Her finger hovered over the buzzer but she didn't press the button. Somehow she had a feeling he had done none of those things. She just felt that he was a good guy. And he did say he was an Enforcer. He did look like one. Big, burly, hunky. She was sure he had no problem taking down all those big, bad rogues.
“I don't mean to be rude or anything, Levi,” she said, hoping to soften the blow. She seemed to be sucker-punching him with her words. But her questions were legitimate, right? No one at the club knew her real name.
After what she had gone through, she had to be careful. She had ended up in this sorry state because she hadn't been careful. She trusted the wrong guy, married him, and ended up in hell.
Her palms became cold and clammy at the memory of her ex-husband. She remembered him coming at her, chasing her, smashing a rock into her face. She remembered running and screaming, and trying to fight him off. Someone had tried to help her. She had the impression that someone had run with her, and tried to fight Phin. Rebecca blinked hard. Had there been someone else with her when Phin attacked her? Who was it? None of the girls at the club knew she was married. Her only family, her step-sister, lived in another city and they weren't close. She lived in a sleepy little neighborhood, and most of her neighbors were elderly folk. None of them would dare take Phin on in a fight.
She pressed her hand to her forehead. Had she imagined someone protecting her? Why couldn't she remember more? Her head was starting to hurt, and she let out a cry of frustration.
Levi was at her side in a heartbeat.
“Are you in pain, Rebecca? Do you want to lie down?” He looked worriedly down at her. “Shall I call the doctor? I'll just...”
“No, I'm okay.” She held on to his arm. “I'll just lie down and rest for a while.”
He adjusted the pillows for her and made sure she was comfortable. She smiled up at him. “Thank you, Levi. You've been so helpful. Thank you for...watching over me.”
She smiled warmly. She was sure she got it right this time. Levi was an Enforcer. The PAC must have sent him to watch over her, after she was attacked by Phin Lester. Maybe the PAC saw Phin as a rogue, and since she was the victim of a rogue attack, they sent a senior Enforcer to guard her and take care of her. That was how he knew so much about her, and was so concerned.
She was his responsibility, his job.
And she had been so rude. The minute she opened her eyes, she had uttered words to the effect that he was basically an unwelcome stranger in her hospital room.
“When does your shift end?” She yawned and asked pleasantly. “Maybe when I fall back asleep, you can go grab a cup of coffee or something. You've probably been just standing around in my room, watching over me, for hours. I...I appreciate it, Levi. I do. Thank you. I want to thank the PAC too...” Her voice trailed off, as her eyelids drooped.
She blinked to see him standing still by her bedside, staring at her with so much sadness in his eyes.
Why so sad?
She wanted to reach out and comfort him, take his big hand in hers and just hold it. She could sense that there was a lot he wanted to say, but couldn't. Maybe he was the strong, silent type, the big, tough male who wasn't comfortable talking and sharing. Well, maybe if she got to know him better, he wouldn't mind talking to her. Many of the customers of Club Mate talked to her about their problems. She was a good listener, and she wasn't just trying to get them to part with their hard-earned money. She listened, she understood, and she gave them some friendly words of advice. If she could get those leering, half-drunk customers to talk to her, she could definitely get an honest, hunky Enforcer to confide in her.
Hunky?
Rebecca smiled almost sheepishly as her eyes closed. Even with her body and brain drugged senseless with painkillers and antibiotics, she could see that Levi Madden was a very handsome man. He had a boyish charm about him, his blue eyes bright and intelligent, and his face tanned and rugged. He was very tall, more than six and a half foot, and he was built like a seasoned soldier, a fighter. Every inch of him was hard, honed muscle. His body was big and hard, but his hands and his eyes were gentle. The training for Enforcers was tough, and Levi definitely trained hard and used his powers and strength to protect the civilian population of New Moon City. He was the exact opposite of Phin Lester, her ex-husband. Phin was stocky and bulky. Phin was strong, and he used his brute strength for his own ends, to torture and threaten her into silence and submission. His hands and eyes were hard, cold and cruel.
Rebecca's face twitched. Why was she even comparing Levi to her ex-husband? One was a monster, a terrible mistake on her part. The other was a protector, a kindly stranger to her.
A stranger who would do his job, and then leave.
She sucked in a sharp breath at the thought of Levi leaving. “Don't go,” she whispered.
Her eyes remained closed, but she felt a big, warm hand cover hers. “I'm not going anywhere,” came the soft reply.
CHAPTER THREE
Levi held Rebecca's hand and watched her as she drifted off to sleep. From the way she looked at him and her careful, polite words, he knew that she saw him as a stranger, a harmless, helpful stranger, but still a stranger nevertheless. She didn't even see him as a friend.
Once he was sure that she was fast asleep, he released her hand and stepped back. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, hoping that when he opened them again, she would wake up and remember him.
With a shuddering breath, he opened his eyes. She was sleeping soundly, her fingers twitching a little as she mumbled in her sleep. Was she murmuring his name? Levi leaned in, but he couldn't make out her words. It sounded like she was just muttering nonsense.
He gazed at her bruised face, his heart breaking into a million fragments. He knew that even if she opened her eyes now, she still wouldn't remember him. In his work as an Enforcer, he had come across many trauma victims. Some of these victims experienced temporary or permanent memory loss following a violent attack. It was a way for their minds to heal and deal with the ordeal. Some memories were just too painful to remember. It was better for the person to forget them and just move on with their lives.
Would it be better for Rebecca to forget him and move on? Once her divorce was finalized, she was free to move on. She would be happy again, healed and whole.
But Levi knew that he would never be whole without her.
She might never remember him. Her brain might have erased that part of her memory forever. Levi sighed, running a finger softly down her cheek.
She would just have to get to know him all over again. It had started with a “hi”. He could do that. He would start with a “hi”.
Levi straightened up and blew out a breath. So what if she didn't remember him? He would stick around and create new memories for her, good ones, great ones. He'd told her that he wasn't going anywhere, and he'd meant every word.
All that mattered was that she was alive. She was alive, she would heal, and he would keep her safe.
Levi turned around and headed for the door. Once he stepped out of the room, he saw Scott and Bryn hurriedly jerking away from the door and pretending they hadn't just been eavesdropping and peeping in. Bryn stole worried glances at him while she pretended to read a message on her mobile phone. Scott kept shifting his weight and clearing his throat, like he wanted to say something but couldn't quite get the words out. Levi decided to put them both out of their misery.
“She doesn't remember me,” he announced flatly. “She remembers the attack, but she doesn't remember that I was there. She thinks I'm just an Enforcer the PAC sent to guard her. I'm essentially a stranger to her now.”
Bryn pushed off the wall and came to him at once. “She can't have forgotten you entirely. Give her time. She will remember you,” she said bracingly.
Scott was less optimistic but more forceful. “Talk to her. Tell her! Make her remember. She has to! Make her remember everything.”
“I'm not sure that's a good thing,” Levi said with a heavy sigh
.
“Not a good thing? So, forgetting you is a good thing?”
“No, Scott, forgetting her pain and her past is a good thing. I was part of her past. She got to know me when she was in the midst of her divorce, at the crossroads. She's gone past the crossroads now. She's chosen a path, and she's now in a better, happier place. Once her divorce goes through, she's free. She's got her whole life ahead of her. She's only twenty-one. She'll heal and she will learn to love again.”
“What do you mean? She's your mate, Levi!” Scott was practically shouting. “What do you mean she'll learn to love again? Are you...!”
“I mean she'll learn to love me. But first, she has to get to know me—all over again,” Levi replied with a sly grin.
Bryn's smile was so wide he could see her fangs. She punched him on the arm. “Go get her, tiger! I mean, bear!”
Scott clapped him on the shoulder, but he still looked worried. “You stay strong, my man.”
“Yeah. Okay, I've got a zillion calls and messages to return. And I've got to report back to the PAC Headquarters before Jett sends some Enforcers after my ass. You two keep her safe, all right?” He winked at Scott and Bryn as he walked backwards down the corridor.
Bryn snapped to attention and saluted. “Aye, aye, captain!”
Scott gave him a two finger salute, his expression grim.
Levi gave them a big smile and two thumbs up, before turning and heading towards the lift lobby. His smile faded as he walked alone towards the lift, his heart feeling heavier than a rock in his chest. He didn't want Scott and Bryn to worry for him. Bryn would share her worries with her best friend, Charlotte Cole, who was a fellow Enforcer and the PAC Alpha's mate. Charlotte would tell Lucas, and he would have Lucas and Jett, and the rest of the Council calling him, checking on him, keeping tabs on him. They would all be on edge, afraid that he might pull out his own Enforcer gun and fire a silver bullet through his own head, instead of through the heart of a rogue.
They meant well, all of them. But he didn't think he could bear to see the pity and fear in their eyes.
Once he was out of the hospital building, he pulled out his phone and called Jett.
Jett answered on the first ring. “Levi, just where the hell...!”
“I'm at the hospital, Jett. I'll be at the PAC Headquarters in ten minutes.”
There was a pause. “Ten minutes,” Jett said, his tone softer. Then he rang off.
Just two words, but Levi could hear the sympathy in Jett's voice. Did Jett know? Did they know all about Rebecca's condition and her memory loss?
Levi scrubbed a hand down his face as he made his way towards the PAC building in the middle of the city. He scrolled through all the messages on his phone and stuffed his phone back in his pocket.
There was no need to reply to them. He would see all of them soon. He had no doubt all the Council members and a large number of Enforcers would be gathered at the PAC Headquarters, waiting for him.
He pulled his sunglasses out and snapped them on. They would protect his eyes from the harsh midday sun, and shield the pain in his eyes from the inquisitive, discerning gaze of the Council and his teammates.
With a lingering backward glance at the hospital building, he walked purposefully out into the busy city street. These were the streets he patrolled and protected. He hunted monsters, obliterated them and kept the city safe. He would hunt the monster who had hurt Rebecca Rose. And he would kill him.
CHAPTER FOUR
Rebecca tried to stop her hand from shaking long enough to push the key into the lock. She had been standing in front of the door for five minutes, staring at her peeling, battered front door. The front door to her house, her home, her supposed sanctuary. Behind this door, in this very house that was supposed to be her warm, loving home, she had experienced the worst kind of terror. She had been abused, beaten, threatened and terrorized by the man she thought she loved.
This wasn't her home. This was her hell.
But she had nowhere else to go. She had been discharged from the hospital, and with no hospital bed to sleep in, she had to come home to sleep in her own bed.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, she gripped her key tightly and tried again. Muttering encouraging words to herself, she slowly pushed through the front door and stepped into her house.
Her eyes darted to every corner, scanning the dim interior. Her living room looked untouched. There was a dirty coffee mug on the table, and an old magazine was lying on the couch where she had left it. The air was stale and still, and she carefully locked the door behind her before moving to the windows. Drawing the curtains aside, she let the sunlight stream through the dusty windows, and watched the dust motes dancing and twirling in the air.
Dirt could look beautiful in the right light at the wrong time.
She let out a bitter laugh as she picked up a cushion and flung it on the stained couch. Phin Lester was dirt, worse than dirt, yet she had thought him beautiful when she first met him. Scowling, she turned and saw an old t-shirt which she was using as a rag lying at the corner of her dining table. It was Phin's t-shirt, and on the front were the words “I'm with stupid” printed in bold. Rebecca smirked at her reflection in the window. How apt and ironic. The truth had been printed on a t-shirt worn by a liar. She should have read the writing on the t-shirt.
Stupid.
Yup, that's her.
Opening the windows to let in some fresh air, she made her way slowly to the kitchen. She froze, suddenly unable to take another step. This was where it had happened.
She could still see some dark stains at the corner of the cabinets and on the tiles. There were faint outlines of blood splatters on the wall, and a broken chair was lying in a heap at the far corner of the kitchen. One leg was missing. It had been used as a weapon.
Rebecca pressed her hand to her mouth, fighting down the nausea and the fear. The walls seemed to lean in, closing in on her, imprisoning her. Stifling a sob and a scream, she squeezed her eyes tightly shut for a moment to block out the horror.
But still, the images kept coming at her. She couldn't stop them. She saw herself, crying, sniveling and screaming as she tried to dodge the objects being hurled at her.
She saw the scene all too clearly in her mind. The pain, the horror, the screams. Everything came back to her, smashing into her and forcing her to relive that nightmarish scene. Rebecca fell to the floor, and she opened her eyes to see the dirty floor tiles and her clawing fingers.
They were the same tiles she had crawled across as she tried to claw her way out of the kitchen.
In a blink, she was back in her nightmare.
Glass shards rained down on her back and as she tried to scramble away, a hand wound through her hair and yanked her back. She choked out a cry as she was hauled to her feet. Her eyes were wide as she stared into the eyes of her attacker. She couldn't recognize him anymore. He wasn't the man she had married. She stopped screaming and suddenly began to cry.
Her realization had come too late. He was the same man she had married. Only she hadn't married a man. She had married a monster.
She had been so stupid. Stupid, blind and gullible.
She cried harder, and he hit her harder. She pleaded and begged, but her pleas and her tears seemed to spur him on. The weaker she appeared, the more violent he became. His roars didn't sound human to her ears. She was fighting an animal, so if she wanted to survive, she had to fight like one.
She struggled and fought back, kicking and scratching viciously. She used her teeth, her nails, her hands and legs, everything. Biting and clawing like a wild animal, she fought hard for her life.
But he was too strong. He was mad, murderous. She could feel blood flowing down her face, and she tasted her own blood in her mouth.
Her vision was blurring, and her limbs flailed and slapped feebly against him. He was going to kill her. But she didn't want to die. Not like this. Not now, not in this stinky kitchen, and definitely not at the hands of a monster.
Mustering whatever strength she had left, she twisted round and clamped her jaws down on his hairy hand. Her teeth sunk into flesh and she bit harder, refusing to let go. She heard his curses, but his voice sounded far away. He was hitting her and smashing her head against the wall, but she didn't feel any pain. All she knew was that she had to hold on. She wasn't going to let go of the brute. She would die, but she would cause him as much pain as she could. There was a sickening crack, and her jaw slackened. As she slid down the wall, she felt the world tilt and her kitchen floor became her ceiling. Blood dripped into her eyes, and through her blood drenched vision, she saw a beautiful blond woman wrench Phin away from her. The woman's brilliant green eyes met hers and she saw them flash with anger. The woman's mouth widened, but it wasn't in a smile. Rebecca saw fangs, long serrated fangs. Rebecca gasped. A blood demoness. The demoness kept her fierce gaze on Rebecca as she sunk those jagged fangs into Phin's neck. Phin thrashed and screamed like a girl, but the demoness was incredibly strong. She held Phin down and drank his blood.
Rebecca made a strangled sound and tried to blink the blood out of her eyes. When she lifted her face off the floor, she saw that she was alone in her kitchen. They were gone.
There was a flurry of voices and footsteps. Her neighbors were rushing into her house, having heard the commotion. Hands tried to help her up, and an ambulance was called. But Phin and the demoness were nowhere to be seen.
With a gasp, Rebecca pushed herself up, and let the horrific scene recede from her.
She was back in the present. In her house, in her kitchen, alone.
Shivering, she stood up and stared at the spot where she had seen the blood demoness holding Phin by the neck. The demoness had saved her life. If she hadn't appeared and taken Phin away, Phin would have killed her right there and then.
Rebecca rubbed her arms, and forced herself to walk the few steps to the stove. She stared out of the grimy kitchen window, looking out into the quiet street. She could remember the demoness's face. She was beautiful, with a bob of blond hair and deep, green eyes. She sighed, wondering if she would ever see her again. She'd heard that the demoness had dragged Phin to her demon lord. Phin was supposed to be the demon's supper, but strangely, the demon lord didn't drain Phin's blood entirely. After a night in the demon's dungeon, Phin had been brought back to the city, and thrown into the psychiatric ward. He had been ranting and raving, snarling and growling like an animal. Rebecca's lips curled. What's new? He was already an animal before the demoness took him away.
Wild Mate: BBW Bear Shifter Romance Page 2