Chapter 16
Hours later, Alex was at the diner shoving her last paycheck into her pocket and bidding her co-workers farewell. She’d called the owner of the diner and apologized about not being able to give two-weeks notice, but Maria had said it was okay, wished her well, and promised to have a check waiting at the restaurant.
It’d been hell getting Recker to agree to let her out of bed. Trying to leave the hotel though had been a whole different story. He’d flat out refused to take her back to her place so she could get her car. In the end, she’d had to settle on letting him give her a ride to the diner.
Her eyes lifted to where he waited in his truck that was parked across the street. Grinning, she waved at him as she made her way around the counter. Instead of waving back, he jerked his chin at her.
Tough guy.
Alex sidled out from behind the counter and was heading for the door when the waitress on shift, Rochelle, asked, “Alex can you do me a huge, huge favor before you leave?”
Rochelle was a hard worker, and she genuinely liked the girl, so Alex shrugged. “Sure. What is it?”
It was dinner rush, and while only a few of the booths were full, it was still considered busy for the small diner.
Looking frazzled, Rochelle looked toward the counter. “Dishwasher called in sick, and it’s just the cook and me. Can you please take out the trash behind the counter? It’s overflowing, and…”
Alex held up a hand to stop her. “Got it.”
Rochelle’s body visibly relaxed as she breathed, “Thank you!”
Looking out the front window, Alex threw up a finger so Recker knew she’d be a minute. He dipped his head in a nod, and she sacked up the garbage and hauled it toward the back of the restaurant.
Planting a foot on the back door, she kicked it open and walked through the darkened alley to the dumpster before hoisting up the trash and dumping it inside.
“Well, well, well, boys. Fifth time’s a charm.”
Alex gasped and spun.
Fitz and his friends were coming down the alley toward her. Afraid, Alex looked from them to the door before dropping the garbage and making a run for it. She didn’t make it.
Rough hands grabbed her from behind and jerked her back, her fingers stung as they were ripped off the door handle.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! She started fighting, but it didn’t last long. A fist connected with the side of her face and knocked her to the ground. Jaw throbbing, chest heaving, Alex glared up at Fitz, giving him the most mutinous look she could muster. If he was expecting tears and begging, he was expecting wrong!
“See, bitch,” Fitz spoke calmly as his eyes narrowed at her. “Told you there’d be a time you weren’t expecting it.”
Internally, Alex screamed, “Reckeeeeer!”
***
Recker watched the diner through the front glass window. Alex had chucked him a finger about five minutes ago, so where the fuck was she? They’d argued earlier about him trying to boss her around, so right now he was trying really hard to give her the time and space she needed to get her affairs in order. But…something didn’t feel right.
Fuck it!
Shoving his door open, Recker was to the front door and was about to jerk it open when a blast of wind hit him in the face. The scent of Alex’s terror had him stumbling back as he looked up. Where? Where? Fucking where? Alley!
Racing around the side of the building, Recker felt rage engulf him when he saw Alex on the alley floor. She had a hand clamped to her cheek, and three guys were towering over her.
“Hey!” The bellowed word was intended to draw their attention to Recker, but his feet didn’t wait. Inhumanly fast he was tearing down alley even as three heads jerked in his direction. Alex didn’t look though. No, she kept her attention on the guys like she was afraid to look away. It only pissed him off more. Motherfuckers!
Recker was to the stupid fucks in a flash, too fast honestly, but he couldn’t control his instincts right now if he tried. Honestly, it was a blessing that he hadn’t shifted and wasn’t tearing into the guys. Closer, he recognized them as Fitz and his friends and that only pissed him off more. This was a calculated attack. Premeditated.
Without hesitation, his fist sailed through the air and landed square in the center of Fitz’s face. He heard bone break. It should have given him some satisfaction, it didn’t.
Fitz’s friends launched themselves at Recker. It was the worst mistake they could have made. Fitz stumbled back and bent over, grabbing his nose. It gave Recker the space he needed to grab one of his friends by the shirt and spin fast, slamming him into the third guy. Both men went down, and Recker followed. He pummeled one man into unconsciousness and only stopped when a punch to the side of his face snapped his head to the side and drew his attention. One hard punch and the second guy was out too. Lucky fuck! They had no idea how hard it was to not shift and rip them limb from fucking limb.
Dropping the unconscious guy, Recker’s head snapped up just in time to see Fitz coming at him, face covered in blood and a brick cocked back in one hand.
Shaking his head, he flashed Fitz a sinister sneer. Hoooo, stupid fuck! He was gonna bleed for hunting Alex down. He was gonna regret ever coming after her.
Fitz didn’t falter in his course. When he got close enough, he swung that brick at Recker who easily dodged it and then used Fitz’s own momentum to send him careening into the side of the building. Fitz hit face first and went down hard, but that didn’t stop Recker from bending over the prick and punching him until he felt like the guy would have learned his lesson when he finally woke up.
Pulling back, Recker stood to his full height. He wasn’t even tired, but he was breathing hard from the monumental self-restraint it had taken to not kill anyone.
Turning, he saw the other two guys were still out, but they were no longer his concern. His eyes scanned the alley, and his heart slammed to a halt when he didn’t see Alex. Recker felt a surge of panic, but tried to calm himself. Nostrils flaring, he let his animals do what they did best as he sifted through all the scents and pinpointed Alex. His gut curdled when he dissected the sweet perfumy scent of her that was mingled with horror and…blood. The scent led him to the back door of the restaurant. He didn’t hesitate to jerk the door open and rush inside. Looking around the kitchen, he didn’t find her. When a portly man holding a spatula looked at him and yelled, “Hey!” Recker hustled through the kitchen to the front. Alex wasn’t there either. The waitress was though, and she was staring gape-mouthed out the front window. Recker followed her line of sight and saw Alex climb into the passenger seat of his truck before she slammed the door.
Out of the restaurant, Recker’s eyes were locked on where Alex was sitting in his passenger seat. She was staring straight ahead, but the terror from earlier was still etched into every line of her face and posture.
Purposely, he crossed in front of the truck so she’d see him coming. When her eyes finally locked on his, they looked hollow. Recker didn’t break the contact though. He couldn’t. He had to see her, had to see that she was okay.
At the passenger side door, he jerked it open. Alex just sat facing straight ahead.
“Alex?” He took in the swollen side of her face and the line of blood smeared at the corner of her mouth.
“I’m fine,” she whispered. “It’s not a big deal.”
He hated that she wouldn’t look at him. “Alex.” He grabbed her knee. When she flinched, he snarled and reached in and pulled her out before crushing her to him in a massive hug.
At first, it was just him hugging her, reassuring himself with touch and by her scent that she was okay. Then, slowly, Alex melted against him before her shoulders started shaking and she wept softly against his chest.
“Shhhh,” he crooned, smoothing a hand over the back of her head and holding her tighter. Honestly, his adrenaline was still pumping. He’d been terrified when he’d seen those fuckers on Alex, and now he was terrified because what if he hadn’t gotten there in time? Fuck!
“I got you, baby. It’s alright. They’re gone.”
“I was scared.” Her voice hitched on a sob.
“I know,” he soothed. “I know.”