs as quickly as he could with his stiff legs. “I’m right outside your door.”
The door opened and she peeked out. Her face was a mess of puffy eyes and splotchy red. He entered her apartment, closed the door, and leaned against it, then pulled her into his arms. She hugged him back for a second, then reached up to lock the door and turn the deadbolt. When she put her arms back around him, she was shaking.
“It’s okay.” He ran his fingers through her hair and squeezed her tighter.
“It’s just…” She started sniffling again, making her words broken. “Emma was so close and…and…”
“I know. But it’s okay now. It’s over. I’m here.”
When she calmed a bit, he led her to the couch. He sat beside her, rubbing her back as she dabbed at her eyes. He wished he could reach inside her and take out her pain. Show her it’d be okay and he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
“Can you tell me more?” he asked. “Did you know the man?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“What did he look like?”
“I’m not really sure. It was dark. He had rough hands. He was wearing a leather jacket. That’s really all I got. He was behind me most of the time.”
Rowan took in a breath and tried to steady himself. Getting too angry wouldn’t help anything right now. There would be a time for that later. And oh, would this man pay. Whoever he was. He’d make him hurt so badly he’d beg to be killed.
“I’m sorry. That’s not very helpful, I—”
She started to sob again and he pulled her into his lap.
“No, it’s not your fault. Don’t worry. I’m sure it was the same guys who attacked me. Those are the only enemies I have. And I already have a plan to pay them back.”
“There was this other guy…” She paused to sniff and catch her breath. “In the gift shop. He came in yesterday and followed me and when I went to the back room, he told me to be aware of my surroundings. Then he came back today, but he didn’t say anything. He just watched me. But I don’t think it was him, the voice—”
“Wait a minute. There was a strange man following you at work and threatening you and you didn’t call me? Why?”
“I don’t know; I didn’t want to bother you. I didn’t want to seem all paranoid or anything.”
“Becca.” He rubbed his face, forgetting about his cuts, then wincing in pain. “Please don’t do that. I can only protect you if you tell me what’s going on. Did you get a good look at that guy?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry, I just…” She broke into sobs again.
“Shh, it’s okay, really. I’m not mad or anything. It just upsets me that you were in danger and didn’t think you could tell me. Or should. You should always tell me stuff like that and I will protect you. And, Emma, I will do whatever I have to in order to make sure you’re safe.”
For some reason, this made her cry even harder. He didn’t know what else to do but hold her and wait for it to stop. What had he said to make it worse?
He handed her a fresh tissue and gently slid her from his lap. Then he went to the kitchen to get her some water. He opened the cabinets and looked around. What she needed was a stiff drink. But he found no alcohol. If he’d have known, he would have brought his flask at least. Or a Valium or something to help her calm down.
He handed her the water. “You need to drink something. Try to calm down.”
She gulped at the water and set the glass on the coffee table. Then she took in several shuddering breaths and looked at him through puffy, red eyes. “Thank you. I don’t deserve all this. For you to endanger yourself to protect us.”
“Are you kidding me? Becca, I’m the reason you’re in danger. If you hadn’t helped me, none of this would be happening. Repaying your kindness with my protection is the very least of what I can do. It’s not nearly enough. You have no idea how pissed I am that I brought this on you. You have a daughter to think about. You didn’t need any of this.”
“Should we just leave town? Would that make it easier for you?”
“No way. And where would you go?” He shook his head. “They could follow you and then I wouldn’t be able to protect you. Definitely don’t do that.”
“What can I do, then? How can I make this better?”
“Tell me immediately when anything strange happens. Even if you’re not sure if it’s strange or not. I’d rather you tell me and have it be nothing than you think it’s nothing if it’s something.”
She nodded and drank more water.
“And,” he said, “if you can get a good glimpse of whoever, that’d be helpful, but I know that’s also not always possible. So don’t worry if you can’t.”
“I will. I’m sorry I didn’t tonight.”
“No.” He took her hand and kissed it. “Don’t apologize or feel bad if you can’t, okay? But you said you saw the guy who was in the gift shop?”
“Yes. He had shoulder-length scraggly brown hair. Going thin on top. Kinda big nose. Wore a leather jacket and jeans. Had a messy-looking beard. Like he just stopped shaving one day. Wasn’t really fat, but wasn’t skinny either. Taller than me.”
Rowan nodded, trying to picture who that might be and commit the details to memory. “Those are great details. I’m not sure who that is, but I’ll find out. You didn’t happen to see if he had any sort of logo on the back of his leather jacket?”
“I didn’t.”
“Okay.” He nodded slowly. Still had to be Abram’s guys. Who else could it be? But why warn her like that? Was he just trying to scare her? “Has anything else strange happened?”
“No. Oh, I did see the guy’s car. It was a black sedan.”
“Good. Any idea the make or model?”
She shook her head.
“That’s okay. That’s still helpful.”
They sat for a few long minutes as she continued to breathe deeply and calm down.
“How are you?” she asked, looking him over. “Are your cuts healing okay and everything?”
“Yeah, I’m doing okay. I had someone really great take care of me.” He winked at her. “Oh, I forgot to bring back your towels and stuff. I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly when I ran out the door.”
“Don’t worry about it.” She yawned and rubbed her eyes.
“You need to get some sleep.”
“I don’t think I can. I haven’t slept well in days.”
He put his arm around her shoulders. “Well, you can sleep easy tonight. I’ll be right here by the door and won’t let anything happen.”
“Oh no, you can’t do that.” She looked at him with alarm in her eyes.
“It’s the only way I can make sure you’re safe.”
“What about your house? Don’t you need to be home to make sure it’s okay there?”
“Why would I do that? There’s no one at my house. If anything happened, it would be just stuff. But you’re here, and you’re far more precious than any material item, so this is where I need to be. To protect you and Emma.”
“Oh.” She looked toward the closed bedroom door. “What will we tell Emma in the morning when she sees you’re here?”
“Whatever you need to tell her.”
“I’m not sure.” She scrunched her eyebrows, thinking. “I don’t want to scare her, but I don’t want to lie to her either.”
“Can you just tell her we had a slumber party?” He gave her a playful smile.
She chuckled a little. “Right. Maybe.”
She stood up and picked up the glass and her tissues, then took them to the kitchen. When she returned, she said, “Are you sure you’ll be comfortable enough on the couch?”
He gave her a seductive smile. “Well, if you’re offering your bed with you in it, I won’t turn you down.”
Her face went pink. “I’ll just get you a pillow and blanket.”
She went to a small closet in the hall and took out a blanket. Then she went to her bedroom and got a pillow. She pushed up her sleeves as she spread the blanket out.
That was when he saw the purple marks on her wrists.
“What’s that?” He took her arm gently and inspected her more closely. “Are those bruises?”
“Yeah. From the guy tonight. He grabbed my wrists and twisted them behind me. I think I’ll have one on my temple, too.”
He put his finger to her chin to turn her head. Sure enough, there was a deep red mark there. The rage burst in his chest like an explosion. All he could see were flashbacks of the bruises on his mother’s wrists, the black eyes, the red cheeks from where she’d been slapped. They helplessly burned in him, making him want to rip the world to pieces. He wouldn’t only take out the man who’d done this. Oh no. That would be merciful. No. He’d make him suffer.
“I promise you,” he said through clenched teeth, “the man who did this will pay. He will regret the day he laid hands on you.”
Her eyes widened a bit when she looked at him. “What are you going to do?”
“Whatever it takes. No one will hurt you again.”
Her eyes seemed to burn into him. He couldn’t tell if this upset her or not. Maybe she was a pacifist who didn’t want anyone to be hurt, even if they had hurt her.
“What’s that look for?” he asked.
She looked away for a brief moment, then met his gaze with tears lying low in her eyes. “I’ve never had anyone protect me like that. It seems like everyone just wants to hurt me. I wonder if I do something to bring it on.”
“No, don’t say that.” He reached and put his palm to her cheek. “It’s not your fault. You deserve to be loved and cherished. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure that happens.”
She blinked and a thin line of tears ran down her cheeks. He brushed them away with his thumb. Then he slowly leaned forward and kissed the trail they’d left behind. “No more tears tonight.”
He tilted her face toward him and she let her eyes close as he touched his lips to hers. The passion ignited in him. It tore up the rage and burned with the same heat. He would set the world on fire for her, and he’d set her on fire with pleasure if she let him.
The kiss intensified. He pressed harder against her lips and his tongue found hers, slipping deep in her mouth. He was so hard he thought he’d burst. His hand pressed into her back, bringing her closer to him. He pressed his hips against her and she murmured against his mouth.
The sound of it drove him wild. He brought his hand around slowly to her front. He had no idea what sort of damage her ex had done. Maybe he was rough in the bedroom. Maybe he’d forced her. There were plenty of heart wrenching nights he’d heard his mother screaming from their bedroom and he’d wanted to go in there and tear his father to shreds. So every move he made slowly, making sure she fully allowed it before moving on.
He moved across her stomach and under her shirt inch by inch. When his fingers brushed the edge of her bra, he paused, giving her the chance to say no. When she didn’t, he let his fingers slip under and pinched her nipple. She squirmed under his touch.
“Does that hurt?” he whispered in her ear.
“No. I like it.”
“Stop me if you don’t.”
She pressed her lips to him and ran her hands along his back. He tensed and arched at the pain.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” She dropped her arms and pulled back from him. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s okay.” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. “What really hurts is how far away you are.” He pulled her closer and resumed kissing her.
He picked her up in his arms and carried to the bedroom, kicking the door open with his foot, then using it to close it behind him. He laid her gently on the bed and yanked his shirt off.
She looked up at him with such an angelic gaze that he had to pause just to look in her eyes for a moment.
“I want you,” he said, kissing her neck.
“Me too.”
“Really? You’re sure?”
She nodded and pulled her own shirt off. He reached behind her and took off her bra. He kissed her bare breasts, rubbing his thumb across her nipples and gently biting at them. She moaned in response and tugged at his hair. Every time she did, it shot a wave of bliss through him. He wanted to tear into her right then, but he’d learned how to take things slow. Really draw it out to make it even better.
He kissed along her stomach and teased her, pressing his hand to her crotch over her pants. She moaned and moved against him. He unzipped her pants and tugged them slowly down. Then he rubbed his thumb over her panties, making her wet and soaking through the fabric. He pushed them to the side to slip a finger inside her. She cried out and he went so stiff, he thought he would burst.
He pulled her panties off and instead slipped his tongue in her, tasting her juices and feeling her warm softness. She gripped his hair again. He had to stop now or it’d be too late. He slid up to meet her face and slipped his tongue in her mouth.
She dug her fingers into the muscles in his ass and tried to pull him closer.
He gave her a menacing smile. “Oh, do you want my cock?”
“Yes.” She smiled. “Please?”
He took her earlobe between his teeth and tugged, growling in her ear.
She pulled on him again. He let his hips down enough so his hard cock brushed against her lips, spreading her wetness around. She moaned and reached down grab him. He pulled back. She stroked his cock for a minute until he almost came. He quickly pulled out of her grip.
He teased her more, putting just his head in, then taking it back out. He pressed in a little farther, then backed out again.
“Rowan!” she cried out.
The sound sent chills through him. He pushed in deep, filling her pussy. She cried out and slammed her hips against him, moving in slow circles as he pulled out and thrust in again.
Every time he slid back, almost pulling out, then slammed into her, she moaned loudly and gripped his ass tighter, trying to force him to stay deep inside her. She wrapped her legs around his hips and he pumped until he got close.
There was something he’d been dreaming of doing since the first time he saw her. He hoped she didn’t object. He pulled out, his dick wet and cold without her. He flipped her over and she raised her ass to him. He bent down to lick her up and down a few times, then he knelt behind her and entered her again.
His cock was in her pussy so deep, he thought he felt her stomach. His fingers tangled in her long brown hair and he pulled back and slammed her again and again. He reached around to rub circles over her clit. When her moans came more frequently and intensely, he picked up his pace, banging her hips against his faster and faster until he felt her juices flow over him. Then he thrust in as hard and far as his dick would go, and felt the release. He shuddered in pleasure and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her until he was fully finished.
She fell to the bed, breathing heavily, and he fell into place beside her. “That was so good,” he said. He nestled in close, pulling her naked body against his like spoons.
“Yes,” she said. “It’s been so long for me. And even longer that it was enjoyable.”
“What do you mean?” He ran his nose back and forth across her neck, breathing in the scent of her.
“Nick was never concerned with whether or not I enjoyed it. It was all about him. It was usually very fast.”
“Oh wow. I was a bit worried.” He ran his fingers along her arm and down her hips. “I didn’t know if he got rough with you or anything. If you’d be scared or wouldn’t like certain positions.”
“I liked everything you did.”
“Good. I’d never want to hurt you.”
“You didn’t.”
He cupped her breast, enjoying the feel of it in his hand. “I’m glad.”
She stilled and he watched until she fell asleep. At least he’d been able to take her mind off the man who bruised her and held a gun to her head. Now she was sleeping and hopefully she’d stay asleep long enough to get the rest she needed.
He kept his arms around her and stayed alert through most of the night. He would wake up, listen, make sure the heard nothing out of place, then squeeze her in a hug.
Every second he had her in his arms, he would cherish. It couldn’t last. He was endangering her already. She’d been threatened and attacked because of him and was now living in fear of it happening again. He was afraid, too. But only because he couldn’t be with her every second of the day. What would he do when she went to work? He could go and sit in the shop or outside, watching. He could send someone as her bodyguard. But even as much as he trusted Nate, he wouldn’t trust anyone to protect her like he would.
As soon as she was safe, he’d have to stay away from her. He’d only end up bringing her and her daughter more pain and misery as time went on. Another bad deal, the next motorcycle club out to get him…how long would it be before someone else was after him? They always went for the things most precious to someone they wanted to hurt. Why fight a man when all you had to do was threaten his girl? It worked even better than beating him.
He was the proof. They’d almost killed him. Yet, he sat and made casual plans with his club, taking time to build the perfect plan and put it into action. Now that Becca had been hurt, though, it was all out the window. He would waste no time going after these guys. Even if it meant blowing the plan, he couldn’t allow them to keep walking on this planet if they’d bruised her. He still wanted to go back and find her ex and put a bullet in his head. Maybe he would one day.
He almost hoped this Nick guy would find them. Let him come knocking. It would make things easy for Rowan. And then he could take out the years of rage on him like he hadn’t gotten to do with his own father. He’d wanted to torture him. Wanted him to pay for what he did to his mama. But Rowan’s brother had shot him. Idiot gave him a merciful death. He didn’t deserve that. At least, Rowan thought, he’s rotting in hell. So there was that. But even an eternity of burning wasn’t enough. Rowan had wanted him to see his face as he beat him like he beat his mama all those years. Wanted his dad to quake in fear, to cower under his hand. He wanted him to see what it felt like.
But Nick would do. He would be representative enough. And it would make Becca and Emma really, truly free of him. They’d never have to worry. Then he’d have her all to himself.
The thought brought sadness with it. No. No, he couldn’t have her like that. Hadn’t he just thought how he had to stay away from her because of his reckless lifestyle? Because even without Nick in the picture, he was the one who would put her in danger. And Emma. And he didn’t want that. Couldn’t be the one to do that. If something happened to her, he’d never forgive himself for it.
He had to leave her alone. But then she stirred. She turned toward him and pressed her face against his chest. His heart warmed. He squeezed her tight. How would he ever let her go? He wanted to hold her forever. Keep her this close. He closed his eyes. How would he ever stay away from her when he wanted her so badly?