Intertwined Hearts Series (4 book collection): (Intertwined Hearts, An Exceptional Twist, Tangled Paths & Grafted Vines)

by Kimi Flores

  Wiping the hair away that was stuck to her face, I tried to get a better look at her injuries without making a big production. “But we need to call the cops, sweetie.”

  She pulled away and stared up at me with a distraught look. I wanted to strangle the son of a bitch who’d laid his hands on her.

  “No, please,” she whispered. “I promise it’s not as bad as it looks.”

  Dammit, what did that mean? “Dani, someone obviously assaulted you. The police have to get involved.”

  The trembling of her split lip killed me as she continued to cry.

  “Is the asshole who did this to you coming back?”

  Big fat tears rolled out of the corners of her eyes and slid down the sides of her nose. “I—I don’t think so. But I’m not sure.”

  Then it hit me. It had to be one of those motherfuckers who’d gotten in the car in front of me. Had I known I was a few steps away from the scumbags who’d done this, I would’ve taken the very hands that had dared hurt Dani and break every fucking bone in them. I had never experienced this level of hatred and revenge, but I couldn’t let her feel that rolling off my body. Right now, she needed me to be strong for her, and I had to calm the hell down.

  “Why don’t you go change while I call the police.” I needed a minute to reel in my fury while she covered up.

  She nodded and walked down the hallway, shoulders slumped and Stella hot on her trail.

  By the time she returned in her stretch pants, loose fitting button down, and her hair up in a ponytail, I’d already made my call and grabbed a bag of frozen peas. Not knowing how long it would take for the cops to get here, I sat on the couch and motioned for her to join me.

  Stella jumped up on my lap, only moving when Dani plopped down beside me. I grabbed one of the throw pillows, placed it on top of my thighs, then patted the soft fabric, silently asking her to lay her head down. Once she was settled on her side, I placed the frozen bag on her injured face and massaged the back of her head as Stella snuggled in the crook between her bent legs and arms.

  It didn’t take long for her to start snoring. I flicked the TV on for background noise while my mind raced, searching for answers I didn’t have. A temporary solution came to mind, but I wasn't sure how she’d react to it. While she slept, I had plenty of time to figure out how to convince her that it was the best option all around.

  And the only option I was giving her.

  It seemed to take forever before I felt and heard the tremor of strong footsteps approaching the condo. I whispered in Dani’s ear, “They’re here but stay put, I’ve got it.”

  I left her on the couch, holding the now soggy bag of peas to her face. I pulled the door open to see two police officers. A distorted male voice sounded from the walkie-talkie attached to their shoulders.

  “Did you call about a domestic disturbance?” The female officer spoke first.

  “Yeah, someone hurt my friend.” I opened the door wider so they could step in and see who I was talking about.

  Dani sat up, holding Stella as they walked in. Even with the frozen bag on her face, her mouth and nose were still swollen and a dark purple circle was beginning to form under her eye.

  “Do you need medical attention Ma’am?” The male partner asked.

  “No.” Her voice was small.

  I sat down beside her, holding her hand for support.

  “Do you want to tell us what happened?” The female officer flipped open her notebook and got her pen ready.

  Dani looked at me, unsure as more garbled voices and beeps came from the walkie-talkies.

  I didn’t want to ask, but she looked like she didn’t want me there. “Would you rather I leave?”

  She shook her head, looking down. “No, I’m just—embarrassed.”

  I held her face between my hands to make sure she would see the sincerity in my eyes. “You have nothing to be ashamed about, you understand?”

  Sucking in her bottom lip, she winced then nodded.

  Tension crept into my shoulders as she explained that she’d recently started dating a guy named Eric. They’d gotten into an argument this morning, he got angry, grabbed her arms, shook her, then pushed her away, causing her to stumble and whack her face.

  My blood was boiling by the time she was done.

  The part that surprised me was that she answered each question so factually and showed little emotion. I wondered if it had anything to do with her father being an officer. He may have taught her that all they needed were the facts without all the embellishment.

  When they asked to take pictures of her injuries, she handed Stella to me and got up. After snapping a few shots of her face, the female officer asked if she could see where he'd grabbed her.

  Dani looked insecure for a moment before taking her blouse off, leaving her in a tank top and her stretch pants. There were two obvious sets of handprints on her upper arms, one set older than the other.

  The veins on my neck bulged as I ground my teeth together.

  She tried pulling up her tank to cover the ones on her cleavage, but her breasts were on the large size and there wasn’t enough material to conceal the marks.

  “What about these older bruises? Had he abused you before?”

  “No.” Her voice was small again, and the officer didn’t look convinced. Dani cleared her throat. “They weren’t welcome, but I didn't tell him that, so no, he didn’t assault me before.” Her perpetual slouch was back. Why was shame her go-to emotion? Did she think this was her fault? That she’d asked for this?

  There were a few more questions before they finally left, including a few I didn’t catch since the other cop started talking to me about what I’d witnessed.

  When the officers were gone, I reached back to make sure the door was completely shut and locked, then I walked Dani down the hall to her room, knowing how spent she was. “I’m going to stay here while you get some sleep.”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m sure you need to get back to the—”

  I cut her off. “It’s not up for debate. I’m off work today and staying here with you.”

  Relief covered her tired face, and she couldn’t hide it even if she tried.

  “Lay down.” Leaning in, I kissed the top of her head. This was no time to worry about mixed signals so I took off my shoes and joined her in bed. I might not have been capable of giving her the type of relationship she wanted, but I sure as hell could comfort her when she needed me. Filled with protectiveness, I pulled her toward my body, and she wrapped her arm around my stomach. In that moment, she was safe. With me.

  “Don't worry about anything right now. Just sleep, sweetheart.” I kissed the top of her head once more. Though I was still in turmoil over what’d happened to her, the selfish bastard in me was in complete bliss when I felt her body melt into my side.

  Fuck me, I was in trouble.

  Chapter Seven

  Dani

  My head throbbed as I groaned and buried my achy face into the soft pillow. I’d barely opened my eyes, just enough to see that my room wasn’t quite as bright as it had been when I’d first knocked out while molded to Zachary's side. I sat up quickly, looking for him when I faintly heard his muffled voice in the distance. From the living room, I guessed.

  He’d stayed.

  Relieved, all the tension left my shoulders and I exhaled, forcing myself to get out of bed. I wondered what time it was.

  “Okay, that works for now,” I heard Zachary say in a low voice. “I’ll see what changes she’ll want and we can go from there.”

  Stopping in my tracks as I turned the corner, I found him on my couch, Stella happily laying on his lap. His cell was pressed to his ear as he moved her onto the sofa. As soon as he saw me, he got up and came toward me. His hand lifted to cup my cheek as he examined my face and continued his phone conversation. “Yeah, he’ll love that for dinner, just don't let him talk you into any sweets. He’s been trying to sneak more, and it’s throwing his blood sugars.”

&n
bsp; I crinkled my eyebrows together, but his finger swiped across my forehead, trying to smooth out my frown lines.

  “Thanks for helping out today, Samuel.” His face lit up. “Yeah, I know, I know—Okay, I’ll tell you when I’m back. Later.” He slipped his phone into his back pocket, and he placed both hands on my face. “How’re you feeling?”

  I leaned into his touch. “Better. Thanks for letting me sleep.” Yawning, I stretched my arms out. “What time is it?”

  He scowled, continuing to look at my injuries. “Four.”

  Surprised, I jerked my head back. “Wow, I never sleep that late. You must’ve been so bored hanging out here.”

  He lowered his hands. “No. Not really.”

  “What did you do while I slept?”

  “I took a small nap, which I never get to do, then I made some calls and straightened up a bit.”

  I’d been so preoccupied by looking at him that I hadn’t noticed he’d cleaned up my condo. While I appreciated the help, I hoped he hadn’t found anything embarrassing. Plus, I didn’t need him cleaning up after something I had allowed to happen. It was just another reminder of how the only other man who picked up the pieces of my life was one I couldn't have.

  I crossed my arms protectively over my chest. “You didn’t have to do that. I would’ve taken care of everything when I got up.”

  His eyes were soft. “Nope. I need you to do something else.” He pulled my hand until we were both sitting on the couch and Stella was on his lap again.

  I couldn't blame her for choosing his lap over mine; she obviously felt just as safe with him as I did.

  “The kitchen stuff is already done, but I need you to pack up your personal items,” he said matter of factly.

  Confused, I gave him a blank look.

  He held my hands between his large callused palms. “I’ll listen if you want to talk about it, but I’m not going to ask any more questions. That doesn’t mean I’m going to just sit by and not do anything. You already said you were going to move out as soon as possible, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting you stay here another night. I know you like your independence, but I took the liberty of having one of the villas at the vineyard set up for you.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but he stopped me.

  “Before you shoot me down, please hear me out.” He scooted forward so his ass was on the edge of the sofa and turned at an angle to face me. The look on his face was set. This hadn’t been a quick trigger solution. He had processed this and prepared his argument. “First, we’ve talked about you working with Dad, and this way, you’ll already be on the property. It’s the villa closest to the house, but you’ll have complete privacy. You can stay as long as you like, even if that means while you search for another place, but there’s no time limit. It’s been unoccupied most of the summer and, once the fall is over, most of the other villas will also be empty.”

  I just blinked at him. Well, damn, he’d pleaded a good case, but I still wasn’t sure I could stay that close to him without having a little more distance to escape to at night. The villas were only yards away from the main house. I still needed to learn how to be alone with my own thoughts and feelings. Could I do that, knowing temptation was within walking distance?

  I glanced around. I definitely didn’t feel safe being by myself in the condo anymore, so it might be my only option for now.

  “I can see your wheels spinning, Dani. There’s nothing to think about,” he insisted.

  Biting my thumbnail nervously, I gave in, at least for now. “I don't know what to say.”

  “Then don't say anything. We’ll leave as soon as you’re done packing.” He slapped his knees in victory. “We can move your furniture in, or you can use what’s already there and we’ll store your other stuff.”

  “Most of it belongs to Bri. I was planning on giving everything back to her.” I pointed to the burn mark on the couch. “Well, once I get some of it fixed. I only own my bedroom furniture.”

  “Don’t worry about it, then, I’ll work it all out with Josh. I’ve already called him to advise him and Bri that I was going to try to talk you into leaving the condo today. Don’t worry I told them there was a break-in but you weren’t here at the time.”

  Panicked, I started for my phone. “I have to call Bri and let her hear my voice. They don’t need to worry about me right now.”

  Touching my arm gently, Zachary smiled down at me. “She wasn’t surprised by the break-in. She was amazed it hadn’t happened earlier with all the parties going on. Both of them are thrilled you’ll be out at the villa, and Josh has offered to help move you.”

  Once again, I was speechless. I wasn’t used to someone stepping in and making decisions for me. And though I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, I didn't exactly hate it.

  Stella jumped down, looked up at us, and whined, making sure we knew she had to go to the bathroom.

  Zachary snickered as he stood and pulled me to my feet. “I’ll let her out and make us something to eat while you pack. Don’t worry about the other stuff. I’ll have movers here this week to bring everything else to you.” He pointed to the dining room. “My buddy who owns the restaurant I visited today brought those boxes by an hour ago.”

  I gulped, overwhelmed and touched that he was doing all this for me. “Wow, I can’t believe how much you accomplished while I slept.”

  Shrugging, he opened the slider. “I can’t sit still, and wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to agree.” He smiled, and I could see how happy he was to help me.

  He had no idea how conflicted I still felt. It was scary giving him the reins yet I was so relieved he’d taken the lead. I’m sure it wasn’t going to be easy for me to live so close to him, but it was worth a try.

  At least I hoped it was.

  Chapter Eight

  Zachary

  I placed the hot cast-iron skillet in the oven, just under the broiler then closed the door and laid the oven mitt off to the side. The eggs only needed about five minutes to set and hopefully Dani would be here by then.

  She’d been living on the vineyard these last few weeks and had come over for breakfast each morning. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t tried to impress her with each meal I’d served. Sitting across from her first thing in the morning had become my favorite part of the day.

  Asking her to move here was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I loved that she was now with Dad and me every day. Not only had she brought a sense of comfort to both of us, but her help had taken away a lot of my stress. She’s spent most of her time with Dad, evaluating his condition and spoiling him with lots of dancing and walks out in the field.

  Each time I caught them, a small piece of my determination would crumble away, which wasn’t smart. Instead of seeking them out each afternoon, I’d started taking advantage of the extra help by catching up on work that had been piling up.

  As much as I’d like to say this move has been productive for Dani and my renewed friendship, it had also been distracting for me to watch her at night as she walked around the paths, taking in the fresh air, seeming to try to make sense of her life. Her external injuries had healed, but it was the scars she carried inside and didn’t talk about that still worried me.

  There had also been moments where I’d felt like such a creep, but I couldn’t help myself. When she wasn’t paying attention, I’d take advantage and enjoy watching her beautiful curves. How her hips swayed just enough and how I remembered the feel of her voluptuous ass in my palms. If she only knew the thoughts that raced through my head.

  Late last night after I’d caught sight of her through the kitchen window as she snuck out to her truck, wearing nothing but a very thin nightgown, I almost ran over to the villa and busted down the door. It was uncomfortable walking upstairs immediately afterward. I had to jump in the shower to cool off.

  I kept telling myself I couldn’t act on those urges. It was my impulsive actions that had gotten me into so much trouble in the p
ast. So instead, I tried to do everything within my willpower to be the kind of friend she deserved, even to the point of keeping track of that jackass, Eric. When I’d learned that he was out on bail, I knew it was time for us to bring Stefen into the mix since he was a lawyer.

  Once she opened up and told everyone in our group what had happened and felt their support, she’d thanked me over and over for encouraging her to do so. I don’t know why but she'd been so surprised when she saw how protective everyone had been when it came to her.

  Stefen had convinced her to file a restraining order and helped her every step of the way. With me by her side, of course.

  I could tell my dad was thrilled to have her living here, too. When the three of us sat at the kitchen table together, he’d referred to it as our family mealtime. Every time, he’d said it as if it was a new revelation to him and because he’d begun to repeat himself a lot, I didn’t expect anything different at this morning’s breakfast.

  Stella and Buddy had re-established their partnership, as well. Where one went, the other followed. And at the end of a day of digging, playing, and supervising all activity on the vineyard, they would cuddle up with each other, content that their humans had finally gotten their shit together.

  Everything just felt right and made me think about new possibilities. I’d been forcing myself not to read too much into those thoughts. Just knowing Dani was safe, living so close had set me at ease. It felt like we were finally finding our way.

  A knock sounded on the kitchen door, calling Buddy’s attention. He ran up to it expectantly as I yelled out, “It’s open.”

  Flustered that I’d lost track of time, I grabbed the oven mitt and pulled the pan out from under the broiler. The eggs and cheese bubbled on top, filling the room with their incredible aroma. They were cooked to perfection.

  I wiped my hands on the towel draped over my shoulders as the door opened and Stella trotted in. That little mutt cracked me up. Smiling, I shook my head as I watched her stroll in like she owned the joint, passing Buddy on her way to the living room. Buddy of course followed her like he always did.