by Debra Kayn
At the entrance of her street, flashing lights lit up the neighborhood. Pure panic tightened every muscle in her body. She screamed Chuck's name to get his attention and pointed ahead of them. There were two cop cars parked in front of her house.
Chapter 31
Anna Peterson stood in the living room in front of the hallway entrance. Ingrid wrapped her arms around her mom, supporting her need to keep the commotion happening inside and outside the house out of the bedroom where her father slept, oblivious to the panic sweeping through his wife and daughter.
"Are you sure you didn't see Evan?" whispered Ingrid.
Her mom shook her head. "I didn't even know he drove by until Mr. Hanley knocked on the bedroom door and said he was calling 911."
Ingrid looked at the man who Notus Motorcycle Club had hired to guard the house during the day when the members were at work. The only reason she was comfortable with the arrangement was because Wayne had informed her that Mr. Hanley was ex-military who had lost his niece to domestic violence.
"Sir, we can't stop someone from driving on the street." Officer Whitley hooked his thumbs behind his belt and widened his stance. "This is a residential area with a sidewalk—a right of way to the public—bordering the yard and without a fence, we can only trespass a person if they enter the home. That doesn't mean we won't respond if you call 911. It only means that we can't enforce a charge. We're more than happy to address any concerns and make sure you feel safe inside your home."
Mr. Hanley turned to Ingrid. "Kingsley won't set foot on the property while I'm here. That, I can promise you."
She was afraid this would happen. Holding her mom tighter, she nodding accepting Mr. Hanley's help. No amount of men or laws would stop Evan if he was determined to get to her or someone she loves but what could she do? She'd selfishly came back after Evan forced her hand after tracking her down, wanting to end her hardships, and in return, she'd put everyone's life in danger.
The front door swung open, hitting the wall, and Glen entered the living room. His wild gaze scanned the room and settled on her, growing more intense as he looked over her body and locked with her eyes. The tension she'd held, protecting her mom and dad, eased.
Glen crooked his finger. "Come here, Blue."
She stepped forward. Halfway to him, she lunged. He caught her against his chest. His solid, strong arms wrapped her in safety. Nothing else existed.
"Hanley informed me about what happened over the phone." Glen's voice vibrated his chest, soothing her. "The other Notus members are looking for Kingsley. I'm taking you home with me."
She lifted her chin. "I can't. My mom and—"
"Hanley's going to stay in the house. I'm going to protect you, and the others are going to make sure Kingsley's whereabouts are known through the night. We'll have others take over when we have to go to work." He rubbed her back. "Kingsley is going to fuck up and go too far, but we're going to make sure nothing happens to you or your parents."
Officer Whitley cleared his throat. "I'll pretend I didn't hear any of that."
"We'll call if he returns," said Mr. Hanley.
The front door opened. Ingrid waited until Mr. Hanley escorted Officer Whitley outside and turned to her mom. "I won't leave if you want me to stay with you and dad."
Her mom glanced at Glen and back to Ingrid. "We'll be okay with Mr. Hanley. I'm worried about you, though. Don't take any chances, and maybe you shouldn't go to work until this is all over."
"Pauly can protect her. He's aware of the situation." Glen leaned down and whispered in Ingrid's ear. "Pack a bag, Blue."
She stepped away from him, grabbed her mom's hand, and led her mother to her bedroom. Away from Mr. Hanley and Glen, Ingrid removed clothes from her dresser and stacked outfits on the bed.
"Are you sure you'll be comfortable with Mr. Hanley in the house?" She picked up her old backpack that'd seen her through two years of living on the street.
Her mom sat on the bed. "Honestly, I'll feel better knowing you're not here. Tonight, when Mr. Hanley told me Evan drove by three times, looking at the house, it finally hit me how dangerous he could be. I'd like to hide you away until he stops."
Ingrid paused folding a shirt. "You didn't believe me about Evan?"
"No, no..." Her mom rubbed her lips together. "I believed you. There was never any doubt, but seeing your face when you ran in the house worried about us, it became too real."
She inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry."
Her mom grabbed her hand and shook her arm. "Don't say that. It is not your fault. There's only one man who is to blame, and he will pay for what he's done."
Ingrid tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"Glen promised me he'd make it safe for you to live a normal life again without hiding away and being scared. I believe him." Her mom let go of her. "Now, pack your stuff."
Stunned over her mom's vehemence, Ingrid finished packing. Legally, there was nothing Glen or Notus could do for her, except protect her in case Evan showed up wanting to harm her. But, she couldn't ask them to do that forever. It wasn't fair to them. They had jobs and missing person searches to work on. She had a job, and if she wanted her parents not to worry about her, something had to change.
"Okay, I think I have everything I need." She grabbed her grandma's afghan, stuffing the blanket into the bag.
"I don't know what it is about you and that old afghan," said her mom.
Ingrid sighed. "It's like having a piece of home with me. Daisy used to sleep on it at the end of my bed, remember?"
Her mom smiled sadly and nodded. "I miss that cat."
"Me, too." Ingrid looked around the room. "I'll go tell Dad goodbye and let him know I'll only be gone a couple of days and I'll call often. You can put me on speaker so he can hear."
She hefted the bag onto her shoulder, her knees buckling under the weight. How quickly she got out of shape not having to lug the bag around twenty-four/seven.
"He'd like that, and I would, too." Her mom stood. "I better go grab clean sheets and make your bed. Mr. Hanley will need to rest, too. With you gone, he can sleep in here. The old couch can't be comfortable."
Ingrid walked down the hall, dropping her backpack outside her parents' room and paused at hearing Glen's voice in the bedroom with her dad.
"...take care of her." Glen paused. "I doubt if Ingrid told you, but I met her when she tried to steal my wallet."
Ingrid's face warmed, wondering what her dad must think of her. Glen wasn't exactly telling the truth. She was keeping his wallet safe during the fight.
"I don't know what the fuck was going through my head at that moment, man. I took off running after her. I eventually caught her, and she looked at me and even though I knew nothing added up and what she was telling me was a bunch of garbage, I couldn't stay away from her." Glen blew out his breath. "What I'm trying to say is, out of respect for you, Gunnar, I want you to know I'm taking Ingrid home with me. I'm going to keep her safe, and I'm going to put an end to Evan Kingsley ever getting another chance to put a mark on your daughter. I can promise you that."
Ingrid leaned her back against the wall and let her chin fall to her chest. All Glen's bolstering and arguing that they had no future together was for show. He cared. A lot.
Straightening, she pushed off the wall and walked into the bedroom. Glen turned at her entrance, and she stopped next to him at the side of the bed. Her dad was awake.
The steady rhythm of his oxygen set the mood. She perched on the edge of the bed and held his hand. He had no recognition of touch or pain in his extremities, but holding her dad's hand was a habit she refused to break.
"Things went a little crazy here tonight. Mom's okay." She glanced up at Glen. "The Notus Motorcycle Club hired a man named Mr. Hanley to stay here. Evan drove by the house a few times, and Mr. Hanley called the cops. I know he'll protect you both."
Her dad's gaze remained steady, not even a blink while she talked.
"I'm going to stay with Glen at his ho
use." She lowered her voice. "It'll make it easier to get to work. I'll be safe at his house with him, and Pauly sticks right by me at work. I'll make sure I call you and mom tomorrow."
Her dad closed his eyes an extra beat and opened them again. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "I'll be careful, and I'll come back as soon as I can. I love you."
She stood, putting his hand back at his side and turned to Glen. Her eyes burned. She needed to get out of the room before Glen questioned how she knew what her father would say. She had no idea, but if he was able-bodied, she imagined he'd tell her to be careful and to come back home when it was safe.
She swallowed. "I'm ready."
"Let's get you to my place." He palmed the back of her neck and led her out of the room, picking up her pack without stopping.
She hugged her mom goodbye and accepted Glen's hand as he took her outside to his motorcycle. Within minutes of leaving her home, he pulled into his driveway. She walked into Glen's house. Everything looked the same. He still had an extra pair of boots in his living room. She yawned. Today seemed to never end.
Glen pointed upstairs. "Go ahead and hit the bed. You're tired."
She stepped around him and stopped. "Which bedroom?"
"Mine." Glen walked into the kitchen and out of view and said, "Go ahead and do what you gotta do, and I'll be up in a bit."
The thought of sleeping with Glen filled her with a boost of energy. She carried her backpack upstairs to his room. Stripping out of her clothes, she walked to the bathroom and slipped under the warm water of the shower. She closed her eyes and willed the tension out of her body and the guilt from leaving her parents safety in someone else's hands.
Nothing would settle the anticipation of being with Glen all night and being held in his arms.
Chapter 32
Ingrid sat on the bed cross-legged in one of Glen's T-shirts with her eyes closed. Her bare legs tempted him to strip down and get under the covers with her, but she was exhausted. He held the stray cat captive to his chest. Ingrid must've fallen asleep, sitting up, waiting for him to come upstairs. It'd taken him longer than he'd planned to find the cat and another twenty minutes to coax it out from under the barbecue on the deck.
He walked to the bed and placed the cat in her lap. Ingrid jolted, opening her eyes. A meow greeted her, and a smile grew on her face. Happiness was a rare emotion to cross over Ingrid's face, and the sight nearly knocked Glen over. He sat beside her. The chance to have her to himself too tempting to pass up.
"Jewel is still sticking around?" She stroked the cat's fur.
"Yeah, she doesn't seem to wander off anymore and sticks to the backyard." He laid down on his side and propped his head up on his hand. "She's low maintenance. Give her food and water, and she's content."
"Nah, she just likes her new sexy, cool owner." Ingrid leaned over and laid on her side, putting the cat between them. "You should get a litter box and let her sleep inside."
He huffed. "I ain't cleaning no box."
"I would," she said, staring at the cat. "She's totally worth it."
"I'll have Thad or Chuck pick one up then, along with some litter." He hooked her chin with his finger and raised her gaze. "Will that make you happy?"
Her eyes studied him. All he needed was a little hesitation or a question, and he would back away from her. She held her tongue, and he ran with his thoughts.
"I was wrong." He inhaled deeply.
"About?" she whispered, leaning closer.
He moistened his bottom lip. "You grew up too fast and took responsibilities onto yourself that no child should ever have to do. You've taken care of others since you were a little girl, and your one chance to do something for yourself almost got you killed. Because of who you are, I forget that you're young."
She raised her brows. "I can't change how I've lived or turned out."
"Not asking you to, Blue." He kissed her lightly, needing to reassure her that different was a good thing in their case. A fucking good thing.
"Glen?" She shuddered. "I don't understand why you changed your mind about being around me."
"Because not being with you is out of the question." He scooped the cat up and put Jewel on the other side of the bed. "Right or wrong, I don't give a damn anymore about what I should do. I want you with me. I want to be inside of you. I'm not going to spend another night in this house knowing you're somewhere else hurting because you want me, too."
She kissed him back. "You're riding the high part. Me, too."
"Don't know what the hell you're talking about." He rubbed his lips against hers. "Doesn't matter."
She caressed his mouth with her tongue. He captured her in a kiss, rolled her to her back, and trailed his hand up her thigh and over her bare hip. She wore nothing under his T-shirt she'd borrowed. Her openness toward him had always been there. She only needed permission. When he denied her the right to her feelings, she fought for escape. When he let her have what she wanted, she gave him pure honesty.
"Undo my belt." He moved on top of her and stretched his arm to the nightstand, grabbing a condom.
The cat jumped off the bed with a soft thump. He bit the condom package and ripped it open with his teeth as Ingrid tugged his jeans past his hips. She'd learned well.
He handed the condom to her. She rolled it on without any need of asking, giving him time to look down her bare stomach at the sweet beauty of her pussy. His balls throbbed in pleasure and he lowered his body the second Ingrid's hands came off his cock and went to his chest. Settled between her legs, he slid into her wet pussy.
Whatever she'd meant by him riding the high, he was doing it. The air was thin, his adrenaline pulsated, and below him, Ingrid smiled. Best damn ride of his life.
Planted in her, he dipped his head and grabbed her shirt with his teeth and dragged the material up, exposing her breasts. She arched toward him, and he lowered his mouth, latching on to her erect nipple.
Ingrid moaned, bringing up her leg. The pressure of her foot behind his knee urged him forward. His heart raced. He stroked her with his cock. The need to pound away, driving in his desire to make her his, filled his head.
She stroked his jaw as he sucked. Her fingers trembled on his face, letting him know her speed of arousal was growing. He lifted his head and found her eyes moving back to him. He slid his hand down, between their bodies, down her midriff, down her lower stomach and down between her legs.
Ingrid's face changed. Her eyes got lazy. Her cheeks flushed. Her mouth opened.
Hot as fuck.
No matter what she did. Eat. Sleep. Argue. Lie. He loved everything about her, but that face when he was inside of her, and the trust that he'd bring her pleasure, he loved that most.
She planted her hands on his stomach and tugged his shirt up until she laid her palms on his skin. Her touch curled his torso up, plunging his cock deeper inside of her. He circled her clit with his finger and watched her eyes drift half-closed.
"Can I...?" Her breath hissed. "Be on top?"
He stilled, taken aback by her question. It took him a moment to make sense of the words, and when everything clicked in his head, he rolled, taking her with him, until she straddled him and he laid flat on his back.
She leaned forward, laying on his chest, and cupped the back of his head with her hands. His cock pulsed deep inside of her. Her small feet turned, burrowing under his thighs.
She'd locked him down.
Then, she moved. He could do nothing but take the pleasure while listening to her sexy-as-fuck heavy breathing in, on, around his ear.
Her lips skimmed his earlobe. His toes curled, and he wrapped his arms around her slim body until his hands ended up at her sides where he palmed the sweep slope of her hips. He turned his head, found her neck, and mimicked her by taking her earlobe between his lips.
"You're going to make me come," he said with a growl.
She answered with a low moan. Her undulating body took on a life of its own, and he was her prisoner.
He came first. Then, she came because he'd given her permission.
Yeah, she'd locked him down. No way in hell he was letting her go.
He brought his hand up and cupped the back of her head, kissing her hard. "You need to sleep, and I need to go make a few phone calls and check outside."
She sighed and raised her head. "Were you serious about me staying with you?"
"Said it." He rolled to his side, slipped out of her, and kissed her again. "I need to call Pauly and set things up for tomorrow before it gets too late and I wake him up. I leave for work before you need to leave, so arrangements need to be made."
He stood and deposited the used condom in the trash. Movement came from Ingrid's backpack dumped on the floor at the end of the bed. Amusement hit him. "Not sure how long you're going to want that cat in the house."
"Why?" She came up out of bed, and the T-shirt she wore fell to her knees.
"He's—"
"Jewel's a she," interrupted Ingrid.
"She's in your backpack." He walked out of the room. "Get some sleep. I'll be up once I have everything settled."
He stopped in the bathroom and washed up. Getting back together with Ingrid only fed his need to create a life where she never had to be afraid or responsible for anyone. He hoped Evan Kingsley made a move because he was tired of playing his fucked-up game.
He fastened his jeans and went out of the bathroom. In the hallway, he stopped outside his bedroom and instead of finding Ingrid curled up in his bed, she sat on the floor, hugging Jewel to her neck, and quietly sobbing. His gut tightened, and he strode into the room, squatting down beside her.
"Hey," he said, lifting her chin needing to see her face.
A watery smile shined back at him. "Oh, Glen..."
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head. "Everything is right."
"Talk."
"The cat got her paw stuck in the afghan in my pack because she was trying to make a bed for herself." She rearranged Jewel on her lap and lifted the cat's front paw. "See that?"
He looked over the extracted claws. They were all there. No blood. No hair missing. No injury that he could see.