Right then, four more bikes pull up staring at the altercation on the grassy area between my house and Josie’s, watching, waiting, and ready to take my back. This is the life of a Hellion; I’m never on my own. Josie is going to learn she won’t be either, not ever again.
I laugh manically, “my kind, huh?” Stud laughs with me. “Well, Brett, you’ve stepped in my world. You seem to misunderstand some things especially about my kind.”
“No, I don’t need to understand shit. What you need to see is you’re the one fuckin’ my wife. There is nothing to misunderstand about that.”
Shaking my head, I inform him, “ex-wife. Since I’ve had a long fuckin’ day at work and I got a gorgeous as fuck woman waitin’ for me inside, consider this your last warning. Come back here again, get anywhere within a football field of Josie or Justice and you’ll find out just how bad my kind can be.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Nope, not a threat at all.” I look to Stud. “I got a woman naked in a bathtub, I’m done with this shit. Give him a personal tour to the exit of our subdivision, Stud.”
He smiles the Stud shit-eating grin that fills his whole face and can be both intimidating and funny at the same time depending on who you are. “You got it, brother.” He looks to the other brothers, “we will gladly give him the parade exit.” I let out a chuckle. Stud adds, “Tell Jo, Honey will be wantin’ girl time soon.”
I nod before I walk away. Of course Honey will want girl time. She looks out for all the Hellions and the women close to them. I hear the man shift behind me and know Stud has grabbed him based on the sounds coming from them.
“No sir, you heard my brother. Time to leave.”
“I don’t have to do what he says. I don’t have to do what you say,” Brett argues on a choked voice. “You can fuck off.”
Stud laughs, “We’re gonna take this shit off the lawn, man. You still itchin’ for an ass beatin’ I’ll give it to ya. But it ain’t happening on my brother’s grass.”
I don’t give a fuck what happens to Brett. My sole focus now is making sure Josie isn’t rattled and Justice didn’t see anything go down with his former stepfather. Whatever goes on next will be determined by Brett. If he chooses to engage, Stud will handle it. If he’s got even half a brain, he will leave. There isn’t a doubt in mind he will be back. Whether Josie realizes it or not, kissing me back, she declared war to a man like him. It’s a battle she will win over and over because I plan to handle everything he brings, but he’s not going to go quietly. Not until he’s found a new victim, gotten locked up, or is dead. That’s how those types of men work.
At the front door, I twist the knob to find it locked. Smart girl. I’m thankful her porch is semi-tucked in leaving Brett out of my view and preventing him from seeing this and questioning what he’s just witnessed. I tap lightly on the door before I hear the click of the locks moving. She lets me in and instantly, I see the tears streaming down her face.
Only when I get inside the threshold and lock the door back behind me do I reach out and pull her against me.
“Jo,” I whisper as she tries to pull away. “Gotta get it out, baby. For Justice,” I keep my voice low holding her to me. “Let it out, Jo.” She is fighting to be strong for herself and her son. But bottled-up emotions are dangerous. They leave us with a weakness and an opportunity to lose control. She has to let this out, whether that is crying, screaming, breaking shit, or whatever works, but she can’t hold onto any of it.
“Why won’t he leave us alone?” her words are whispered between sobs.
I hold her close. “Hard to let a good woman go. Some men don’t know how to act and do all the wrong things. I’m sorry you’ve lived that, Jo.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispers against my cut. “This is so embarrassing. You don’t need to come save me.”
I push back to cup her chin tilting her head to look at me, “Jo, nothing for you to ever be sorry about with me. You gotta get this out. You gotta know from this moment on, it all changes.”
She gasps as the tears fall down her face, “what do you mean?”
“Saw that man, those dead eyes. You don’t do this shit alone anymore. I’m not around, I have a man on you and Justice. Until Brett moves on to his next victim or gets locked up, you get to live life without fear because I got your back.” I leave out the part of Brett leaving her alone because he’s dead. While that is the very best option to ensure her safety, I don’t think any woman wants to think of their only peace coming in someone else’s loss of life.
“You don’t know me,” she whispers as I wipe tears from under her eyes.
“Not yet, but I’m going to. Get comfortable, darlin’. Had just a taste out there of those lips, of you being soft. I want more. You been through shit, we’re gonna do this slow. Your pace. But what isn’t gonna happen is you stayin’ to be afraid he can get to you. No matter how this shit works, he doesn’t get close ever again.”
Normally, I don’t care to know a woman outside of a fuck. Josie, there is something about her smile from the first night I met her that calls to me. My grandfather always told me when he met my granny, he knew. That very instant when he said hello, he knew. It took her a bit more time to come around. Mostly because they met when crashed into her front porch. Drove right into the front support beams. Her favorite place to sit and read was demolished by a teenage boy who lost control of his mom’s car on a rainy night. She was home alone; therefore she came outside to find him climbing from the car shaking his head. He looked at her and instantly smiled.
She was angry.
He was smitten.
The rest is history. They lived a wonderful life with over fifty years together.
No matter what comes of this attraction I have with Josie, I still won’t let Brett hurt her again. Those days are behind her.
“I appreciate your assistance, Dean. I don’t think you understand my situation. I’ll be okay. You need to have your life, not my baggage.”
I smirk, “Jo, everyone has baggage. I don’t think you understand me. I see something I want, I’m gonna make my play. This is me making that play. I’m a patient man because I know it down to my fuckin’ soul you’re gonna be worth it. We take this at your pace. You just need to know I claimed you and meant that shit. In my world, you’re protected, and Brett is gonna learn what that means. And you get to breathe a little easier knowing you aren’t alone against him.”
