After We Fall

by Marquita Valentine

  Revulsion makes my stomach turn. “I’m not that desperate.”

  “No, but you were always willing.”

  I don’t say anything to that. What can I say? It’s true, but not for the reasons he wants to claim.

  “Angel, something’s wrong with your phone,” Hunter says as he steps inside, his eyes on his screen. “You just texted me a bunch of gibberish, but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t code for your favorite sex positions.”

  I want to sob in relief when I see him, but he won’t look up and I’m afraid that Penn will try to hurt him.

  “Hunter,” I cry and his head jerks up. His eyes widen when he sees Penn practically standing over me while I lean against the arm of the sofa. “This is Penn,” I finish stupidly.

  “You don’t need a code for that,” Penn begins conversationally. “She likes it from behind, double-teamed…getting down on her knees in public. That sort of thing.”

  I close my eyes as my face heats. A chill invades the rest of me as I realize that Penn wants to degrade me in front of Hunter. He wants to take part of the truth and twist it up with a lie until I’m half believing what he’s saying.

  Chapter 21

  Hunter

  “The fuck you doing here?” Every inch of me is dying to pop him in the mouth for trying to humiliate Evangeline, but I can’t go off half-cocked without provocation. A punk-ass like Penn would love something like that. “There’s a restraining order in place.”

  Penn runs his pale blue eyes over me, sneering a little. “This is between me and my wife.”

  “Soon to be ex-wife,” Evangeline snaps.

  Penn’s head swivels her way, and he marches to her. “Sit down and shut up.”

  “No,” she says quietly and I want to roar my approval, but that asshole is pulling his hand back. If he hits her, I’ll fucking kill him.

  I grab him by the arm, yanking him to the door. “You heard the lady.”

  Penn swings around, his fist connecting with my side. I grunt in pain, then kick him in the chest. He goes flying into a small table by the front door. It knocks against the wall and the bowl that holds the keys goes tumbling to the hardwood floor where it breaks in a half-dozen pieces.

  Once Penn gets to his feet, he charges me like a bull. We slam into the opposite wall and I land another kick to his side, then twist his arm around his back. He screams in pain, but I pull harder, so hard that I force him down on his knees.

  He lunges for Eva, his one free arm waving wildly, fingers curled like claws.

  Evangeline runs to the other side of the room, her face red and her eyes wide. She grabs the landline.

  Penn head butts me and I see stars. Shaking them off, I grab him around the midsection and slam him into the ground, then my hands move to his neck. I start to squeeze and squeeze, until his lips are turning blue and his face is purple.

  “All you had to do is stay away from her. All you had to do was man up and keep your fucking hands off her. If you ever touch her again, I will tear you into pieces so small that they wouldn’t fit on the head of a pin.”

  Penn makes a gagging noise as he bats at my arms.

  I look up and Evangeline is staring at me, her eyes full of terror.

  “Hunter,” Evangeline screams. “Don’t kill him. Don’t kill him.” Rushing to me, she tries to pry my fingers from around his neck. “If you kill him, you’ll go to jail. I can’t lose you.”

  The red in my eyes fades away.

  “He deserves it.” I squeeze a little harder, just enough to make sure he passes out sooner rather than later.

  Penn’s head lolls to one side and I finally let go.

  Evangeline tumbles into my arms, even as she dials 911 and lets them know that we need help.

  “We’re okay,” she says, slightly rocking. “We’re okay.”

  “We’re okay,” I assure her. “He’s still alive.”

  She stops rocking and melts into me, still holding onto the phone for dear life.

  —

  Dwight ends up being first on the scene and I silently thank God for small favors. He sees Penn’s unconscious body on the floor, then the woman in my arms.

  “He tripped, didn’t he?” Dwight asks, kneeling to check Penn’s vitals.

  I nod tightly. “Half a dozen times on the way to the door.”

  Dwight looks at Evangeline. “You okay, ma’am?”

  Her body trembles. “Hunter, that is, Officer Sloan was only doing his job. I have a restraining order against my…Penn McCarthy and he violated it. Hunter was showing him out, but Penn fought him. It was completely self-defense.”

  I place a kiss at her temple. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to—”

  She touches my jaw. “Hush.”

  The paramedics arrive, along with the fire department. Hayden walks inside, his eyes sharp as they land on us. I nod at the ground, where Penn is lying on the floor while he’s given medical attention.

  Dwight motions him over and the two of them begin to talk in low voices. I’m not worried about what they’re saying because I know they’ll tell me later. However, I haven’t been on this side of the law in years. It’s…not a good feeling, even if ridding the world of an asshole like Penn wouldn’t be a bad thing. At least then, he couldn’t hide behind his former ranking in the Army or his family’s wealth and power, and live to terrorize another woman.

  “He hit you first,” Evangeline says, cutting into my thoughts.

  “I know, but I wanted him dead.”

  She places her mouth close to my ear. “So did I, but we’re better than that.”

  “I’m not and you know it.”

  “Both times, you were defending the woman you love. You were defending the powerless from the powerful,” she insists. “Then you chose to be a policeman. You chose to become the very thing you were taught to hate because you saw through the lies.”

  She makes my actions sound so reasonable, so perfectly acceptable, that it’s hard not to give in to her. But I know the truth. “I thought I could control my violent tendencies by fighting at The Laboratory, but it’s not true.”

  “You’re so right,” she says in a smart-aleck way. “That’s why you’re constantly getting in trouble for roughing up suspects.”

  “I’ve never done that. Maybe been on the other side before.”

  “Okay, then you come home and take out your bad days on Jake.”

  I give her a come-on look.

  “Fine, you take it out on me. Your mother…basically anyone who pisses you off and gets in your way.”

  I clench my jaw, then carefully deposit her on the sofa cushion beside us. “Damn it, Evangeline. I’m not going to let you change my mind.”

  Striding away, I have to pause for Evangeline’s ex to be taken outside on a gurney. Dwight and Hayden join me, twin looks of concern on their faces. A couple of our neighbors mill about in the hallway. I half expect Saylor to come barreling in to check in on us, but since she doesn’t, I have to assume that she’s still at the animal shelter. One of the cops on the scene motions for those tenants to follow him, most likely to allay their fears as well as question them.

  “It was clearly self-defense,” Dwight begins. “You have a witness.”

  “She’s biased,” I say flatly.

  Hayden works his jaw. “You want to go to jail?”

  “No.”

  “Then shut up and let Dwight do his job.”

  Dwight tilts his head toward Hayden. “What he said.”

  “You two are no help.” I start to leave, but Dwight grabs my arm.

  “I need a statement from you.”

  “Then, we’ll be on our way,” Hayden says.

  “Fine. I entered the victim’s apartment twenty minutes ago because her phone was sending me weird text messages. That’s when I found the perp. He was verbally assaulting the vic, as well as threatening us both. I reminded him of the restraining order, but he ignored me. When I attempted to escort him out of her apartment, he assaul
ted me and I had no other choice but to defend myself and restrain him.”

  Dwight nods. “Yup, that’s pretty much what I thought. I got everything I need to file a report. No charges at this time due to the fact that Mr. McCarthy is violating an in-effect restraining order. He failed to obey and you had to take the necessary steps to protect Mrs. McCarthy.”

  “Her name’s Evangeline.”

  I have to get out of here. I need some space, some air, some time for Evangeline to come to her senses. It’s one thing to see me in a controlled environment, where men are willingly matched up to fight for money. Where there are rules and clocks running down time, but what just happened…that was a full-on brawl because I wanted that son of a bitch dead.

  Chapter 22

  Evangeline

  “Where do you think you’re going?” I ask, raising my voice.

  Hunter glances over his shoulder, but he doesn’t stop walking out my front door. “Out. I need some space, angel.”

  For once I chase after him into his apartment, where the door is still open. “It’s not because of what happened with Penn, is it?”

  “Hell, yes, it is.”

  “Why?” I stare at his retreating form, dumbfounded. “Tell me why, Hunter Sloan, or else.”

  He rounds on me, his sexy face hard. “I saw the look on your face when I had my hands around his throat. You were terrified, Evangeline. Fucking terrified, and I was responsible for that. Not going to do that to you.”

  “But I am terrified of losing you forever even more.”

  “Even after everything’s that happened? Even after seeing me like that?” I can’t believe what I did hasn’t frightened her away.

  “I have to admit that it was scary. That seeing you like that was shocking…at times, terrifying, but,” I take a deep breath. It’s not a choice I have to make because I’ve already made up my mind. “I’m more terrified of losing you.”

  “Even after what happened?” he repeats.

  “Even then.” I grab his hand, trying not to hurt his bruised knuckles. “Please don’t leave me, Hunter. I love you.”

  “Thank God.” He slams his door closed.

  He wraps his arms around me, crushing my body to his as our mouths unerringly find each other’s. He’s frantic, his hands ripping at my clothes, but I’m just as frantic. Just as needy and just as—

  “Spread your legs.” He hoists me into the air, spinning me around so that my back is against the island. Bending his knees, he pushes into me with one hard thrust, sending me onto my tiptoes. “I’m not wearing a condom.”

  “I’m on the pill.”

  “Good.”

  There’s no more talking, only touching and kissing and the thrill of him, heavy and huge inside me. Stretching. Filling me up like I’ve dreamed about for days.

  His hands are on my hips, his pace brutal as he moves, but my body is so primed for him that I’m seconds away from coming. He grinds his pelvis against me and I gasp his name.

  “Come on, angel. Take me with you,” he orders, letting go of one of my hips to insert his hand between us.

  He rubs my clit hard.

  Bite his shoulder.

  Scratch his back.

  Finally, I scream his name. My orgasm doesn’t stop, not even as his begins, and my sex clenches at him, trying to pull him deeper.

  I whimper at the sensation.

  With a roar he pours into me, going so deep that I will feel him for days. I keep riding him, riding the crest of pleasure and desire until it gently lets me fall into his arms once more.

  He rests his forehead against mine. “Say you love me again.”

  “I love you.” I tip up my chin, kissing him thoroughly. “With all my heart.”

  “We’re going to get married.”

  “Yes.” It’s not a proposal exactly, but I’ll take it.

  “We’re going to have lots of babies.”

  My laughter fills the room. “Absolutely.”

  “I promise to protect your life with mine.” He gazes into my eyes. “I swear to never harm you, to make you smile, and to give you orgasms every day of the week, plus twice on Sundays.”

  I bite my lip as emotions overwhelm me. “I don’t know what to say to that.”

  “You don’t have to say anything but I love you, Hunter.”

  I swear I melt inside. “I love you, Hunter.”

  “And I love you, Evangeline.”

  —

  One week later, Hunter, Jake, and I are eating tacos by Domingo’s truck. It’s almost like our life is back to normal…with the exception of the investigation of Hunter’s role in forcibly removing Penn from my apartment.

  At least Penn’s parents don’t seem to be involved this time because I’m pretty sure that they would have called for someone’s head. Namely Hunter’s.

  His phone rings and he picks it up from the picnic table, answering it and slipping Jake the special treat Domingo makes for him.

  “It’s Dwight,” he mouths at me.

  I want to ask if he has news, but I keep quiet because I don’t want to get my hopes up.

  Hunter’s dark brows draw together. “Are you sure?”

  My heart starts to pound in my chest so hard that it actually hurts a little.

  “Okay, then.” He nods. “I’ll let her know. Thanks for calling me, man, instead of making me wait.”

  As soon as he ends the call, I’m half out of my seat. “What did he say?”

  “That I acted in self-defense and that your ex clearly violated the restraining order that was in place. He’ll have to go to court for it, and eventually, I will, too, but Dwight says there is nothing we have to worry about.”

  A shuddering breath leaves me. “I’m so happy.” Tears pool in my eyes and I grab a napkin to blot them away. “You have no idea how worried I’ve been.”

  “I don’t know about that, angel. You tend to wear your feelings where only I can see them.” He smiles gently. “It’s one of the things I love best about you.”

  Jake noses between us. “Look who wants more treats from Domingo,” I say with a laugh. “I’ll go get him some more.”

  Hunter stops me with a hand on my arm. “He still has two left. Why don’t you feed him one.”

  Nodding happily, I reach into the bag and come into contact with something hard. “What in the world?” I pull it out and stare at it, nonplussed. “Why is there a jewelry box in my—”

  Hunter takes me by the hand as he gets down on one knee. Jake sits beside him, his tail thumping. “I didn’t do this right the first time, but since then I talked with your parents and let them know my intentions toward their daughter.”

  “You did?”

  “Will you marry me?” he asks, then uses his free hand to flip open the dark blue box. Nestled inside is a diamond ring. It sparkles in the sunlight and puts rainbows on our skin.

  “Yes,” I say, throwing myself against him, kissing him with all the love inside of me. When I hear people whistling and cheering, I pull away, my cheeks heating a little.

  “Jake wants to know if you’ll come live with us since you’re going to make an honest man out of me.” Hunter’s green eyes are so full of hope and love as he places the ring on my finger.

  “Can I move in tonight?”

  His fingers caress my cheek. “Absolutely.”

  Suddenly, Jake starts barking…at his shadow.

  “That dog sure knows when to add to the mood, huh?” Hunter asks with a laugh.

  These are the sounds of my heart, the sounds of my future, and the sounds of my home.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Epilogue

  Hunter

  Today is our wedding day. Exactly one year to the day since I first met Evangeline. While I didn’t wait very long to pop the question, I did think our engagement would be longer than four months, not that the amount of time mattered to me.

  My concern was for Evangeline. For her to have time to do all the things she didn’t ge
t to do with her first engagement, like parties and showers. For her to shout it to the world, instead of keeping it a secret that could only be spilled after the deed was done.

  Apparently, I had nothing to worry about. Right after we announced our news to our families, our respective mothers joined forces and planned more parties and showers than the world had ever seen.

  Or at least it felt that way to me.

  Glancing at the clock on the wall of the groom’s dressing room, I rub my hands together in anticipation. In T minus fifteen minutes, I get to marry the love of my life. I get to make babies with her, although we already started on that front since she stopped taking the pill last month.

  Memories of being inside Evangeline that first time without protection threaten the fit on my suit. I exhale, trying to will my erection down. Nothing says romance like a hard-on in front of two hundred guests.

  “You can always disappear, you know,” Dwight says. “I know people.”

  “Will you ever stop rubbing it in my face?”

  Dwight considers my words for a moment. “Nope. I like a lateral promotion.” Last month, Dwight was selected for a special task force on combating a rising mafia crime ring. To imagine the mafia in a small town like Forrestville is almost laughable. But hey, the truth is always stranger than fiction.

  “I’m sure the senator can afford to hire a new head of security,” Hayden mutters as he adjusts his cuff links.

  I shake my head. “I’m good.”

  “Wish I were.” Things between Hayden and his dad aren’t getting any better, and now that the political season is gearing up for the November elections, Senator Walker is putting a tremendous amount of pressure on Hayden to give up his job in order to run for a state office. Something about perpetuating the family name in politics. I’m not sure exactly, but I am sure I’m glad it’s not me.

  “Maybe once he gets elected to Washington, he’ll leave you alone.”

  “He won’t leave me alone until I’m married or he’s dead.” Hayden tosses back the rest of his scotch. “Probably won’t stop then, either.”

  The wedding planner sticks her head in our room. “Time to go, gentlemen.”