by Kira Hillins
Renji caught her. “Whoa! I’m worried about you.”
She couldn’t speak as he guided her to the chair. He sat down beside her, holding her hands in his. He looked into her eyes.
“We’ve known each other since we were kids. I can tell when something’s wrong, and something’s very, very wrong here.”
She breathed in and then out. She breathed again and again, desperately wishing the mascot and wolves would quit taunting her. She leaned back and covered her eyes with her palm. Renji removed her hand from her face and gazed intently, awaiting her explanation.
“Renji,” she whispered, staring through watering eyes. “I’m pregnant.”
He stood tall. “What?”
“That’s what I found out at the hospital yesterday. I’m pregnant.”
“Holy shit, Zoe!” He stuffed his right hand in the pocket of his apron. His other hand rubbed his chin. “What are you going to do? How is this going to affect your decision to buy this place? You can’t afford to invest when you have a baby on the way.”
“I can still buy the bakery with you,” she said.
“That’s a lot of money.” Renji leaned back on his heels. “I mean, I’ll do whatever it takes to help you, but you should really think seriously about this. What does Ben think?”
“It’s almost noon. I need to go help Drema.” She stood to leave.
“Wait.” He pulled her into his arms and held her close. “Whatever you decide, I’m here for you. No matter what. I’m behind you one hundred percent. Okay?”
“Thanks, Renji.” She pulled from his arms and then waved as she left the bakery.
* * * *
Ben opened his eyes to a darkened room. He lay on his stomach, left arm dangling over the edge of the bed. With his face in the pillow, he glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand.
Eleven fifty-five a.m. He was back at Zoe’s. How the hell did he get here?
He turned onto his back. The thunder in his head exploded into a painful throb. Vodka. Too much vodka.
Last thing he remembered was Zoe tossing car keys across the street. Even then, everything was fuzzy.
He shoved the blankets down to his feet. A rip in his gray T-shirt stretched across his chest. The knees of his jeans had dust on them. His sneakers were off. And somehow, he only had on one sock.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat, elbows on his knees. He rubbed his unshaven face with his palms, vaguely remembering Zoe crying.
Oh God, what had he done to her?
He rose. He found his one sock and his shoes placed neatly beside the bedroom door and then quietly trod down the hallway to the kitchen. Warm, blinding sunshine streamed through the window as he searched the cabinet for something to dull the pain.
When he had settled on the couch, glass of tap water in one hand, medicine in the other, the front door opened. The door clicked shut, and then Zoe walked up the steps.
He was tired. Worn. Hungover. In too much pain to get into any big discussions with her. He downed the medicine with several gulps of water.
“Hey,” she said as she made her way to him.
He cleared his throat. “You found the keys to the car.”
She reached into her vest’s front pocket and pulled them out.
“Can I have them?”
“Oh, I don’t think so.”
“Damn. You’re really pissed.” Gaze fixed on her, he sighed. “I can drop the car off at the rental place on my way to the airport.”
She pulled the water from his hand and then set it on the coffee table. Standing before him, arms folded over her chest, she glared at him.
“I don’t blame you for getting drunk last night,” she said. “But don’t you ever, ever accuse me of cheating.”
“I’m sorry.” He reached to touch her, but she stepped back. He really screwed up. After last night, he was surprised she was even speaking to him. “I’m an idiot for thinking you cheated. There’s no excuse for the way I acted.”
She sat beside him. “We were both emotional and not thinking straight.”
He inspected the wound on her eye. The circle had darkened since yesterday. The white around her iris was red. If only he’d been with her, this wouldn’t have happened.
He was undeserving of her forgiveness. Of her. She was so beautiful. And now she was more precious with a child growing inside.
“You’re pregnant with my baby.” He gave a short laugh through his nose. “Wow. That’s so weird to say. My baby. Wee one. Junior.”
“Not Junior.” She laughed. “I like wee one, though.”
He clasped her hand in his. “How are we going to make this work?”
“I don’t know.” She leaned against his arm. “Maybe we should just keep doing what we’re doing until we figure it out.”
“Guess that’s about all we can do right now.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Zoe stayed beside Ben. She officially introduced him to Millie’s husband, who introduced him to all his baseball buddies. Ex-pro players. Coaches. College-ball fans. Turned out Ben was also a baseball fan and fit in with Hank’s crowd.
They respectfully butted heads about their choices of teams, but Ben seemed to be enjoying the friendly banter. Though he barely blinked an eye at her, it was the first sign of life in him since they left the apartment.
The festivity went into full swing when the band began to play loud country music. People danced. Laughter was aplenty. Grilled burgers and barbecue chicken were set at the ends of four long tables filled with the best-looking party foods Zoe had ever seen.
Zoe piled her plate. Potato salad. Fried chicken. Cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and avocado. It took a second trip for the macaroni salad, and a third for two slices of Gertrude’s Razzleberry Pie.
Zoe went back through the food line with Ben during the band’s break, telling him who cooked what. The women in the town were amazing cooks. By his reaction, he agreed.
When he finished his last bite, she was happy to get a moment with him. With his hand on her leg, he chatted with Hank, who sat across the table beside Millie.
Zoe’s body tingled. She was proud to be sitting beside her man and ever so glad his mood had changed. Their problems didn’t exist right now. Nothing mattered except being here with him—and the need to use the restroom.
“I’m going inside for a few minutes. I won’t be long.”
“You okay? Want me to come with you?”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, nodding at the band gathering on the podium. “Doogen’s waiting for you anyway.”
He palmed her cheek. “Are you sick?”
“I just need to use the bathroom.”
She headed for the bar’s entrance around the corner, out of sight of the party. Away from Ben’s view. She opened the door and stepped inside.
The cool air felt wonderful on her warm skin as she made her way across the bar to the bathroom. After she peed and washed her hands, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
All the foundation in the world couldn’t cover up the bruises. The corner of her eye was deep red and stung like crazy.
Movement in the mirror caught her attention. Her gaze turned to the reflection of the man standing in the dark corner by the door.
Nicholas.
The temperature dropped twenty degrees. She shuddered as she turned quickly and leaned against the sink. With nowhere to go, she was trapped.
He made his way out of the shadows. His head had been shaved, and there was a skull tattooed on the side of his reddened scalp. His legs bulged below khaki shorts. And his arms were overly inked and larger than she remembered.
He tossed his hand up, palm curled around a bottle of tequila. The same cocky grin he’d always carried stretched across his face.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“You and I have unfinished business.”
As he continued toward her, she eyed the door. She prayed someone would walk in, but everyone w
as outside listening to the band. She couldn’t remember seeing anyone at the bar, but there had to be people there. Maybe they’d hear her scream. Maybe they’d arrive too late.
The only option she had right now was to try to get away from Nicholas before he caught her. He’d been drinking. His reflexes weren’t as good as hers.
She darted around him. She was almost to the door, when he reached out and caught her arm.
“Where are you going?” He turned her around.
Face-to-face with the demon that gave her nightmares, she screamed. He covered her mouth.
“Thought I’d come see if you liked my gift. Ah, man,” he said. “Did I do that to your eye? I’m sorry. I’m just having a hard time dealing with you. You’ve been a really bad girl lately.”
She jerked from his grasp. “Don’t ever touch me.”
“Hey,” he said. “I’m not the same guy I used to be, Zoe.”
“You’re worse.” She backed toward the exit.
He chuckled. “How do you figure that?”
“You ran me off the road and nearly killed me. You followed me to Denver. You came to my home and hit me. I don’t understand why you’re like this. You’re not right in the head, Nicholas. You need help.”
He glanced down at his feet. “I’m in therapy. I’m getting better.”
“I need to go.” She continued moving.
He followed her. “Aren’t you going to say something about the gift?”
She wasn’t sure what to think about a bullet. She didn’t really want to know. All she needed was to get out of here before he hit her.
“I don’t want any gifts from you. You’re not supposed to be near me.” She pointed her forefinger at his chest. “I’ll never forgive you for what you did. You should still be in prison.”
He grabbed her middle finger and bent it back. Sharp pain spread through her hand and down her arm. As he forced her to her knees, she yelped.
“You’re the same whiny bitch you’ve always been.”
Tears sprouted to her eyes. “Let me go!”
He let go. “Just like old times, huh? Why don’t we go back to your place and make this an official date?” He grabbed her arm and lifted her to her feet. “Or better yet, nobody’s in here.”
“Go to hell!” she shrieked as he shoved her into the counter.
He bent her forward over the sink and pressed his body against her back.
“Already spent two years there because of you. Time for some payback.” He growled in her ear. “So I guess you’re not as innocent as the night I fucked you. Got that pretty-boy guitar player eating out of the palm of your hand. Slut. You know that gift?” He laughed heartily. “That’s not for you. That’s for your boyfriend.”
“God no!” She gritted her teeth. If anything happens to Ben— “Don’t you dare hurt him!”
He loosened his belt buckle. “What the fuck are you going to do about it?”
His hand moved against her backside as he unzipped his pants. When he lifted her skirt, Zoe drew in a deep breath.
She reached back. She grabbed his cock and tightened her grip. As hard as she could, she squeezed, nails digging into his skin.
Nicholas gave a sharp cry. “Let go of me, fucking cunt!”
He stumbled back. She let go and turned around. He hunched over, holding his groin. She tensed the muscles in her arm. Holding her fingers rigid, she slammed her flattened palm against the tip of his nose.
Protecting her face with her fists, she kicked. The bottom of her foot hit his chest. It sent him to the floor on his backside.
“You’ll never touch me again,” she said, out of breath. She hustled toward the exit.
“Stupid…bitch!”
Zoe pulled open the door and raced through the empty bar. She threw a glance over her shoulder.
Nicholas staggered out of the restroom holding his nose.
Zoe ran like hell. Tears blurred her vision as she burst through the exit door.
Breathing hard, she sprinted down the sidewalk in front of the building. Nicholas’s heavy footsteps were right behind her. She rounded the corner. The party was right there. She was almost safe. The moment she thought she’d gotten away, Nicholas caught her hair.
He clenched his fist tight against her scalp and dragged her back toward the entrance. If he gets me around the corner, no one will see me.
Strands of hair tore from her skin. She screamed, hoping someone at the party would hear, but the music was too loud.
Renji sat at the table with Drema. Millie and Hank had their backs turned. Fred and the other policemen watched the band play. Nobody was looking.
Enduring the pain on her scalp, she struggled to break loose. “Get off me!”
“Stop fighting! You hurt me, bitch. After you give me what I want, I’m going to hurt you.”
“Ben!” she screamed as loud as she could.
Nicholas slid his arm around her waist and lifted. “You’re coming with me!”
The music suddenly sounded hollow. A piercing screech came from the speakers. Doogen’s twang voice lowered to a whisper as shouts came from the party.
“It’s Nicholas!”
He released her. She lost her balance and fell forward to her hands and knees. The impact vibrated up her limbs.
Nicholas’s gaze moved over her head as he backed away. “I’ll get you back for this, Zoe.”
He took off running through the parking lot. Renji sprinted by, followed by Fred and a dozen other policemen. When Ben reached her side, he helped Zoe step up on her feet.
Massaging her sore finger, she jogged around the corner in time to see Nicholas speed down the highway in his black truck. Renji ran behind, spouting curse words he rarely used. Fred’s police car zoomed off the lot, sirens blaring. Three other cars were close behind him.
“You okay?” Ben asked, out of breath. “Did he hurt you?”
He reached out to touch her, but she drew a step back. Nicholas had gotten the best of her again. At least this time, she’d hurt him back.
She brushed the dirt off her dress. Stupid tears. Dumb skinned knees. Idiot Nicholas.
“Zoe?” Ben haltingly lifted his hands to her face.
Not wanting to be touched, she leaned away. “I…I’m fine.”
As people from the party gathered closer, she barely kept from breaking down into a blubbering mess. They were all staring as if waiting for an explanation of what happened. Her breath quickened. There were too many people.
“Are you all right?” Millie placed a gentle hand on Zoe’s arm.
Zoe flinched. Her legs wobbled. She couldn’t stand here much longer, or she was going to fall to the ground.
“Really. I’m just in need of a chair.” She glanced down at her knees. One side was bleeding. “And a bandage.”
“Hey, man,” Ben said to Chauncey, who stood on the sidewalk. “We need a first-aid kit.”
“Follow me.”
She folded her arms over her chest. She followed Ben up the steps of Holetzer’s. The chill wouldn’t go away. There were too many eyes watching her.
“You okay, Zoe?” Chauncey said as he led them through the entrance. “A guy like that needs to be taught a lesson. If I ever see him in town, I’ll make sure his ass gets arrested.”
“Not a good time to talk,” Ben said.
“Sorry.”
Zoe ambled on wobbly legs through the bar and into Drema’s office. As Chauncey pulled the first-aid kit from the bottom drawer, Zoe rounded the desk and waited.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Chauncey said on his way out of the room.
Ben shut the door behind him. “What can I do, Zoe?”
She swallowed back tears. She set a yellow tube of antiseptic and a bandage on the desk. “Nothing.”
“Do you want me to stay?”
“Yes!” Her throat clenched. “Don’t leave me alone, okay?”
“Okay.”
She rested her foot on the office chair and wiped her knee with an
alcohol sheet. The sting brought forward the tears she fought. Her nose burned. She applied a clear layer of antiseptic and then blew a few times.
“What happened?” Ben asked, brows low against his eyes.
She tossed him a glance. It took all her strength not to have a meltdown in his arms. Her hands trembled as she peeled the paper apart, exposing the bandage. It slipped from her fingers and onto the chair. He reached to get it, but she grabbed it up faster.
“I got it,” she said. “I’ve done this a million times. I’m fine.”
Unable to see, she wiped her wet eyes with the back of her hand. She didn’t want to feel weak in front of him, but she couldn’t stop shaking.
“I don’t think you are,” he said, taking the bandage from her hand. He tossed the paper into the trash can next to the desk and then taped the sticker to her knee. “Zoe.” He sighed. “What happened?”
She pressed her palm against the bandage. Once it was stuck to her skin, she rested her temple on her propped-up knee.
“He followed me into the bathroom.”
He shook his head. “No way will I let him near you again.”
Her eyes snapped to his. “There’s nothing you can do. You’re leaving for Denver tomorrow. So, you shouldn’t even be here consoling me.”
“Honey.” He spoke softly, palms against her face. “Come with me. I’ll keep you safe.”
“You can’t. Nobody can.”
“Why would you say that?”
“I was foolish to think I was ready to have a life again,” she said in a shaky voice. “I may as well just lock myself in my apartment and play games for the rest of my life, because he’s always going to be out there waiting for me to let down my guard. He won’t give up until he gets what he wants.”
“And what does he want?”
She gathered her hair to the side. She leaned down to show him the scarred burn mark on the back of her neck. Her skin rose with a chill as he brushed his finger over her skin.
She let her strands fall down her back. “Renji and I had decided to take a night off and go out to dinner. Nicholas confronted me while I was getting ready. He said I shouldn’t be making myself look pretty for a best friend. When I told him it was just dinner, he pressed the hot curling iron against my neck. It happened so out of the blue that I didn’t have a chance to defend myself. I just remember my skin burning. My hair. I screamed for him to stop, but he wouldn’t.”