He stops talking when I move to stand between him and Hannah, my hand finding her hip and pushing her toward the baby. Everett’s cries are so loud, and his face so red, that he must have been at it for several minutes. I keep myself between them, facing off with the ex.
A loud, deranged laugh fills the air. “Oh, I see, you’re one of them. The abominations who tempted my wife away from me.”
Thefuckis this man on about? He’s crazier than Tío-Abuelo Perez, and that man ate psychedelic mushrooms in every meal!
Pounding footsteps follow the ding of the elevator arriving. “Time’s up, Cabrón,” I sneer. “The police are already on their way. You never should have come here.” Colin falters, glancing between the baby and the door. I see the moment he decides, bolting out into the hall. Watching a cop tackle his scrawny assmakes my day. They cuff him and read his rights, ignoring his loud protests, and cart him away.
An officer steps to the door, taking everything in. “Emmanuel Alfaro?” I nod when he pins his gaze on me. “Hannah Wilson?”
“Yes, that’s me. The man outside is my ex-husband, Colin Boyd. My children and I have an order of protection against him. Our front desk downstairs has a copy, if you need to see it.”
The officer steps back to murmur into his radio, having his partner grab a copy from the security team. While he is speaking, I go to Hannah, who has Everett snuggled beneath her chin. She looks fucking exhausted. That soul-worn type of tired that comes from years of dealing with shit like this.
“Are you alright, Mi Corazón? Did he hurt you?”
“Only a little,” she whispers, trying to brush off my concern, but I don’t let her.
“Officer, my mate needs to be checked over by a paramedic, if you have one with you.”
“Manny!” Hannah protests. I silence her with a glare. “Fine, but I promise I’m okay.”
I take the baby a few minutes later so she can be looked over. Her scalp is red and tender from where he pulled her hair, and her knee is swollen from where he kicked her to the floor. They give her an ice pack and tell her how to care for it.
Keeping my anger at bay takes a lot of effort. Scaring this already traumatized woman and her baby is the last thing I want.
“We’re taking Mr. Boyd to the station to be processed. If you have a lawyer, make sure you reach out to them in the morning. A little pressure always helps in these situations.” The officer tells her, giving her a tight smile. “Are you able to contact your Alpha, Shepherd Wilson?”
Hannah taps her fingers against her thighs, limbs tense as she answers his questions. She’s struggling, and as her eyes dart to Everett, I realize why. Colin was here to take him awayfrom her. I slide him into her arms, brushing my lips against her temple in a small gesture of comfort. She relaxes instantly, sniffling when he curls against her chest.
“I’ll contact them. They took our daughter to the library, so they should be able to return quickly.” The officer nods, gives us some paperwork, and wishes us a good night before he and the paramedic leave.
Watching Hannah wilt against the couch cushion, I wish I’d gotten a swing in before the cops had shown up. Her ex deserves much more than the black eye I would have given him.
Crouched in front of her, I adjust the ice and pull a blanket over her and Everett. The sad smile she gives me breaks my heart, but what she says next shatters me. “I’m sorry I ruined our date.”
This. Fucking. Woman.
Leaning forward, I push my lips to hers, immediately taking control of the kiss and pouring all of my feelings into her mouth. Anger, sadness,devotion. She touches her lips when I pull away, a stunned look in her beautiful brown eyes. “You’ve ruined nothing, Mi Corazón. We have all night to cuddle and get to know each other. The only one to blame for denting our plans is that pendejo.”
Tears slowly slip down her cheeks, and her bottom lip wobbles. I catch her tears with my tongue and whisper in her ear, promising that she’s safe with me and that I will not run from her drama. There were moments after she told me about her family two days ago that I thought this would be too much, but walking into this apartment and seeing her hurt… there’s no doubt now. I’m hers as much as I am her mates.
“Do you need anything before I call Shepherd?” She shakes her head, one hand scrubbing her teary eyes. I leave her to settle in her emotions and step into the kitchen. Pressing Shepherd’scontact on my phone, I wince. Telling an Alpha someone threatened his mate while he was away is not my idea of fun.
“Manny, is everything good?” he asks as soon as he answers. Since he and Hannah are Fate-matched mates, he may instinctively know that something is wrong with her, even if they aren’t mate-bonded yet.
Taking a deep breath, I spill everything. “No, Shepherd, it’s not.”
By the time I finish, I can feel his tension through the call. Foster speaks quietly in the background, voice frantic as his Alpha relays what I told him. The noise from the library kids’ event briefly filters in, and I know he went to grab Kaitlin to bring her home. Poor princesa can’t even enjoy a few hours at the library without her family ruining it.
“I know this will be difficult, but take your time, Alpha. Hannah and Everett are safe. I’m here with them, and that piece of shit is on his way to jail.”
He grunts, not quite agreeing. Only when I hear Foster’s voice again does Shep speak. “Thanks, Manny. If you hadn’t shown up when you did…” He trails off, and, yeah, I don’t want to think about that either. “We’ll be home as soon as we can. I’ll go into an Alpha rage if I don’t get my eyes on her soon.”
Sighing, I end the call. Such is life with a pack. You learn to find intimate moments to connect when surrounded by other people.
Stepping to the sink, I find the ingredients I asked Foster to grab for me, and pull them out to start cooking. Hannah probably won’t be ready to eat for a while, so I can throw dinner on the stove and let it cook low and slow. Mamá had reluctantly parted with her meatball soup recipe, which I thought might warm us up on this chilly October evening. The comforting flavors will help comfort mi corazón, too.
While the soup simmers, I grab two bottles of water and join Hannah on the couch. She has me pull the baby swing closer and slides Everett into it, setting it to rock him back to sleep. When she is sure he won’t wake, she slides down the couch and rests her head on my thigh, face pointed toward her baby. “I’m tired of fighting,” she admits quietly.
