I stood there and watched as Ryan punched Janson over and over again. Blood covered his knuckles, but Janson continued to fight for control. He was a tough son of a bitch, but Ryan had something even better, a reason to want to hurt him. I could only imagine the rage that was going through him. As Ryan began to tire, Janson reached up and punched Ryan right in the cheek. Ryan lost a bit of balance, and Janson took that momentum and pushed him off onto the floor. I gripped the gun tighter in my hands, feeling a shock run through me as Janson began to pick himself up off the floor. When he got all the way up and headed toward Ryan, I knew I had to do something.
“Stop,” I screamed.
This time, though, when he kept moving toward Ryan, I pointed the gun at the back of his feet and fired off a warning shot. The bullet bounced off the floor and ricocheted into the wall. Janson jumped, turning toward me and looking mad enough to kill. Still, he didn’t move a muscle.
“Safety’s off, motherfucker,” I said angrily.
Ryan jumped up and walked over to me, nodding at me and carefully taking the gun from my hands. I held on tightly for a moment, just staring at Janson, but I finally relinquished. Ryan pointed the gun at him and handed me his cell phone.
“Call the cops,” he said. “You did well.”
Chapter 67
Ryan
My blood-covered hands shook, pointing the gun right at Janson’s chest. They weren’t shaking from fear but from pure rage instead. He had obviously hurt Sara, evident from the bruises and cuts on her face and her blouse completely torn open. I looked down at the chair with ties on it, and it made my stomach turn. The world should be rid of this asshole so he could never hurt someone like this again. I stood there fuming, looking deeply into his eyes, watching his smug grin. I wanted to do it so badly, and I knew I could get away with it. From the look of the two of us, it would be reasonable to say it was self-defense. I had almost convinced myself to just pull the trigger, and then Sara walked up and put her hand on my arm. Her touch immediately calmed me, but I didn’t take my eyes off him. My teeth were grinding against each other.
“Thank you,” she whispered into my ear.
I turned my head slightly and looked at her face. Her eyes were filled with love and thankfulness to me. She was still that beautiful, innocent, wholesome woman I had fallen in love with. She was still that woman who made me want to be a better man. I knew I had it in me to take this guy down. I had seen things in my life that would make this situation seem like child’s play, but that wouldn’t make me the man she deserved. I knew it would haunt me for the rest of my life if I did it.
“This scumbag, he’s not worth it,” she whispered, smiling at me sweetly. “I just got off the phone with the cops. They’re sending whatever team you had out and their squad cars over here to take care of the situation. They’ll be here any minute. You need to let the cops sort this all out. It’s over, I’m okay, and we can move on. He may not die, but he’ll have to live with the knowledge that he’s beneath us and always has been and always will be. He’s nothing now, just a felon getting ready to go to prison.”
I knew she was right, I knew it, but that didn’t make me wish I could be different just for one minute and put a bullet in him. He reminded me so much of my father, thinking he ruled the world, bullying women, abusing them, taking advantage of everything he could. It was like looking in my father’s eyes all over again. The smell of whiskey and sweat made it all more real to me, and I grimaced, looking at him, blood coming from his mouth and nose but still smirking.
“Tell me,” she said. “How did you find me since my text read Route 2?”
I could tell she was trying to distract me, to get my mind off it, but I knew she had the best intentions. I took a deep breath and kept my eyes on him, unsure of what he would do at any second. If he moved a muscle toward us, there was no stopping me, and I could feel myself praying he made an attempt.
“Ryan,” she said, bringing my attention back.
“Route 2, oh, yeah,” I said. “I saw Route 20 on the map, and I just had this feeling. I had to cover all bases, and the rest of the team wanted to just cover 2 down to the timber factory. I just didn’t see that being his MO.”
“Well, I’m glad it was you who found me,” she said. “I don’t think someone else could have gotten him like that. The situation could have ended up a lot worse.”
“But it didn’t,” I said. “You’re safe, and this douchebag can go away for a long time.”
“I have friends all over.” He smirked.
“Shut up,” I yelled. “Don’t you dare say one more word to either of us, or I’ll put this gun straight down your throat and pull the goddamn trigger. She’s the only thing keeping you alive right now, but my patience is running thin.”
Just then, we heard the sounds of sirens blowing down the road toward the house. I looked over at her, realizing her shirt was torn. I kept the gun pointed at him and unbuttoned my shirt, pulling it off my shoulders.
“Here put this on,” I said. “It’s got blood on it, but it’s better than you not having a shirt on.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking the shirt and pulling it on, buttoning it up the front. “I’d rather be wearing Janson’s blood than mine or yours that’s for sure.”
“I agree,” I said, staring at Janson in the eyes. “I can’t lie. It felt good to punch you in the face.”
The thought of that bastard touching her, of trying to rape her like my father had done my mother so many times, reignited my rage all over again. I wanted to put a bullet in him so badly. When the cops opened the door, I could barely hear them, keeping the gun pointed at Janson. It was my last chance, my last chance to rid the world of this bastard and know he would never touch another woman like that ever again. Sara put her hand on me and brought me back to the present.
“You can put the gun down now, son,” the captain said.
I looked at him and then back at Sara, watching her smile and shake her head. Finally, I lowered the weapon and switched on the safety, handing it over to the police. I turned and wrapped Sara up in my arms, feeling emotional about what had just happened. Before we could really talk, though, the cops pulled us over in the living room and interviewed us about what had happened. We watched as they handcuffed Janson and led him out to the cop car. He stared at us through the window until the car had cleared the drive and made its way back to the jail. After about two hours of questioning, the ambulance did a look over of her, bandaged the cut over her eye and released us.
“How are you feeling?” I said, rubbing my hands up and down her arms.
“I don’t know,” she sighed. “Relieved that it’s over. Really? All I want for you to do is take me home. I’m exhausted like I just ran a marathon. Emotionally, I just don’t really feel anything at all.”
“You’re in shock,” I said. “Of course, I’ll take you home. Come on.”
I put my arm around her and nodded my head at the captain as we made our way to the SUV. I helped her up into the car, feeling anger again as she flinched from the strain her body had been through. I drove straight back to her house and helped her inside, taking her to her bedroom down the hall and running a hot bath. I helped her undress, tossing the bloody shirt in the trash and then held her hand as she climbed into the bathtub. I washed her gently with a sponge, avoiding the cuts and bruises. When I had washed all the soap out of her hair, I helped her out of the tub and gently dried her off. She looked so fragile and weak, and all I wanted was for this whole thing to be over.
After helping her into some panties and a T-shirt, I picked her up and cradled her in my arms, kissing her lips softly. I carried her back to her room and laid her gently down in the center of the bed. I pulled the blankets up to her chin and tucked her in nice and securely. I sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed my hand through her hair, looking down at her with love in my eyes. I was so glad she was home safe and sound and that all of this was really over this time.
“I don’
t want to be alone,” she said, reaching up and touching my cheek. “Will you stay the night with me?”
“Of course, I will.” I smiled, taking her hand and kissing the back of it.
I stood up and took off my pants that still had some bloodstains on them. I lifted up the covers and climbed into the bed next to her, laying my head next to hers and looking her in the eyes. I smoothed the hair from her face and looked at the bandaged cut above her eye. It was turning purple around it, and the bruise made me feel helpless. I wanted to take it all away from her, to make her feel better in any way I could, but at that point, I just had to wait and let her heal.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” she said. “It’s like the hundredth time since I met you that you’ve rescued me in some way or another.”
“All part of the job,” I joked.
“I feel like you have a tough job.” She smiled. “You rescued me from myself, too, when I didn’t even know I needed to be rescued. You made me a better woman, a stronger woman, and I want you to know how much I appreciate that. I love you, Ryan, very much.”
“I love you too,” I said, my heart swelling in my chest. “And if anyone made anyone better, it was you making me a better man. You continue to make me a better man, even up to today when you made me see that killing Janson wouldn’t solve anything. You’ve done that for me from the first moment I met you. It was then I knew I never wanted to be away from you.”
“I think I knew it then too,” she said. “I was too afraid to admit it to myself.”
I leaned forward and gently kissed her lips, putting my hand on the back of her head. She leaned into me, breathing heavily, taking in the moment. Our lips moved carefully over one another’s, feeling the sweet victory of a simple and better life ahead of us. I loved this woman with everything in my body, and all I wanted to do was make her happy.
She rolled her body on top of mine and put her hands on my cheeks, kissing me passionately. Slowly, she rose up, pulling her knees to both sides and pulled her T-shirt up and over her head. I leaned up, kissing every inch of her beautiful skin, feeling the emotion behind it. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes while my tongue gently moved across her breasts. My hands slid up her sides and held her in place as I licked her body. She moaned and gasped in pure ecstasy, the mood passionate and full of love.
I flicked my tongue across one nipple, grabbing her other breast with my hand and moving my mouth over. She looked down at me with passion in her eyes as I sucked and licked her precious, frail body. Everything in me wanted her but in a way that was both full of love and full of emotion. I leaned my head back and just moved my eyes over her, taking in the beauty and sensuality of her entire soul. She looked down at me and bit her lip, leaning forward and kissing me more passionately than ever before.
Chapter 68
Sara
Everything had been so crazy, so wild. Things had happened to me that day that I never thought would ever happen. They were stories your mother warned you about but not things that you thought you really had to worry about, especially not as a grown woman. But Ryan had been there like he always was, and he not only saved me, but he took me home and took care of me. I still didn’t understand why this man loved me so much, but I felt so much emotion for him. He was the love of my life. I knew that without a doubt, and regardless of how things turned out, he would have forever changed me as a woman and as a person. That was part of the reason I’d rolled over on top of him, why I wanted to make love to him, to thank him for the man he was. To show him how much I cared about him.
We made love that night, and it was unlike anything that had ever happened between us. His mouth moved over me like he wanted to taste every inch of my body. When I finally got around to pulling him into me, it was like fireworks going off around us. I rode him for a long time, going slow, taking my time, orgasming over and over again. No matter how many climaxes I reached, I felt like I only wanted more. When he took over, laying me gently on the bed, he moved like I was a porcelain doll, slowly, carefully but sensual and passionate. He stared into my eyes the entire time, showing me a connection I had never felt before. We made love for hours, rolling around the bed, going fast, going slow, and even taking time out where we held each other or explored every inch of each other’s bodies.
We connected that night on a whole new level, one that connected us deeply. I didn’t take my eyes off his for a moment, thankful that we had made it this far. I couldn’t help but think about what could have happened, what could have driven us to the edge never to find that love again. So many times, our love was tested, but every single time, it came back stronger and fiercer than before. As we finally both reached our final climax, just the taste of his lips on mine made me think I would never feel this way about a man again. Ryan was it. He was my partner, and he was the man I loved with everything in my soul.
When we were done, we curled up in each other’s arms and talked quietly about our lives. We talked about the past, retouching on the moments when we had hurt each other. We talked about the next day for a moment, but exhaustion was knocking on the door. I fell asleep in his arms, my head on his chest, knowing there was nowhere else in the world I belonged.
When the alarm went off the next morning, I reached up and hit the button, the pain in my shoulder reminding of what had happened the day before. I lay there for several moments, thinking about my life, thinking about what I needed to do to bounce back and be me again. Finally, I pulled myself out of the bed and got dressed, readying to go to the vet practice like it was any other Monday. I knew sitting around and replaying things wasn’t going to heal me, and it felt good to wake up to a Janson-free Bonanza.
“You should get back in bed,” he said.
“I have work.” I smiled, pulling a light jacket from the drawer.
“I know, but you should take the day off and stay in bed with me. You deserve a day off,” he said. “You’ve just been through a seriously huge trauma, and it’s bound to take a toll on you.”
“I know,” I said, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. “But that’s exactly why I need to go to work. I need to move forward. The longer I sit in the past, the longer it will weigh me down. I know myself way too well to fall into that trap, and I already feel better just getting up and getting going.”
“Then we don’t have to stay home,” he said. “We can go for a drive to the water, take a mini vacation to the beach, or just go to the park and have a picnic.”
“I have patients on the books.” I smiled. “I have people and animals that rely on me. They need me, and I need them. They’re the reason I do what I do. That little puppy with the hurt paw has a checkup today, and there are very few things that can compare to seeing the look on that happy pup’s face when I take the bandage off, and he jumps around for the first time. It’s an amazing thing.”
He looked at me for a moment, disappointment fluttering across his face. I laughed and put my hand on his cheek, sticking out my bottom lip. He smiled, which made me smile.
“Look,” I said. “I know something huge happened to me yesterday. I’m not pushing that away or not recognizing that. It’s something I will either deal with over time, or one day, I’ll have to deal with it all at once. I know for sure, though, that today isn’t the day. I need the sunshine on my face, the fur beneath my hands, and the smell of the Mane and Tail on the horses. I need to see Alison’s sweet face and let her know I’m okay, and I need to remember all the beautiful things that I might have lost.”
“All right,” he said, pulling his hands around my waist. “But at least let me make you breakfast. I can whip up some eggs, pancakes, quiche, whatever you like.”
I looked down at my watch and back at him.
“Please,” he said squeezing me tightly. “I will starve otherwise, and you don’t want that on your conscience.”
“Oh, now you’re going to starve from missing one meal? I wasn’t aware you were so fragile or that you couldn’t eat on your own.”
I laughed.
“You just haven’t been paying attention, have you?” He smiled.
“I guess I haven’t,” I said. “All right, I will have breakfast with you, but then, I really have to get going.”
“Yes,” he said, jumping from the bed, making me giggle.
We had a great breakfast joking about the barn, the horses, and his job at the ranch. I had to admit, it was hard to leave him, but I knew I needed to go to work and get my life moving forward. The sun hitting my face as I walked up to the practice was the best feeling in the world. It was like I suddenly didn’t want to take anything for granted. All day long, I worked through clients, filed paperwork, fielded phone calls, the whole time not able to stop thinking about how lucky I was. My life had given me some good days, even if the circumstances didn’t feel that way.
There had been moments the day before when I thought I would never see Ryan or Alison or the horses ever again. I thought I would die there in that old, beat-up cabin, next to a man I hated with everything in me. I could have been raped or killed or both, but now, I was safe, taking care of my life and feeling that happiness I never thought would exist in my life, and I owed it to Ryan. He had shown up right at the perfect moment, saving me from any of those fates. He took down the bad guy like he was a superhero, and that made me love him even more than I already did. He had this knack for knowing exactly when I needed him, even before we had ever met. He saved me from Janson more than once, and he saved my life for the second time.
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