Part 31 (1/2)

This made sense.

”Okay then, why would he do that?”

”That, I don't know. That's why Vance is here.” I looked to Vance then back at Brock when he kept going. ”He works for Lee too and he doesn't owe me, I'll owe him but he's gonna nose around and see what he can learn so I can prepare for whatever h.e.l.ler's planning.”

This should have p.i.s.sed me off.

It didn't.

It scared me.

And it scared me because that night Brock threatened Damian, Damian decided to take Brock down a peg. He might be facing serious jail time but that wouldn't matter to him.

Brock had not only threatened him, he'd shut the door in his face then he stood in my living room at my window and waited until Damian did what he was told, something Damian wouldn't take kindly in a serious way. And last, but not least, he stood between Damian and what Damian wanted.

I knew from experience that Damian could play dirty, mean and as nasty as nasty could be to get what he wanted. He might be looking into Brock but if he didn't find anything, which he wouldn't, then he'd still find a way to f.u.c.k with Brock's life. And f.u.c.king with Brock was f.u.c.king with me, f.u.c.king with Rex and Joel at a time when that situation was tenuous at best and f.u.c.king with Brock's family who I'd come to care about and were in the throes of their own turmoil.

But, bottom line, first and foremost, he'd be f.u.c.king with Brock.

And I couldn't allow that.

So I made a decision.

”I need to make a statement to him,” I announced.

”Come again?” Brock asked and, automatically, my hand fisted in his flannel but I didn't notice it.

”Tomorrow,” I whispered, ”I'll go into the Station with you and I'll press charges against Damian. a.s.sault, battery and rape.”

The room filled with crackling electricity that snapped vicious against my skin.

And this wasn't coming from Brock.

It was then I remembered we had an audience and I looked to the men at his bar.

At what I read on their faces, I tensed.

Uh-oh.

”Sweet Tess,” Brock murmured but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the men at the bar and Brock kept talking, ”I didn't share. They didn't know.”

I closed my eyes tight, turned my head to face his chest and clenched his s.h.i.+rt harder.

d.a.m.n, now I was blurting that s.h.i.+t out w.i.l.l.y-nilly.

I felt Brock's big, warm hand over mine at his s.h.i.+rt, pus.h.i.+ng in hard so I had no choice but to unclench and then he pressed my hand flat to his chest as he whispered, ”Hey.”

I pressed my lips together and continued to scrunch my eyes closed.

He gave me an arm squeeze.

”Baby, hey.”

I opened my eyes and tilted them up to him.

He looked into my eyes and a shadow pa.s.sed through his.

”Look at me,” he said gently.

”I am,” I whispered.

”No, sweetness, look at me. What do you see?”

I felt my throat clog.

”Don't go there, stay here with me,” he urged softly, I swallowed and he pulled me closer, dipping his face lower. ”I took that away, baby, you gave it to me. Don't go there, don't take that weight back. Look at me, see me. Feel this,” he demanded gently, his arm tightening further, pulling me even closer, his hand pressing mine into the warm, hard wall of his chest.

”Where are you?”

”I'm with you,” I said quietly.

”Yeah, Tess, you're with me.”

I held his eyes for a moment then closed mine and did a face plant in his chest.

The fingers of his hand at mine curled around tight.

”This is free,” I heard growled and I opened my eyes and turned them in the direction the words came from and saw Vance's infuriated gaze locked on Brock. ”No marker. This I do for your woman.”

I felt my belly tighten with shock as my fingers wrapped hard around Brock's at his s.h.i.+rt.

”I work that angle too,” Hector announced and my eyes shot to him to see he, too, had his furious, dark eyes locked on Brock.

”Uh...” I mumbled but they were on the move.

”You see to your woman and your boys,” Vance declared. ”We'll get to work.”

Um.

Wow.

I didn't know them, like at all, outside of the fact they were hot. But I liked them.

”Appreciated,” Brock muttered.

They tore their eyes from Brock and looked at me.

”Tess, next time, hope it's better circ.u.mstances,” Vance said to me.

I did too.