“No, you were, coming here, thinking you could demand?—”
“Ialwaysget what I want,” he said.It was a boast of a man who did, in fact, get what he wanted.The confidence in his tone, in his bearing, told me no one stood up to him.At least not for long.
So I shouldn’t have been surprised when he lunged.I wasn’t, not really, but his action ripped a scream from my throat.He planned to hurt me more, especially now that I’d defied him.
Worse, I knew in my bones that he wouldn’t stop with me, not when the girls showed up.
This man didn’t fear consequences because there had never been any.That freaked me out, and the fear for my girls made me faster than I should have been.But even then, I barely skittered out of his way.Adrenaline pumped hard through my veins, giving me the strength to heft the lamp high before I slammed it against the back of his skull.He collapsed face down on my new rug.The rat bastard.If he bled on it, I was going to be mighty angry.No, not quite true.I was already mighty angry.My rage spurred me on, gave me the strength to see this action through, even as my stomach heaved.
I’d hit a man.
He’d threatened me with…with…I heaved a breath that broke into a sob.Oh, oh, oh…
Even as bad as my life got with Laurence, he’dneverhurt me.Shock must have kicked in because next thing I knew, the back door opened, and Jenna and Kate’s laughter spilled inside.Frank stirred, and I snatched up the lamp I’d dropped at my feet.All I could think about was his threats—how he might have hurt my girls.
He wouldn’t ever get the chance.He wouldn’t.I pounded him with the lamp’s base again, making sure he wasn’t moving before I raised my wide, terrified eyes to meet Kate’s.
“Holy hell,” Kate breathed.
“He…he…he…”
Jenna had her phone out and to her ear when I raised my gaze to hers.She offered me a small, reassuring smile.
“Cam,” her voice was calm as she walked back toward the kitchen.I heard her rummaging around.She returned with kitchen twine and a mallet.She handed the twine to Kate, who started winding it around Frank’s wrists with an efficiency and tightness I found compelling.I didn’t stop watching until she’d tied off the twine.My gaze rose to Kate’s face, which was pale.Her lips were pressed together so tightly that they had turned white.She met my gaze and her eyes burned with anger and worry.
“You okay, Mama?”
“Yes.”Was I?
I had to be.
“I’ll pour you a glass of whiskey,” Kate rasped.
“Yes, honey, I’m just fine,” Jenna said.“But I really do need the guards to come to the big house, like right now.”
She paused, listened.“Well, your mother just brained her date, and I think her arm’s broken.”
Chapter8
Steve
I’d just finished cleaning the kitchen from the dinner I’d made for the four of us when Aya’s phone rang.I had settled all the pots into the deep, large farmhouse sink, trying to ignore how my shoulders ached from the tension that had settled over me once Aya told Nash that Jasmine had a fourth date with some asshat, Frank.
I’d picked at my food, scowling into my plate as Aya explained that Frank was in the music industry—on the periphery and not someone Nash had ever worked with before.Cam hadn’t either, which made me nervous.
How good could this guy be if he hadn’t worked with two of the biggest names in music?Rye, Kate’s husband, wasn’t too keen on the guy, but he’d taken to Jasmine when he’d come out to the ranch with another producer whom Cam worked with often.
Didn’t matter if Frank was Nash’s biggest cheerleader; I detested the guy.Good thing I’d already decided not to attend more joint family dinners because there was no way I’d ever sit through Jasmine and this Frank asshole making lovey-dovey faces at each other.
I glanced up from the sudsy water in time to see Aya’s face turn white as a feminine voice spoke rapid-fire through the speaker.I couldn’t hear the words, but I was on high alert when she swayed.Nash rose, his chair scraping hard against the tiles as he clasped Aya to him.
“Is she okay?”Aya asked, her voice rising.She gasped again.“Holy…I’ll tell them.Butshe’s okay?”
I set down the scrubbing pad and pan and waited, not liking the worry in Aya’s voice.She listened again before she set down her drink glass.It wobbled on the counter…and Aya swayed.Nash was there, steadying her, before sorting the glass just before it tipped over.
Aya buried her nose into his chest as she clutched at her phone.Levi picked up on the tension and began to fuss.Nash looked torn between gathering his son in his arms and soothing his wife, so I dried my hands, then walked over and collected Levi.
Aya listened intently for another long moment before offering her help.“Okay, well, keep me posted.”She pulled back so that she met Nash’s eyes, his concern melting a little at whatever he saw in her gaze.
