Irresistible (Destiny Series Book 1)

by Lea Hart

  Not many men could resist retribution when they witnessed someone brutalizing the woman they loved. And, yes, she knew he loved her. The same way she loved him. Completely and absolutely. Sure, they’d been dancing around it, but the truth was as it always had been, two hearts entwined.

  He carried her into the kitchen and set her on the counter next to the sink. Popcorn was hot on their heels and continued to let out low moans of distress. “I’m okay, boy. You did good, getting help,” she said. “Give him a treat,” she instructed Brock. “They’re in the pantry.”

  “Let me get you cleaned up first.”

  “No. Give him a treat. He did an amazing job.”

  “Okay, honey.” He walked over to the pantry and pulled out the box. “One or two?”

  “Three.” When he pulled out the biscuits, Popcorn didn’t move from her side. “Go ahead,” she told the dog. When he looked up at her and didn’t move, she slipped off the counter and gave him a hug. “You are the best dog in the world.” Brock walked over and handed her the treats. She took one and held it out. When her dog laid his head in her lap, she collapsed on the floor and held him tightly. “We’re going to have to get rid of the people who keep trying to hurt us.” Popcorn barked in agreement and a laugh escaped her. She pushed the treat toward him. He took it and sat on her feet.

  Brock sat next to them and slipped his arm around her shoulders. “I’m so damn sorry.”

  “There is no sorry. You came at just the right time.” Leaning against the cupboard, she looked up and saw how much pain he was in. “I’m okay.” When he tipped his head against hers, she knew he didn’t agree.

  “Let’s call your mama. I’m going to get pulled in and maybe brought up on charges tonight.”

  Leaning back, she gasped. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I almost killed Drew. It was your voice that saved his life.” He stood, pulled a towel out of the drawer and turned on the water. “It is what it is. No need to pretend otherwise.”

  The fact that he uttered that statement in such a matter-of-fact tone made her a little nervous. In her mind, his actions were completely reasonable. But he was in uniform, responding to a call and acting in a professional capacity, which might make the events of the afternoon troublesome. To say the least.

  He crouched down next to her and dabbed her face with the warm, damp towel. He was gentle and caring, just like she’d expected him to be. What he’d done earlier made perfect sense, but would she be the only one who saw them that way? Perhaps.

  After she called her mama, she was going to call Loren. Her record of success in criminal cases was going to be important if Brock ended up being charged. Not that Lilly thought it would come to that. But it was always good to be prepared. Tilting her head up, she let him take care of her. Hell, he’d been doing it for years. He was a damn expert.

  There was a knock on the door, and Brock stood. “That’s got to be the paramedics. I’m going to let them in.”

  After that, they had no time to talk. It was a bustle of activity. Between the paramedics and the police interview, she didn’t have a moment to tell him how she felt. When he was pulled away, she figured she would tell him later. After all, they had the rest of their lives together.

  ***

  Brock leaned against his SUV and waited for the undersheriff to arrive. The tapes from the dash-mounted camera were probably being reviewed at this very moment. He’d done the inexcusable and used excessive force when subduing a perp. Seeing Lilly in danger had ripped off the veneer of his control. It was only Lilly’s voice that pulled him back from doing the unthinkable. Thirty more seconds and he could’ve ended the scumbag’s life. The conversation they had the other day about sin and virtue came tumbling back into his mind. Every person was multidimensional, and no one was purely good or purely evil. His experience had shown him that most folks slid on the scale daily, making decisions moment by moment, circumstance by circumstance. He wasn’t any different, the exception being he was a trained warrior and defaulted to that mindset automatically.

  Turned out, leaving that behind and becoming a civilian wasn’t that easy. And he certainly proved that earlier. Hearing the call, driving up to Lilly’s house and seeing her beaten was about the worst situation he could have found himself in. It tested every bit of humanity he possessed, and he’d failed.

  Once he pulled Drew off Lilly and cuffed him, he was no longer a threat. He could’ve left it there, but the red-hot rage that filled him didn’t allow that. Drew’s words snapped the thread when he uttered the words, “She made me do it.” As far as Brock could tell, there was no lower form of life than a man who raised a hand to a woman and then blamed her.

  Why hadn’t he seen what Drew was capable of? If he had, he probably could’ve circumvented the events earlier. Scrubbing his hand down his face, he blew out a breath. That might be wishful thinking, though. Monsters often didn’t let on until it was too late. And that’s certainly what Drew had done. Looking down at his hands, he saw how red they were. He also noticed the scars and nicks from old battles. Closing his fists, he also closed his eyes. If he couldn’t control his temper when it counted, then what made him any better than Drew? Maybe his transition into civilian life was never going to take and he would always be one step away from doing the unthinkable.

  The last of the sun sank into the sky, and he saw the undersheriff pull up. Whatever consequences occurred because of his actions were going to be well-deserved. He’d made an oath to uphold and protect the law, and today he had failed spectacularly.

  Mama Bertrand’s station wagon came into view and he felt his heart slow down. Lilly would be taken care of, and he could rest easy while he went through the interview process. It was probably going to take most of the night, and the last thing he wanted was for Lilly to be alone.

  Which made him think of Ruth. He hadn’t had the chance to let Lilly know that her stalker had been released. Another shit-storm in the making. The man he’d called earlier hadn’t gotten back to him, so he still had no idea where the woman was or what sort of restrictions were being placed on her movements. The undersheriff approached, and he knew that next couple of hours were going to be brutal. The department took these things seriously, as well they should. Which meant his actions would probably cost him his job.

  That, surprisingly, didn’t bother him as much as the question that kept circling his mind: Was he worthy of Lilly if he was capable of that kind of violence?

  That wasn’t something that was going to be answered right away, but eventually, it would. And until he could answer it himself, he didn’t think he should be around her.

  All he’d ever wanted was for her to be safe. If that meant him giving her up, then he would. He was going to be the last person in the world who caused her pain.

  ***

  The street was finally clear as the last of the sheriff’s vehicles drove down the road. The discussion with the undersheriff was about as bad as he’d guessed it was going to be. He was supposed to get in contact with his union representative and meet him down at the station in about an hour. He had enough time to check on Lilly before he made the call, so he trudged up the porch stairs and picked up the pieces of a broken planter. Seeing drops of her blood on the concrete sent another flash of anger through him. Which told him he had a long way to go.

  He walked around the side of the townhome and deposited the broken ceramic into the trash can. Wiping his hands on his pants, he took a moment to get himself together. The last thing he wanted to do was worry Lilly in any way. She had been brutalized, and he didn’t want her concerned about him.

  As he moved back around toward the front of the house, he saw Loren drive up. Reinforcements were arriving. When she climbed out of her car and waved him over, he wondered what she needed. “Hey, Loren.”

  “I hope to God you kept your mouth shut and didn’t say anything to the undersheriff. I know you’re going to have a union person at the interview, but I’m going to be t
here as well. Not going to let anyone pin anything on you for Drew’s crimes.”

  “I thought you were here to see how your sister’s doing,” he replied. “And to answer your question, I kept my mouth shut.”

  “Lilly hates to be fussed over and can take only one of us at a time. Mama’s got it handled for now, and Lucy is bringing over food later. I’m taking care of you so Lilly won’t worry. Everyone has a role, and I’m here to take care of mine.”

  “I don’t need an attorney, Loren. The tapes from the cam on the dashboard tell everyone what I did.”

  Loren stalked up and stood toe-to-toe with him. For a woman who stood no taller than five-and-a-half feet, she sure was fearless.

  “I used excessive force,” he said, “and that’s not acceptable. I’m not going to skirt the consequences.”

  Her hand shot up and covered his mouth, and she gave him a look that would scare most people. Since he’d known her for so long, he wasn’t that impressed. Lifting her hand, she shook her head. “You will never say that aloud again. Let me handle this.”

  “There is no handling of anything.”

  “Yes. There. Is,” she stated firmly. “I’m going to make sure that you don’t end up in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit and the department doesn’t use you as a scapegoat. We will handle the hearing, address any concerns, and accept the repercussions if they are fair. What we will not do is let Drew’s family paint you as the villain so they can save their social standing. We will also not be letting the department make more of this than there is.”

  Tipping back on his heels, he crossed his arms. “Jeez, you’re scary. I’m glad you’re on my side.”

  She punched him in the arm and snorted. “You are family and my sister loves you, so I’ll always be on your side.”

  The events of the day caught up with him, and he wondered if he’d heard her correctly. “Did you say Lilly loves me?”

  “Yes. She hasn’t said it in so many words, but she does. I can see it on her face. You’re the man she’s been waiting for.”

  Slinging his arms around her shoulders, he tugged her in. “If that’s true, then I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

  “Come on, let’s go inside so you can smooch your girl before we go down to the station.”

  “Thanks, Loren.”

  “No thanks necessary. We take care of our own.”

  As they walked up the steps, he reflected on the fact that the Bertrand women had been taking care of him and his family for years. A month after they moved next door, his mama had gotten the diagnosis. Rochelle had jumped right in to help and never stopped.

  He and his family were damn lucky, and it wasn’t something he would ever forget.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Thursday

  Standing against the counter, Brock looked out at the gloomy day. It was supposed to rain later, and it looked like Mother Nature was getting ready to let everyone know who was in charge. The heavy gray clouds sat out on the horizon, waiting. Which was what he’d been doing. Waiting for a threat to manifest itself so he could deal with it and eliminate it once and for all. It was a damn tragedy that he hadn’t seen Drew for what he was. All along he’d considered him a nuisance and little more. What a fucking disaster.

  When he crawled into bed around two, he gathered Lilly in his arms and held her tightly. There was a war being waged in his head and heart, and he had no idea how to make it end. On one hand, he wanted to bind himself to her and never let her go. On the other, he didn’t know if he could. He’d almost killed a man, and there was no way to make that okay. As much as he thought he’d transitioned into being a civilian, he really hadn’t.

  The coffeepot beeped, and he took two mugs out of the cupboard and filled them. Adding cream to one, he stirred it slowly. There was a boiling ball of rage in his gut, and he had no idea how he was going to get rid of it. Seeing Drew brutalize Lilly made him see red, even now.

  When he drove up yesterday, the last thing he expected to see was Drew shaking Lilly with all his might. Seeing her fly back from the impact was the most horrific thing he’d ever seen. And having been on the front lines of the war in the Middle East, he’d seen some nasty shit.

  Slowly he trudged up the stairs, stepped into the bedroom, and was surprised to see the bed empty. There wasn’t any sound from the bathroom, so he walked down the hall into the office and saw Lilly at her computer. “Coffee,” he called out. When her finger went up, he realized she must be in the middle of a thought. Setting the cup down, he then walked over to the chair by the window and sat. He’d been in here only once when she’d given him a quick tour, and he hadn’t really looked around.

  Sitting back in the soft chair, he let his eyes roam over the walls. One was filled with framed copies of her book covers, and another was covered in corkboard. It was divided into sections, and each one had images or quotes, along with notes written on an assortment of papers. Those must be the inspiration boards for the books she was planning. He hadn’t had a chance to talk with her much about her writing, and he was looking forward to hearing more about how her process worked. The books she’d written had impressed the hell out of him. She had the ability to draw a reader in and hold on while she weaved a tale of desire and need, revenge, and sometimes redemption.

  Yesterday’s events offered little redemption for anyone. He and Drew had shown the very worst of what they were capable of. They both had embraced wrath and let it rule their choices. He knew better, but he wasn’t sure Drew did.

  What happened yesterday was about the worst example of a man driven by self-gratification. Drew had never developed beyond an adolescent, as his desires, wants, and needs drove his actions. It was clear that he never learned morality, control, or really anything about basic human decency.

  Watching Lilly’s fingers fly over the keys of her computer made him wonder what she was going to do with this latest experience. Maybe she would turn it into art.

  “Got it,” Lilly said. She picked up her cup and grinned. “Thanks for making coffee.”

  “I thought we were going to have it in bed. I’m surprised to see you up and at it already.”

  Pushing her chair back, she crossed her legs and drank from her cup. “I wanted to write while the feelings were still fresh. I had to get it down before it floated away.”

  “Was there a particular it?”

  “The feeling of being struck. I’ve never been hit before, and I’ve written about it a hundred times. When he backhanded me and then shook the shit out me, I knew I could use it in my stories.” Running her hand along her cheek, she winced. “I had no idea that fear tasted like metal. Or that my ears would fill up with the sound of my heart beating its way out of my chest.”

  “God, Lilly. I never wanted anything like that to happen to you.”

  She played with the end of her braid and shrugged. “Can’t say that I did, either. But since it did, I’m going to use the experience and write about it. Nothing compares. I’ve never been close to being involved in a physical altercation. I have no idea how you’ve lived with that your whole life.”

  “Testosterone,” he answered succinctly. “Also, the genetic chip that makes women and men inherently different. We are programmed to fight, conquer, and procreate, no matter what anyone says. How each man does that is, of course, different, but those are the underlying forces that govern our actions.”

  “It’s that simple?”

  “Ultimately…yes. At least, it is for me and eighty percent of the men I know. You can put a soldier next to an artist and they are probably both trying to do the same thing. How it manifests itself is just different.”

  “But women are capable of violence, death, and destruction the same way men are. How do you explain that?”

  “I’m not suggesting that women are not capable of the things men are. Far from it. I’m saying that the driving forces behind those behaviors are different. It’s the not the how that differentiates men and women. It’s the why.”

&nb
sp; “Interesting.” She turned around, grabbed a pad of paper, and started writing.

  Watching her with a smile, he realized that something he’d said was interesting to her. At least, he thought that’s what was happening. When she finished, she turned back around. “Spark something?” he asked.

  “Yes. It’s an interesting concept and something I want to explore.” Standing, she pulled down her T-shirt and walked over to him. “Thank you.”

  He set his coffee down and opened his arms. She crawled into his lap and shivered. Pulling the blanket off the ottoman, he covered her legs and then held her tightly. “Better?”

  “Yes.” She buried her face in his neck and hugged him back. “How much trouble are you in?”

  “A lot. I used excessive force, and there’s no way it’s going unpunished.”

  “He deserved it. There’s not a man alive who would let Drew’s actions stand without consequence. You ultimately made the right choice.”

  He kissed the top of her head and looked out the window. “The Marines built me into a lethal fighting machine. I’ve been home only a year, and sometimes I’m more warrior than civilian. Seeing Drew hit you made the lethal fighter hard to control.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “You’re not disgusted?”

  Pulling away, she looked at him. “No. Why would I be?”

  “I almost killed a man yesterday.”

  She slid her hand around his waist. “But you didn’t, and that says a lot more about you than anything else.”

  Sliding his hand up inside her T-shirt, he ran his fingers over her warm skin and felt her relax. He hadn’t thought about it that way. Made him feel a lot better. Drew let his anger control him, and he lashed out and struck Lilly. Brock had the same anger, but he controlled it. Barely.

  Truth be told, that was his definition of a warrior. Someone who controlled his actions, emotions, and thoughts and used whatever strength he had to defend and protect others. Which is all he ever wanted to do. He just wasn’t sure if he had himself under control…enough. And until he did, he didn’t know if he should be around Lilly.