Dare gave her a quick nod before going to help Claire with whatever she needed. Knowing it might be a while and their date might have to end a bit early, she waved at Rick on her way past the bar and made her way up the wide staircase in the back where her new home and inn were. She loved the set up of Old Whiskey, even though it had been a little weird to get used to at first. She was slowly becoming part of the town, and she knew she’d made the right decision in leaving the city—and David—and coming to Pennsylvania.
For the first time in a long while, while she might not have her life perfectly planned out in front of her, she was happy.
Happy.
When she reached the top of the staircase, there was a man standing by the front desk, but no one was there to help him. Annoyed at her night staff and herself for letting this happen, she walked right up to the man, a smile on her face.
“Hello, how can I help you?”
The man turned, and blood rushed from her face.
He lifted a lip in a snarl as his gaze traveled over her body. She needed to shower. Needed to wash herself of him. But she couldn’t move. She couldn’t do anything. She could only stand there as he studied her and apparently found her lacking.
“David.”
Chapter 12
“Kenzie.” David’s voice was low, and it shook her bones, filling her belly with dread.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, proud of herself for being able to push through the terror and speak at all. She wasn’t that woman anymore, she reminded herself. She wouldn’t bow down to this man simply because he looked at her so intently. He could yell and scream all he wanted if he got up to that point, and she wouldn’t back down.
She wasn’t that Kenzie anymore.
She just had to remember that now that he stood in front of her. There was no ignoring his calls or his presence when he was so close. There was no disregarding him.
“My wife is here. Where else would I be?”
Kenzie tilted her head, doing her best to look nonchalant and not like she wanted to run away. “Oh? Did you get married again?”
“Don’t sound so flippant. It’s not becoming.”
“I’m not your wife any longer. You and I both signed the papers. I’m going to ask you again. Why are you here?”
“You said your vows to me. You promised to obey. We’re still married in the eyes of God.”
She shook her head, wanting a way out of this conversation in any way possible. “You haven’t been in a church since our wedding day. Don’t throw vows and religion at me to suit your own needs. It’s not becoming,” she said, echoing his words.
David snarled and took a step toward her. She moved back without thinking, hating herself for doing it and for the way pleasure gleamed in his eyes.
“You need to leave, David. I live and work here. You aren’t my husband anymore, and you have no right to be in my space. Just go.”
“And what if I wanted a room in this fleabag you call an inn? Shouldn’t you be accommodating?”
“We have no vacancies,” she lied. They had one room left, but she’d be damned if she let him anywhere near it.
“Don’t fucking lie to me,” he growled, moving toward her in a swift movement. He had his hands around her arms in an instant, and she froze, ice in her veins, her throat closing up at the contact.
She’d dreamed of this, had nightmares about this terror, this pain, this touch.
Yet she couldn’t wake up because this wasn’t a dream. Somehow, he had her against the wall, slamming her head back so hard she clacked her back teeth together.
“You’ll come back, Kenzie. You’ll do as you’re told, and you’ll come back. I let you play because I’m forgiving, but I’m done being that man. I’m done letting you whore yourself out to anyone who dares touch what’s mine. You’re coming with me, and that’s the end of it.” He slammed her back into the wall again, his hands squeezing her upper arms so tightly she knew he’d leave bruises.
“Let me go,” she said, finding the courage that had helped her leave him in the first place. “You’re making a mistake by touching me.”
He let go of one arm only to slap her face. She blinked rapidly, the sting spreading through her skin as she fought to remain calm. If she let him see her panic, he’d hurt her more. That was how he’d done it in the past with his words, and she knew his hands would be the same.
“Bitch.”
Rage filled her at that word, knowing Dare had just told her not to call herself one. Besides, she’d hated it to begin with.
She tried to wiggle out of David’s hold, her arms aching, and her face pulsating where he’d hit her. He wouldn’t let her go, but because she’d jostled their positions just enough, she was able to raise her knee and slam it into his balls. He fell back, cursing while holding his crotch, and she went to run around him. She’d go downstairs and get help. With the noise of the bar and restaurant, no one had been able to hear anything that had happened so far, so she’d have to fight for herself—something she’d been trying to do all along.
But before she could make it to the stairs, David had his hand on her hair and pulled her back. Her heel caught on the top stair, and she fell, her hands reaching out to break her fall as her ankle twisted. The movement made his hold on her hair tighten, and he pulled harder, dragging her a foot across the carpeted floor as she tried to get away.
She screamed then, knowing that if she didn’t, there was no way anyone could hear her. She just prayed someone would hear her over the din of noise below.
“Help! Let go of me!”
David pulled harder.
She tried to tug herself away, rolling on her hands and knees, twisting her hair in the process, but he held on. Before she could panic more than she already was and start screaming again, Dare was at her side.
The hold on her hair loosened, and she fell back hard. Dare had David down on the ground and had already punched him twice in the face by the time Kenzie was able to look up and stagger over.
“Stop, Dare. Don’t kill him. He’s not worth it.”
She had her hand on Dare’s shoulder, her body aching as she shook, and Dare stopped in an instant.
“Call the cops,” he growled out. “This bastard is getting locked up.”
“Already on it,” Rick said quickly from behind them. “Get your lady, Dare. I’ll hold this piece of shit down until the cops come and take him.”
“I’ll sue you,” David growled through his bloody lips. “I’ll sue all of you. That’s my fucking wife.”
Dare stood up, his hands fisted at his sides. The look he gave her was fierce and full of emotion, she blinked, tears stinging her eyes. But she would not cry in front of these people. She might be able to break down in front of Dare behind closed doors, but even then, she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
She’d thought she had left her past behind her, yet it seemed no matter how far she’d come, how far she’d run, David would always be there, lurking and ready to strike.
“You’re shaking,” Dare growled out as he stalked toward her. She didn’t jump at his tone, and she was glad for it. It wasn’t his fault that she was jumpy, but she knew if she looked like she was ready to break, he’d find a way to blame himself. It was what he did.
She wouldn’t be his burden to bear, no matter how easy it was to learn to lean on him.
“I’m fine,” she said, not quite knowing if it was a lie or not.
He lowered his brows and gently brought her into his arms. She rested the good side of her face on his chest, his heartbeat a rapid yet steady pulse beneath her cheek. “You’re not fine,” he said, low, his voice devoid of emotion.
“I can’t…I can’t talk right now.” Others had joined them in the hallway. People she worked with on a daily basis, as well as guests and people who had come into the building for dinner. She wanted to hide from all of them and not let them see what she’d brought with her. She’d done so well keeping that part of h
er past out of her present, yet there was no denying what had happened tonight.
She might have been able to fight back this evening, but she hadn’t been strong enough to do anything except scream. Loch came up the stairs, fury in his gaze as he met Kenzie’s eyes, but he didn’t say anything.
No one said anything.
What was there to say?
Soon, the cops were there, and they seemed to know Dare. They ushered almost everyone out of the area and carted David off. Then they took her statement while Dare held her before they went to the others to get theirs. She barely heard what they told her, but she had a feeling that even if they promised they’d take care of her ex-husband, this wouldn’t be the last she heard from him.
Even assault wouldn’t keep him away from her and in jail for long, not with his money and connections. That was why she’d run, after all, wasn’t it? Because she hadn’t been able to stay in her old home and city even with his documented abuse. When it came to those in power—and money was power no matter what others said—the system didn’t work the same. It failed her every time she tried to fight back.
And she knew Dare understood. He’d been part of that same system and had still lost those he cared about and had bled for the cause, only to walk away when he thought he wasn’t enough.
Over two hours later, she was at Dare’s house and in his living room, while Loch leaned against the wall, his arms folded over his large chest. While she could have stayed at her apartment, she was glad Dare had insisted that they come to his place rather than staying at the inn. She’d go back tomorrow. She had a job to do and a life to live.
And no matter what, she had to remember that she’d fought back.
It might not have been enough, but she’d fought back.
“Mom and Dad are going to call you tomorrow,” Dare said as he paced in front of her. She’d have preferred him sitting beside her, but she knew he had too much restless energy at the moment to do that. “They called earlier once they heard, but I convinced them, Fox, Tabby, and Ainsley to give you some space tonight.” He gave Loch a pointed look, and his brother just shrugged.
Kenzie felt a little slow as she took it all in but nodded. “I hate that I worried them.”
Dare gave her a sharp look. “You didn’t do a damn thing. It’s not your fault.”
She just nodded. “I know that. But I still brought it with me.”
“Your ex did that,” Loch put in before pushing off from the wall. “You fought back and did well. If you want to learn more, not just because of tonight, but in general, come to the gym and take one of the classes. You’re one of us, Kenzie. We’re not going to let this happen to you again.”
With that, he gave her a nod and distance, leaving the house quietly without saying anything to Dare. Somehow, his gruff demeanor and the way he wanted her to learn to fight back helped her settle down so she could talk to Dare. This family confused her most days, yet they comforted her at the same time. They were always there for each other, and the fact that Loch had called her one of them meant something.
But now that he was gone, she had to deal with Dare. Because no matter what Loch said, it was the two of them that decided what she was to him and his family, what she was to Dare.
And all of that combined with what had happened tonight gave her a headache. Of course, that could have been because she’d hit her head, as well. Or rather David had slammed her head against the wall.
Jesus, what a night.
“Do you want some water?” Dare asked, his voice toneless.
She looked up at him. “I’m fine. Sit down, Dare. You don’t need to keep pacing.”
“If I don’t pace, I’ll yell, and you don’t need me yelling at you.”
She raised her brow. “Why would you feel the need to yell at me?”
He sighed, running a hand through his short hair. “Not at you. Hell, you didn’t do anything wrong. I just meant yelling when you’re around. I’m so fucking pissed off, Kenzie. That man was in my building, our building, and I didn’t know. He hurt you, and I didn’t know. He was going to do worse and if I hadn’t been at the bottom of the stairs when you yelled for me. I might not have known. And then what did I do? I came in and hit him. I fucking hit him in front of you, and you can’t even look at me because I hit someone just like he did. I’m so damn sorry, Kenzie.”
She stood up at his words, moving around the coffee table so she could put her hands on his chest. “That was a lot…I mean…Dare? None of that was on you. None of it is on me either.”
“And you shouldn’t have to be the one comforting me.” He leaned his head down on hers and cupped her un-bruised cheek. “Damn it, Kenzie. I could have lost you tonight.”
Her body shuddered. “But you didn’t. I’m still here. And I hurt him, Dare. I didn’t just stand there. And I’m grateful you were there, too. What you did to protect me is nothing like what David did to hurt me. I hope you realize that.”
He blew out a breath, the warmth sliding over her skin. “You fought back. I’m so damn proud of you.”
“It wasn’t enough, though,” she whispered. “If you hadn’t come up…” She couldn’t finish that thought.
And from the way his body shivered against hers, he couldn’t either. “You fought back,” he repeated.
“I fought back,” she repeated, her words soft. “I’m still so sorry this ended up on your doorstep. It shouldn’t have. He never should have come here and done this.”
“We can agree on that part as long as you remember it wasn’t your fault,” he growled.
“I…I can do that.”
She looked up at him then, her hand on his chest, the other on his arm, holding him steady. “I asked you to make me forget before, but now I don’t think I can ever forget. Instead…instead, can you just make me feel? Help me remember what I can have with you rather than what happened earlier?”
He frowned, cupping her cheek softly. “You’re hurt.”
“Not really.” He opened his mouth to argue, and she shook her head, silencing him for the moment. “You’ll be careful. I know you will. You won’t hurt me. But I want to finish our date, and I want tonight to be about us.” Whatever us they happened to be.
“Kenzie…”
“Please.”
He leaned down and kissed her lips. “You shouldn’t have to beg, even with a simple word. I want you, Kenzie.” And then he was finished speaking because his mouth was on hers, and she was falling into him once more.
He explored her mouth, and she moaned, needing his taste. She didn’t want to think about what had happened earlier. All she wanted to do was remember what she and Dare had been doing before they walked into the inn and bar that night. They’d been on their date and getting closer and closer to going upstairs to make love.
No, not make love, have sex. She couldn’t put emotions into what was going on where there couldn’t be. Then Dare slid his hand up her back and down her hip, and she put all thoughts of what this what and what they could be out of her mind.
Live for the moment, she reminded herself. That was what she’d promised, and that was what they’d do tonight.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered as his hand trailed over her arm. He touched her where David had held her tightly, but when she looked into Dare’s eyes, she didn’t flinch.
“You’re not him.”
His eyes narrowed. “That much I know.” He kissed her cheek, then her jaw, then her lips, then down her neck and to her collarbone. Then he had her in his arms, carrying her up the stairs to his bedroom.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a squeal as he moved. “You’re going to drop me! I’m too heavy for you.”
He snorted and kept going until they were right at the edge of the bed. “You’re not heavy, Red.” He set her down on her feet, her body sliding along his in an erotic caress as he kept her upright using the strength in his hands.
He kissed her softly, his body firm and hard against hers
as he slowly stripped her out of her dress. She loved this dress, the green of it bright against her skin and the red of her hair. But now when she felt it along her skin and thought of wearing it again, she wasn’t sure she could do it.
David had thrown her on the floor in this dress. Had pressed her against the wall and tried to hurt her. She’d fought back, but she wasn’t sure she could ever wear the dress that Dare had first seen her in again.
“Come back to me,” Dare whispered against her mouth, pulling her from her treacherous thoughts. His hand went to her back, his fingers deftly undoing the clasp of her bra. The lace fell from her chest, her breasts heavy with need. He leaned down and licked the tip of one nipple before blowing cool air over her. She gasped, her nipple hardening into a tight bud. He did the same to her other breast, and she pressed her thighs together, craving release.
Dare went to his knees in front of her, kissing down her body as he did so, a nibble along the bottoms of her breasts, the valley between them, her stomach, her hips, then a lick over the edge of her thong.
She sucked in a breath and reached out to run her hands over his short crop of hair. “Dare.”
“I need to taste you.” He slowly slid her panties down her hips, kissing her thighs and the little indentions above her mound. She stepped out of her thong with his help, then let out a shocked breath as he kissed her pussy, his tongue sliding between her folds.
He sucked and licked at her clit, using his fingers to spread her for his gaze and his mouth. All the while, she kept her hand on his head, the vision of his dark hair between her thighs almost too much. Soon, her knees went weak, and Dare had his hands on her ass, keeping her upright as he made her come on his tongue.
Before she could honestly catch her breath and formulate any sense of words, Dare had her on her side in the middle of the bed and had stripped his clothes. He stood behind her, rolling a condom over his length as she looked over her shoulder.
“This way?” she asked, her voice breathy with anticipation.
“This way,” he said, sliding onto the bed behind her. He positioned himself between her legs, her butt pressed against his hips as he pulled one of her legs slightly up. Then he had his mouth on hers and was sliding into her wet heat at the same moment. She gasped, sucking on his tongue and he pumped slow strokes in and out of her.
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