Terry clattered the rest of the window out of the frame with the snail shell stone, then leaned his arm in and tried the handle. He grinned. “Would you believe it, Regan? It was only fucking open already. Oh well, I do like making an entrance.”
“You always did.” Luke looked at each of them and dithered in fear. The dithering was handy, as it gave Regan all the chance he needed. He shifted back a half step then thudded his head forward and down across the bridge of Luke’s nose. There was a crunch, and then there was a little spurt of claret which hit the tiles. Luke slapped a hand over his face and cried out. Regan turned to Terry.
“I knew he was a lightweight.”
“Shame. I was going to do that with my handy rock.”
“Then I saved you the bother. Look at my hand. The bastard out there jumped on it just for fun.”
“We’ll get you to hospital after this.”
“Thanks for coming, Terry.”
“Save the thanks for Ashley. I’m here because of her. Her and her boyfriend out there.”
“I’m going to kill her boyfriend.”
“Not the big lump. The other one.”
“You what?”
“You’ll see. Come on.”
They pushed the door open and found Amanda looking at them both while a struggle raged behind her. “Get out of the way, and you won’t get hurt,” said Regan.
“Please, this wasn’t our fault. Not Luke’s either. We had no choice but to go along with this.”
Regan lifted his hand. “You people tied me to a fricking chair for three days. No choice? Is that right? You had every choice, sweetheart. Now get out of my way before I consider what a horrid, nasty little bitch you are.”
“Pretty little thing, ain’t she?” said Terry.
Amanda was struck dumb and hurt by the truth she’d been mulling for days, weeks and months. She shifted and let them by, and slid down the wall beside Luke.
“Luke… Luke, what the hell have we done…” she whispered.
Luke’s eyes were streaming as he held his bloody face.
Brandon was frantic. He threw fists across the bat as it swung for him and he parried blows across his shoulders and back. He caught Cody with a fist. Blood trickled down his face from his eyebrow. Brandon pointed behind Cody towards Terry and Regan. “Look out!” said Brandon. In the heat of the moment he almost looked back, but instead Cody flinched. It was enough of an opportunity for Brandon to throw a punch. The punch connected with a dull thud, and sent Cody flying back into Terry. Brandon turned and raced up the stairs.
“This is the real boyfriend,” said Terry, helping Cody to his feet.
“No fighter then. But he’s got bottle. Where’s my sister?” said Regan looking round.
“Amanda? Where is she?” shouted Cody.
“Upstairs, Cody. She’s in the small bedroom!”
Terry started past Cody, and Regan dragged himself up. They watched as they ran and saw Brandon untie a belt which he’d fastened between the door handle and cupboard handle, and then he went in and slammed the door behind him.
“No!” shouted Cody.
“Leave her alone! I’m warning you!” said Regan.
They scrambled to the top and parted for Terry, the largest of the three, who pulled and pulled on the door so hard the brass handle started coming away from the door surface.
Brandon looked at Ashley, his chest heaving. There was dirt, blood and sweat all over him.
“Leave us alone and she’ll be fine, I promise” called Brandon through the door.
“No chance, no chance at all,” said Regan.
“You’re finished Brandon... Let her go,” said Cody.
Brandon looked at Ashley, smirked and shook his head. He leaned against the door.
“They don’t get it, do they? You’re still here with me. And I’m not going to give you up honey, not in a million years. I’m addicted to you.”
“Finally, it looks like you’re getting what you deserve…” said Ashley, her eyes levelled at Brandon. There was no love there, no feeling beyond disdain and something she rarely felt. Something which burned within her. She realised it. Brandon had taken her from the beginnings of love… the first stirrings of her keen heart… all the way through the full range of feelings, from lust and joy… to disappointment and then deep hurt… to frustration and upset… all the way to the fire of hatred. There were few people in Ashley’s life ever worth hating… In the last twenty four hours, Brandon Lynes had joined that number.
“You… you planned this didn’t you?” He saw the unmistakable hatred in her eyes.
“Does that make you feel better, thinking that I planned this? Does that give you some new justification for trying to hurt me – for trying to ruin my life, because right up to now you’ve been doing pretty well without a single good reason…?”
“I never tried to ruin your life. I’m a man. I wanted you. I needed you…”
“But you wanted every other girl as well… and I was supposed to play along the whole time, like some dumb nineteen fifties Barbie doll pretending none of it was happening? Was that it? Just like Amanda! And look what you’ve done to her! You’ve made her a pathetic wreck!”
“No. She did that all by herself. But you… you’re conniving. You’re the vicious one. I only did any of this…”
“Any of this kidnapping, blackmail, and violence - because you love me? Is that it?”
“Maybe.”
“Ahhhh. You’re an old fashioned guy who’s not yet in touch with his feminine side. Bullshit.”
“You hate me. I see it. I see that look in your eyes…it’s poison to me. It burns me up.”
“Yeah? Is that so? Well get used to it. Because it’s the same damned look you’re going to get every time I see your face. That’s what you did to me. You made me hate.”
“You cold, cold…” Brandon moved towards her a step, but the anger trumped the fear. It trumped everything else she felt. She nodded at him, egging him on as he stepped towards her.
Outside the door, they heard the commotion and shouting die down. Terry, Regan and Cody looked at one another.
“I don’t like that,” said Cody.
Regan shook his head. “Not at all. Right, we need this door gone. Terry, and you. On my mark we take this door down. Are you ready?”
Brandon stepped close towards her. Ashley looked back and saw only a wall behind her. She had to hope something would happen. She pressed back to the wall, and Brandon Lynes leaned down close. His stubble grazed her cheek. Her heart stopped as he looked into her eyes. His eyes were still gorgeous, that absorbing blue that pulled you in. He pressed his lips to hers and she closed her eyes, half in fear, half wanting to block him out. She laid her hands on his chest to push him away…
Outside the men moved away from the door as far as the bannister would allow, and then Regan said “Now!” They ran and threw their weight against the door. Shoulders and arms clattered against the door and each other. The wood heaved with a splitting sound, and in the small white room, Brandon span around as the door frame and the door shattered inwards across his body. He fell but scrambled to his feet as he came face to face with Cody, Regan and Terry.
“You’re all mine, big man,” said Regan. “I’m going to hurt you bad.”
“With one hand?” said Brandon, laughing.
“Yeah. One hand…” Regan took a step forward, and while Brandon laughed he slammed his boot high and hard into Brandon’s crotch. Brandon doubled over and coughed and groaned.
“One hand and two feet. You forgot about them, didn’t you, eh?” said Regan shouting down into Brandon’s face. He waited for Brandon to stand up. It took a while. His face was red and he was still growling. Regan waved his broken hand gently like a boxer making fun of his opponent, and then threw a punch storming onto Brandon’s chin. Brandon flew back and Ashley moved out of his way as he fell.
“Sorry, sis.”
“Apology accepted,” she said.
Brandon pushed up, and tried to snatch at Ashley’s body, but she pushed him away and he slid down and hit the floor. “Never touch her again!” said Regan and kicked him in the gut. She saw the rage in Regan’s eyes. He was gone. He was crazed with anger. She looked at Cody. His jaw set, his eyes flaring. She saw he was eager to get revenge, and from the blood on his face she saw Cody had already been fighting. As Cody moved to join in, Ashley stepped to him and intercepted. She put a hand on the bat and took it from him.
“No,” she said, quietly. “No more.”
Brandon picked himself up. Ashley saw her brother shape up, moving back, caught in pure rage, ready to empty his hate and pain back onto Brandon Lynes. Regan shifted back to get his best angle. Brandon lifted his fists to fight.
“No more,” said Ashley, quietly.
Brandon didn’t see the green bat until it landed across his face, sending him crashing against the wall. He slid down the wall, into a heap. He was out cold, his face a mess.
Regan looked at Ashley, and he was wearing the exact same petulant face of disappointment she remembered from when she was a child. It infuriated her then. Now it made her smile.
“Game over,” said Ashley.
“Ah, Sis’! What did you do that for?”
“Because Brandon owed me at least one free hit. And you don’t want to go to prison for murder, Regan. Mum would be very upset.”
Regan’s face lifted. “Nice hit though. Very nice. I might have to take you around with me for protection.”
“Nah. I think Terry can handle that one.”
“No fear,” said Terry. “Sounds like Mission Impossible to me.”
They stood around and goofed and let off steam while Brandon Lynes laid unconscious on the floor. Right then, it didn’t seem like a bad or selfish thing to do. It was fitting. And as Regan described what had happened, the way they tricked him at the start with asking about buying some weed, all the way through to crushing his hand, Ashley just couldn’t help staring at Cody and smiling at him. He was here now. He showed up. He had given her everything. Ashley wasn’t one for displaying emotion, she never had been. But right there she felt warm tears trying to push their way out. She knew he felt the emotion in her gaze. He looked at her and nodded to a question she hadn’t yet formed in her mind. The connection was there. There was potential for a fresh start, she knew it. But it needed more than feelings. It needed life to be breathed upon it. Finally they had won their freedom, and she wanted to taste every part of the boundless opportunity it presented her. After a few more minutes, she could wait no longer.
“Call mum, and then get your hand seen to. Promise me?”
“Hang on. Where are you going?” said Regan.
She grabbed Cody’s hand and pulled him out of the white room and down the stairs. She passed Amanda in the hallway, she looked up at her with defeat and despair in her eyes. Ashley had taken her fill of Amanda.
“Sorry, Ashley.”
“Save it, Amanda. It’s all over. It’s done.”
She walked out into the cool grey air of the seaside, and took a lungful of it in deep. “Where are we going, Ashley?”
“Somewhere… intimate.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Just as soon as you do one important thing.”
“One important thing?”
“Call Joanna Laws and tell her that you’re very sorry, but you’re already in love with me.”
Cody laughed out loud and embraced her.
“Uh-uh. Not until you’ve made that call, Mister” said Ashley, giving Cody eyes which were demanding and inviting all at once. He grinned and took out his phone. He dialled Joanna and she answered. His face turned awkward, and then he spoke.
“Hi Joanna…. Yeah, it’s me. Look, I’m sorry I didn’t reply to your texts. It just didn’t seem…”
His face changed and he stopped speaking. Confused and upset for a split second while he listened to the voice at the other end.
“Of course I respect your feelings. Yes, yes, I know that…”
Ashley was hooked, both to his words and the changing weather on Cody’s face. It was four seasons on one day. Finally, he stopped struggling and he broke into a smile.
“..No. I understand. No. That’s fine. No, of course I want that. Of course I do. I’ll call you in a few days then. And thanks, Joanna. Thanks for everything.”
Ashley stared and waited.
“Well?”
“Joanna just dumped me, Ashley. Can you believe that? The woman kicked me to the kerb.”
“Don’t be too sad…” said Ashley, moving in, wrapping her arms around Cody’s waist. “Wait until you get a load of the rebound...” she squeezed him and kissed his cheek, before she took his hand and led him away.
“Where are we going?”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I kind of need a drink right now. And I’ve heard there’s this great little seaside joint further ahead. And you know what?”
“No, what?” said Cody.
“It’s got a fantastic hotel right next door.”
Cody’s eyes fixed on Ashley’s. He slid an arm around her back and gently stroked her hips and tucked his thumb into the top of her jeans.
Before they reached the bar, with the sea breeze whipping at Ashley’s blonde hair, Cody announced. “You know, you’ve given me another idea for a story, my muse.”
“Yeah? Then you better tell Joanna I want my ten per cent too. What’s this one about?”
“Can’t you guess?”
“No,” she said.
“It’s all about you. I’m going to call it Fighting Heart.”
“If it’s about me, you could just call it The Sexiest Love Kitten in The Whole Universe. I kind of prefer that title.”
“Really? But it might draw in the wrong crowd. Let’s stick with Fighting Heart.”
“Oh, if you insist.”
“I insist. I’ll write the sex kitten book afterwards.”
“After what?”
He laughed and he pulled her close. And this time they kissed. They kissed soft and they kissed hard all at the same time. He drew her close, and she pressed her body to him, willing. They were finally free. And when she felt that sweet tingle in her body, this time she didn’t fight it at all. She looked up into his eyes as they kissed, feeling his arousal press against her. After just one drink, just one, there was going to be no holding back. They were going to go all the way, deeper than before, more entwined, enjoying every sensual millimetre of each other’s bodies. And it was only the beginning.
The Fighting Heart series by Nicole Hamilton
Series list - in reading order
Fighting Heart 1: Fighting Heart
Fighting Heart 2: Questing Heart
Fighting Heart 3: Vengeful Heart
Fighting Heart 4: Burning Heart
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Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed reading Vengeful Heart, the third book of The Fighting Heart series.
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-Nicole
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Series list - in reading order
Fighting Heart 1: Fighting Heart
Fighting Heart 2: Questing Heart
Fighting Heart 3: Vengeful Heart
Fighting Heart 4: Burning Heart
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Burning Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 4 Page 10