Lead Me Home: A Fight for Me Stand-Alone Novel

by A. L. Jackson

He wrapped his little arms around his mom’s neck and grinned.

  I shifted my attention to Brenna before leaning closer to her, my words a hushed whisper, “Remember . . . you are strong. You have control of your life. You have control of your body. You have the right.”

  Her head bobbed along, her lips barely moving as she repeated the support group’s mantra.

  I moved in and hugged her tight, my mouth at her ear. “Believe it.”

  Stepping back, she swiped a tear from her cheek. “I do. Thank you.”

  For a beat, she looked over my shoulder at the people I could feel staring at me. Giving me space while invading it all at the same time.

  I could hear Frankie Leigh jabbering the way she loved to do, and Rex and Kale added little things in. But it was Ollie’s silence that was most notable.

  “I’ll see you Tuesday night?” It was an affirmation and encouragement all in one.

  She had to make the commitment even if Caleb was making it hard for her.

  “I will . . . I promise.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll see you Tuesday, but if you need anything in the meantime, you know to call me. Don’t hesitate.”

  “I won’t.”

  A desperate sort of a plea wound its way into my tone. “Please . . . Be careful.”

  She blinked at me as if she were searching for the things I couldn’t say. “I will. I promise.”

  For a moment, we both stared at each other before I gave her an encouraging nod toward the door. “I’ll see you soon.”

  With a timid smile, she turned and made her way through the shop and out into the summer heat.

  I just stood there, hoping beyond hope that she would stay strong as she ducked her head and headed down the sidewalk.

  The whole time, I was contending with the shivers racing across my flesh.

  The awareness that slipped and sped.

  I ran my hands up my arms, trying to chase the overwhelming feeling away.

  Pinning on a smile, I shifted around and headed in the direction of my friends.

  Ollie had remained standing, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his massive chest, watching me as if I’d committed some sort of mortal sin.

  I did my best to ignore it, the tumble of nerves that worked through my body just at the sight of him standing there.

  So wickedly gorgeous.

  Jeans and a fitted tee.

  The man a wall of muscle.

  I turned toward the table. “What are you guys doing here?”

  Frankie Leigh squealed just as she was digging a big spoon into the ridiculous concoction she had in her sundae glass.

  “We’re eatin’ ice cream!”

  “Is that so?” A warm giggle slipped free.

  Frankie started to ramble, staring up at me while she spooned ice cream into her mouth, “I’ve been missin’ you, Auntie Nik! Where you been? Workin’ at Pepper’s Pies? Did you know my mommy made a brand-new kind of pie? Blueberry. I helped. I think I wanna name it Blueberry Blast. Will you write it on the chalkboard for me?”

  “Of course, I will,” I told her. “First thing Monday morning when I get back to work.”

  She grinned. “Did you know my daddy’s going to build you a big, big house? Do you think it’s going to be bigger than ours? Because my new house is so big . . . so high. But it’s not a skyscraper. Nope. It’s just two stories, but I have two stairs, one in the kitchen and one in the living room. My momma used to live there with Gramma Corinne. Did you know that?”

  Frankie rambled on as if what she’d just let on was no big thing. As if she didn’t have my entire being jarring back from the shock.

  My attention whipped to Rex. A guilty expression rode on his too-handsome face. “Excuse me, but what did your daughter just say?”

  Frankie sighed and lifted her voice. “I SAID, my daddy is gonna build you a new house.”

  A frown pulled across my brow, one I tipped in Rex’s direction. “That’s what I thought she said.”

  Rex scrubbed a hand over his face. “Not like that . . . was gonna talk to you about it once I had some more details.”

  My frown lifted. “More details? Sounds like there were plenty of details to me.”

  Kale laughed. “Don’t get those knickers all up in a twist, Nik Nik. Haven’t you ever heard not to look a gift horse in the mouth?”

  “You mean, punch a gift horse in the mouth?”

  He busted up laughing. “Feisty.”

  Not feisty.

  Angry.

  They didn’t get to go making decisions for me.

  I should have known Rynna was gonna say something to him. I knew she meant well, but that didn’t mean it didn’t make me feel as if they all thought I was helpless.

  I turned back to Rex. “We’re going to talk about this.”

  “I figured we would.”

  “Nothing to talk about.” The husky voice hit me from behind.

  Shivers raced, and I bit back the irritation that wanted to fly from my tongue. The rest of my friends were just worried about me, even if they were sticking their noses in my business where it didn’t belong.

  But Ollie . . .

  I knew Ollie would be a whole different issue.

  I tucked the conversation away for later and pasted on a grin, doing my best to change the subject, the direction of their thoughts so I could figure out a way to get out of there with the least bit of attention aimed at me.

  “So, what’s with all the hotties at the ice-cream shop with their kids? Breaking a million hearts just by being here. You guys are nothing but a danger to society.”

  Kale laughed. “Danger to society?”

  “Um, yes.” I gestured with my chin across the shop to the three women sitting together with their kids.

  “The only thing left of those poor women over there is a puddle of drool and a mess of wet panties. It’s a sad, sad state of affairs.”

  “Panties?” Frankie’s nose was all scrunched up in confusion.

  She was getting way too clever for her own good. I was going to have to watch that.

  “Oh, I was just joking,” I told her. “Your daddy and your uncles are just so good-looking, they break hearts without having to say a single word. Good thing your daddy only has eyes for your mommy.”

  Evan grabbed the notepad sitting in front of his dad and scribbled across it.

  My chest squeezed.

  Painful, perfect affection.

  My daddy doesn’t break hearts. He fixes them.

  This kid.

  “Of course, your daddy fixes hearts,” I told him, wishing I could sign it because it meant so much, Evan’s heart now beating strong because Kale had saved him almost two years ago. I could never quite imagine what kind of bond that might forge.

  Unshakeable.

  At least that I knew.

  “Because your daddy is the best.”

  A rumble of something echoed from Kale’s chest. “All right, all right, no need to get carried away. We already know I’m awesome.”

  “Ish,” I told him.

  Couldn’t let it all go to his head.

  He winked at me.

  I took a step away, ready to bolt, to get away from the energy that crawled over me from behind. “Well, it was so nice to see you all. Hopefully we can get together soon. I’ve been missing my little pumpkins. I need some Auntie Nik time.”

  “Yeah.” Chills flashed with the single word. With the rough caress of Ollie’s voice. “I was just heading out, too. I’ll follow you back to my place.”

  “I walked,” shot from my mouth. If Caleb was keeping tabs on my car? The last thing I wanted was it sitting out front for him to see when I was inside with Brenna.

  “Then I’ll give you a lift.”

  My head whipped that way. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

  He stuffed his big hands in his pockets. “Well, I think it is.”

  I could argue with him right there in front of everyone. What good would it do? It
would just prolong the inevitable. But at least that would have bought me some time to figure out what to say.

  I said my goodbyes, and Ollie said his. Frankie jumped into his arms and gave him a big hug, peppering his bearded face with little girl kisses that he didn’t seem to know how to take yet reveled in at the same time.

  The man a twisted dichotomy.

  Ollie headed toward the door, and I followed.

  Chained to him in some profound, inexplicable way.

  Because honestly, I owed him no explanation. But there I was, following right behind him as if I didn’t have a choice.

  Bound by these zaps of awareness.

  Electricity tapped.

  Both of us feeding off the other until it became so big we were consumed by it.

  We ducked out into the blazing heat. Instantly, we were washed in the overpowering scent of honeysuckle and blazing stars, the air so thick it was almost sweet as it slicked our skin in humidity.

  The burly, overbearing man strode for his truck, which was parked at the curb. He opened the passenger door and held it open for me.

  “Thank you,” I muttered.

  Ollie only answered with a tight dip of his head. His entire demeanor was rigid as he climbed into the driver’s side and started the old, rambling engine.

  I swore, that old truck only shook us up more as we traveled the short distance back to his building.

  My lungs squeezed almost painfully when I attempted to draw in a breath.

  Everything sharp and too tight.

  He pressed the button to open the sliding door that led to his garage. Slowly, we entered into its darkened depths.

  The garage door dropped behind us, and it felt as if it closed off the rest of the world.

  We disappeared into it.

  Into a place that was only Ollie and me.

  Anger and attraction and regret.

  God. It was so hard sitting at his side and feeling like that was exactly where I was supposed to be and knowing those thoughts were nothing but foolish.

  I couldn’t allow him to affect me like this.

  He parked in the mess of all his metal, his collection of cars and motorcycles just as powerfully beautiful as the man.

  He came around and helped me down.

  I said nothing, just headed for the old warehouse elevator that had been restored with the rest of the place.

  I felt as if I was stepping into a cage as Ollie slid the restored metal gate closed.

  Prisoned.

  Oh God.

  His brutal energy hammered through the confined space, radiating from the walls, slamming back into me. Fed by the flashes of light that blipped through the bars as the elevator clanged and churned and rose.

  The elevator jerked as it came to a jolting stop at the top floor, and I stumbled. Ollie’s hand darted out to steady me.

  Burning on my hip.

  Fire flashed.

  I sucked in a breath, pinned by that sapphire gaze.

  His exhale was close to pained as he opened the gate where it dropped us right at his door. We moved out into the enclosed hall, and he unlocked the door to his loft, stepping in behind me.

  Sunlight streaked through the big windows and poured into the rambling space, stretching for all the darkened, shadowy corners.

  Anxiety clawed across my chest.

  I wasn’t ready to answer his questions about Brenna, even though I could feel the weight of them from the harsh pants he exhaled through his nose.

  Dropping my head, I started for the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

  Needing to escape.

  “You gonna tell me who you were sitting with?”

  His voice came from right behind me.

  Heated chills streaked across my skin. As hot as the sun.

  “A friend,” I told him.

  “A friend?” It was all a challenge, and I whirled on him, ready to put him in his place. Because I didn’t owe him a damned thing and he sure as heck didn’t have any right to question every single person I spoke to.

  Ollie was right there, dipping to get in my face. I swallowed around his blistering potency.

  “That girl was terrified of me, Nikki, and I’m pretty sure I know your friends, considering all your friends are mine.”

  “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

  “Bullshit,” he spat. The force of the word pinned my back against the wall. He only backed me further into it by taking another step forward.

  Towering over me, his teeth ground as he issued the words a breadth from my lips. “Tell me what the fuck is going on. I know whoever that girl was is linked to what happened at your apartment.”

  I tipped my head up so I could meet his stare.

  Black sapphire. Hard as steel.

  “I already told you, there are some things you can’t know, Ollie.”

  He tugged at his hair, agitation thick, eyes pinching before he loosed an uncontained growl as he flew around as if he couldn’t stop himself.

  A punch landed against the opposite wall.

  I shrieked and flinched.

  Fear tumbled down my spine.

  Not for my physical safety. Just for the sheer ferocity of the man.

  Ollie unhinged.

  Losing it.

  Hanging on by a thread.

  He roared and whirled back around before his words dropped so low they seeped from between clenched teeth. “I know you’re hiding something from me. I know it because I know you.”

  He slammed that same fist into his chest, right over his heart. “And I can’t protect you if you don’t let me in.”

  I shoved at him, unwilling to allow him to do this. Unwilling to let him look at me as if I was the center of his world.

  His gravity.

  The only thing that kept him anchored when he continually kept me adrift.

  “You don’t get every part of me, Ollie. Not anymore.” Hurt bled with the words.

  I stormed for the bedroom I’d so stupidly begun to think of as my own. I had to get the hell out of there. I couldn’t stay a second longer.

  Seth had told me to stick close, but I didn’t know how to do that, not with Ollie affecting me this way. I had no clue what I was going to do or where I was going to go.

  All I knew was I had to leave.

  I banged into the door.

  The breath jerked from my lungs in another shriek when one of those big hands snatched my wrist and tugged until I was spinning around.

  Before I could make sense of it—before I could process it—he had me pressed against the dresser that sat against the wall.

  Both of those big hands had me by the face.

  A war flashed through his expression. A battle that raged.

  It only lasted a second before his mouth crashed against mine.

  Crushing.

  Devouring.

  Overpowering.

  And oh God, did it ever feel good.

  I whimpered, and my lips parted.

  He took it as an invitation.

  Or maybe he was just breaking in.

  His hot tongue slid against mine, and a ball of want so huge I could barely breathe around it built in my center.

  Desire and need.

  Old, old love.

  If only it wasn’t encased in a shell of bitterness. Gelled by jagged, broken hurt.

  My hands flew to his wide, wide shoulders, and my fingernails sank in.

  I didn’t know if I was holding on or pushing him away.

  A needy moan escaped my throat, and I clung to him in a way I knew I shouldn’t. In a way I couldn’t. Yet, there I was, wanting to crawl right inside him. Wanting to stay there forever. Where everything felt perfectly right and there weren’t a million things wrong around us.

  I felt so small against him, every massive inch of his body covering mine.

  Eclipsing everything.

  He kissed me as if he’d gone mad.

  The man finally undone.

  Lost but searching for a way
to break out of the labyrinth that held him hostage.

  Those big hands spread across my shoulders and rode down my sides until he was palming my bottom and tugging me against his hips. It elicited a pant, and my heart thundered in my chest.

  As frantic as his.

  I felt the world tremble around me when he rubbed himself between my thighs. His cock so big and hard where it pressed against his jeans. As daunting as the man.

  Heat spiraled. A vortex of dark greed. A need I couldn’t afford to feel.

  But it was there.

  I sucked in a desperate breath of desire.

  Ollie struggled to get me closer. He rocked and rocked. Creating this friction I could feel sparking between us.

  A match and gasoline.

  “Nikki . . . sweet girl . . . God. Why do you feel so good? So fucking good.”

  I could feel his torment slide out with every word. With every wayward thrust of his hips.

  I meant to push him away, but my fingers moved to the longer pieces of hair at the top of his head. I fisted two handfuls of it and held on while he consumed my mouth and my knees buckled out from under me.

  Hiking me up, he wrapped my legs around his waist, holding me while his lips danced in a delicious push and pull.

  Tongue exploring.

  Teeth nipping and tugging.

  Delirium.

  I ripped my mouth from his and prayed it would afford me some good sense, gasping for air as I panted toward the ceiling.

  It only made things worse.

  Ollie kissed along my chin and across the exposed skin of my throat. He lapped up and down the sensitive flesh, nipping and biting as he continued to grind himself against my center, which throbbed almost painfully.

  God.

  I wanted him.

  I wanted him so badly, but sometimes it was the things we wanted the most that would destroy us in the end.

  “Nikki,” he rumbled again.

  A guttural groan of pleasure all mixed up with agony.

  So dark and needy.

  “Ollie.”

  It was a whimper.

  Hope and love and everything I’d ever wanted.

  He palmed my breast, and he brushed his thumb over my nipple that pebbled with his touch.

  I ached.

  I glowed.

  I pressed deeper into his hold, and he practically growled. “These tits. Fuck, Nikki, you drive me out of my mind. What the fuck am I doin’? What the fuck am I doin’?”