I take the rod and aim for my target. “You crazy bitch, this is for everything you did.”

  I lunge at her and she sticks her hands out, crying and let’s out a screaming plea, “No, don’t. I’m pregnant.” I stop mid-flight, my own humanity taking over. As I back away, she smirks and then runs at me, but this time I don’t feel sorry and I swing at her, sending her backward onto the cold floor.

  “Fuck yeah,” Miles cheers. “I was about to shoot that bitch.” A shot rings out near us. “I’ll be back,” he says, smirking before running off.

  I’m just about to move when I hear Damon and Will and my panic sets in.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Will

  We barge into the warehouse in the fishery district, ready for war. The bastards thought they could hold my woman captive and threaten her without retribution, but they were mistaken. As the words spill from Chrissy’s lips, the rage doubles in me. Then I look in horror as I see what they did to my woman. The closer I get, the more shocked I become. They dared to hurt her so brutally, and it was my fault. The marking on her neck had been caused by the necklace I gave her.

  I watch the way she ducks her head and see her turmoil. My woman has found her own personal demons, and after I slay these tangible ones, I have to find a way to destroy those invisible ones. One by one, Damon’s men fall, little pussies who I recognize as a local gang in Dallas. They were probably hired to do his dirty work, which fucking sucks because we are creating a host of new enemies with this war. Still, I’d burn this city to the ground for my woman.

  One by one, bodies fall to the ground, but I want one head above all, and that is Damon’s, the piece of shit who took my woman in the first place. The man who thought he had a right to touch the most precious thing in the world and then harm her. Melanie belongs to me, and anything that happens to her is worth killing for. I’ve never had to get my hands this dirty, but there’s nothing I won’t do for my heart and soul.

  “Looks like I have something you want,” he says with a smirk.

  I stare down the motherfucker and although he appears tough, standing closer to Melanie than I am, he doesn’t have the resolve that I do. It’s written all over his face. Fear washes over him, and it fills the air like a terrible aroma. I want to rip his heart out with my hands for the way my love has been treated, but his death will be enough for me. I hate him with everything in me, but her safety and care are all I need.

  “Damon, this is between you and me.”

  “Oh, this is much bigger than you and me, playboy. You fuck around and break young girls’ hearts, and now you have the audacity to be upset about the one whore that I took.” At first I’m confused, but the insult to my wife sends me over the edge. I don’t bother wasting time with his nonsense. I want revenge and to make him pay, but now that we’re here, Melanie needs me more.

  This isn’t some movie where the fucking villain gets a damn monologue. I put a bullet in his head, and his body dropped. I already know he’s working with the stupid bitch from the salon, and I haven’t broken any hearts.

  After he falls, I kick his gun away and rush to Melanie’s side, picking her up in my arms. She’s been through so much that I hate myself more than I can say. Will she still love me for not protecting her? Fuck. I see the wounds and know they wouldn’t be there if I’d strangled Damon the first time I wanted to do it.

  “Son, it’s time to go.” Something feels off about all of this, and I can’t figure it out. How did they know about her classes and schedule? Who else was helping Damon and Chrissy? It’s not like she had a tail on the way to school. Someone in town would have noticed it. Her security detail was light, but it’s not nonexistent.

  Who knows Melanie’s routine as well as her team? Just me, and maybe her parents. Unless they were stalking her, and only one other person comes to mind, but I hope not for Melanie’s sake. The call and the security break-in.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Melanie

  His arms remain wrapped around me as Will’s father drives us back to Steeleville where Doc is waiting at the hospital to tend to my wounds. I refused treatment at a Dallas hospital, and I could see both relief and concern on their faces because of it. They didn’t want the added questions, but the wait to assess my damage would take longer.

  Will hasn’t uttered a word the entire ride, and his father looks through the mirror several times with questioning eyes. Slowly, I pull away from my fiancé—or should I say former fiancé, since there isn’t a ring any longer—and the lack of words emanating from his lips says more than he knows.

  My heart cracks. “Will, you can’t blame yourself,” his father says.

  “The fuck I can’t,” he snarls. “I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance, and I needed to keep guards I trusted on her at all times.” He turns to me, looking me over with such sadness in his eyes. Taking my hand in his, he asks, “Can you ever forgive me for what they did to you? I know that your hair will grow back, but the abuse and pain you suffered was unbearable. Your neck wound is all my fault. They could have strangled you to death because they couldn’t get that damn thing off.”

  I take my hand from his and ask, “Is that why you were so disgusted back there?”

  “Melanie, please tell me you’re not serious?”

  “I thought you were horrified by me.”

  “My sweet raven. You’ll always be my raven, even if you had chosen to dye your hair blonde. I don’t love you, crave you, need you just because of your gorgeous hair. I’ve always loved you and always will.”

  Even though he says it, I’m still skittish to fall into his arms. My fears are strong, but Will is stronger, and I find myself picked up and wrapped in his embrace. “Don’t push me away. Whatever happens, we’re in this together. Please. I beg of you, Melanie.”

  “I’ll try,” I answered with a sob, pressing my face into his shoulder.

  His lips graze my cheek. “Rest. We’ll be there soon.”

  The next thing I know, I’m at the Steeleville Hospital being brought in through a private entrance, and Dr. Grace, Uncle Ghost’s wife, is seeing me. “Hey, Jelly Melly. I hear you were causing a ruckus today. I’m going to send these guys out.”

  “Do you want us to leave?”

  “I think it would be best,” Dr. Grace says.

  “Can you call my mom?” I ask.

  “Of course,” Will says, nodding his head and stepping out of the room. The door closes, and she’s handing me a gown.

  “I’m going to need your clothes, and I have to ask the questions.”

  “I don’t know what they did to me if you’re asking, but I don’t believe they raped me. I recall him saying he wanted me awake when he violated me, but they’d drugged me too much.”

  “I suppose we can count our blessings.”

  She’s right about that. “I suppose so.”

  I get undressed as she preps her equipment and makes some notes. “Let me examine your head first.”

  “Can you check the other parts first? I need to be sure.”

  She smiles and squeezes my hand. “Absolutely.” It’s uncomfortable, but once she’s done, she smiles and says, “There’s no evidence of assault, Melanie. I did a swab just to be sure, but since you were unconscious, he would have had to had used a great deal of lubrication to get inside you or there would have been serious damage. There’s no new bruising either.” I blush at the word “new.” With all the kinky fucking we’ve been doing lately, it’s a wonder I’m not waddling most days. I’ve been feeling saddle sore, but I didn’t want anyone else to know, so I’ve been trying to keep my gait normal.

  “Thank you.” I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders. Quickly, I cover myself when she stands.

  “You’re welcome. Let me check your neck and wrists, and then we’ll get to your head. You can wrap the sheet over you if you feel more comfortable. I know this feels extremely invasive after everything that’s happened today.”

  After everything is done, I ask for Will.

  He enters the room looking like he’s aged several years. “Babe,” he whispers, sighing as he runs his hand through his smooth brown hair. “How are you feeling?”

  “They gave me some painkillers, so right now I’m feeling pretty good,” I answered, giving him a playful smile and wide eyes. He chuckles lightly.

  “I…can…Melanie, can I hold you?”

  “I’d love that,” I say, nodding rapidly with my arms out, needing his touch more than I care to admit. He sits on the bed and lifts me onto his lap, holding me close. “I should have never went to get coffee,” I sob against his chest.

  “God, I love you so much. I was so damn scared that I’d lost you for good. Damn it, I don’t know what I’d do without you. You’re everything to me, my beautiful love.” He kisses my temple and then clings to me. “Please tell me if I’m squeezing too tightly.” As much as it hurts, I need his embrace to feel safe. Goodness, I don’t feel protected without him. Have I developed a serious case of codependency? I don’t care, because William Steele is my world.

  “Thank you for finding me.”

  “Thank you for hanging on.” His lips brush mine, and we fall into a sweet, gentle kiss before there is a knock at the door and the doctor comes in to check on me.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Will

  When Beast’s eyes land on his daughter’s bracelet, I watch his jaw tighten. Then his eyes lift to meet mine. “You’re a dead man, Will,” my brother chuckles beside me.

  I look over at my blushing woman and give her a wink. “She’s no longer Daddy’s Princess. She’s Will’s Property.” I smirk at my soon-to-be father-in-law and take a pull of my beer. He’s lucky I don’t tattoo it on her because I’m tempted as fuck. The trouble that she put me through and the shit I did made it all the more real, and claiming her has been the most important thing on my brain. She belongs to me like I belong to her.

  I want everyone to know it. There’s no way it will go unnoticed now. Soon, everyone will see it in a different way. In a few years, her belly will be rounded as fuck. I have plans for her that her father won’t approve of, but I don’t care because I did what he didn’t, what he couldn’t. I protected her. She’s mine.

  “Tomorrow’s your wedding. Are you ready?” my father asks. That’s a dumb question and he knows it, but I think he enjoys teasing me. After all, it’s the rehearsal dinner, and we have a bunch of guests around to try and mess with me.

  “Of course. I live with the love of my life, and all I want to do is make sure she’s mine in every way. Well, in almost every way. One day we’ll start a family, but I’m in no hurry for that.”

  “One day, we’ll all be ready for grandkids, but I’m glad you’re waiting because your sisters are driving me nuts and I can’t imagine them having boyfriends yet. Beast is enjoying the subtle digs about them finding husbands the second they turn eighteen.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s better than them sleeping around at sixteen with some limp little bitch in high school who is just going to dump them and move on to the next girl. I get that Melanie is too young to get married, but it’s not going to change a thing.”

  “It will take time for him to get used to it.”

  “Will, may I have a word with you?” Beast asks, stepping up to us. He’s in a well-tailored suit. It’s truly a wonder he is in the Riders in the first place, having been an attorney all these years.

  “What’s up?” I say.

  “I saw the bracelet, but her necklace is gone. Please tell me it isn’t because of the attack.”

  “It is, but the bracelet is made of the same material, and they can’t strangle her should someone dare lay their hands on her again.”

  “You can’t think like that. She loves that necklace; you know that, and I know it. Don’t let the fears get to you. As a man obsessed with his wife, I’ll tell you that there will always be times you’ll worry, but it doesn’t mean you take away the things that make them happy.”

  “I can’t let her be hurt like that again. They nearly choked her to death because of it.”

  “No, they probably wanted to choke her. The charm could have been broken, but they didn’t bother doing so. I’m happy that you love her, even if it’s a bit unnerving how strong that love is. Still, her happiness matters most to me.”

  “Understood.” I nod, and then he pulls me in for a hug.

  “Congratulations, son,” he whispers. I stare at my beloved Melanie over his shoulder, who smiles radiantly.

  ****

  The veil covers her face and hair, sending a growl through my chest and out my throat. I don’t like her covered up in my presence. As she reaches the altar, I lift the offending thin fabric from her gorgeous face, and I’m so stunned by her natural beauty that my heart nearly stops. They’ve styled her short hair into a pixie cut, and it’s dyed close to her natural black hair color. “Wow, you are perfect, Melanie.”

  “You’re just saying that because it’s our wedding day.”

  “I’m saying what I see. Now marry me, woman, before I lose my mind.”

  She blushes so perfectly that I can’t wait to get this over with so I can show her what she does to me. “Well, Mr. Steele, I’m waiting.” She turns to the priest and takes my hand.

  "If anyone objects to the marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."

  “I object,” a woman’s voice comes from the back of the church.

  “Beth?” Melanie gasps. She’s dressed in a white dress that’s so damn similar to Melanie’s I could swear it’s the same one. “What are you doing here?”

  “I told you not to marry him.” She’s holding a bouquet of flowers, but I don’t trust it. Dusty is right behind her. I nod to him. “You were supposed to choose Damon, and you didn’t. I threw him in your face for months. I made excuses. If that stupid bitch Chrissy didn’t get in the way, my plan would have worked, and you wouldn’t have taken my man. You just have to have everything, don’t you, Melanie? Well not anymore.” She stretches out the arm of her bouquet, but Dusty tackles her to the ground. The gun flies out of her hands and across the church to the altar. Beast snags it and tucks it away.

  “So now you know who else was involved,” he tells me.

  “You thought someone else was in on my kidnapping?” Lanie gasped, clutching my arm.

  “It just didn’t make sense that they knew where you were. You told me that you went to get coffee and, well, they couldn’t have anticipated your detour.”

  She gasps, allowing reality to sink in. I hold onto the love of my life because there’s no way in hell I’ll let her crash now. She looks up at me and smiles. “Thank you, but I promise, Mr. Steele that I am perfectly fine.”

  Law’s deputy arrives five minutes later to take Beth out of the church in handcuffs. As the commotion begins to settle, Beast says, “Well, no offense, but since these two have waited long enough, how about we get this show on the road?”

  “I couldn’t agree more. Ms. Melanie Brandon, will you marry me?”

  “I would love nothing more.”

  The ceremony is quicker than I expected, and I’m now the proud husband of Melanie Steele. The world has finally been set right in my eyes as I stare at the most beautiful woman, and we belong to each other.

  The celebration doesn’t last long because we have to deal with the uproar that Beth created. She went on and on about Damon’s plan to kidnap Melanie and how she helped them and that we probably killed him. Luckily, the only people to hear her outlandish comments were the cops who worked with us.

  Damon’s death had been ruled legal in the rescue attempt of the daughter of a government official off a public college campus. Of course the shooting didn’t quite take place there. We moved it to the outskirts of Steeleville where our men could handle the bodies, while Miles men cleaned up the warehouse on the docks.

  Chrissy didn’t survive the transport, but that wasn’t Melanie’s fault. Let’s just say not all of Miles’ men are forgiving. I reassured Mel that the bitch only lied about being pregnant to so she’d let her guard down. Frankly, I’m glad she’s dead because that’s one last problem to worry about. If Beth is going to be an issue, she’ll have to go as well.

  “Stop frowning, son,” my mother strolls in. “Your guests are going to think you made a mistake.”

  “I’m supposed to be enjoying my reception, but I’ve just got back from the police station with that crazy bitch trying to ruin everything.”

  “What? Didn’t you hear what just happened? She can’t ruin everything anymore.”

  “What?”

  “Beth wasn’t completely disarmed before she got in the back of the police car. She had pills stashed. She popped them after we left. She killed herself.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes,” she says with a sigh.

  “That’s good and terrible. Where’s Melanie?”

  “She’s with her father.” My mother points toward the dessert table where Melanie pretends to straighten the already perfectly organized treats. Her emotions were visible on her gorgeous face. I could get lost just staring, but she needs more than that. She needs me and I need to act like the husband I signed up to be. The one she deserves.

  “I need to tell her.” I pass my mother and walk over to my wife who looks as if she’s barely holding it together. Her father steps back, understanding it’s now my place to step in. I give him a respectful nod and he walks away.

  I whisper, “Raven.”

  Her tear-filled eyes meet mine. “It’s all my fault.”

  Cradling her face, I stare into her beautiful eyes and tell her the truth that she needs to hear. “No, it’s not. Don’t say that shit.”

  She shakes her head, scrunching her eyes shut and refusing to believe me. “First Chrissy and now Beth.”

  “If that’s the case, baby then it’s all my fault. They were after me not you.”

 

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