Face Value (Next Generation 7)

by Cheryl Douglas

  Lauren followed him, mentally rehearsing what she would say. She’d almost compromised her relationship with her father. What had she been thinking?

  When they were sequestered in his office, she took a deep breath and faced him. “Uncle Derek showed me the pictures.”

  “I know.” J.T. perched on the edge of his desk, waiting for her to continue.

  “I can’t believe Tucker would do that.” Her voice trembled, and she cleared her throat to try to gain the strength to continue. “It looks like you were right about him.” She wanted to believe there was another explanation, but her uncle was right. The proof was in the pictures, not to mention Tucker’s violent history and his own incriminating words. She would be a fool to ignore all the evidence against him.

  “I’m sorry,” J.T. said, opening his arms to her. “I didn’t want you to find out about it like that, but I was scared to death he might do the same thing to you.”

  Lauren stepped into her father’s waiting arms, lying her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry I wasn’t willing to listen.” If she had, she wouldn’t have made love to Tucker. She would have to try to obliterate those memories from her mind.

  J.T. chuckled. “You’re as stubborn as your mama, but I love you both more than life itself, darlin’.”

  “And you’re not stubborn, right?”

  “Only when it comes to protecting the people I care about.” He held her shoulders, pulling her back to face him. “Honey, you’re gonna find the right guy.”

  Lauren thought she already had, but Tucker was wrong for her for so many reasons. She saw that finally. “Maybe.” It didn’t even seem to matter anymore. Putting herself out there again left a bitter taste in her mouth. She would just stick to her plan and focus on her business.

  “I know you will. Don’t give up just because this loser shook your faith.”

  Her father making disparaging comments about Tucker still hurt, even though she knew it shouldn’t. Her father was right. Any man who would do that to a woman was a bully who didn’t deserve a single second of her time. “I still have to work with him until this project is finished.”

  “Maybe I could help you out with that? Run interference for you?”

  Lauren managed a smile as she patted her father’s cheek. “Thanks, but I can handle it. Now that I know the truth about him, I’ll keep my distance. I promise.”

  ***

  Tucker had tried to reach Lauren all day, but she wouldn’t pick up her phone or return his texts. She’d obviously seen the pictures and deemed him guilty without asking for an explanation. He tried to be angry with her, but he couldn’t. Any woman would feel the same way.

  He opened the door of the salon where his ex-wife worked, steeling himself for her hostility.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” she asked from her post behind the front desk.

  At least she wasn’t with a client. She should have a few minutes to talk to him. “Can I have a word with you?”

  “No.”

  He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “Amanda, please. This is important.”

  She scowled at him before turning her attention to her co-workers. All eyes were fixed on Tucker. “Fine, but I only have a few minutes. I’d rather not talk in here.”

  “My truck is parked right out front.”

  “Lead the way.”

  Once they were inside the truck, Amanda said, “I heard Lauren spent the day with you and the kids. Mason has even been making noise about her going to his hockey game this weekend. What the hell is that all about?”

  “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” He eased his seat back and shifted to face her. “Lauren is-”

  “Way out of your league.”

  “So I’ve heard.” He couldn’t even argue the fact. His ex-wife was probably right, but that didn’t stop him from wanting her. He hadn’t understood how much he wanted Lauren until he realized J.T.’s stunt likely cost him his only chance with her.

  Amanda tapped the face of her watch. “I haven’t got much time. Whatever it is, spit it out.”

  “I care about Lauren. A lot.” He knew that was the last thing his ex-wife wanted to hear, but honesty was the only hope he had of making her see reason.

  “You haven’t known her very long.”

  “Sometimes it doesn’t take all that long to know someone is special.” He smiled at her, and he realized it was the first genuine smile they’d shared in years. “I took one look at you and knew I would marry you one day.” It was true. Amanda had saved him from the hell that was his life back then and gave him reason to get out of bed in the morning.

  “You’re just saying that.” She dipped her head to hide her smile.

  “No, I loved you.” He loved the innocent girl she’d been when they met, and he loved the woman who had given him the two best things that had ever happened to him: his children.

  “I loved you too, Tucker.” She looked him in the eye. “Where the hell did we go wrong?”

  “We were two kids from really messed up families. We thought we could save each other.”

  “Yeah, but instead we managed to mess each other up even more.”

  Tucker reached for her hand. It was the first time he’d touched her in years. “No matter what happened, we’re still raising two really great kids together.”

  “That’s true.” She smiled as she looked at their joined hands. “So this thing with Lauren, is it serious?”

  “I think I’d like it to be.” He’d decided that sometime between the time Lauren left last night and the moment J.T. lowered the boom on him.

  “Wow, I never thought I’d see the day a woman would reel you back in, Tucker.”

  “I never thought I’d meet someone like Lauren.”

  Amanda nodded. “She’s a great girl, no doubt about it.”

  “The trouble is, she thinks I’m some kind of monster.”

  “Why would she think that?”

  Tucker squeezed her hand before releasing it and turning back to the steering wheel. He wrapped his hands around the cool leather, needing something to anchor him. His life was spinning out of control, and he didn’t know how to stop it. “She saw the pictures of you after the attack.”

  Amanda gasped, her hand flying to her chest. “Oh my God! How did she see those?”

  “It turns out her uncle is the chief of police. He showed them to her.”

  “Oh no.” She placed a hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry, Tucker. I still feel guilty about what I did to you.”

  “It’s forgotten.” He couldn’t co-parent with her and hold her responsible for ruining his life. True, she had brought the animal who’d almost stolen his daughter’s innocence into their lives, but Tucker made the decision to assault him. He couldn’t pin that one on Amanda.

  “How did Lauren react when she saw the pictures?”

  “I don’t know. She won’t take my calls. I imagine she was floored.”

  Amanda covered her face with her hands. “God, I hate thinking about that.”

  “I’m sorry,” Tucker said, cupping her shoulder. “I didn’t come here to stir up a lot of bad memories, but I was hoping you could set the record straight with Lauren. You’re probably the only person she’d believe.”

  Amanda shot Tucker a side-long glance. “Is this woman going to be my kids’ stepmother? Is that how serious this is?”

  “I can’t answer that.” When Lauren had asked him about marriage less than twenty-four hours ago, the answer had been a resounding no. Everything changed when they made love. He was facing the prospect of losing her, and a commitment might be the only way he could keep her.

  “But you’re thinking about it?”

  “I’m thinking I’d like a chance with her. I wanna see where this might go.”

  “Does she know everything?”

  Tucker’s gut twisted when he thought about all of the things Lauren still didn’t know. Thinking about how she would react to that news terrified him. “No,
she doesn’t. She knows how I landed in jail though.”

  Amanda shuddered. “You told her about Rex? God, I can only imagine what she must think of me, bringing a man like that into our children’s lives.”

  “You didn’t know what he was capable of.”

  “No, but if I had…”

  “I know you would never do anything to hurt those kids, Amanda. You don’t even have to say it.”

  She glanced at the front door of the salon. “There’s my next client. I should go.”

  “Will you talk to Lauren?”

  “I guess it’s the least I can do.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Ignoring Tucker’s repeated attempts to contact her exhausted Lauren. Almost a week had passed since she saw the pictures, and he’d texted, called, and stopped by the site and her condo repeatedly.

  She checked in with Will, the foreman on the site, every day, but she tried to visit when she was sure Tucker wouldn’t be there. She didn’t feel she had the strength to face him yet.

  Rob looked up from staining the wood banister when she walked in. “Hey, gorgeous.”

  He still made her uneasy. The way he leered at her when he thought she wasn’t looking… “Is Will here?”

  “No, he had to leave early. There was a problem on another job.”

  “Oh.” She knew Tucker had to rearrange his schedule to accommodate her job, which meant pulling men from other sites. She could hardly complain that they’d all left a little early on a Friday afternoon, especially since they were planning to work through the weekend. “No one else is here?”

  “Just me.” His eyes traveled slowly over her body. “And you.”

  Her first instinct was to make an excuse and leave, but she wouldn’t be intimidated by one of the laborers. “I’m anxious to see what you guys did today,” she said, forcing a smile. “Will said the bathroom fixtures were due to arrive. Did they?”

  “See for yourself,” he said, gesturing toward the main floor bathroom.

  The hallway behind the staircase was narrow, which meant she would have to slip past him. “Maybe I’ll check it out later. Did we make any progress upstairs today?”

  He smirked. “Do I make you nervous, pretty lady?”

  “No.” She squared her shoulders and stepped further into the foyer. She wouldn’t let him see her sweat. “I work with guys like you all the time. Nothing I haven’t seen or heard before.”

  He sneered. “I’m willing to bet I could show you a thing or two you haven’t seen before.”

  Lauren couldn’t believe he was stupid enough to proposition her after Tucker’s warning.

  “So you and the boss man still goin’ at it?”

  “There’s nothing between me and Tucker.” Except for the dull ache in her chest when she thought about him.

  “Good to know.” He set the sander down and propped a booted foot on the step. “So, you and me should hook up.”

  Just the thought made bile rise in her throat. “I don’t think so.” She walked past him, intent on carrying on with her inspection of the house, and he reached out to grab her wrist.

  “Why not?” His dark eyes hardened, making him look sinister. “I’m not good enough for you?”

  “Take your hand off me,” she said, slowly looking at the calloused hand coiled around her wrist.

  “You like bein’ in control, don’t you?” he said, moving in to brush his body against hers. “That ain’t gonna fly with me, baby. We do things my way.”

  The scent of coffee and perspiration filled her nostrils, making her want to gag. “Get out. I want you off this job now.”

  “I don’t care what you want.” He stepped forward, forcing her to back up against the wall or risk having her toes crushed under his steel-toed boots. “I told you… we’re doin’ this my way.”

  For the first time in her life, Lauren felt physically threatened. She was used to warding off advances, but she’d always felt she could hold her own. This felt different. Something in his eyes told her not to set him off.

  His free hand skimmed her cheek before running a fingertip down her neck. “So goddamn sexy,” he muttered, wrapping his hand around her throat with enough force to make her squirm. “It didn’t have to be this way. If you’d agreed to go out with me, we could have made friends first.”

  Lauren panicked when she couldn’t swallow. He held her tight, restricting her airflow.

  A quick tear and the buttons of her blouse bounced off the raw wood floor… and she couldn’t even scream. She could barely breathe.

  He brushed his lips across hers, licking her mouth.

  Lauren squeezed her eyes shut, praying she wouldn’t pass out.

  “Have you ever played this little game before?” he asked, running a hand over her bare abdomen before moving up to cup her lace-clad breast. He pulled the barrier down, pinching her nipple hard. She felt a tear slide down her cheek. “It’s hot. Trust me. Erotic asphyxiation.”

  Knowing she was running out of time, Lauren raised her knee hard. The impact sent him reeling, but not long enough for her to get away.

  “Bitch!” He caught the side of her face with the back of his hand. “You wanna do this the hard way?”

  Lauren tasted blood from her split lip, but she knew she couldn’t cower. She had to fight or die trying. He grabbed her leg and she tried to kick him, but he upended her. She landed flat on her back, cracking her head on the floor. He came down on top of her, and she knew she was helpless. Her only thought was that she hoped to make it out alive.

  “You son of a bitch!” The door crashing against the drywall was the only sound they heard before Tucker grabbed Rob by the hair and pulled him off Lauren.

  She gasped as she backed into the wall.

  Watching Tucker pummel Rob was terrifying. He looked possessed. Every punch echoed with a sickening thud, each seeming louder than the last. Fists flew, blood splattered, and the crunch of breaking bones and grunts filled the air.

  “Tucker… stop!” Lauren rasped. She was afraid to get between them. The blank look in Tucker’s eyes told her he may not be able to stop, no matter what barrier was between him and the man he was thrashing. “Tucker, your kids! You can’t go back to jail. Your kids need you!”

  That snapped him out of his violent stupor. Tucker threw Rob through the front door. “If I ever see you within a hundred feet of her again, I’ll kill you with my bare hands!”

  “I think he needs an ambulance,” Lauren whispered, looking at the bloody, battered mess lying in the fetal position on the front porch.

  “Let him call 911 himself or bleed to death trying.”

  “We can’t.” Lauren would never forgive herself if Tucker spent the rest of his life in prison from defending her. She called the police station, asking for her uncle to take their report personally. She could make Derek understand that Tucker was saving her life.

  Lauren heard Tucker’s heavy boots falling on the rough wood floor in the family room. When she approached the doorway, his hands were fisted at his sides and his whole body shook. “Thank you,” she whispered. She was almost afraid to approach him when he looked so menacing.

  His eyes flew to her torn blouse, and he growled.

  The blouse was torn to shreds, but she did her best to wrap it around her body.

  Tucker pulled his sweatshirt off to reveal a gray T-shirt. “Put this on.” He tossed her the sweatshirt.

  “Thanks.” It smelled like him but was stained with another man’s blood. “I’m so glad you came when you did,” she said quietly. “But this is Friday. Aren’t you supposed to pick your kids up from school?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I knew you’d be counting on that. Will told me when you’d been stopping by. I needed to see you.” His eyes zeroed in on her neck. “Did he try to strangle you?”

  Lauren winced at the rage in his voice. She’d never known a man so violent… or fiercely protective.

  “Goddammit, answer the question!”

  She jumped, sta
rtled by the sound of his raised voice. “Yes. He said something about sex by asphyxiation. He said it would be some kind of game. Call it whatever you want, he would have raped me, maybe killed me, if you hadn’t shown up when you did.”

  Lauren squealed when Tucker put his fist through the drywall. “Stop!” she cried. But he wouldn’t. He kept pounding, his face a mask of fury she’d never seen before. “Please.” She took a hesitant step closer, brushing away the tears streaking her face. “You’re going to break your hand.”

  “I don’t give a goddamn about my hand!” he shouted. “I want to kill him!”

  She had no doubt he would have, given another chance, and that horrified and humbled her. The fact that he would go to those lengths to protect her was unfathomable, especially since she’d sent him a clear message that she wanted nothing more to do with him.

  “Tucker, please.” Lauren reached for his arm, praying he wouldn’t lash out at her. She couldn’t stand by and watch him harm himself. “Don’t.”

  He let his hands drop before pressing his back to the smashed wall. Falling to a crouched position, he ran his bloody hands through his hair and moaned.

  It was the most gut-wrenching sound Lauren had ever heard. She crouched down beside him, laying a hand on his back. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I’m okay.”

  “I brought that son of a bitch into your life. If I hadn’t hired him…” He ran his injured hand over his face, streaking his jaw with blood. “He couldn’t have done this to you.”

  “This wasn’t your fault. If not for you, who knows what he would have done to me.” She shuddered just thinking about it.

  “I’m so sorry, Lauren.” The look in his eyes was so tortured she couldn’t help but reach out to him.

  “I’m gonna be fine.” She eased down on her knees and hugged him tight. “Thanks to you.” Feeling an incredible sense of relief when she finally felt his arms close around her, she let the sobs break free.

  “Please don’t cry, baby,” he whispered. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you like that again. I promise.”

  Lauren was so caught up in Tucker, she barely heard the sirens. When the front door flew open, she didn’t want him to let her go.