by Jess Bryant
“She’s my sister and…”
“And she’s my woman. I’m putting her first and I’m taking care of her and if you try to get in my way, we’re going to have a problem.” Hunter warned, his voice a low rumble, “I don’t want to have a problem with you, Colin, so move.”
Millie clung to Hunter when he lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the library. She sagged against his chest and shut her eyes. Colin had moved. He’d let her go. Hunter had said that he loved her. She should be feeling so many emotions about everything that had just happened. Pain and anger, fear and hurt, and regret were chief among them, but there was also hope because Hunter had said she was his. Instead, all that she felt in that moment, was numb.
12
No amount of counting or breathing exercises could calm Hunter’s anger now.
He wanted to rip that bastard apart. He wanted to beat him into unconsciousness. He wanted to hurt him, break him, destroy him the same way that asshole had tried to destroy Millie. He wanted to kill Joshua Bell with his bare hands.
The only thing that kept him from it was her. Millie. She didn’t need his anger. Not right now. She didn’t need more anger and violence. She needed him to be calm. She needed him to be in control. She needed to know that she was safe and that he would never, ever, let that bastard hurt her ever again.
So he swallowed his anger, beat it down into a ball and held it tight inside of him, and focused only on the woman in his arms.
Millie. His sweet, stubborn, beautiful Millie was crying. She was bruised and bloody. She was hurt, physically and emotionally. She was clinging to him and he wanted nothing more than to hold her tight and never let go.
He’d wanted her secrets, but he hadn’t wanted this. Not this. Never this.
Oh, he’d known exactly the kind of man Joshua Bell was. He’d pushed the thought to the back of his mind, but he’d known. When Lemon had called and asked him to go with Millie, to keep her safe, to keep her ex-fiancé away from her, he’d known that the asshole was an abusive fuckwad. He hadn’t wanted it to be true though and he’d let down his guard. He’d thought his mere presence was enough to keep her ex in line. But he’d been wrong and he’d known it before he even walked into that library.
Hunter had spent the afternoon wandering the Turner property. After Chuck Turner had showed him the still and shared a drink with him, Hunter had done the responsible thing and gotten the older man back up to the house. When he’d realized the rehearsal was still in full swing, he’d changed and gone for a quick run. There was a path in the woods he’d noticed when they walked out to the barn and he’d enjoyed running through the trees, pushing his body to the limit. He’d needed to work off some of his extra energy and he’d been feeling good by the time he got back to the house. He’d showered and gone downstairs to find something to eat for lunch. He’d been enjoying a couple of the mini-sandwiches on the buffet table when he’d seen Reed come into the room.
They’d laughed about how small the sandwiches were. They’d talked about how long the rehearsal had gone. And then, when Millie hadn’t appeared, he’d finally asked where she was.
If only he’d gone looking for her sooner, maybe he could have stopped Joshua Bell before he hurt her. If only Hunter had stayed by her side instead of going off to do his own thing and process all the emotions running through him, it never would have happened. Lemon had sent him to protect Millie and he’d failed. By the time he’d heard the raised voices in the room tucked back down a hallway under the stairs, he’d known that he had screwed up.
Even still, some part of him had hoped that he was wrong. He’d wanted it to simply be an argument. Yelling and arguing would have been far preferable to what he’d walked in on.
He would never be able to forget the look of fear on Millie’s beautiful face as she’d run into his arms. He hadn’t wanted to pull back to look at her face but he’d had to know his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. He’d looked down and there it was, written all over her face, plain as day. The red mark that marred her cheek and the split lip and the blood and the tears, it all told the story of the relationship Millie had escaped and just why it was that she kept herself closed off and refused to talk about it.
Joshua Bell had been her only boyfriend. She’d told him that. He’d been her first and only everything. And that bastard had taken her innocence and naivety and used it against her. He’d twisted her love into something dark and insidious. Millie had left him, somehow, but she hadn’t been able to escape him. Not really. Her family wouldn’t let her and she couldn’t bring herself to tell them the truth that would make them see Joshua Bell for the monster that he was.
Until now.
Colin knew the truth now. He might not want to believe it but there was no denying the proof. It was displayed on Millie’s face for all of them to see. There was no way it was the first bruise Joshua Bell had given her but it was the first she hadn’t lied about or covered up. It was also the last because if Colin didn’t take care of that asshole, Hunter would do it himself, just as soon as he was certain Millie was okay.
“Hunter…” Her voice was soft as he carried her up the stairs to their bedroom.
“Shh, it’s okay.”
“I-I’m…”
“Shh.” He whispered again as he pushed the door open and then kicked it shut behind them. “You’re safe, baby. I got you. He’s never going to hurt you again.”
Millie’s breath caught on a sob and she buried her face against his chest, “I know.”
Hunter’s heart broke at the whispered words. He should have kept her safe. He shouldn’t have ever given her ex a chance to get her alone. If he’d been doing his job, she wouldn’t be in so much pain right now.
He’d let Lemon down. He’d let Millie down. And he could only pray that the both of them would eventually be able to forgive him.
He might never forgive himself but he would take care of Millie. Not because it was his job. Not because he’d failed her once already. He was going to take care of her now because it was the only thing he could do, the only thing he wanted to do. He wanted to hold her close and tell her that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to tell her that he loved her and that nobody would ever hurt her again if she’d just let him be part of her life, but he didn’t dare utter those words right now.
The only other man that she’d ever heard them from had just busted her lip open and left a bruise on her face for the world to see. Joshua Bell had tainted love for her with his cruel words and violence. Hunter would do better than tell Millie he loved her. He would show her and he would start by helping her get through the terrible aftermath of what had just happened.
“Come on babe. A warm shower will help calm your nerves. Sit here while I get the water warmed up.” He sat her on top of the vanity in their bathroom and pulled away.
She clung tightly to him for a minute and he slowly and carefully pried her fingers from his shirt. He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles one by one. He muttered to her as he did it. He swore to her that she was safe. That her ex couldn’t hurt her anymore. That he would never let anyone hurt her ever again.
Finally, her hand slipped from his and he made quick work of turning on the shower and twisting the knobs until steam began to build.
He returned to her side, “Okay, Mills. I’ll be just outside the door if you need anything-”
“No.” The word came out hoarse and desperate and her hands were crumpled in his shirt again so fast he hadn’t even seen her move. She gripped the material and pulled, keeping him close. Her face was red and splotchy. Her eyes glassy and tear filled again. It was only then that he wondered where her glasses had gone but when her bottom lip trembled, he forgot all about them again. She looked up at him, “Please. Hunter. Please, don’t leave me.”
“Baby I’m not. I’m just giving you some space to take a shower.”
“I don’t want space.” A tear slipped down her cheek and everything inside of hi
m ached as he reached up to gently wipe it away. “I don’t want to be alone right now. Please stay. You make me feel safe and I-I-I need you here.”
“Millie…
“Please.” Another tear fell and with it, so did his resistance.
“Okay.” He nodded, easing her hands away from his shirt, “Okay. I’ll stay. I’m not going anywhere.”
She gave a small nod but didn’t move. She stared at him, bottom lip trembling, and he wiped another tear from her cheek. She was in shock. He knew the look well after spending so many years in the military. Her world had just turned upside down and he was the only thing making her feel safe. She wouldn’t let him go but beyond that, her brain wasn’t working through the next logical step.
Hunter closed his eyes and silently willed his dick to behave. He prayed for more willpower than he’d ever needed in his life. He reminded the head between his legs that it wasn’t in control and that now was not the time. This wasn’t about sex. Not even close. But he was about to get Millie naked and put her in the shower and he needed his body not to betray him or else he might ruin the feeling of safety she was getting from him.
“Okay, Mills. Okay.” He nodded, speaking softly and moving slowly as he removed her hands from his shirt again, “Let’s get these clothes off and get you in the shower. You’ll feel better once you get under the warm water. I promise.”
She nodded but still didn’t move to help him so he slowly slid his hands beneath the vest she’d been wearing all day and pulled it off her shoulders. She didn’t even flinch when his big, clumsy hands brushed her breasts as he focused on pulling her top off and putting it aside. He didn’t let himself look. He couldn’t. She was wearing a simple cotton bra in a light peach color and it covered her. Thank God. He left it where it was, not daring to reveal more, and instead zeroed in on her riding boots. He unzipped each and pulled them off, adding them and her socks to the growing pile of dirty clothes. If he focused on the task and not the body he was revealing, it was easier so that was what he did, even as he helped her off the counter to stand so that he could peel her out of her tight jeans. She was left standing in that peach colored bra and navy underwear that mercifully kept her most intimate areas hidden from his wandering eyes.
Millie still didn’t move though. She stared at him. Waiting. He groaned and did the only thing he could. He pulled his sweater off and dropped it to the floor. He kicked his shoes off and quickly shucked his jeans as well. He left his boxer briefs in place, attempting to adjust his cock so that it wasn’t quite so prominent and then he took Millie’s hand and stepped into the now steaming shower, shutting the door behind them and enclosing them in the small space.
He could do this. He could help her through his. He could calm her down and bring her back to reality. But he damn sure couldn’t do it if they were both naked so he ignored the way the water soaked into his underwear. He wasn’t a saint no matter what his last name might be and despite the circumstances his body knew he had the woman of his dreams half naked and in his arms. He forced those thoughts away and backed Millie under the tall, pulsing, stream of water from the showerhead. She gasped as the hot water hit her and he winced.
“Too much?”
She shook her head and surprised him further when she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head against his chest again. Hunter sighed and wrapped his own arms around her, holding her close, taking care of her the only way he knew how. He held her and murmured softly that she was going to be okay, that she was safe, that he would take care of her, and when he felt her small body shake, he tightened his grip on her and tucked her under his chin.
She cried for a long time. Her body shaking as it was wracked with sobs. He could feel the tears sliding down his chest where she hid her face but he didn’t force her to look at him. He held her and let her cry as his heart ached and he prayed that whatever dam had broken free inside of her, that they could repair it, together. Finally, the shivering slowed and she softened, breathing shaky breaths and melting against him. He held her for a while longer once the tears subsided; held her until the hot water turned lukewarm and he knew their time was almost up.
Before the hot water ran out and the shock of the cold could hit them, he slowly turned the faucet off and pulled Millie out of the shower. Her eyes were swollen and red. Her cheek was starting to bruise already. The water had washed away the blood from her split lip but it was still puffy and he knew it would be sore for a while. She looked small and pale and fragile in the harsh light of the bathroom and he quickly grabbed a towel and began drying her and himself. She let him, swaying slightly when he moved from one appendage to the next and rubbed the soft cotton over her skin. He brushed her wet hair back behind her ear and then, since she hadn’t. protested anything he’d done yet, he picked her up again and carried her back into the bedroom.
He tucked her into the bed, wrapping the blankets around her and then turned to go back to the bathroom for his clothes. Her hand caught his. He glanced down and he saw the same fear there in her eyes as he had before, when he’d told her he would give her some space. She didn’t want to be alone. She wanted him to stay with her and make her feel safe. So he crawled into the bed beside her, curling his big body around her much smaller one, and kissing the top of her head. She didn’t say anything so he didn’t either. He just held her as she let out another shaky breath and when her small hand found his and laced their fingers together, he let her pull him even closer, letting his big body cocoon her in the safety she needed most.
Hunter sighed when a few minutes later he felt her breathing go even. He knew that the rush of adrenaline and then shock had finally faded. She was exhausted from the emotional outpouring. She was asleep now, which was good. She needed to rest and recover. She needed to get her strength back. Even still, Hunter didn’t move, worried that he would wake her or worse, that if he left the bed and she awoke alone that she would panic.
He lay beside her for a long time, watching her sleep and wondering what the hell he was going to do now.
He’d thought he had it bad for the girl before this weekend. He’d thought she had it all together, that she lived some perfect little life that was organized and clean and scheduled. He’d thought she was adorable and he’d wanted to know more about her. Now that he knew she wasn’t at all the girl he’d thought her to be, he wasn’t just fascinated.
He was in love with her. He loved this girl that tried so hard to look and be the perfect daughter, sister and assistant. The girl that hid the dark and dirty parts of her life away, the one that was just barely holding it all together but somehow made even that look easy.
She was the girl he wanted.
When he’d thought she was perfect, he’d wanted to muss her up. Now that he knew she was damaged, he wanted to be the glue to help put her back together. He just wanted to be whatever it was she needed. He wanted to be her counterbalance, her other half, the one that made her whole.
That was the kind of relationship he’d seen between Reed and Colin this weekend and he knew, with one hundred percent certainty that their kind of relationship was exactly what he wanted with Millie.
He didn’t want just a night or a weekend. He didn’t want a fling. He didn’t even want to date her. He wanted forever with her.
A soft knock on the door a while later made Hunter jump. He frowned when Millie flinched and curled further in on herself but when she didn’t wake, he slowly slid away from her. The knock came again as he was grabbing a t-shirt and a pair of pants from his bag. He shot a quick glance at the bed but Millie didn’t stir so he finished dressing quickly and pulled the door open a fraction of an inch to see who was disturbing them.
Colin Turner stood on the other side. He looked nearly as wrecked as his sister had after Hunter had gotten her out of the shower. The resemblance between the siblings at that moment was uncanny. It wasn’t just the dark hair or the eyes. It wasn’t just the thin, lithe build of them. It was the utter defeat in their eyes and t
he way it made them both look as if they were carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.
Hunter slid out the door and shut it quietly behind him, “Hey.”
“I need to talk to her.” Colin responded.
“I told you, when she’s ready…”
“You can’t keep her from talking to me.”
“I’m not keeping her from you. She’s sleeping. She cried herself out. She’s exhausted and she needs to rest. When she wakes up, I’ll see if she wants to talk to you.”
Colin swiped a hand over his face. He looked like he wanted to argue some more so Hunter blocked the door to the bedroom. He crossed his arms over his chest but Colin surprised him by only dropping his head into his hands and cursing.
When he raised his gaze, he looked like he was in physical pain, “Did you know?”
Hunter relaxed a little when he was certain Millie’s brother wasn’t going to rush him, “I had my suspicions.”
“But she hadn’t told you?”
“No.” Hunter shook his head.
Colin collapsed back against the wall on the other side of the hallway, “Yeah, well, me neither.”
Since Millie was sleeping and Colin was here, Hunter braced himself for a conversation. Colin wanted to talk to Millie but he’d have to settle for talking to Hunter. He looked like he wanted to say something and Hunter was keen to listen. So he stared at the man that might have some of the answers he wanted and asked the question that had been on his mind since Colin had denied Millie’s confession.
“You really never noticed there was something wrong about their relationship? Something off? You never had questions without easy answers?”
Colin raised his head and glared, “Don’t.”
“Don’t what? I’m just asking questions Colin; questions I’d have thought you would have asked yourself long before today.”
“You’re not just asking, you’re accusing me of seeing it and turning a blind eye, but for the record, no. I never would have suspected that he could hurt her. Never. I didn’t know. I didn’t see it and I don’t need you to make me feel guilty for missing all the warning signs. I already blame myself without you passing judgment on me.”