Though, one thing’s for sure. I want him in a way I have never wanted a man before and the thought absolutely terrifies me.
I’m so caught up in my inner battle that I don’t notice them until it’s too late. Far too late.
Hands are shoved into my chest and I’m jerked back against a brick wall, hidden away from the pathway I was just on. I gasp in shock as my eyes instantly rise, trying to work out what the hell is going on.
The second I clock her my heart rate rises. Shit, she’s found me already.
My step mom gets right up in my face that I hardly notice her drugged up boyfriend has come along for the ride. “You have a lot of explaining to do,” she growls at me as she pushes against me again, making my head bounce off the brick wall.
My whole word immediately shuts down as I instantly turn into the frightened little girl I used to be. “I… I…”
“How cute,” she spits. “Stuttering like a piece of shit.”
Anger pulses through me, but I zip my lips, terrified of what’s going to come next. I just hope she says her piece and leaves me alone rather than dragging me back to that house.
“Where the hell is it?” she demands as she rips my handbag from my shoulder and passes it to her boyfriend to go through.
“I don’t have it,” I tell her, hoping it’s enough to make her go away, but I know better than that. She won’t be going anywhere until she knows exactly where her damn drugs are.
She slaps me hard across my face and I groan in agony. “You’re a liar. You always have been, just like your dropkick father. Now, where the hell is it?” she demands, raising her voice too loudly for the street we’re on.
The mention of my father has the blood boiling under my skin and I can’t hold it back any longer. “Don’t you dare speak of him, you evil bitch,” I spit. “I told you, I don’t have your damn drugs.”
“Oh, getting smart, are we?” the boyfriend says, taking an intimidating step closer. He pushes my step mom out of the way, who falls to the ground in her drunken stupor. He grabs me by the scuff of my shirt and slams me hard against the brick wall. My eyes lose focus for a moment, but I don’t have a chance to dwell on it before he’s in my face. “Tell me where it is before I have to teach you a god damn lesson.”
I don’t know what possess me to do it, but I smirk up at the bastard. “I’d say they are well and truly in the middle of the ocean by now.”
“Fuck,” he roars. “You little slut. You’re going to fucking pay for that.” I see the anger in his eyes and I know I’m moments away from being slammed into the wall again. I cringe in anticipation, only it doesn’t come.
Instead, my body is pulled forward with the force of the boyfriend being ripped off me. My eyes fly open as I stumble around, attempting to catch my fall. The sound of flesh being beaten into has my eyes readjusting.
What the hell is going on?
I’m shocked the second I see Xander sitting on top of the guy absolutely laying into him, but I don’t get to watch the show for long before my step mom is back in my face. Only this time, Xander’s very presence provokes a change in me. After all, he was the one that helped me to see that I’m not worthless. He told me I’m strong and I really want to believe it.
She comes for me, but I don’t let her get too far. I swallow my nerves and I push her back, the same way she had done to me earlier. Her eyes widen, unsure of this new me. I have never fought back before, always succumbed to her wishes. “You need to leave and never come back,” I yell. “I’m not some kid you can push around anymore. You’re nothing and never will be. You’re a coward, a drugged up loser, and a drunken whore.”
She attempts to recover, but I don’t give her a chance as I push her back once again. “You will never get a damn thing out of me again,” I roar. “I’m free of your shit and you will never have a hold over me again,” I drill in before giving her one final push, right out of my way. She stumbles backward with shock on her face and I realize she has finally given in. She’s done with me, she won’t bother with someone who fights back.
My head spins from the hits I took to the wall, but it’s not over yet. I need to get away from them and I need to get Xander out of here before he kills the guy. I’ve seen him in the ring and I swear, if he had the motivation, he’d be lethal. I rush up to him, ignoring the way his muscles ripple with each move. Blood coasts his knuckles and runs down the guy’s face.
I reach out and grab hold of the first thing my hand comes in contact with. I tug hard on his arm, hoping I’m not too close to get hit in the face. “Xander, stop,” I yell, frantically.
He stops immediately at the sound of my voice and whips his head around to me. His eyes are wild and definitely not the ones I’ve come to know. “We have to go,” I say, still pulling on his arm with urgency.
He blinks a few times before finally coming back to himself. He gets to his feet and before I know it, has two hands, softly against my face as he checks me over. “Are you ok?” he murmurs as his eyes desperately look me over.
“Not sure,” I tell him honestly. “He got my head pretty good.”
His hands move over the back of my head and I instantly feel pain as his hand passes over what must be a big bump. I cringe at the pain and he immediately pulls his hands back. I look down at his hand and notice blood on his palm. “Shit, you’re bleeding,” he curses.
“You sure that’s mine?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he sighs as he laces his fingers through mine and gently pulls me away from my past, bypassing the boyfriend so he can kick him in the ribs and call him a dickhead one last time. “Come on, I’ll take you home,” he says as he scoops my handbag up off the ground.
“K,” I murmur as I follow along.
I find his truck parked halfway on the curb with the rest hanging out into the road and I realize he must have been driving past and witnessed what was going on. I’m just lucky he has good timing.
He takes me back to Micky’s and suddenly it’s two very pissed off men against me.
Chapter 10
Charli
Xander pulls up outside Micky’s bar and I turn to look at him before hopping out. “Thanks for the ride,” I say with a forced smile.
“No problem,” he declares as he turns off the ignition and begins making his way out of the truck.
Ah, what the hell is he doing? After the smackdown I just gave, I think I can handle walking to the door by myself. I watch as he makes his way around the truck and towards the entrance of Micky’s.
He stops briefly and turns back around, looking as badass as ever with the dried blood covering those bruised knuckles. “You coming or what?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.
Ugh, I guess I’m going to have to deal with a handler for the time being. I hop out of his truck with a groan and walk up to his side. “You don’t need to come in,” I tell him.
“Bullshit,” he grunts as we make our way towards the door. “If I don’t, you’re just going to go up to your apartment, get ready for your shift and work all night.”
“Um, yeah,” I reply, a little confused.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he mutters under his breath. “After what you’ve just been through, there’s no way I’m letting you work tonight. I would have taken you to the hospital if I thought there was even a slight chance.”
“Not ‘letting’ me work tonight?” I repeat with probably a little too much attitude, but seriously? “Who the hell do you think you are? I have a job to do and I intend to do it.”
As I attempt to rip him a new one he begins smirking at me which absolutely drives me insane. “Fuck, you’re a little firecracker,” he states.
All I can do is stare at him blankly. I mean, who is this guy?
“Come on,” he says, cutting off whatever I was about to say. He holds the door open for me and I huff as I give in and walk through.
Micky stands behind the bar and looks up at our entrance. “Hey Charli, how was work?” he asks as he busily goes about his bar, preparin
g for the busy night ahead.
“Great,” I tell him as I take a seat at the bar. “Got a few new clients.”
“Good work, kid,” he commends with both hands filled with tequila bottles. “I knew all your hard work would pay off.” Once he has replaced the bottles he turns to face me, but notices Xander by my side. He eyes Xander warily, trying to work out who the hell he is. “Who are you?” Micky grunts with narrowed eyes.
“I’m Xander, her boyfriend,” he replies, shocking me for the millionth time tonight.
“You’re my what?” I sputter, looking at him as though he’s gone nuts. I mean, I know I got a knock to the head, but I swear, I would remember the conversation where an illegal underground fighter became my man.
He raises his chin to me, daring me to challenge him and I realize that would only make his day. A small grin plays along his lips. “You heard me.”
I narrow my eyes at him, ready to blow when Micky cuts me off. “Can you two sort this shit out later?” he groans as he continues straightening up his bar. “What’s going on? Why are you down here instead of preparing for your shift?”
Xander cuts in before I have a chance to come up with some kind of excuse as to why he is here. “Figured I’d tell you about her afternoon seeing as though she won’t.”
Micky’s eyebrows crease as he turns to me. “What’s he talking about?”
“Nothing,” I groan as I hop up off the stool. “I’m fine. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get ready for work.”
“Sit your ass back down, Charli,” Micky scolds. I see the pleasure written all over Xander’s face as he realizes that Micky happily enjoys playing the father figure in my life and from what I can tell, it seems as though he really likes the idea. “You have three seconds to tell me what’s going on and why the hell you have a red handprint across your face?” Micky demands when he finally notices that things aren’t quite right.
I send Xander a death stare before focusing back on Micky. With a sigh, I get on with my explanation. “I had a visit from my step mom and her boyfriend,” I tell him. “They thought I had their drugs and got pissed when I told them I’d flushed it.”
A heavy scowl fixes itself on Micky’s face. “Fuck, Charli,” he scolds then focuses on me once more. “You're not telling me everything.”
I cringe, not wanting to give him further details, knowing it’s only going to make him worry, but apparently Xander doesn’t quite give a shit. “They roughed her up. She’s got cuts and bruises on the back of her shoulders and arms, also has a cut on the back of her head where he slammed her against a brick wall. Had I not gotten there in time, I’m sure she’d be passed out in the trunk of his car right about now.”
“Fuck,” Micky roars as he turns his back on us and begins marching up and down the length of the bar, fuming to himself.
“With all due respect, sir. I don’t think Charli should be working tonight,” Xander suggests, though we all know it’s not a suggestion and more of a demand.
Micky turns to me and I notice his eyes quickly roaming over every inch of me, checking for any other wounds that Xander might have missed. “Get upstairs and get cleaned up. I’ll call Layla, she can cover your shift.”
“What?” I demand. “I’m fine to work.”
“You are not,” Micky challenges. “If anything, you’re lucky you’re not in the hospital with a concussion. Now, get your ass upstairs.”
I let out a huff as I move away from the bar. How did I go from nothing to two overprotective, intimidating men in such a short time? This is ridiculous.
“Shit, kid,” I hear Micky murmur to Xander as I practically bust down the side door that leads to my apartment. “You better go after her or she's going fume all night, then we’ll both be in trouble.”
I don’t hear Xander’s reply, but the familiar sound of a stool moving out from under the bar tells me he’s making his move.
I make my way up the stairs with Xander right on my heels. Nerves shoot up and down my body, and all of a sudden, I’ve forgotten why I’m so pissed at him.
He stands right at my back as I pull my keys out of my pocket and search for the right one. He places his hands on my hips and I feel the electricity radiating between us. My breath picks up as I eventually get the door open. His hands drop away as I make my way inside and he follows behind.
The door closes behind him with the softest little click and I feel suddenly very alone with him. I mean, I’ve been alone with him a few times now, but nothing quite like this. My head pounds from the bump, but I hardly register it, all that exists is Xander.
I go to make my way deeper into the apartment, but he stops me with a hand at my elbow. He gently pulls me back to him and turns me in the process so I’m looking right up into his handsome face. His eyes search mine and I’m suddenly drowning in a sea of darkness, completely mesmerised by his eyes. “Are you ok?” he asks me softly.
“My head kind of hurts but apart from that I’m fine,” I tell him.
He nods his head in understanding but continues. “I meant are you ok? After seeing them?”
“Oh, um. I guess. I don’t really know yet. A lot’s been happening, so I haven’t really worked out the answer to that.” I reply with a sigh, but now that I’m thinking about it, I feel fine. Xander is here and suddenly they mean nothing to me. Just some losers harassing me in the street. “You know, I would never have stood up to her, if you weren’t there,” I tell him.
He pushes a stray lock of my hair back behind my ear. “Yes, you would. That was all you, Charli. You just realized that you’re not the same, frightened girl she turned you into. You’re a strong, beautiful woman who will never allow another person to treat you badly.”
“You really think so?” I question.
“I know so,” he says before leaning in and giving me a gentle kiss on my cheek. Before I know what’s happening he’s heading off into the kitchen, searching through the cupboards for who knows what.
I follow him into the kitchen and suddenly he’s passing me a glass of water with some pain killers. I gratefully take them from him and down the little pills. I place the glass down on the bench and the second I do, he’s taking my hand and leading me into the bathroom.
He pulls a first aid kit out of the vanity and instantly gets to work cleaning up the wounds on my back. I can’t help but cringe as he applies a cream even though he’s being as gentle as ever. He takes a look at the cut to my head, but there really isn’t too much we can do for that.
He finishes up and starts to make his way out of the bathroom. “Wait,” I say quietly, still a little nervous around the guy, even though he hasn’t given me a reason to be. He turns and looks at me curiously, but I order him to sit on the edge of the bathtub before he can think too deeply into things.
He does as he’s told and I grab a washcloth out from under the sink. I soak it under the tap and make my way over to him. I take his hand in mine and gently wipe the dried blood off his knuckles, terrified that I’m going to hurt him.
Once I’m finished with his other hand, he stands before me. His body brushes mine as he gently takes the washcloth from my hand. He tosses it towards the sink and neither one of us look to check where it actually landed.
He raises his hand and twines it around the back of my neck making the nerves shoot right back up again. My eyes close briefly at his touch, but I don’t want to miss a moment. His other hand gently wraps around my waist and he slowly pulls me into him as those lips come down on mine.
I moan into his mouth as his lips move against mine. Needing more, my hands come up. One snakes around the back of his neck while the other takes possession of his strong chest.
His hand on my waist finds the hem of my tank top, he slides his fingers underneath the fabric and splays his fingers against my skin. His flesh upon mine sets my skin on fire and I find myself moaning into him once again.
Our kiss grows more heated and the nerves continue bubbling up in my stomach. Am I ready for
this? What’s he going to expect of me? Are we going to do the deed and I’ll never see him again? He did declare he was my boyfriend not long ago, maybe this is as serious to him as it is to me.
“You’re thinking too much,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Can’t help it,” I tell him. “Boyfriend, huh?” I inquire.
“Yeah, babe,” he confirms, “boyfriend.” He pulls back slightly and looks me in the eye. “Do you need to stop?” he asks as his hands both come to a rest on my hips.
Stop? Hell no. If Xander is confirming he wants to be a part of my life as my boyfriend then why the hell would I hold back? Hell, I’d be stupid to pass up an opportunity like this, though I’m terrified of getting hurt. What if it’s just some twisted game and he’s getting exactly what he wants?
Oh hell, I’m going for it. I’m ready for this. I’m a grown ass woman and it’s about time I took complete control. I don’t know why all of a sudden, but I know it has something to do with Xander. It’s his very presence, the way he draws me in.
I shake my head no and his eyes flame with need. His hands lower around my ass and he picks me up. My legs wind around his waist as he walks us out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.
He lays me down gently on the bed, being careful to avoid the bump on my head. His lips come down on mine before moving down to the soft skin of my neck. I gasp at how the unusual sensation makes me come to life. Holy shit, I’ve never felt anything quite like that and I can only assume it’s going to get better.
His hands move to the hem of my top and he drags it slowly up my body. My body screams for more and he has hardly started. The top finally makes its way up over my head and I lay before him in jeans and a bra. His hands roam over my body as I reach for his shirt. It slides up and over his head and I find myself tossing it away, desperate for the goodies beneath.
My greedy hands launch themselves at his body and desperately feel the strong ridges of muscle under my fingers. I squeeze and rub as I explore, shocking myself with how forward I’m being, but I can’t help it, I need him and I can’t stop.
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