by Sam Crescent
****
Connor entered his house several hours later. The sun was setting, and he hadn’t been to work. He’d spent the whole day riding around in his truck trying to clear his head. His mood was gone, and he felt like a jerk for scaring Zoe and taking off. She deserved better than to hear him ranting and raving over crap. The mess he’d made of his room was embarrassing. It would take him all fucking week to get it neat and tidy.
“You didn’t come to work today. Noah and Drew are docking your pay,” Jake said.
He walked into the sitting room to see Jake and Brent sat on the couch. “How come you’re here?”
“We’ve been here since we finished work.”
“Where’s Zoe? Did one of you drop her off?” he asked, removing his jacket.
“We haven’t seen her. Her clothes are gone from the closet, and when we phoned her apartment she asked for us to give her some space. Your bedroom looks like someone trashed it. What happened?” Brent asked.
“She’s gone?”
“Yep. She says she’s not leaving Law Castle, but she needs space.”
“Shit.” Connor ran his fingers through his hair regretting everything he did.
“I don’t give a crap about what you did, Connor. Fix it, or I swear to God, I will go looking for your parents and find out exactly what happened to you when you were younger,” Jake said.
He looked toward Jake and saw the determination on his face. “I’ll go and talk to her,” Connor said.
“If you drive her away, I’ll fucking kill you.” Jake stormed out of the room. Brent followed after him. Their disapproval hurt.
They’d tried to talk to him about his past, but he couldn’t do it.
“It looks like I’m on make-up duty.” Connor put his jacket back on, grabbed his keys, and off he went to Zoe’s apartment.
He parked his truck in the parking lot. There were several people dotted around the parking lot. He ignored them as they ignored him. They knew who he was. It was the plus side to being part of the Bad Boys group or circus act, whichever one he felt at the time. The stairwell was bare. He made it to her floor and stopped dead.
A man, Bill, was standing at her door stroking her arm.
Connor saw the bastard touch her, and he saw red. It didn’t matter that Zoe was pushing the other guy away. No one put his hands on Zoe who wasn’t him, Jake, or Brent. This guy was going to pay. He tore Bill off her, slammed his fist in the guy’s face, and kneed him in the balls. The guy doubled over, but Connor wasn’t finished.
“I don’t give a fuck who you are in this neighbourhood. This is still Law Castle, and no one fucks with the people in my town.” Connor dragged him outside of Zoe’s apartment and pushed him against the railing. “If I catch you near her again I will end you. Do you understand me?”
“You haven’t got the guts,” Bill said.
Connor wrapped his hand around the guy’s neck and cut off his air. “I’m not a squeaky clean guy you can threaten, boy. Leave her alone and get the fuck out of Law Castle, or your life is gone.”
“Connor, stop it! You’ll kill him.”
He stared at Bill watching his colour turn blue before letting go. Bill collapsed on the floor then scampered away.
“What is the matter with you?” Zoe said. Her voice rose making him wince. She slapped his arm then stormed inside her apartment. He followed her and closed the door.
“What? Were you planning on banging the fucking asshole? I did you a favour.” He wanted her to run into his arms like everything was okay.
“Why? Because I slept with you and your two friends my pussy is suddenly for sale for any guy who would want me?”
Obviously, he was wrong.
“Don’t overanalyse this, Zoe.”
“You almost killed a man.”
“I didn’t kill him.”
She shook her head then turned away from him. “I don’t get you at all. One moment I think we understand each other, and the next you shoot me down, Connor. What the hell is going on?”
“You ask too many questions. You don’t need to know about my past,” he said. His anger was rising up.
“I don’t need to know about your past? Then why am I the one dealing with all that crap, huh?”
He shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I don’t know what I’m talking about? Then tell me why every time you fuck me, you have to be in control? Tell me that, Connor. I’ve seen the way you react to me when I try to disobey you. You’ve never taken me in your arms and made love to me. You tell me you care about me, and yet you treat me like a toy.” Tears began to fall from her eyes.
Connor felt like he’d been kicked in the gut. “Don’t cry, Zoe.” He moved toward her unable to bear seeing her cry.
“Don’t come near me. I don’t want you to touch me right now.”
He cursed running his fingers through his hair. His choices were gone. He either opened up to her, or that was it—they were finished.
His past was still controlling him. Connor knew his friends were fed up with him.
“You really want to know the truth about me?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Fine, here it is a nutshell. My mother was a weak-ass bitch who couldn’t please my father. When she stopped being good enough, my father turned to me.” The tears lodged in his throat.
He sat down on her couch. His heart was hurting, and he felt like he was going to throw up. Everything hurt inside him, and he hated it. The anger left him as he gazed around at her poky apartment. Connor wanted to give her the world and to show her there was a part of him worth loving.
“Your father abused you?” she asked.
“No, my father loved me a little too much.” He chuckled. “I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone. My mother knew what was going on, and she didn’t do anything to stop it. In Law Castle, everyone knows your business, right? That’s not the case. Not one person understood my dad the way I did.”
Zoe sat down next to him on the couch. “It was not your fault,” she said.
“Not my fault.” He burst out laughing. “What a joke. Most people wouldn’t benefit for being used. I did.”
“What do you mean?” she asked. He saw the tears falling from her eyes. Connor stroked her cheek.
“Don’t cry, Zoe.”
“Tell me what happened, Connor.”
He shook his head. The memory of their bargain was clear in his mind. “I didn’t want him touching anyone else. I made a deal that I would do anything as long as he paid me. I turned myself into a prostitute.”
“You need to tell the police about this,” she said.
“Why? My folks are dead.”
“What? Jake said they moved out of town.”
“About a year ago I got a call telling me my folks had died in a gas explosion where they lived. No one else was hurt as there was no one around at the time. Very tragic and I felt relieved about it. What kind of person feels relieved that their folks died?”
“Someone who has been hurt by the people they should have been able to trust, Connor.” Zoe stroked his hair. He felt little comfort from her attentions.
Connor let it all out. He told her everything. The moment the dam burst inside him, he couldn’t stop it. Zoe comforted and held throughout it all.
“You need to see someone, Connor. A professional.”
“I can’t do that. I’m talking to you.”
“I think it would be good for you to get it out and let someone show you the real way it should be.”
Connor shook his head.
“When you’re ready. I don’t want to force you to do something you don’t want,” she said.
He cupped her face staring into her honest beauty. “What have you done to me?” he asked.
“Nothing, Connor. It is time for you to be free of the past. You didn’t do anything wrong.” She leaned over and kissed him.
Connor pulled her across his lap. She sat straddling either sid
e of his waist. His cock thickened at the feel of her womanly softness. He didn’t want sex. He wanted to hold her close and feel her warmth.
“You’re going to have to tell Jake and Brent, eventually. They love you so much. They have a right to know what is wrong with their friend.”
He nodded his head. Connor didn’t move from the spot. Her arms were around him, and for the first time in his life since the chaos of his childhood, he felt safe. Zoe made him feel safe.
Chapter Seventeen
A couple of weeks later
Life went back to normal. Connor went looking for a therapist at Zoe’s insistence. Jake and Brent wanted to know what had gone on. She didn’t say anything. Connor would tell them when he was ready. She slowly began to move in with them. Every time one of her men picked her up, they packed some of her stuff. She noticed their house was starting to have a part of her inside. Vicki said they were goners. It was only a matter of time before they had a wedding ring on her finger.
She connected to all of them in some way. Zoe knew she’d fallen for them. It was hard to think about at times how easily she’d given her heart to them. She knew they wouldn’t hurt her, or at least not intentionally hurt her. They all tried to stay by her side. Unfortunately, like today they were all busy. Jake had bought her a cell phone so they could stay in touch at all times. Connor was currently singing to her down the line.
Zoe smiled as she listened to Connor singing to her. He had the worst voice she’d heard.
“That is an awful tune, Connor.”
“I’m singing it with you in mind.”
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I’m in the shower, naked. Want to join?”
“Wait, if you’re in the shower naked, why aren’t you on your way here?” she asked. “You’ve got me there, Zoe. I’m currently standing in the mechanic shop. A bunch of girls are giggling, and I’m looking at two ugly-ass men. Wanna save me?”
She was walking down the alley of her neighbourhood when she saw the shadow fall over her. Startled, Zoe stared up to see Bill standing with two of men.
“I told you this wasn’t over,” he said. She didn’t have any time to react as Bill pulled the phone out of her hand and slammed her against the wall. Her head banged against the bricks. Pain shot through her head, and then the world went black.
****
Connor knew the sound of that voice. His blood ran cold.
“Zoe, baby, are you there?”
Jake and Brent looked up. He knew his voice was filled with panic. Shit, he was panicking.
Heavy breathing came over the line.
“You better be careful who you threaten in future.”
“Where the fuck is Zoe?” Connor demanded. His voice rose as the panic began to take over.
“Consider her payment because of your boys getting in the way of my business. I never interfere with your part of Law Castle, and you shouldn’t have fucked with mine. I’m taking Zoe as payment for all the money you’ve lost me.”
“If you touch her, I swear to God—”
“No offense, boy. I’m the one with the girl.”
The phone cut off. Connor threw the phone at the opposite wall. Noah and Drew had come from around the back at his raised voice. “That drug dealing asshole has got Zoe.” He pulled the hair at the back of his neck to try to focus. The pain helped numb the heartache at losing the woman he loved.
“I’ll get Tristan. Where was she?” Noah asked.
Drew ran out of the shop, a cell phone in his hand. Connor watched him run in the direction of the sheriff’s office.
“I don’t know. I heard some scuffling as if Zoe was thrown against something. A wall, maybe. Shit, I don’t know.”
“Her apartment. That was where she was going earlier today. She needed to check her mail and make sure she was not behind on the rent.”
Tristan and Drew came running back along with Stefan and a couple of members of the Law Castle Bad Boys.
“I thought she was moving in with you?” Noah said.
“We were going to ask her tonight.”
Brent threw his tools across the shop. Connor saw the anger in his eyes.
“What happened?” Tristan asked.
Connor saw red and flew at him. “What happened? Your fucking meddling has got Zoe caught up in this shit. You’re supposed to look after the people in this town.” Connor pushed Tristan up against the wall. Vicki pulled up outside of the mechanic shop.
Tristan grabbed Connor’s arm and twisted it behind his back. “Don’t ever think of
doing that again. Do you understand me?” Tristan said.
“Yes,” Connor said.
“I’ve been looking into Bill and stopping his supplies. I wanted to know where this shit came from. It would seem he made the first move before we did. Vicki, what are you doing here?”
“A couple of guys walked into The Dugout. They shot Steve in the leg, and I saw them carry Zoe inside. She looked asleep. I ran out of the back when I saw them.”
“At least we know where she is,” Tristan said. “Stefan, I think you need to control some of your boys.”
“I’m not controlling anyone, Tristan. This is not a gang. We’re friends, and I think all three of them have a right to know where their woman is, don’t you?”
“I do not want a blood-bath.”
“There won’t be one. We’ll get inside, order a drink, and settle this peacefully,” Stefan said.
“You’re going to go inside? Are you insane? They have a gun,” Vicki said.
“Vicki, go home,” Tristan said.
“No, Zoe is my friend.”
The older guy turned on her. “I wasn’t giving you permission to argue. Go home, now.”
Connor saw the tension. Vicki glared at the older man then walked toward her car.
“Let’s go and have a party,” Tristan said.
****
Brent felt on edge. Up until this moment he’d had so many doubts about the way he felt about Zoe. No more. He fucking loved her.
When he got her in his arms, he was going to shout it from the rooftops. There were a couple of cars in the parking lot, but other than that the parking lot was deserted.
“Fucking bitch,” Tristan yelled.
He followed the other man’s gaze. Vicki’s car was in the parking lot with no sign of the woman.
Brent watched as Tristan pulled out his gun, loaded it, and walked toward the front door. Stefan stopped the other man from walking into his own death scene.
“We don’t have any idea who is inside.”
Brent followed his two friends toward the other men.
“I don’t give a fuck. They’ve got Vicki, and I don’t care. They’re all fucking dead men.” Tristan pulled out of the guy’s hold.
Seeing no end in sight, Brent whistled. “Hey, Bill. You’ve got what you want. We’re here to talk.” Brent shouted every word. He knew the man inside would be able to hear him.
“That’s right. I’ve got two crying women inside. I’m wondering which one to pop first.”
Tristan charged for the front door. Noah, Drew, and Stefan held him back. Fuck, that guy was strong.
“You’re going to hide behind women like a coward?” Brent asked.
“I’m not a coward.”
There was his weakness. Bill may have been king within an area where they were down on luck. In The Dugout, he was a weak man intent on causing harm.
“Fuck this,” Tristan yelled. He fired his gun. Two shots splintered the wood. Tristan ran toward the door, firing his weapon. The older man was yelling as he ran. Jake and Connor followed behind him, and Brent charged forward as well. Shouting was coming from all sides and wasn’t stopping. Nothing seemed right to Brent. Law Castle was a peaceful town. No one fired guns or sold drugs. What had happened to this small town? Brent ran toward the door. Tristan fired his weapon as the other followed.
This was the hardest day of Brent’s life.
When he got th
rough the door, two men were dead on the floor. Vicki was holding her stomach, blood gushing out of the wound. She looked pale as she was propped against the wall.
“Don’t fucking move,” Bill said. He had Zoe in front of him like a protective shield. Blood was dripping from her head. Brent saw bruises down one side of her face, and judging by the way she winced, some of her ribs were either bruised or broken.
Brent was terrified. She could die if they weren’t careful. Bill held a gun to her temple, and his hand was shaking.
The guy was clearly on drugs.
“Put the gun down,” Tristan said. “There is no way this ends with you leaving. Who shot the men?”
“I did. They’re traitors. All fucking traitors. That bitch came walking in, and she needed to go. The only one I want is this bitch. She’s been dodging me, and I want payment.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Where is Steve?” Connor asked.
“Dead.”
“Guess again,” Steve said. A baseball bat swung for Bill.
“Zoe, duck,” Connor, Jake, and Brent shouted.
She did as they asked, collapsing in a heap on the floor.
Bill went down as Steve rained blows on Bill’s body. Tristan cuffed Bill, then moved toward Vicki.
Brent went to Zoe, as did Jake and Connor. She was whimpering on the floor, tears streaming down her face.
“We’ve got you, baby,” he said. “I love you, Zoe. I love you so much.”
Jake and Connor said the words as well.
She cried harder. “I thought he was going to kill me.”
“No, that was never going to happen. We wouldn’t have let him.”
“You all came for me,” she said. She winced as they moved her into their arms. “My head hurts.”
“I’ve called an ambulance,” Stefan said.
“I love you,” she said on a whisper. They each held her close. The unmistakable sound of sirens filled the air. Tristan picked Vicki up and carried her outside. Connor, Jake, and Brent followed behind the ambulances as they both went in the direction of the hospital.