Forbidden Desire (Lee County Wolves) Book #3

by Teresa Gabelman

  “Oh God.” Clare saw him. “He’s in there with her and has the door jammed.”

  Knocking men out of the way, he positioned himself in front of the door. “Get the fuck out of the way.” He lifted his foot and kicked, but the door didn’t move. “Son of a bitch.” He backed up, then kicked his ass in gear using his shoulder as a battering ram. He and the door smashed into the small office.

  He expected to see Carl. Instead, he saw a man he’d never seen before hovering over Roxy with his fist raised. She cowered on the floor with her hands and arms protecting herself the best she could. An inhuman roar erupted from his throat before he grabbed the man and threw him into the wall furthest from Roxy.

  “You fucking dare put your hands on my mate!” Marcus thundered, his hands wrapping around the man’s throat. “Who the fuck are you?”

  “Her husband,” the man wheezed, his face turning purple.

  “She has no husband, you piece of shit,” Marcus hissed then head-butted him, knocking him out cold. He let go, sending him falling to the ground. “Get my brothers!” he ordered to anyone and everyone.

  When no one seemed to move, his anger swelled as his eyes fell on Roxy who half lay and half sat on the floor. Clare was checking on her. He turned to see everyone staring at Roxy, and his rage doubled. “Now!” he roared.

  Kneeling, he gently moved Clare out of the way. “Baby.” His body tensed seeing her hands still raised in defense. When he touched her, she flinched, and it took everything he had not to leave her and kill the bastard. But there was time for that later. She was his priority at that very moment. “Roxy, it’s me. Come on, lower your arms. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She finally lowered her arms and looked at him with blank eyes that were slowly clearing. Her eyes shifted over his shoulder and widened. As if ashamed, she covered her face from prying eyes. “Don’t touch me.” Her voice cracked.

  Glancing over his shoulder, he saw people staring through the doorway. “Get them the fuck out of here, Clare.”

  Clare stood quickly, and he heard her telling people to leave. Soon after, nothing but silence surrounded him as he stared down at the beaten woman who held his heart. His wolf raged inside him. His mind was about to explode with fury, and all he could do was sit there helpless.

  “Son of a bitch.” Garrett’s voice filled the silence. Marcus heard his brother come up behind him, but couldn’t take his eyes off Roxy.

  “Get him the fuck out of here. I’ll deal with him later,” Marcus said, his voice flat with controlled rage.

  “Is she okay?” Clare whispered, tears in her voice. “I’m so sorry. It all happened so fast. I didn’t know where Jonah was and—”

  “I’m fine,” Roxy said from behind her hands. “I just need a minute.”

  Relief at hearing her voice swept through Marcus. A minute was all he was giving her. Then he glanced up at Clare. “What do you mean you didn’t know where Jonah was?”

  “He was gone.” Clare looked down at Roxy. “And I should have sent someone to find you, but I really didn’t know what to do. All I could think of was getting her out of that room, but we couldn’t get the door open.”

  “Clare, I’m fine.” Roxy finally dropped her hands from her face. “Like you said, it happened so fast it wouldn’t have mattered.”

  Clare nodded, then slowly walked out of the room. Marcus stared at her face and never wanted to kill anyone as badly as he wanted to kill the bastard who’d damaged her. Her face was swollen, her eye already turning black. Blood trickled out one of her nostrils, and the corner of her lip was cracked.

  Marcus helped her stand, pulling her into his arms. “I’m sorry….”

  She gave him a small push, her face and voice hard. “I’m done being a victim.” She walked around him, opened one of her drawers and pulled out some papers. “Where is he?”

  “Roxy….” Marcus didn’t like the idea of her going anywhere near that fucker. “Give them to me, and I’ll—”

  “No!” Roxy sneered, then grimaced and touched her lip. “No, where is he?”

  He clasped her arm and led her out of the office, through the back room and to the front where Garrett was escorting the piece of shit out the door. “Garrett, wait,” Marcus called out. Then, against his better judgment, he released her arm but stayed close to her.

  She headed toward Garrett who was holding a dazed Bruce, but she veered off course and headed to where Clare and Sadie were arguing. Without stopping, she shoved Clare out of the way and punched Sadie in the mouth, hard. Sadie fell back onto one of the tables that tipped over from her weight. Both the table and Sadie crashed to the floor.

  “Holy shit.” Hunter quickly stepped out of Roxy’s way as she headed toward him. “Were you a fighter in the past? Damn.”

  If Marcus wasn’t so concerned about her facing her ex, he would have been damn impressed, but his focus was on what was going on now. He wished to hell he knew what the fuck was about to happen. When she walked straight up to the bastard and kicked him in the balls, even he cringed, but son of a bitch, he was definitely impressed and one proud motherfucker.

  Chapter 14

  Satisfaction couldn’t even describe the feeling she had at watching Bruce grabbing his balls and rolling on the floor as he moaned and gasped with pain. Tossing the papers and a pen on his face, she knelt next to him. She wasn’t going to lie, she was terrified, but she was going to take her life back and end her victim status once and for all. Today it ended. She knew Marcus stood behind her, along with Garrett, Hunter, and some others. They had her back, and that was all she needed to know to have the added courage not to cower in the corner anymore. That part of her life was over.

  “Sign the papers.” Her voice was loud and strong. When he continued to moan and hold his balls, her anger spiked. “Sign the goddamn papers!”

  “No,” he answered on a pained moan, but his words were clear enough.

  “If you don’t sign the papers now, I will kill you,” Roxy threatened. “I won’t have anyone else do it and believe me when I say, there are many here that would do it, you piece of shit.”

  “I’ll do it,” Hunter volunteered, raising his hand.

  “The fuck you will.” Marcus growled with a fierceness that even sent a chill down her spine. “He’s mine.”

  “I’m alpha and outrank all you fuckers,” Garrett added, his tone angry.

  Roxy never thought of herself as a mean person, but as Bruce finally let go of his balls to push himself up enough to look at each man who spoke and fear flooded his features, she smiled with satisfaction. “I made friends, Bruce.” Roxy picked up the pen and held it out. “And I’m taking my power back today. Sign the papers.”

  “You’re my wife.” His voice didn’t sound as certain now. It actually sounded whiny.

  “The fuck she is.” Marcus took a step, but Roxy put her hand on his leg to stop him.

  She used her foot to nudge the papers toward him. “Sign.”

  She watched Bruce look up past her, terror registering on his face, and she wondered what Marcus was doing, but she didn’t turn to look. This needed to be her doing; at least, she had to think it was her doing. Finally, he grabbed the papers, signed, and threw them at her. Roxy looked them over and frowned.

  “You forgot this.” She sat the papers in front of him and pointed to the blank line that required his signature.

  He gripped her hand, his eyes begging her along with his pathetic words. “Don’t do this, Roxy. I promise I’ll—”

  She started to panic when she pulled and he wouldn’t release her and squeezed her hand tighter. She was getting ready to kick him when Marcus reached down, grabbed his wrist and bent it in a weird way. “Touch her again, motherfucker, and you won’t be signing anything.”

  Roxy stopped herself from scooting away from Bruce when she was released. No, she was in control. Not him.

  “You broke my wrist.” Bruce was almost in tears.

  “Use your left hand.” Roxy offere
d no sympathy. How many times had she thought he broke her wrist.

  She watched him sign, grasped the papers, and stood. Garrett reached down and seized Bruce, lifting him to his feet. “I’ve got him until you’re ready,” he told Marcus.

  “Let him go.” Roxy folded the divorce papers.

  “What?” Marcus didn’t sound happy, but she expected him not to.

  She walked up to Bruce and got in his face. “If you ever come near me again, I’ll kill you. I’m putting a restraining order on you. Even though I know that doesn’t protect me, at least if I ever see you anywhere near me again and I do kill you, I have it on record that you’re a piece of shit who needed to die. I’ll be getting my concealed carry permit, so you have been warned. That’s more than you ever did for me. I’m also calling the police in my parents’ hometown about your threats against my parents. Just for that threat to my parents, I should let them kill you. You understand me, bitch?” She threw the hated words he had said to her for so many years in his face.

  Roxy started to turn away but noticed Garrett and Marcus sending some kind of secret messages with their eyes, which pissed her off. “I mean it, Marcus.” Roxy turned toward him. “I want him released. If I ever find out you or anyone here killed him, I’ll leave this town, and you’ll never see me again. This is what I want. This is me taking my life back, and you killing him will help you, but harm me.”

  She watched Marcus battle with her words, but she meant every single one. She didn’t want Marcus killing her ex. Bruce wasn’t worth what could happen. Bruce had a family, and they’d definitely notice he was missing. If she killed him, she would have a fighting chance. If Marcus killed him and they traced Bruce back here, it wasn’t worth the risk. No, this was how she wanted it. She had to be in control of this, or she would never truly get her life back.

  “Promise me.” She went a step further, knowing that if Marcus promised her, he would not break it.

  Marcus’s eyes glared at her, his anger visible, palpable. After a few stressful seconds, he leaned closer to her. He growled his answer, “I promise,” then walked away from her and toward Bruce. “Today is your lucky day, motherfucker. The only reason you’re leaving this town alive is because of her and honestly, you don’t deserve that kind of mercy, especially from Roxy. Any man who raises a hand to a woman is a pussy and deserves to die. I’ll also promise you something, you piece of shit.”

  Roxy strained to hear Marcus, but the more he said, the quieter he got. He leaned closely into Bruce, whose eyes widened with fear.

  “If I ever see you again, I don’t even care if you are driving through this area years from now, I will kill you. I’ll hunt you down.” Marcus backed up and spat at Bruce’s feet. “I’d advise you to take an alternate route.”

  Garrett waited until Marcus was done before shoving Bruce out the door. She started to head toward Marcus, who still had his back to her but stopped when she heard Sadie’s angry voice as she finally came around and was picking herself off the ground.

  “You bitch,” she cried, holding the side of her face. “How dare you hit me.”

  “I knocked your ass out.” Roxy headed her way, but Hunter stepped between them.

  “Now, ladies.” Hunter held his hands up.

  “Get out of my way.” Roxy pushed him, but he refused to budge, so she leaned over to see Sadie and pointed at her over his shoulder. “How dare I? You knew exactly what you were doing bringing my ex here, and if you don’t walk your ass out of here, I’m going to knock you out again.”

  “I didn’t do anything,” Sadie said, her innocent act glaringly obvious.

  “Yes, you did.” Jonah walked into the shop, then turned toward Marcus. “She told me that you sent her here to get me. Said you found Carl and to head for the ridge. Garrett just told me what happened. I’m sorry, Marcus.”

  Marcus didn’t say anything, just nodded at Jonah. But then he turned his attention back to Sadie. “I suggest you pack your shit and leave.”

  “Excuse me?” Sadie looked shocked.

  “You heard me.” Marcus turned toward Hunter, not even looking Roxy’s way. “Do not leave here until I get back.”

  “You can’t do that. I’ve lived here all my life,” Sadie yelled, pointing at Marcus’s departing back. Sadie headed for the door, her anger heating her cheeks and twisting her features. “You best watch your back,” she threw at Roxy.

  Roxy rolled her eyes, then sank down into a chair with a sigh. Her nerves were shot, and her face hurt, but she was damned proud of herself. She had dreamed of standing up to Bruce but never planned to hurt the one person who truly cared for her. And she knew she had hurt Marcus, or at least pissed him off enough to walk away from her. Glancing up, she saw Hunter looking at her, a strange look on his face.

  “You sure know how to clear a room.” Hunter cocked his eyebrow at her. “He’ll be back. Just give him a minute to calm the fuck down. You took something from him that he needs to deal with.”

  “I couldn’t let him kill Bruce, Hunter.” A tear leaked from her eye, trickling down her sore cheek. “Not over me. I know Bruce, and I know his family. They wouldn’t have let it go. They would have traced him here. That’s a chance I won’t let Marcus take.”

  Hunter looked thoughtful for a minute, then leaned down and hugged her. “Thank you for that.” He stood again. “But I understand what my brother is feeling right now. If that had been Emily, the motherfucker would be dead.”

  “Even if she asked you not to?” Roxy wanted to hear that she had done the right thing. She knew she had for herself, but she had no idea if she had done right by Marcus. It’s the shifters’ way, kept echoing in her head.

  “That’s a hard one, Roxy.” Hunter sat down next to her and sighed. “That’s a real hard one. Our ways are different from humans’. And there’s nothing more sacred to us than our mates. It’s the shifter way.”

  Hearing those words sent her heart to her stomach. She wanted to throw up. She needed to talk to Marcus. Now. “Where is he?” When Hunter just shook his head, she stood. “Please, Hunter. Where’s Marcus? I know you know.”

  “Shit,” Hunter grumbled, then stood. “Come on, but I want free coffee for life for taking you because I’m damn sure there will be an ass kicking in my future.

  “You got it,” Roxy promised, following him. Her need to see Marcus was so strong she would have promised him anything.

  Chapter 15

  Marcus slammed his way out of the coffee shop and headed down the road. He passed people who were staring at him and the coffee shop. Questions were called out toward him, but he continued heading away. He needed to get the fuck away from there before he went back on his promise, a fucking promise that he hadn’t wanted to make, and kill the son of a bitch.

  Flashes of Roxy’s ex standing over her with his fist raised and her cowering in the corner had his blood boiling to the point he almost turned around more than once. She had no idea what she had asked of him when she made him promise not to kill Bruce.

  Hearing Dell shouting his name had him walking faster until he was in a full-out run. He was torn with so many emotions that his wolf raged inside him, but he refused his wolf freedom because he knew his wolf didn’t have his control and would turn around and tear the motherfucker’s throat out. Leaving Roxy was also the hardest thing he had ever done. She was hurt but proved she was strong enough to stand up to her ex-husband. He was pissed and proud all at the same time.

  “Fuck!” Marcus shouted as he ran into the woods, not stopping until he was in a clearing. His clearing. He had visited this spot to think since they’d moved here. It wasn’t far from town, but hard to find, and it was silent except for the sounds of the woods. It was his sanctuary, where he could lose his shit when needed and right now, he needed to lose his shit.

  Marcus walked further into the clearing, his breathing hard and fast. Punching a tree as he passed didn’t even faze him.

  “Fuck!” he raged, scaring a few birds out of hiding. H
er bruised face flashed through his mind again, and he punched out, smashing his hand into a different tree. Dropping to his knees, he threw his head back and howled his fury until he was out of breath.

  Dropping his head forward, his eyes opened, staring at the dirt beneath his knees. His eyes blurred for a second, but he blinked repeatedly. He had failed her. He had failed to keep her safe, and the bastard who harmed her was within his grasp, yet he’d done nothing. His breathing calmed, his mind clearing as he stared at nothing, wondering where he went from there.

  Hearing a noise, his head snapped up. His eyes spotted her immediately. She looked like an angel standing in his clearing. Then he looked closer and saw her face. He looked back down, squeezing his eyes shut as if that would clear the brutal reminder from his mind. He heard her coming closer but didn’t look up. He couldn’t do it.

  “Hunter brought me.” Her voice reached his ears, making his head tilt, but his eyes remained closed, his head still lowered. “I’m sorry, Marcus.”

  Slowly, his head rose, and his eyes opened. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for.”

  “I made you promise something that’s against what you believe,” Roxy whispered, then cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. “I know what I made you promise is not the ‘shifter way.’”

  “No, it’s not.” Marcus frowned, his eyes shifting away from her beautiful bruised face. “He should be dead by my hand.”

  She knelt in front of him, but far enough away to give him space. “But that’s not my way.” Roxy leaned closer, trying to get him to look at her. “His family would have traced him here, Marcus. And that’s not a chance I want to take. I’m not worth—”

  “Don’t even say it.” Marcus finished with a warning growl, his eyes shooting toward her. “You are worth it. It’s my duty, my honor to protect my mate, and I failed.”

  “You didn’t fail, Marcus.” Roxy looked him straight in the eye. “It’s because of you that I was able to stand up and take my life back. Do you know how humiliating it is to be beaten, see the pitying looks on people’s faces? I’m a strong woman. Well, I was a strong woman before I met Bruce.”