by Lynn Stevens
I nodded and he leaned in for the kind of kiss that can knock a girl’s socks off. And shirt and panties and anything else she had on. He sat me on my feet and backed out of the room until he turned to his right into the kitchen.
Nothing could steal the smile off my face, not even if I broke both legs falling down the stairs.
Chapter Eight
Josh and I spent every waking moment together over the next several days. I refused to do anything other than kiss him, but I wanted to do more. I mailed the ring on Friday morning. When I knew in my heart that Sam had it, I would be free. I estimated it would take three days at the most to get to his house. Josh went with me. He didn’t ask me if he could do it for me. He didn’t offer to pay or to go inside. Instead, he drove me and waited in the car while I did it on my own.
With less than two weeks before Lena and Ryder’s Vegas wedding, time was more valuable than diamonds. I rushed around with my cousin, helping her find the tiny details she wanted. It wasn’t every day you get married, she’d said on more than one occasion. Then she’d clasp her hand over her mouth to cover up her faux pas. I never called her out on it. Of the two of us, I had the most experience planning a wedding. Although, I didn’t do as much as I would have liked. Truth was I envied Lena for going to Vegas. It was probably the best way to do it. I’d had the whole dress-fitting thing and hated every minute of it. The cake tasting would’ve been more fun if my mother hadn’t been with me. Each bite was “too sweet” or “not sweet enough.” I shook the memories from my head. All of that was over. It needed to remain in the past.
“You seem so much happier lately,” Lena said after she finished off her twenty-dollar salad. “What’s going on?”
I tried to cover my smile, but it wasn’t going to be retained. “Nothing.”
“Liar.” Lena’s grin was wider than my own. “Something I need to know about? Or would you rather keep it to yourself for the time being?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I stared at the plate before me, doing my best to hide the blaze growing on my neck and up to my cheeks.
“Uh-huh.” Lena’s nails drummed against the table. “And Josh’s sudden glow has nothing to do with it either?”
My head shot up fast enough to cause whiplash.
“That’s what I thought.” If Lena’s grin widened anymore, she’d break past the edges of her face. “Don’t worry. It’s just between us. Ryder wouldn’t notice if Josh spelled it out for him. He’s wrapped up in school and the wedding.”
She didn’t mention Josh again for the rest of the meal. I was a little sad she hadn’t pushed harder but also a little grateful. My relationship with Josh hadn’t been defined. I wasn’t sure if it was anything other than convenience, or if it was something more. The only thing I did know for sure was how much I appreciated his patience. After everything I’d been through with Sam, I didn’t want to trust anyone. Josh made that easy. He never did anything to make me distrust him.
The morning rush kept my mind on coffee and muffins, but the memories of the last few days since Josh’s declaration helped brighten my smile. I wasn’t ashamed to admit it, either.
“What’s got you in such a whistling mood?” Dani asked. She wiped the counter after spilling an entire pitcher of steamed milk. Dani may have been a few years younger than me, but she knew more about the world than I did. She’d become something of a friend since I’d worked at Café Bristol. I really wanted to trust her. “Get laid or something?”
I laughed, snorting the Italian roast out of my nose. It burned like hell, but nothing was ruining this mood. “Dani!”
She threw her head back and laughed. The sunlight streaming in bounced off the metal of her lip ring and highlighted the new blue streak in her now dark hair to the point it was incandescent. Dani and I had nothing in common, but I admired her. She didn’t shy away from being herself, and she didn’t care what other people thought of her either. I wished I could be that carefree.
“Relax,” she said once she collected herself. “Don’t be such a prude. Sex is amazing.” She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. “If it’s not sex, then it’s something else. Love, maybe?”
Shaking my head, I held up my milk-soaked towel. “How does someone so talented with paints have no ability to hang on to a small metal pitcher?”
“Nice change of subject,” Dani said as she tossed her own soaked towel into the sink. Her gaze shifted from the counter to the door. “Ever think life should be more than serving coffee to already over-caffeinated people?” Before I could answer, she shook her head. The normal Dani expression of amusement returned. “Then again, it could be worse. We could both be like the schlemp across the street who is so clearly lost.”
I moved beside her to catch a glimpse of the so-called schlemp. His back was to us, but I could see the old-fashioned paper map hanging from his hand. The light gray suit hugged his body in all the right places. Laughing at my own brazenness, I turned away and headed into the back room for clean towels.
“You left too soon,” Dani shouted. “That dude was hot.”
“In your world, every guy in a suit is hot.” I stepped back to the counter just as the lunch rush began. There wasn’t any time to chat anymore. I kept thinking about the guy across the street. Mainly because it had been so long since I’d blatantly checked a guy out. It seemed like such a normal thing to do. I couldn’t stop thinking about what other normal things I could do now that I was free from Sam.
My shift was ending after a steady flow all afternoon. Dani and I barely had time to chat about anything other than lattes and muffins. Most of the time there was a lull between one and three, but a bus full of tourists stopped near the market and people streamed into the streets with their digital cameras and knee-high black socks.
Dani opened the fridge under the counter and sighed loudly. Sometimes I wondered if she wouldn’t have fared better as an actress. “Val, could you please get some soy milk from the back? My feet are killing me.”
I shook my head and grinned at her. “Yeah, sure.”
Dani’s feet were always killing her or growing blisters the size of the sun or whatever else she came up with. I slipped through the double doors and loaded up a small cart with other things I’d noticed we were getting low on. The bell chimed, announcing for anyone in the back that there was a customer. Tugging the small cart behind me, I headed back toward the front.
“Is Valerie available?”
Chills crept down my spine like walking fingers. A late summer heat wave couldn’t have warmed me up. I’d know that voice anywhere. It had occupied my waking nightmares for years and my actual nightmares for months. The last few days were the only time I hadn’t thought of him. Or felt the fear he perpetuated in me. I thought I was free. I should’ve known better.
“You just missed her.” Dani was polite, but her tone was guarded. She didn’t know who was out there, only that I didn’t really know anybody around here. Some strange guy asking for me wasn’t good. “Would you like to try our non-fat caramel macchiato? It’s my specialty.”
I could picture Sam leaning against the counter, smiling at Dani as if that was all a girl needed to fall for his line. His face would be light, but there’d be a dangerous glint in his blue eyes that screamed “don’t mess with me.”
“Or would you prefer an Italian roast?” Dani’s voice strained slightly.
“I’ll take a shot of espresso.” Sam paused. I wanted to risk a peek through the window to see what exactly he was doing to Dani. He cleared his voice. “And any information on Valerie Woods.”
“Keep your money.” Dani slammed something ceramic on the marble counter. “And get out.”
“Now, now, that’s not very good customer service. How would your boss react if he discovered your indiscretion?”
“He’d give me a raise.”
Sam laughed, genuinely amused by Dani’s stance. “Just tell Valerie her fiancé is looking for her. Better yet, don’t tell her
. She loves to be surprised.”
Realizing I’d been holding my breath, I exhaled. Each muscle tightened until I thought my entire body would snap in two. The chime rang again, but I didn’t move. It could’ve been someone coming in or Sam leaving.
“He’s gone,” Dani yelled. I cringed at how loud her voice was. If Sam stood outside, he could’ve heard her.
“How do you know?” I whispered.
The door opened enough for Dani to stick her head into the back room. “He got into a car and drove off.”
I closed my eyes, willing my body to move.
“Is that true? Is he your fiancé?” Dani tilted her head to the side and stared at me as if she was seeing me for the first time.
“Was.” I let go of the cart and pushed through the doors, stopping only to grab my purse on my way toward the front door.
“Val?”
I paused for a second with my hand on the old-fashioned doorknob. “Tell Artie I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
Tears streamed down my face. It took all my strength not to run. That would only draw unwanted attention. The humidity of a typical Chicago September drowned my lungs, and I was drenched in sweat half a block from Café Bristol. The roses in the small community garden that prettied up an abandoned lot scented the air. The sweetness only made me ache more.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find you?” He laughed, and my blood turned to ice. “It wasn’t hard, you know. I simply hired a private investigator. He tracked you to this… place. You shouldn’t have used your social security number. It would’ve taken longer.”
My feet froze at the sound of his voice. I couldn’t even speak.
“But I still would’ve found you,” he snapped.
I bit my lip, blood coating the tip of my tongue.
“Valerie? It isn’t nice to ignore your fiancé. And it certainly isn’t nice to run out on your own wedding.” His shoes clicked against the sidewalk as he stepped closer. I swear the roses wilted from the overuse of his cologne.
He slipped his hand up my arm, causing another round of shivers to roll through me. His fingers glided up my neck and into my hair. I knew what was coming next. He dug in and yanked my head back. It wasn’t as hard as he’d done before, but we were in the middle of a street. If anyone passed us, they’d probably assume we were just lovers stopping by the garden.
“Please don’t,” I begged.
His rough lips cut over my neck. “Don’t what? You promised to be mine, Valerie. Remember? I got down on one knee and asked you to be my wife.” He pressed his body against mine as his teeth grazed my ear, biting harder than a sexy nibble. “I told you when I proposed that we were going to be together forever. Did you think that meant you could leave whenever you wanted?”
He bit harder, and I stifled my scream.
“Because I’m such a nice person, I’ll give you tonight to say goodbye to your cousin. Don’t think I’m the bad guy here, Valerie. You’re the one who abandoned me. You’re coming home with me, too. So have your last night with Lena drinking and acting like the whore you are. Consider it my wedding gift.” He pulled his head back and smiled like there was nothing to worry about. “You wouldn’t want anything to happen to her, would you? Or that crippled guy she’s seeing? I didn’t think so.”
My breath caught in my throat. I was both horrified and relieved. He didn’t know about Josh. He wouldn’t hurt him. But Lena? And Ryder? Honestly, I knew Ryder would give his life for Lena, but it shouldn’t be because her kindness to me brought them danger. Ryder had sacrificed enough.
What about Josh? Sam wasn’t stupid. He’d figure it out sooner rather than later. I’d lose everything.
I closed my eyes and nodded. Sam thought he had me in his grip again. He was arrogant enough to think I would go with him of my own free will. He lifted my hand and slipped the ring back on my finger.
There was only one thing I could do. Run. I had to run to protect the people I loved.
My options were limited.
“Good girl.” He stepped away from me and into the street. “I will be outside tomorrow morning to collect you. And, Valerie, don’t try anything stupid. I really don’t have the patience to track you down again.”
Try anything stupid? The only stupid thing I could do would be to willingly go with Sam. That couldn’t happen. I live in fear with him for the rest of my life or I could run. Running was a much better option. Only this time I’d change my name and I would go somewhere far away where I didn’t have a family.
Once he turned the corner, I sprinted the rest of the way home.
Home.
Such a simple word, but it would never mean anything to me again.
I closed the door to my room and locked it. Like an idiot, I’d unpacked my few bags a few weeks ago. I never should’ve done that. At least I had stored my one suitcase and duffle in the closet instead of taking it to the basement unit. I pulled them free, stuffing my clothes inside and not caring about whether or not they wrinkled. It took me all of twenty minutes to pack up what little I had. There were a few things that I’d have to leave behind, but they weren’t important.
The last thing I grabbed was the cash I’d saved up. Fear of Sam finding me stopped me from opening a bank account. I stuffed the cash into a secret compartment in my laptop bag. That was the one thing I’d keep with me at all times. The computer was my access to the world. I gathered all the bags up and stopped at the door.
The room wasn’t anything special. White walls, white dresser, a bed without a headboard. I’d never tried to decorate, but it was mine. I stared at the bed where Josh had curled his arms around me and slept, never once asking for more than what I could give him. Shaking my head, I kicked my duffle into the hall and closed the door behind me.
Sentiment wouldn’t help. I made it to the front before I stopped again. Leaving an apartment I’d lived in for just over seven months shouldn’t be this hard. I swallowed and wondered what had gotten into me. Inhaling until my lungs might burst, Josh’s scent filled my lungs.
I couldn’t leave without a piece of him. Taking the steps two at a time, I found his favorite USMC shirt laying on the floor of his room. The hem was frayed and several places had been worn thin enough to almost see through. I remembered the first time I’d seen him in it, three days after he’d come home. He hadn’t noticed me, and definitely hadn’t heard me. I stood in the door to my room, watching as he vacuumed the living room. His arms stretched as he pushed the vacuum and tightened as he pulled it back toward him. It was sexy as hell. I didn’t want to admit it then, but I could now.
He would miss the shirt, but I would miss him more. And I needed a piece of him with me or I wouldn’t survive. No matter what happened from this point forward, Josh had done the one thing that nobody else had. He believed in me.
That meant everything.
God, I didn’t want to leave.
But I had to.
I ran back down the steps and gathered my bags. Without looking back, I opened the front door.
And slammed right into Josh.
He grabbed my arms to keep me from falling onto my ass.
“Whoa, Val, where’s the …?” He glanced down at the suitcase and duffle bag still in my hand. Then he met my gaze. The tears rolled down my cheeks like a mudslide. “You’re leaving?”
“I have to.” Each word stabbed my throat. “He’s here. And I … I can’t be.”
Josh didn’t say anything, but he didn’t move. His hands slid down my arms and his fingers pried the luggage free.
“He’s going to hurt Lena,” I protested as he stepped into the room and I was forced to step back.
Josh dropped the bags down in the middle of the room.
“He’ll hurt Ryder.”
With his foot, Josh kicked the door closed.
“I’m … I don’t want him to hurt you,” I said, collapsing into his arms.
“Tell me everything.” His breath stirred my hair.
I shook my head. “Yo
u’ll … think I’m an idiot. And I couldn’t stand it if you thought of me like that.”
Josh pulled away from me and took my face in his hands. “I would never think of you like that. You’re the bravest woman I know. Whatever he did to you, he won’t do it again. Understand? But I need to know what I’m up against.” His eyes searched mine. “Please?”
Nodding, I stepped away from him. “It will be easier if I show you.”
Josh crossed his arms.
I turned away from him, not because I didn’t want to see his face. Lifting my shirt over my head, I exposed the worst of the damage Sam had inflicted. Josh’s gasp echoed off the walls. Then his fingers traced the scars on my lower back. I spun slowly until his face was even with the stomach where a series of cigar burns scarred the skin. My fingers unbuttoned my jeans and pushed them off my hips until my upper thighs were visible. The scars there weren’t as bad as my lower back. Josh pressed his forehead into my stomach, wrapping his arms around my thighs.
“He said nobody else would want me if I was damaged.” My voice was far calmer than I felt. I’d never shown anyone what Sam did. I’d never felt like I could.
“You’re not damaged, Valerie.” Josh kissed my stomach then stared up at me. “He’s never going to hurt you again. You have my word.”
“You don’t know him.” I ran my hand over his short Marine Corps haircut. It was so much softer than it looked.
Josh stood, stiff as if he was lining up for inspection with his squad. He crossed his arms again. “I’ve been shot three times. I’ve faced insurgents and war in parts of the world you’ve never even heard of. Do you seriously think some guy from Iowa who cuts his woman scares me?” Josh bent down so we were eye to eye. For the first time since I’d met him, I saw the soldier who would die for his country. “This ends now.”
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Then I won’t.” He relaxed and pulled me against his chest. “Look, Val, I’ve never felt more alive or more… right than when I’m with you. And I’m not going to sit back and let that bastard hurt the woman I lo… care about. Okay?”
