by A. M. Myers
“Goddamn it,” he growls. “Kodiak, this is the kind of shit I needed you to watch out for.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t find out until last night,” he fires back, giving me some major side-eye and I shrug. Mom always taught me to only depend on myself and that’s not going to change now.
“She’s right,” Smith says, watching me. “If he’s been following her, he knows everywhere she could go hide.”
“We could go to my place,” Lincoln suggests.
I scowl at him. “How is that any better?”
“No, wait, that could work,” Blaze says, ignoring my question as Lincoln turns to me.
“When I bought that property, we used it to house girls we were moving so I have the entire perimeter covered with motion detectors. It’s not much but it will give us a little bit of a head start if he does show up there.”
The squeal of brakes pierces through the silence and I flinch as both men jump up and rush to the windows, guns drawn.
“It’s just a mail truck,” Smith calls and I release a breath as Lincoln turns back to me and we lock eyes. The plea in his gaze wins me over and I sigh as I nod.
“Okay, I’ll go to your house.”
* * * *
Morning sunlight streaks across the room, warming my skin as I stretch and curl up with Lincoln’s pillow. Mist hovers over the lake and I would love to just sit out there for a few hours if I could bring myself to leave this bed. Two big arms wrap around me and pull me into his naked heat. I take a moment to savor the comfort of his touch and his manly scent surrounding me before I jerk away. He growls, pulling me back to him.
“Don’t.”
I roll my eyes. “You, don’t.”
Silence greets me and I scowl as I grab his hand and try to pry him off my body but it’s no use. He’s got an iron lock on me and the only way I’ll get free is to hurt him and I’ve promised to no longer do that. Last night when we arrived at Lincoln’s house, Smith took one of the bedrooms, leaving the other for Lincoln and me. I was ready to just sleep on the couch but he refused – saying it was safer if I slept in a bedroom. After a little arguing, he assured me that he would stay on his side of the king-size bed but clearly, that didn’t happen.
“Let me go, Lincoln,” I order and feel him shake his head against my back as his arms tighten around me again. I smack his forearm. “Can’t…breathe.”
“Just let me pretend for a few more minutes, baby,” he whispers and I sigh as I flop back down on my pillow.
I flick an annoyed glance over my shoulder. “Thought you were going to stay on your side of the bed.”
“I think we both know I was lying when I said that,” he mumbles and I wiggle in his arms again.
“Let me go.”
With a huff, he releases me and I roll over in bed to face him. He cracks an eye open and smiles, reaching out, brushing his thumb over my cheek. It feels so damn good even though I know it shouldn’t. God, this wouldn’t be so hard if I didn’t miss him.
“Morning, baby.”
I shake my head. “Don’t call me that.”
“Tate,” he breathes, frustration lacing his tone and I sigh right along with him.
“How many times do I have to tell you that this is over before you’ll believe me?” I ask, motioning between the two of us.
“Ten times…” he says and I arch a brow. “Every day for the rest of our lives.”
“Lincoln,” I growl, flopping to my back and throwing my arm over my eyes. Because of all my years of avoiding relationships, I really am inexperienced and I think that’s part of the reason that, before I learned of his deception, I trusted Lincoln so completely. In my mind he was the one man who would never hurt me but then he did and I don’t know how to move forward from that.
“How many times do I have to apologize for this?”
“Ten times everyday for the rest of our lives,” I snarl in annoyance and he nods.
“Done.”
I shake my head, pointing a finger in his face. “No. I wasn’t serious.”
“You know what,” he prompts before rolling on top of me. I buck my hips, trying to get him off but he’s too damn heavy. “Listen to me. Yeah, I lied to you and I kept things from you but that doesn’t change the fact that the moment you walked into my life, I fell head over heels in love with you.”
“It changed everything.”
He shakes his head, reaching across to the bedside table and pulling something out before slamming the drawer shut again. Sunlight glints off the diamond ring in his hand as he holds it out in front of me. I suck in a breath.
“I bought this one week after I met you because right from the jump, I knew you were it for me. I played it cool with anyone who asked but I was already planning a life with you and I know I screwed up by lying to you, Tate, but I never meant to hurt you. If anything, all I ever wanted was to keep you safe.”
“You didn’t mean to hurt me and yet, I’m still hurt. Am I just supposed to be okay with that?”
He nods, grabbing my hand. He sets the ring in my palm before wrapping his hand around mine and forcing it closed. “I know you’re hurt, baby, and you have to admit that it’s not all my fault. Yeah, I hid things from you and I lied to you but this mess was coming for you whether I was here or not. This is on you now and you have a choice to make.”
“What?”
“You can either forgive me and put this ring on your finger. I can’t promise to never screw up again or unintentionally hurt you but I do promise that I’ll be right there by your side, fighting for you and fighting for us until my very last breath. We’ll face any challenge together and I’ll spend every second of my life loving you with every piece of me.”
I swallow as a lump builds in my throat. “What’s the second option?”
“You can become your mother. You can toss this ring in the trash and spend the rest of your life loving a man that you can never be with. The choice is yours.”
“What happened to you never walking away from me?” I ask, my voice wobbling as I think about losing him forever. White-hot pain pierces my chest.
“I’ll always love you, Tate, and if you choose to toss this ring away, I’ll never be with anyone else because I’ve found everything that I’ve ever wanted in you but you were also right when you said that this is a little sick. I’m not your punching bag but I’ll be everything else to you for the rest of time if you let me.”
Without another word, he climbs off me and walks into the bathroom. I watch him until the door closes and a soft sob bubbles out of me as I think over what he just said. When faced with those two choices, I don’t know how I could ever possibly choose living my life without Lincoln in it. Yeah, he lied to me but I’m not ready to walk away from him either so I need to find a way to put this behind me.
The bathroom door opens and I glance over as he walks out in a pair of jeans hanging loose on his hips. “You want some breakfast?”
“Um… yeah,” I whisper, blinking at him. How does he look so unaffected, like that entire conversation never happened? “Are we going to talk about this?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve said everything I need to say. You can put the ring on when you’re ready or give it back to me. Like I said, the choice is yours. Now, get dressed and come eat.”
Swiping his shirt off the end of the bed, he walks out of the bedroom and I suck in a breath as I watch him before glancing down at the ring in my palm. It’s gorgeous and my fingers itch to put it on but I need to wait. I need to be sure that I can forgive him before I decide. Sighing, I set it down on the bedside table and lay my hand over it as I climb out of bed and slip my jeans on before wandering out into the living room.
Lincoln is at the counter, stirring something in a large mixing bowl as steam rises from the pan on the stove.
“Please tell me you know how to cook,” I say, sliding onto one of the barstools and he grins over his shoulder.
“Guess you’re just going to have to wait and see.”
I shake my head, grabbing the newspaper and opening it. “I don’t think I like this game.”
“And what game would that be?”
“Is it edible or not?” I quip and he laughs as his phone goes off next to me. He peeks over his shoulder again.
“Shit. Can you see what that is for me?”
I nod and grab the phone before unlocking it. An image of my kitchen fills the screen and in the top corner, I spot movement and gasp. He whirls around, leaving his bowl and spoon abandoned as he moves behind me. A figure dressed in black creeps into my kitchen from the back door and my hand shakes as I watch him move through the house.
“Fuck,” Lincoln hisses, checking his watch. “Maybe if I drive fast, I can get there before he leaves.”
He takes off for the bedroom and I watch the man pull a pistol out of an ankle holster and the glint of metal at his back tells me he’s got at least one more. The thought of Lincoln alone in my house with him shakes me to my core and I jump down off the stool. As I march past Smith’s door, I pound on it and grab my boots from the living room floor where I left them last night.
Lincoln comes barreling out of the bedroom as I’m digging a few guns out of the couch that I stashed there last night and he stops when he sees me.
“What the hell are you doing?”
I scowl at him as I grab my ankle holster and start putting it on. “I’m going with you.”
“Like hell you are.”
“Don’t you dare try to stop me, Lincoln. I am fucking going with you.”
He shakes his head, storming past Smith’s door and pounding on it. “It’s not happening, Tate. Get it out of your gorgeous little head right now.”
The bedroom door flies open and Smith steps out, rubbing his eyes. “What the fuck is with all the yellin’? It’s early as hell, y’all.”
I glance at the clock and smirk. It’s actually almost eight but I’ve learned that Smith is a bit of a night owl since he’s been staying with us and he doesn’t like to be woken up before ten.
“Someone’s in her house. I’m gonna go check it out,” Lincoln barks and Smith snaps to attention. “You stay here with her.”
“Fuck no!” I scream, pointing at Lincoln from across the living room. “Smith, don’t let him go there alone. It’s not safe and I’m going with you.”
“No, you’re not, baby. I’ll be back soon, okay?”
Smith drops his arm as Lincoln steps in front of me and presses his lips to mine. I melt at his touch and my heart pounds in my ears as he kisses me like he’s saying good-bye. When he pulls away, he mouths, “I love you” and I reach for him only to be stopped by Smith again.
Lincoln walks out the door and I stare after him, my chest aching and my hands shaking. Images of him lying in a pool of his own blood with a bullet hole in his chest fill my mind and the pain in my chest intensifies. No, I have to go with him. He needs me there.
“Please, Luke. Let me go with him.”
He shakes his head. “I can’t do that, Darlin’.”
Panic claws at me, thinking of all the ways my father’s thug could hurt the man I love and I spin, stomping back toward the bedroom. I spot my bag on the floor and I reach inside, pulling my Taser out and turning it on before slipping the strap of the bag over my shoulder. Just as I turn to leave the room, the ring catches my eye and I stare at it for a second before walking over to the nightstand and picking it up. Lincoln’s right. If I don’t let this go and move forward with him, I’ll spend the rest of my life regretting it. With a smile teasing my lips, I slip it on my left hand and turn toward the door, trudging out of the bedroom.
“Sorry, Tate. I can’t let you go,” Smith says as I walk back out into the living room. He offers me a sympathetic look and I nod, hiding the Taser behind my back.
“I understand, Smith. And I hope you’ll understand why I have to do this.”
He scowls as I press the Taser to his skin and he drops to the floor, his muscles locked as he jerks from the force of the volt. Leaning down, I press a kiss to his cheek.
“Please don’t hate me.”
I stand back up and step over him, grabbing the Camaro’s keys off the counter before I race outside, eager to get back to my man.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Lincoln
Fuck!
I skid to a stop in the driveway and pull my phone out of my pocket, scrolling through my contacts once before dialing Rodriguez’s number. I would call one of the guys but Rodriguez may come in useful if I manage to get to Tate’s house before this asshole takes off. I’m being overly optimistic in hoping that it’s Dominic when I’m sure, in reality, he probably just sent one of his goons to do his dirty work. I’m sick and tired of this prick coming for my girl and I want to get him out of her life as soon as possible.
“Yeah,” Rodriguez answers in a clipped tone.
“Hey. It’s Kodiak. Someone is breaking into Tate’s house right now and I need you to meet me there,” I say as I swing my leg over my bike and slip the key into the ignition.
“On my way.”
He hangs up without another word and I fire the bike up, checking the cameras again on my phone. The guy is taking his damn time, looking through each drawer in the kitchen and I have to wonder just what he’s looking for. It’s clear that Tate’s not there so why doesn’t he just bail out? I shove the phone back in my pocket. Gravel flies behind me as I peel away from the house, flying down the driveway way faster than I should be but I can’t help it. Not when all I can think about is the fact that if I hadn’t convinced Tate to come stay at my house, she’d be there with this prick right now. She’d be in danger and the thought makes my stomach turn as I tighten my grip on the handlebars. I speed up, my anger propelling me to move faster. I need to get there before he leaves. I need to end this.
But how?
How the fuck do I stop Dominic King from coming after my girl? I had multiple fantasies about killing the son of a bitch with my bare hands before Blaze pointed out that it would only put Tate in more danger. King has racked up so many enemies over the years and at this point, he’s the only thing keeping them from coming after Tate. He protects her as much as he hurts her but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stand idly by while he tries to take what’s mine. It will be a cold day in hell before I willingly let my woman leave with that man.
My thoughts drift to only twenty minutes ago when she and I were in bed together and my stomach rolls as my mind races. I have no fucking idea if showing her the ring and putting the ball in her court was a good idea or not but it felt like my only option. Since everything fell apart, all I’ve done is apologize and tell her that I would always be here and that was clearly not working. If I allowed it to continue, she probably would have taken her anger out on me for the rest of our lives. She’s that goddamn stubborn. Fuck, what if she really decides to walk away from this, from us? No, I can’t think like that. What she and I have is real and hopefully, with this little push from me, she’ll realize it, too.
I turn onto Tate’s street and the roar of my bike echoes off the houses surrounding me as I spot Rodriguez’s car parked on the curb. When I pull up behind him, he steps out and inspects the front of the house, a stern look on his face. After pushing the kickstand down, I turn off my bike and pull my phone out again, scanning the cameras. Each one is empty and I flip to the last one pointed at the back door, jumping back as his mask covered face fills the screen.
“Jesus, fuck,” I hiss, jumping as my heart hammers away in my chest. “Back door.”
The man stares right into the camera, his baby blue eyes devoid of any life as he lets out the same demented cackle I heard over Tate’s answering machine. I jump off the bike and pull the gun out of my waistband as Rodriguez holds his arm out in front of me.
“I’ll take the back. You cover the front,” he whispers, pointing to the open front door and I nod, tucking the phone back into my pocket. As Rodriguez rounds the back of the house, I creep up the front
steps, each one creaking under my weight and I flinch, the sound of each breath filling my ears as my shaking hands hold the gun out in front of me.
“Get it together,” I whisper to myself as I step into the house and scan the living and dining room. Both are empty and I take another step, my finger hovering over the trigger and I strain my ear, listening for any sound that could give him away.
“Clear,” Rodriguez calls from the back door and I blow out a breath as the top stair creaks behind me. I spin around, my finger pressing down on the trigger before I catch sight of red hair and my arm falls to my side.
“Are you fucking shitting me, Tate?” I hiss, walking over to her and grabbing her arm. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
She rips her arm out of my grasp and presses her lips to mine. “If you thought for one second I was letting you come here and face my demons alone, you don’t know me at all.”
God, I fucking love this woman.
I love her fire.
I love her sass.
But most of all, I love the way that she can’t stop loving me even though she may want to right now.
“All clear,” Rodriguez says, stepping into the room. His eyes fall on Tate and he nods as he fights back a smile. “Tate.”
“Detective Rodriguez.”
I turn to Rodriguez. “You sure he’s gone?”
“He is. He bailed out my bedroom window while y’all were charging the doors.”
“Fuck,” I sigh. “I really wanted to get my hands on him.”
“What good would it do?” she asks with a shrug. “He’s likely just one of my father’s goons.”
I cup her chin and force her gaze to mine. “He broke into your house and I can’t stop thinking about what would have happened if you had been here so I don’t care who he was; I still want to get my hands on him and teach him to never come near you again.”
“Lincoln,” she whispers, a smile lighting up her face as she grabs my hand. The glint on her ring finger catches my attention and time seems to stop as I stare at it, not quite believing what I’m seeing. Holy shit, it worked. My mouth pops open and she follows my gaze before grinning.