When We Fall

by Marquita Valentine

I don’t care what anyone thinks beyond Jase and Rowan’s opinion. And Seth’s—I can’t forget him.

  I smile a little at the thought of my best friend getting married. Honestly, I always thought I’d get married before she did, but that’s what I get for thinking.

  “That’s a gorgeous smile. You should do it more often,” Mark says as he appears out of nowhere. “Need an escort to your car?”

  I swallow as a sliver of dread rolls down my back. “I don’t, actually, but thank you.”

  “My car is parked near yours,” he says. “You can escort me instead.”

  In the past, I would have found him endearing, even with his bonehead move of sleeping with Giselle, but now, all I see is a man who won’t take no for an answer.

  “Where’s that boyfriend of yours? I can’t help but think if you were mine that—”

  “Have a good night, Mark.” I pick up my pace. Almost there.

  Suddenly, I’m grabbed from behind.

  “I was talking to you, Piper. You’re such a rude girl.” He shakes me so hard, my teeth click against one another. “Why do you have to be like that?”

  “Let go of me.” I do a donkey kick, something I learned in one of the fitness programs Mother signed me up for and never thought I’d use. It connects with something soft and he groans in pain.

  “You fucking stabbed me with the heel of your shoe. Little bitch.” He fists his hand in my hair and licks my neck. “Should have known a good girl like you likes it rough.”

  I struggle wildly against him, but it only seems to excite him. Tears of frustration pour down my cheeks and I start to beg him to let me go. “Please, Mark. Just let me go. I promise not to be rude anymore.”

  “Promises, promises,” he says. “I know you’re good for it, Piper, but I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.”

  I throw my head back, connecting with his face, and this time he howls and lets me go. I break into a run. Behind me I hear footsteps and then the roar of a motorcycle.

  Mark grabs me again, digging his nails into my arm and pulling me around. I spit at him and scream for help. He slaps me viciously across the face and I cry out at the pain radiating from my cheek.

  Even at their worst, my parents never hit me.

  Suddenly, the roar of the motorcycle is gone, replaced by the roar of a man. Mark stops shaking me long enough so that we both get a look at…Jase?

  I blink at the vision of him wearing a tux or suit. The tears blur my vision too much for me to tell.

  “Take your hands off her,” he growls, but Mark doesn’t do as he is asked.

  Jase tackles Mark and they roll to the ground, with Jase quickly gaining the upper hand. He grabs Mark by the collar and shakes him, then slaps his face so hard that Mark screams in pain. He punches him in the gut, over and over again, then shoves his knee between Mark’s legs. Mark screeches and I’m torn between wanting to get Jase away and reveling in the sound. I want Mark to hurt for hurting me.

  “That feel good? Feel like a man for hitting a woman like that?”

  “You’re just pissed I had her first and she was coming back for more. Like your last girlfriend.” Mark spits out some blood. “You are so fucked, dude. Once my dad learns about this, I’m sending your ass back to jail where it belongs.”

  “Well, if I’m going to go, then I’ll make it worth it.” Jase pulls back his arm, balling up his fist at the same time. The look on his face is chilling. He’s going to kill Mark and then I’ll lose him all over again.

  Determination propels me into action. “No,” I scream, running to them and grabbing Jase’s arm. “Don’t do it. Please don’t do it.”

  He lowers his arm, then curses into the night air before leveling me with a look. “He deserves it, Piper.”

  Breathing heavily, I tug on him. “I know he does. But let’s go. Please, Jase. Please.”

  With a snarl, he stands up and gathers me to him.

  Mark scrambles to his feet and limps off into the dark.

  “Wish like hell you didn’t stop me.” He inspects me, turning my face into the light. My entire body hurts but all I can think about is keeping Jase safe. “Fuck, Piper. Fuck.” His sexy lips flatten and he cranes his head around, clearly torn between staying with me and going after Mark.

  “I can’t lose you. Promise me you won’t retaliate. Promise me you won’t lay another hand on him.”

  “He shook you, Piper. He hit you.” His touch is gentle, a direct contradiction of his furious tone. “He deserves to fucking die for what he tried to do.”

  “I know…I know.” I sniff and wipe at my face, hissing when I touch my tender cheek. “Can we please go home?”

  The look in Jase’s eyes is chilling. “We go file a report at the police station, or I don’t keep my promise.”

  I nod, swallowing back more tears. “Take me there.”

  Jase

  An hour later, we’re lying in my bed. Piper is snuggled up against me so tight that I doubt a piece of paper could fit between us. Hell, there’s no air between us.

  “What made you show up at the last minute?” she asks.

  “Didn’t realize it was so late. I came to apologize for pouting. Should have gone earlier tonight, then nothing would have happened to you.” My fucking pride almost got her…I swallow.

  “It was no more your fault than mine,” she says softly.

  “You were brave tonight.” So brave. When I pulled up on my bike, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My Piper, so helpless in my eyes, fighting like hell against an attacker twice her size. My Piper getting slapped around. My Piper being shaken so hard that her head seemed disconnected from her body.

  “I was scared,” she disagrees.

  “Bravery isn’t the absence of fear. It’s filing a report on an asshole who assaults you.” Gingerly moving the ice pack, I inspect her cheek. It’s red, but the swelling seems to have come down a lot. Other than a few light bruises, there is nothing else on her that would indicate she brought the hammer down on a would-be rapist. I know that’s what would have happened, all the way down to my bones, if I hadn’t decided to man up and be there.

  Icy fear seizes my heart. What if I hadn’t come? What if I had held on to my pride and stayed home to work on my Mustang?

  Piper laughs a little, but it’s not that tinkling sound I’m used to hearing. “Then I’m the world’s bravest woman.”

  Turning to one side, I cup her unmarked cheek. “I need to be brave just like you.”

  “You were brave. You stopped Mark.”

  “The physical stuff—that’s not a problem for me. I can use my fists to break up fights and my dick to make a woman smile, but my heart…that’s an entirely different matter.” I caress her cheek. “You see, I love you. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.”

  Her beautiful eyes fill with tears. “I love you, too.”

  That empty spot in my heart, the same heart I’d been so afraid of giving to her, fills with her love. She fucking loves me. I’m not empty anymore. Every bit of her love and kindness and sweetness makes me a whole man again.

  A new man.

  The man who walked out of Western Prison is not the same one lying with Piper Ross in his arms tonight. She’s helped change me for the good.

  Her mouth quivers. “What if Mark says I’m lying? Do you think my dad will defend me?”

  I’d like to think her dad would take his only daughter’s side. She’s never gotten in trouble before and tells the truth like no one’s business, but she’s also betrayed what they view as their trust by moving out. And now that she’s openly dating me…

  “Fernandez seemed like a decent guy—I think he believed your story.”

  She sighs, bowing her head a little. “Lie to me, Jase. Lie to me and say that everything will be okay.”

  With a heavy heart, I look her straight in the eye and say, “Everything will be okay, Piper.”

  Chapter 18

  Jase

 
The next weekend, Piper and I decide to have some friends over and grill out in the backyard. Okay, so I allowed Piper to have a themed backyard party, because I’ll do anything to make sure that fucker didn’t ruin life for her.

  For the most part, I think the incident, as she calls it, made her a little less innocent and more wary of people in general. But she’s having a good time. Every time she laughs, my gut clenches at the sound.

  Seth and Rowan are there, along with a few of our neighbors whom I went to high school with. Everyone is talking, eating, and generally having a good time like her. Okay, like me, too. I could get used to shit like this.

  “This is fun, right?” Piper asks, kissing my cheek. She’s dressed to match the theme of our party in a checked sundress and four-inch heels that have ribbons lacing up her shapely calves.

  I’m so going to fuck her while she wears those. Swear to God she wore them just to give me ideas.

  I flip a couple of burgers and check the chicken that’s grilling below the patties. “If you’re having fun, then I’m having fun.”

  Piper pouts a little. “My party is fun, admit it.”

  “There’s no fighting. No loud music. Too many adults.” I wink at her. “And we’re all discussing local events. Art events, by the way.”

  “Things have changed around here.” She smiles up at me. “Thank you for letting me invite people over.”

  “Anything for you, kitten.”

  There’s a screech of tires. I drop the spatula and make my way around front. Piper and everyone else joins me.

  My eyes widen as a squad car, with lights blazing, pulls into my driveway.

  Hunter gets out. “You. We need to talk.”

  Hands in the air, I start to back up. “I didn’t do it.”

  “Didn’t do what?” he asks, advancing on me.

  “Whatever it is you think I did.”

  “You didn’t confront Mark Williams in the parking lot of The Oaks Country Club?”

  That little shit. “Yeah, I talked to him about his manners.”

  Hunter sighs. “You’re going to have to come with me.”

  “The fuck I am.”

  Piper gets in front of me. “Jase did nothing wrong. All he did was talk to Mark.”

  She’s lying for me. To a cop. Holy fuck. “Get behind me, Piper.”

  “No.” Piper marches up to Hunter, shoving her finger into his chest. “You can’t arrest him. He only shoved Mark away from me. I filed a report about what happened.”

  “Yeah, that’s why I’m here. I haven’t read the report, but your man’s wanted at the police station for questioning over a security video from the night of Mark’s attack.”

  Piper glances back at me, her face pale. “I shouldn’t have filed it—I’m so sorry.”

  Hunter pushes her out of the way and she stumbles. I lunge for her, trying to catch her, but end up tussling with Hunter. Piper goes down hard on one knee.

  “Seth,” I roar. “Get Piper out of here. Rowan, too.”

  “You just had to go there, didn’t you?” Hunter says as he cuffs me. “Why couldn’t you cooperate and make my life easier?”

  “This is bullshit and you know it, Hunter,” I snap, struggling against him. Inside I’m warring between punching him and staying calm. I can’t hit a cop, and not because I’m opposed to it. “You’re a traitor.”

  “For doing something different with my life? Call me whatever you want.” Hunter spins me around and begins to bodycheck me. “But if you don’t calm down, I’ll be forced to arrest you.”

  Piper’s eyes are wide. Her chest is rising up and down in a familiar shallow pattern I’ve seen before.

  “It’s okay, baby. I’m all right,” I assure her. “Take deep breaths for me while Rowan gets your meds from the nightstand in my bedroom.”

  Rowan takes off, disappearing inside the house.

  “Let’s go,” Hunter growls, pulling me toward the squad car.

  Piper screams my name and attempts to run after me, but Seth grabs her around the waist, speaking to her in low tones while she fights against him. Where the fuck is Rowan?

  “Please, man. At least let me stay long enough to see that she’s all right,” I plead. At this moment, I don’t care if I have to get down on my hands and knees to beg. I will do whatever it takes.

  “Fine.” He handles me roughly, shoving me against the car in warning. “Don’t run.”

  And risk Piper? Not a chance in hell. “No problem.”

  Piper begins to cough, her face going from pale to bright patches of red.

  “Got it,” Rowan shouts, holding Piper’s inhaler high in the air so that Hunter can see. “Meds only.”

  Straining against my handcuffs while I force myself to stay, I watch as my sister helps Piper take her meds. I count to ten with them and don’t breathe until she does.

  My body slumps when color returns to her face. Our gazes collide.

  “I’m okay. It’s okay. Everything will be fine. I promise.”

  “But you didn’t do anything but protect me,” she says, her voice cracking. “Please, Hunter, he didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Piper, I understand why he did what he did to Mark, but that doesn’t change the fact that he broke the law and put a man in the hospital.”

  “I didn’t fucking touch him like that,” I shout. “I’m being set up. Swear to God, Piper, I didn’t fuck him up him later. Swear to God.”

  “I know. I believe you.” Piper swipes at her tears. “Please let me go to him.”

  Hunter’s lips thin before he nods once. “Make it quick.”

  Piper stumbles to me, her ridiculous heels nearly tripping her. She falls against me, wrapping her arms around my neck to keep from hitting the ground. She peppers my face with kisses.

  “I know you’re telling the truth because you would never break a promise to me.”

  I want to put my arms around her so bad that it’s slicing my heart to ribbons. “I promise you. Fuck, this isn’t right.” Somehow we crash together again, her mouth moving frantically against mine. She is kissing me in front of everyone while I’m in handcuffs and pressed up against a squad car with lights flashing.

  Piper is staking her claim on me. She’s not ashamed of being with me, not even when I’m at the bottom of the barrel.

  “I love you,” she breathes.

  “Love you, too.” I run my lips across her cheek. “Everything will get straightened out. I have you for an alibi.”

  “Yes, you do, and I’ll keep shouting it until someone listens to me.” She starts crying again, gently dropping her forehead to my chin. “I hate this. Why does this have to happen to you, to us? You were finding your way, figuring things out…I was—I am so proud of you.”

  “God, I love you.”

  “Time’s up,” Hunter says before dragging me away from her. He stashes me in the back of his squad car, then leans down. “If you can behave, I’ll take off the cuffs and we’ll keep what happened here between us.”

  “You won’t arrest me for slightly resisting you?”

  “I wasn’t here to arrest you in the first place. Just to bring you in for questioning, which I would have explained had you not lost your fucking mind.”

  “Old habits and all that. But I’ll be a good boy.” I turn, giving him my wrists. The handcuffs come off and I massage my skin as I sit back in the seat.

  “Jase.” Piper calls my name and I find her in the small crowd. “I’ll wait for you.”

  You wouldn’t have to ask me to wait for you. I would just do it.

  A huge lump forms in my throat and I can’t say a damn thing.

  Piper’s eyes stay glued to mine the entire time. As we drive off, I turn, not wanting to let her out of my sight until it’s physically impossible to see her.

  “For what it’s worth, I believe you didn’t touch the guy,” Hunter says.

  “Oh, I touched him all right, but I didn’t beat his ass like he deserved.”

  “What did he do
to get you so pissed off?” Hunter asks.

  Jaw clenching, I look out the window. “He put his hands on Piper, shook her like a rag doll, and slapped her for daring to turn him down.”

  “Fuck,” I hear him whisper.

  “So yeah, I wish I had been the one to break his face, but I made a promise to keep my nose clean. I wanted—no, I want a future with Piper.”

  “We’re only questioning you. Then you’ll be free to go.”

  “Yeah…so, does that video show what Mark did to my girl?” I already know the answer. Hunter wouldn’t have been shocked by what that asshole did to Piper if it had.

  He shakes his head. “No. Sorry.”

  “I’ll have to meet with my parole officer afterward.”

  Hunter glances at me in the rearview mirror. “I’ll get ahold of him for you.”

  “Appreciate that.” I look out the window and my stomach roils. The last time I was in a squad car, I ended up in prison. I can’t go back there. I refuse…

  “Never the ones who actually deserve to go to jail, is it?” he asks.

  “Money and power have that kind of effect on the justice system.”

  “But maybe not this time.”

  “Yeah—maybe not.” But I’m not holding my breath. However, for the first time, I’m praying that things end differently for me.

  Piper

  Once the cop car is out of sight, I slump against Seth’s truck. “What’s going to happen to him?” I ask Rowan.

  Her face is ashen. “If they even think he’s remotely guilty, he’ll go back to jail. I know they’ll find any excuse to send him away.”

  A whimper leaves me. “Jail? He can’t…I can’t…”

  Rowan starts to cry softly while trying to hide the fact that she’s crying at all.

  Seth takes her in his arms. “I know, sweetheart. I know.”

  “It’s so unfair. He already took the fall once. They won’t investigate like they should. All they’ll do is take one look at the video, his rap sheet, and say, close enough.” Rowan bangs a fist against Seth’s chest. “I’ll never get my brother back. Never.”

  A wave of impotent rage washes over me. There’s nothing I can do to help. There’s nothing I can say.