“She’s worth it, you know.”
“I think she is. I think that once I claw through all the walls she’s built and she learns she can trust me, all her beauty will shine bright. But Jonny, your brother did her dirty. And I’m not saying that to be a dick. I’m saying it so you’ll know that straight out she told me she was scared of me. Afraid she’d fall and I wouldn’t catch her. She knows the town thinks she’s a fool. She knows her kids have been affected by Doug’s bullshit and she is in mama bear mode. No one is getting close to her and those kids.”
“Just keep pushing, Alec. You’re right—when you get to the heart of her, all that beauty will not only shine, it will be blinding. Macy Hartley is bold and headstrong, so damn pretty I never understood how Doug caught her eye. When you find her again, you’re golden.”
“That woman may not be in there anymore,” Alec warned.
“She is. Every now and again I catch a glimpse. Heal her, brother.”
Alec stood in front of his friend and hoped to God he had it in him to do just that.
Heal—not fix. Macy wasn’t a mirror that needed to be glued back together.
Macy came back in the room. Rory clung to her mom like a monkey wearing pajamas. Alec would’ve enjoyed taking in the sight had he not been so pissed Josh Malone had hurt her.
“Who’s picking up Caleb?” Alec asked.
“I am.”
Firm. Stubborn.
“Macy, I think you should call your mom or Becky,” Jonny countered.
“My parents are on a ten-day cruise and I’m not bothering Becky.”
“You know she’d be pissed if she heard you say that.”
Macy returned Jonny’s frown, adding her own angry twist. No, this woman was not a pushover.
“Well, lucky for me she’s not here. I have responsibilities. I’m capable of taking care of them.”
“I’m going to the store to get Rory her crackers and ginger ale,” Alec entered the conversation. “I can pick him up so you don’t have to go out.”
Macy’s eyes sliced to his and relief flooded, gone was the dullness. Alec would take her censure any day of the week.
Anger he could work with. It was the sadness that gutted him.
“We need to talk,” she sniped.
Hell, yes, they did. Though he figured what she wanted to talk about and what he was going to say were two very different things.
15
“Baby, I need you to stay with Uncle Jonny while I walk Mr. Hall out.”
Rory nodded against my shoulder before she picked her head up and looked at Alec.
“Sorry I threw up.”
Damn everything to hell.
Fucking, fucking, Doug—again. Always him screwing up my life, traumatizing our kids. It wasn’t bad enough Josh had taken his anger out on me because my stupid ex had gambled away everything he had then got into debt. No, it had to be monumentally worse and happen in front of Rory.
Of all goddamn days for my baby to be sick. Though if she wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been home in the middle of the day and maybe Josh would’ve gone by the daycare.
“You don’t have to apologize for being sick, sweetheart. I’ll be back with your—”
“Alec,” I stopped him before he told Rory something untrue. “Let me walk you out.”
I ignored the flash of irritation my interruption caused and set Rory on the couch. Jonny gave me a small smile and I walked around a few of the deputies that were still there, toward the front of my house.
“I’m not going to bother asking why you’re here,” I started once Alec stopped next to me. “I want you to leave.”
“You’ve said that already.”
“Yet, you’re still here.”
“Indeed.”
“Do I look like I’m in the mood for your games?”
His gaze drifted over my face and those beautiful eyes of his turned hard. It was a look I’d seen before, the day Doug had shown up and caused a scene. The day I lost my cool and punched my ex-husband.
“I’m not playing games with you, Macy,” he denied. “I’m going to pick up stuff for Rory. Do you need me to pick up Caleb or are you going to call Becky?”
“I don’t want you here.”
“Too bad.”
“Too bad?” My body jerked and pain from my torn lips ricocheted when I pressed them together. “Do not fuck with me, Alec. Not today. I’ve already had one man in my face—”
Suddenly I wasn’t two feet from Alec I was hauled to his chest, his arm like a steel band holding me tight against him.
“That motherfucker will pay for putting his hands on you, I can promise you that.” His harsh whisper fanned over my ear and across my neck. “But don’t you dare pile me in with either of those two pieces of shit. Not the one who fucked you over for years, and not the son of a bitch who put his hands on you. I am not them, and you know it. Drop the shields, Macy, they aren’t necessary. I am going to get Rory what she needs so neither of you has to leave the house. Either I’m picking up your son or Becky is, who isn’t is you. And swear to Christ, Macy, you try to leave this house, I will board the front door closed.”
“You say you’re nothing like them but you threaten to imprison me?” I huffed at the audacity of this man.
“Dial back the drama, babe. Josh is roaming the streets. It’s not safe for you to be out there alone with your kids and you know it. Are you really so hell-bent to remain stubborn you’d put your kids in danger?”
I hated that he was right. Hated it with everything inside of me. My kids were in danger all because of Doug.
“Fine, Becky can get him and she’ll pick up stuff for Rory. I don’t want you coming back.”
“Too fucking bad. I’m coming back.”
“You’re not—”
“No, Macy. We tried it your way. I listened to you on Saturday. I backed off. I was wrong. Now we’re doing it my way.”
The arrogance of this asshole.
Seriously.
“Right. So if big, bad, tough Alec Hall had been around he could’ve saved poor, little damsel Macy from getting the shit knocked out of her, is that it? You have a God complex? You think I need a man by my side to fix all my problems?”
“No, babe, I wouldn’t have been able to stop shit. I would’ve been at work and you would’ve still been here all by yourself. What happened here today rests firmly on that motherfucking, cocksucking prick’s shoulders. He did this to you, but I sure as hell am gonna make sure it never happens again. But that is not why we’re doing it my way.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I can’t stop thinking about you. The last five nights I’ve gone to bed with that kiss on my mind. The way you taste fresh in my mind. I want more of that. I want more of you.”
My body heated even though I didn’t want it to. There was no denying Alec was gorgeous. Tall, dark, and handsome didn’t begin to cover it. His appeal went beyond his looks and called to a place inside of me I’d tried my best to shut off. I didn’t want to feel anything for him.
“So you want sex? How about we let the bruises on my face heal and I’ll give you a call. In the meantime, stay away from me.”
We were still standing close, his arm still around me, so I didn’t miss the twitch around his eyes or the spark of aggravation.
“I lied to you,” he blurted out. “Saturday when I told you I wanted to take it slow, be friends—I lied. I also told you I wasn’t asking you for your soul—that was another lie. Fair warning Macy, you get seven days of slow.”
“Don’t you dare fuck with my kids.”
“There it is—that fire in your belly. When you're protecting your kids it’s hot as hell. Told you once, but I’ll remind you. I will not hurt your kids.”
“Seven days is not slow. Seven days is crazy. My kids—”
“Your kids will not need more than seven days to know what kind of man I am. Now, I’m going but I’ll be back in an hour. Call Becky.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I hissed, and Alec smiled.
“Be back, babe. Call me if you need anything else while I’m out.” Alec kissed the top of my head and walked across my lawn to the SUV Nixon Swagger stood in front of.
“Macy?”
I was so enthralled watching Alec, I nearly jumped out of my skin when Jonny called my name.
“Yeah?” I snapped.
“Alec isn’t anything like Doug.” I appreciated him whispering so Rory couldn’t hear but really, I didn’t have time for the nonsense.
Alec couldn’t factor into my life.
“It really doesn’t matter if he is or isn’t.” Damn, I wasn’t this person. Not even after I’d been attacked on my own porch, a time when most everyone would get a pass for being bitchy. I couldn’t do it. “I know he’s not,” I sighed. “He’s a good dad.”
“He’s more than a good dad. He’s a good man,” Jonny corrected.
“Fine. I’ll give you that, too. But it doesn’t change anything. I don’t have time for…God, I don’t even know what I don’t have time for anymore. I need to concentrate on the kids. Things aren’t going to get better are they?”
“No, they’re not. I think you need to contact your attorney and fill him in, see if you can get an emergency injunction. Doug shouldn’t have any custody at this point.”
“I hate this.” The salty tears stung as they rolled down my cheeks over the abrasions. “I never wanted this. I didn’t want to take their dad away.”
Jonny gently pulled me into his embrace and I sank into the feel of it—familiar, safe even. So very different than the way Alec held me, and not just because Jonny was my ex-brother-in-law and friend. Alec’s touch was different than the way anyone had ever held me. Not even way back in the beginning had Doug’s hold ever been reassuring. It hadn’t even been comforting.
God, I’d been so stupid.
“You’re not doing anything. Doug is. He’s made it unsafe for them to be around him.”
That may’ve been true but it didn’t make it any easier. Rory was going to be upset but my bigger fear was Caleb would be happy he didn’t have to go back to his dad’s.
The last few days since he’d been back from Doug’s house had been hard. Caleb had been snappy and in a bad mood all week. But when I’d asked him, he refused to talk about it.
“Do you want me to call Becky for you before I leave?” Jonny asked.
“No, I’ll do it. Thank you for everything today.”
“We’re gonna find Josh and arrest him.”
I warred with myself over telling Jonny what Alec had said about making Josh pay. I didn’t want Alec to get into trouble and I hoped Jonny could stop him from doing something he’d regret but I held my tongue. Even though the two men were friends, Jonny was the law, and telling him about Alec’s threats felt like a betrayal.
“I hope you find him soon.”
“We will. In the meantime, Alec will set up a rotation with his team and I’ll get my guys to drive by as much as possible.”
“What does that mean? Alec will do what?”
“He’ll make sure someone’s outside watching the house.”
I started to argue because that was too much. I didn’t want Alec more involved than he already was.
“It’s non-negotiable, Macy. I agree with him. I want you protected. I want Aurora and Caleb safe. You can try to fight with Alec on this but he won’t budge. He’s taken a stand and that man will not back down.”
“We’ll see about that,” I muttered.
“Yeah, we will. You know I love you and those kids. I’d do anything for you. If I thought he’d hurt you or them in any way, I’d set him on his ass and make sure he never got near you. But I trust him with more than my life—I trust him with yours. So you can fight and argue all you want but it won’t make a damn bit of difference because he’s going to protect you regardless.”
Done with any conversations having to do with Alec Hall, I changed the subject.
“Do you have everything you need?”
“I do. We’re all headed out. Jameson’s still outside until Alec gets back.”
Whatever. I had bigger issues to worry about, like calling Becky and making sure she didn’t have a shit hemorrhage when she found out why I needed her to leave work and go pick up Caleb.
“Okay. I’m going to go check on Rory.”
Jonny gave me a soft squeeze and let me go.
I went back to my daughter and Jonny rounded up his men. It didn’t take long for the house to fill with an unsettling silence.
“I need to call Aunt Becky, then we’ll snuggle, okay?”
“Is Mister Hall coming back?”
It took a moment but I relaxed next to her and was proud when I spoke that my voice didn’t sound as weak as I felt.
“Is that, all right? He was going to the store then coming back, but I can call him and tell him not to come.”
“No!” Rory moved fast and scrambled onto my lap.
“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked as Rory trembled in my arms. “Are you afraid of him?”
“I want him to come back. No one will hurt you again if he’s here.”
Damn, damn, damn.
My heart was shattering, my poor baby girl saw everything. I hadn’t been able to close the door before Josh had yanked me out onto my porch and started yelling. I knew she heard everything, I knew she saw when Josh started hitting me. Her screams were something I’d never forget, not ever.
“No one’s gonna hurt me again.”
Rory didn’t say anything. She simply burrowed in and held me.
Maybe I didn’t want Jonny to find Josh first. Alec’s brand of retribution wouldn’t take away what my child had witnessed but it sure would make me feel a little better knowing Alec took his pound of flesh.
Not wanting to let go of Rory, I called Becky but couldn’t explain why I needed her to get Caleb, though she hadn’t missed the wobble in my voice. She agreed and told me she’d talk to me when she brought Caleb home.
I was grateful she understood, but then again, she always understood. We’d been friends for so long I didn’t need to tell her anything, she just knew.
There was a knock on my door and I got up, arms full of my daughter, and walked to the door, checking both the front window and the peephole. Something I would never forget to do again.
Seeing it was Alec, I opened the door. Without greeting him, I walked back to the couch and sat with Rory still wrapped around me.
“How’s she feeling?” Alec asked, grocery bags in both hands.
The words got caught in my throat so I merely shook my head. His posture went from stone-cold to soft as he looked at us. The gentleness in his eyes made the tears I’d been controlling break free.
And I didn’t care if he saw me cry.
I was too tired to care.
Too overwhelmed by everything else to be embarrassed that perfect Alec once again saw me so low.
Fuck it.
It didn’t matter, nothing did. Rory was more important than my humiliation.
“You wanna try to eat some chicken noodle soup, sweetheart?”
Rory nodded her answer against my chest.
“How about you, Macy? Will you eat something?”
“No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”
To my surprise, Alec didn’t push. He went into my kitchen and a few minutes later, came out with a glass of ginger ale and set it on the coffee table with a sleeve of saltines.
“Soup will be ready in a minute,” he announced.
“Thanks.”
The silence stretched between us as he stood in my living room staring at me holding Rory. We didn’t speak, but I could swear his gaze was like a physical touch. Just watching him, I knew he wanted to pull me into his arms and hold me. It was in his eyes, the way they roamed my face, over Rory’s tiny body, then back, meeting my stare. It was not hungry or lustful, it was gentle and affectionate.
Supportive.
Comfor
ting.
All things I wasn’t used to.
Things I couldn’t get used to.
16
Alec found himself in dangerous territory, the path before him wrought with landmines and uncertainty. Not only had he never experienced the same draw to a woman as he did with Macy, but he’d never gone about winning a woman with kids—hell, he’d never gone about winning a woman, period. He’d always kept his relationships sexual—no entanglements—it was easier when he left. Which brought him to the bigger issue—he had no clue how to do it.
A war raged inside of him as he fought his natural inclination to swoop in, take over, and demand Macy move in with him. He could keep her safe. His house had an alarm that went directly to Gemini Group and the police. He had security cameras outside and motion lights. No one got near his house without alerting him.
But he couldn’t demand anything. Couldn’t come in and dominate. Not as a security expert and not as Macy’s man. There were three children to think about. Two of which he couldn’t uproot from their home and command they move in with a stranger.
The loss of control pissed off the former SEAL. This was what he did, he protected people. And if he couldn’t protect the woman he cared about, what good was he?
As Alec stood in Macy’s living room helplessly taking in mother and daughter, his gut soured. His earlier anger hadn’t waned. The bruises would only get worse over the next few days before they began to fade and Alec knew every time he looked at them, the fury would build.
On the drive back to the office, Nixon had deployed Chasin and Holden to join the sheriff and state police on the search for Malone. McKenna was already doing background checks and trying to get a lock on Dickless Doug. Alec had no issues finding Macy’s ex and turning him over to Malone if it meant both men left her and her family alone.
“Babe?”
“Huh?”
“I’d feel better if you tried to eat something.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Alec's Dream Page 11