No Fear (Bomar Boys Book 3)
Author: Bryant, Jess
Date: 2017-01-30

No Fear

Bomar Boys

By

Jess Bryant

Every small town has that one family that’s more savage than civilized. The ones that are more myth and legend than man. In Old Settlers, Oklahoma that’s the Bomar boys. Wild, reckless and vicious, they skirt the line of criminal and trip over it more often than not. They are their own punchline: white trash but proud beyond compare. Dirty and dangerously sexy, it’s best to steer clear of them or else risk your life… and your heart. These are their stories.

Rachel Grant lives every day in fear. Scared that she’ll always be the kind of girl that nobody notices. Scared that her brother will figure out quiet doesn’t mean deaf or stupid. Scared he’ll put together that she knows far more than she should. And what she knows has her fearing for her life because in a small town like Old Settlers everybody knows that you don’t cross the Bomar boys.

She needs help. Somebody she can trust. Somebody strong. Somebody that can protect her… and she knows just the guy.

Remy Bomar ran away from what being a Bomar meant when he was eighteen. Ten years later, he’s finally come home and he’ll do anything to take back his place within the family. He didn’t protect the people he loved when he was young and he won’t make the same mistake again.

When the cute, shy, girl next door looks up at him with fear in her eyes, what he feels is far from simply protective. He wants her safe but he also wants her to be his. Being a Bomar, those two things have a tendency to be mutually exclusive, particularly since his family has a traitor hell bent on hitting them where it hurts.

What happens when the truth comes out? When Remy finds out she knows far more about the threat to his family than she’s been letting on? When Rachel has to choose between her family, or his? Will they find the strength they need to overcome their fears once and for all?

*No Fear is the third book in the Bomar Boys series but can be read as a stand-alone. Each book features one couple and a HEA but will build on each other so they are best read in order.

**Warning** - This book contains explicit language, sexual scenes and violence. Though not depicted, mentions of abuse are key to the story and can be a trigger for some.

NO FEAR – BOMAR BOYS 3

Copyright ©2017 by Jess Bryant.

Cover Art: Image Design by Romanced By The Cover

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used factiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Chapter One

Remington Bomar was not a good man. Good men didn’t run away when the going got tough. They didn’t abandon the people that meant the most to them, people that relied on them for protection and safety. They didn’t drink themselves into oblivion so they wouldn’t have to face their mistakes. Good men weren’t selfish, violent forces of nature so no, Remy wasn’t a good man… but he wanted to be.

All his life, he’d told himself that being born a Bomar meant that he’d never had a chance. Good men didn’t exist in his family. It wasn’t his fault. But then he’d come back, come home after ten long years away, and he’d seen the truth.

It wasn’t about his DNA. It wasn’t about his last name. It was about him and the choices he had made. The choices he would have to make to change. He wanted to be better than what his blood said he was and he knew that would be an ongoing daily battle, particularly since he’d decided to stay here.

In Old Settlers, Oklahoma being a Bomar came with a long list of expectations and all of them were bad. It was well-known and widely understood that the Bomars ruled the darker underside of their small hometown. Between the boozing, brawling and whoring they’d built up a legend as dangerous, out of control bastards that was more truth than myth. The vast majority of them was either a criminal a liar or a thief and for the most part they all checked more than one of those boxes on their best day.

They were simply born bad.

Some people said they were hellions, others called them devils and either way they weren’t wrong. There was something inside of them, inside all of them, that made them violent and mean. It made them lash out when other people, normal people, would have simply walked away. It made them choose the hard way every single time the high road was presented.

Remy couldn’t deny that there was a part of him that craved violence. Even his younger brothers, who were the most well-liked and law-abiding of the bunch, were prone to fits of rage and anger that left a path of destruction in their wake. But the twins had overcome their demons and he had to believe that meant there was hope for him too.

His little brothers had made better choices because they were better men than their father and uncles and cousins. They’d distanced themselves from the family while Remy had been gone and he was more proud of them for that than he could say. They’d decided to live their lives within the confines of the law instead of outside it and they were clean. They were good men and they’d built good lives for themselves.

But the line Cash and Colt had drawn in the sand divided them from the rest of the family. It set them apart and though they would always have the Bomars to protect them from the rest of the world, they’d been too young, too naïve, to know that drawing that line also meant they’d need protection from the family.

Remy felt his fists clench at his sides at the thought. They’d taken advantage of his brothers. All of them. And maybe it shouldn’t have surprised him knowing what he knew about his family but it had. Because it had been Lincoln that masterminded the entire thing. Lincoln, his eldest cousin, his oldest friend, and the one person Remy had trusted with the truth, with his real reason for leaving when he’d been a scared, eighteen year old kid.

Even when they’d been young, Lincoln had been the self-appointed leader of their group so when Remy had left town, he’d trusted his cousin to do right by his brothers. He’d asked Lincoln to look out for them, take care of them when he couldn’t. Instead, the bastard had conned Colt into working for him. Lincoln had given Colt dirty money in exchange for brawling in an illegal underground fight club as the family’s champion. He’d let Colt lie to Cash about it for years and he’d almost gotten him killed.

Not even a month ago, Colt had been attacked for no other reason than the fact that he was a Bomar. He’d won a fight for Lincoln and someone else had lost money on it. They’d lashed out first by hitting the businesses and then, when that hadn’t gotten their message across, they’d assaulted Colt and left him fighting for his life.

That was when Remy had found out what was going on and he’d damn near lost his mind he’d been so furious. Lincoln was everything about the Bomar family that he despised. Selfish, manipulative, violent. He was not a good man either but the fact that Lincoln had agreed to let Colt out of his deal and have Remy take his place in the cage, was the only thing that had saved him a beating of his own.

Remy gripped the counter in his kitchen and tried desperately to get a grip on his anger. Just thinking about Lincoln could put him into a full on rage these days and it was a good thing his cousin was nowhere nearby or he might have strangled him. Instead of focusing on just how good it would feel to wrap his hands around Lincoln’s throat and squeeze, Remy focused on his family.

They were here. All of them. At least all the ones that mattered. His brothers and their women. Women he’d begun to think of as his sisters. Women that were showing his brothers, and him, what it meant to truly be a family. That’s what the four of them, soon to be five of them, were, his family and he intended to protect each and every one of them.

His younger brothers had both arrived for this impromptu family meeting with their significant others in tow. Neither of them ever went anywhere alone which wasn’t that strange really. They’d never done anything alone, ever. Cash and Colt had always been a team, from the very start, but now they weren’t two halves. They were whole, each of them, and the reasons for that were obvious.

Remy watched as Cash whispered something in his fiancé’s ear that made her blush the same color as her hair. His little brother easily lifted the feisty redhead out of her seat, dropping into it and then depositing her onto his lap. One of his hands instantly went to the swell of her belly, stroking it protectively as they whispered to each other.

Remy tore his gaze off the happy couple when they started kissing but that meant seeing Colt wearing the same soft look his twin was sporting as he spoke to his new girlfriend. The willowy blonde shot Remy a small smile but his brother caught her chin, turning her gaze back to him and said something that made her giggle. A moment later Colt too was kissing his woman and Remy was again forced to look elsewhere.

Because watching Cash and Jemma, watching Colt and Skylar, it made something dark and ugly twist at his guts.

Jealousy.

He didn’t want Jemma or Skylar. God no! He didn’t want them but he wanted what his brothers had found with them.

Peace. Acceptance. Love.

He hadn’t needed to spend much time with the couples to realize that the women in his brothers’ lives had done a lot towards making them into better men and he wanted that for himself. Someone that could give him the same serenity that Cash had found with Jemma. The same understanding that Colt had recently found with Skylar. And, as had become common in the past few weeks, thinking about his brothers and their significant others meant thinking about her.

An image of a woman, a girl really, rose up to taught him just that fast and easily. Dark hair, big blue gray eyes, pale skin and rosy red lips that reminded him of strange things like princesses and knights in shining armor. Only she wasn’t a princess and he was about as far from being a knight as a man could get.

But damn if he didn’t think they might be able to save each other.

Remy smiled softly to himself as he thought about her, about her sweet smile and the way her eyes lit up when she looked at him. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking of her right now. Not here and not now, but just thinking about her managed to soothe the worst of his anger. And telling himself not to think about her was useless, pointless, because she was all he thought about, all the time, from the moment he met her.

Something had happened to him that day. He couldn’t explain it. Couldn’t put it into words. But the moment he’d seen her, the second their eyes connected, an electric current shot through him and as swift as a bolt of lightning he’d felt something in his chest split open, realign, as if his heart knew to make room for her.

He’d been around the world. He’d seen the dark, dirty sides of life and the equally dark and dirty parts of people. He’d seen the evil that people tried to hide. He’d experienced it firsthand. He knew enough about bad to know a good thing when he saw it and she was a good thing.

Good. Sweet. Kind. Innocent. Too innocent for a man like him that was for sure. Too damn young too. But none of the reasons he should stay away from her mattered because he couldn’t. He’d tried. Not hard but he had tried, at first. He couldn’t any more stay away from her than he could stop blinking.

He wanted her like he’d never wanted anything. Needed her like he needed air to breathe and live and maybe that was the thing that struck him hardest. She reminded him that he hadn’t been living, not for ten years, maybe longer.

“What are you smiling at over here all by yourself?”

Remy glanced up at the sound of a sweet, knowing voice and realized Skylar had snuck up on him while he wasn’t paying attention. She was good at that. She always seemed to be hanging out on the edges of his life, looking for a moment to barge her way in. The pretty blonde had decided they were going to be friends sometime during the mess with Colt. So far, no amount of scowling had convinced her otherwise and honestly, he liked that about her. He figured that was how Colt had ended up wrapped around Skylar’s little finger in the first place. The woman was damn hard to deny when she wanted something.

He had to forcefully tell his lips not to curl when he looked at her, “You.”

She scoffed, “Not a chance. I mean I’m cute and sweet to boot but I think I might be a little old for your tastes.”

Her playful teasing earned her a chuckle and her grin was contagious. He’d never had a sister but he thought sometimes that Skylar would have been his first choice for the role. She was cute and sweet, just like she said, but she had hard edges that kept her from getting run over too. She was bold as she pleased and hard-headed as a mule. She was going to make a damn fine Bomar someday and that thought widened his smile.

Skylar and Jemma were the future of the Bomars and for the first time, possibly ever, the future looked bright from where Remy was standing.

Instead of taking the bait and having a discussion that would no doubt lead to his intentions towards Skylar’s young friend, he deflected with a grin, “Sweet my ass. You’re straight up gangster to hear the family tell it.”

“I’m never gonna live down slapping Lincoln am I?”

“Nope.”

She grinned like the cat that ate the canary, “Good. Gives me street cred.”

His smile faltered at the mention of his cousin and some of his good mood waned. For just a second there, he’d forgotten the reason Skylar was standing in his shitty trailer. He’d forgotten why his brothers were huddled together talking amongst themselves while Jemma nodded and stroked Cash’s back reassuringly. The tension radiating off the three of them seemed to swell in a wave and crashed back over Remy where he was standing in the kitchen.

Right. Lincoln. Bomar family meetings. The same old bullshit that always dragged them down. It was time to get to the point, the reason he’d called his brothers and asked to see them despite the fact that he’d been doing his damndest to keep the darkness of their family’s business away from them for the past few weeks.

He’d gotten them out. He intended to keep them out. And that meant convincing them that they shouldn’t be present for his first fight in the cage tonight.

“Okay, hey guys, let’s do this.” Remy cleared his throat and ignored the way Skylar’s lips pursed unhappily before she moved back towards her boyfriend, “I think you all know why I asked to talk to you so let’s get it over with. We’ll deal with the Bomar family bullshit and then you four can get back to your lives.”

A hush fell over the place and Remy shot each of his brothers a glance in time to see their jaws tighten apprehensively. He reminded himself that no matter how much they disliked what he was about to say that he was doing it for them. Part of trying to be a better man was taking care of his brothers this time around. He’d left them behind to deal with their abusive parents when they were just kids. He wouldn’t leave them alone to deal with their destructive family this time.

It didn’t take back what he’d done, couldn’t wipe out the years of their lives that he’d missed, but it was a start.

“What’s the latest?” Colt spoke up expectantly. “Did Lincoln get the fucker that attacked me?”

“Not yet.” He sighed and when Colt cursed he held up his hand, “But he says he’s narrowed it down to a handful of guys and we should know more after the fight tonight.”

“We’re coming.” Cash spoke up then and Remy automatically shook his head.

“No.”

“Yes.” Colt argued.

“No.” He reiterated more sternly, having expected the immediate argument, “You two should stay home tonight.”

He’d gone over this in his head a hundred thousand times and always came to the same conclusion. There was no way the twins could be present at the fight tonight. It was the first time Remy would be stepping into the cage to fight for the family and he didn’t want his brothers there to witness it. Maybe it was selfish that he needed them somewhere safe but far away from him tonight but it was what it was. He couldn’t have them there. Worrying about them, about the girls, would only distract him.

“Bullshit.” Colt scoffed. “We’re coming.”

“No you’re not.”

Colt glared at him, “This is personal for me.”

“It’s personal for all of us. You don’t think I want him caught just as much as you do?” He asked seriously. “Some bastard attacked my little brother and left him for dead. I take that personally. I take it real fuckin’ personally that the bastard is probably a member of Link’s crew. You don’t think he takes it personally one of his own guys turned traitor and hurt one of us? Link might be an arrogant prick but he cares about the family and he’s not gonna let this go without getting blood in return. None of us are.”

They all knew that Lincoln believed the man responsible for attacking Colt was one of their own. Not a family member, of course not, but someone they’d let into the crews that boosted cars and did other dirty work for Lincoln and the boys. Remy didn’t know how anyone could be dumb enough to know Lincoln that well and turn traitor on him but it didn’t really matter who it was to him. He just wanted the guy found and he wanted him handled.

“He attacked me.” Colt continued to argue, “He could have attacked Skylar.”

“Or Jemma.” Cash stroked the soft swell of his fiancé’s pregnant belly and frowned.

“We won’t give him that chance.”

“We want to help.” Colt raised his voice.

“That’s exactly why you can’t go tonight.” Remy glanced between the two women, using his ace in the hole, knowing his brothers would insist on protecting them above all else.

“What?”

“Why?”

“The entire family is going to be at the barn tonight.” He explained when the twins exchanged a glance, “All Link’s guys, all Abel’s guys, everyone is going to be at the barn for the fight. They’re gonna be scouring the crowd, listening and watching. If the guy is there and he’s working against us, we’ll find him. But if he isn’t…” Remy shook his head, “Then he could target us where he thinks Bomars are weak tonight. The businesses. The shops or the garage or…”

“Us.” Skylar spoke up and was promptly hauled into her boyfriend’s lap, as if she were immediately in danger.

“No.” Colt growled.

Remy smiled softly when Skylar rolled her eyes at him but cuddled into Colt, “Nobody’s going to hurt her.” He turned to see Cash with the same stricken look as his twin, “Or Jemma and the baby.”

“Because we’re gonna stay home and protect them tonight.” Cash turned to look at his twin. “He’s right. We can’t take the girls to the barn. They don’t belong there. And we can’t leave them alone. Not while this psycho is runnin’ around trying to hurt us.”

Colt frowned but nodded in agreement, “Fine. I don’t like it but I’ll go along with it on one condition. When you guys get the bastard, you call me because I owe him a hello from the business end of a baseball bat.”

Remy breathed a sigh of relief as they all agreed on a plan for tonight. He would go and he would fight in order to lure the guy out. The rest of the family would be there to watch out for him and to watch for their traitor while his fight served as a distraction.

But he wouldn’t have any distractions. The twins and the girls would be home, safe. That was all he cared about. He would do his part for the family tonight. He would tap into all of the dark, dangerous emotions that made him a Bomar in order to become a good man and he wondered if it was that kind of sick, twisted backwards ass logic that made him a Bomar to begin with.

Family was everything to some people. They loved each other unconditionally. They would do anything to protect each other, take care of each other. They would put themselves in harm’s way just to save someone they loved. She knew love like that existed. She’d seen it. She’d just never experienced it.

Rachel Grant’s family was a complete and utter train wreck of dysfunction.

Her dad had gotten himself locked up for killing a man in a bar fight when she was a kid. After that it had mostly just been her and her mom and a few random guys that stopped in but never stayed long. When she’d lost her mom to the cancer she’d thought she was all alone. Then Craig had come home and she’d wished that she was all alone.

Her half-brother was eleven years older than her and had spent most of his adult life in and out of lock up. He was a violent criminal. He’d inherited every bit of their father’s mean streak and then mixed in paranoia, arrogance and sociopathic tendencies. He took pleasure in terrorizing her. He loved that she was scared of him. He got off on the power, being the one in charge, and his day wasn’t complete until he’d forced her to tremble with fear.

Well, Rachel had to physically cover her mouth with her hands to contain a manic laugh, he’d certainly accomplished his goal today.

She sat huddled in a ball trying to stay as small and as quiet as possible. She’d learned how to hide a long time ago. Invisibility was her best friend when it came to Craig. If he couldn’t see her, he couldn’t hurt her. If he forgot she existed for just a little while, that was even better.

And that was the only explanation for what had happened tonight. He’d forgotten that he didn’t live alone. Forgotten that he didn’t own the trailer, that her mother had left it to her and she had only agreed to let him stay there under duress. Either he’d forgotten or he’d been too worried about looking like a big shot to his buddies to call out for his little sister.

He’d come into the trailer house while she was in the back room, her bedroom, and he hadn’t thought to check and see if she was around. He’d set up camp with his friends, all guys whose voices she’d never heard before she realized about halfway through the conversation. She’d known better than to come out and interrupt them but it wasn’t like she’d intended to eavesdrop. It was a small trailer and even if it wasn’t, the walls were thin. A strong wind would blow the thing apart and every spring when tornado season hit she feared for her life.

Fear was a part of her everyday life. Scared was her default reaction, her standard emotion. Had been for as long as she could remember.

When her father had been around, she’d seen her fair share of violence. Never knowing if the fists he threw would connect with a wall or with a person, with her mother or brother or her. Then there had been the cancer, the fear that she wouldn’t be able to survive on her own after her mother died. The worry about child protective services and money and food and keeping the electricity and water turned on. And then Craig had slithered out of whatever dark hole he’d been living in at the news of her mother’s death and taught her what true fear was.

He’d moved in, claimed everything that was hers as his and his threats alone would have been enough to destroy her last shreds of hope for a better life but of course he hadn’t come home alone. No, she also had to deal with his never-ending string of terrible, disgusting friends that pawed at her like she was a toy for them to play with and tried to force their way into her room and into her more times than she could count.

She’d survived a lot in her twenty-one years, more than any girl should ever have to. Loss and pain, hunger and fear, she’d fought her way through all of it. Her survival instincts were good, well-honed from years of use, but even they were sputtering in the face of what she’d just overheard.

Fearing for her life had become a real thing in the past half hour. Not some exaggeration of her terrified mind. Not some distant worry. It wasn’t even one of Craig’s not quite joking threats this time. Her death was all but guaranteed if anyone found out what she now knew.

She could barely function some days as it was. She stuttered whenever she was fearful or nervous. She jumped at the slightest noise. She was hardly able to hold down a job and really, if Skylar Holland hadn’t taken pity on her when she went into her salon asking about sweeping up the floor for extra money she wasn’t sure she’d have a job at all.

Skylar had saved her life in a lot of ways. She was learning how to be around other people, around men, and not have panic attack meltdowns thanks to Skylar. But right now, in this moment, all of her hard work and progress disappeared.

If she didn’t think of a plan, and fast, Rachel feared she’d never be able to get back on her feet, never crawl out from her hiding place and that Craig would eventually find her here, catatonic and defenseless and easy prey for him to follow through on his threats to take her out. And he would take her out, she had no doubt about that. He would just as soon kill her as risk her telling someone what she had accidentally overheard.

She’d frozen when he came through the door. She’d hunkered down, preparing for the worst, but the worst she’d been imagining was nowhere near as bad as what had actually happened. Because she could have prepared herself if they were drunk or high and wanted to force their way into her room to hurt her. She’d learned to defend herself from those kinds of attacks by now. But she never could have prepared herself to learn that her brother was a traitor.

An idiot? Yes. An asshole? Of course. A murderous psychopath? Sure. But a traitor? And to his own friends? To his crew? The men that he had always chosen above her, above himself, above everyone? Until tonight, Rachel would’ve said that was impossible, but now she knew just how stupid her brother really was.

He’d turned on the Bomars. The Bomars! Men that were renowned for their love of violence and using their fists to solve problems. Men whose idea of a vacation home was their cell over at the local jail. Men that wouldn’t blink an eye when it came to destroying the person responsible for threatening and hurting their own family members. Because family was everything to them.

She knew that the Bomars were criminals. Dangerous, violent thugs that would just as soon beat a person up as talk to them. And they scared her, scared the living hell out of her. But she also knew that no matter what she had heard from Craig and from other people in town, that they weren’t all bad.

Skylar was dating one of them. Colt, one of the twins. Well, one of several sets of twins really but in Rachel’s mind there was only one set that mattered. Colt and Cash weren’t mixed up in the Bomar crime ring if you listened to rumors and she’d certainly never seen them hanging out in the trailer park with her brother like she had some of the others.

Colt had been coming into the salon for as long as she’d worked there and she’d noticed the way he watched Skylar from the start. It had scared her. The intensity of the way he looked at Skylar, talked to her, had worried Rachel. Any man that had ever looked at her like that had meant nothing but harm.

When she’d told Skylar about her worries, her boss had only smiled though. She’d taken Rachel under her wing and explained that sometimes people, like things, weren’t what they seemed. She’d asked Rachel to look past the big, tattooed Bomar boy’s exterior and though she’d been doubtful there was much more to the intimidating man she’d kept an eye on him.

She’d watched his every move for months, waiting for him to slip up, to get angry and lash out, to take instead of giving, but instead she’d seen exactly what Skylar had wanted her to see. Colt wasn’t like the men she knew. He was gentle with Skylar, always tempering his strength to her softness, cradling her close, hugging and kissing her. And the touches, the kisses, they were freely given, not taken, because she’d seen the dreamy, lovesick way Skylar looked at him too.

Colt was a good man, despite his last name. He was still brutally intimidating, rough around the edges and dangerous as hell, but he wasn’t a threat to Skylar. Or to her. It had taken her a lot longer to realize that than it probably should have but it was true.

After she’d let herself believe that every man, Bomar or not, might not be out to hurt the women in their lives, it had been easier to see that Colt wasn’t some sort of anomaly. Skylar’s best friend, Jemma, was engaged to Colt’s twin, Cash, and those two were downright adorable together. Always finishing each other’s sentences, always touching, and Cash doted on his fiancé as if she was his sole reason for breathing.

And it wasn’t just the twins…

Her heart thumped too hard in her chest and she blew out the breath she’d been holding. There was one other Bomar boy that she’d been around recently. He’d been good to her, kind to her, and if she was honest with herself he didn’t scare her at all, at least not physically.

The way her pulse raced whenever he walked into a room scared her. The way her knees went weak when he smiled at her was terrifying. The way just thinking about him right now made her want to leap up and run to him, throw herself into his arms, bury her face against his broad chest and beg him to protect her, made her fear for her sanity.

Because she couldn’t run to him.

He was one of them. He might not be involved in the family business but he was still a Bomar. He might be nice to her but that would stop as soon as he found out the truth. She was related to the traitor responsible for threatening his family and if she told him he might turn her over to his cousins to interrogate and do God only knew what else to.

Even knowing that it was stupid, that it was unfair, that putting him in the middle of her mess would only cause trouble and probably make him hate her, she still wanted to go to him.

Because as silly and stupid as it might be, she was half in love with him and had been from the day she met him.

He’d been so gentle with her that first day on the street when she’d been terrified someone was hiding in Skylar’s busted-up salon waiting to attack her. He’d seemed to understand her irrational fears immediately and instead of telling her that he was safe, that he wouldn’t hurt her, he had shown her. He had spoken softly, made no sudden movements and hadn’t tried to touch her at all. He had been patient as he coaxed her into responding to his questions and somewhere between looking up into the most intense set of navy blue eyes she’d ever seen and the feel of his hand in hers as he bandaged her cut, she’d fallen unequivocally and irreversibly in love with him.

He had earned her trust that day. He was the first man to ever do that. And she thought he had feelings for her too. She had no idea why or how that was possible but she knew that it was.

Men like him, strong, brave, worldly men, shouldn’t be attracted to fragile, breakable, damaged girls but she’d seen the way he looked at her. Nobody had ever looked at her like he did. Not just with desire, there had been plenty of men that looked at her with that, enough to scare her and turn her off the entire gender, but none of them had also looked at her with understanding and unexpected softness like he did.

He hadn’t pushed her. Hadn’t even mentioned their mutual attraction. He’d simply been a friend to her the past few weeks, a good friend. And if she put aside the flutter in her belly at just the thought of him, and focused on what was important right now and in this moment, she knew that wanting to go to him was about more than her attraction to him.

She wanted him, sure, but she needed him for the safety he could provide.

Craig would never mess with her if she had someone to protect her. Someone strong. Someone intimidating. Someone that scared him. And there was only one man she knew that could accomplish all of those things but not scare her to death at the same time.

Her survival instincts kicked in and she rose to her feet. She could do this. She would do this. She had to. It was the only way. The little voice in the back of her head told her it was crazy, a gigantic risk, but it was one she had to take.

He would help her… wouldn’t he?

First things first, she had to get out of here. She quickly grabbed her purse and started searching it for things she would need. She didn’t have a car but she shoved the keys to the trailer inside and then thought about money. She didn’t have much but every penny she’d managed to save was hidden behind the vent in the bottom of her closet. She had to take it with her, wasn’t sure when or if it would be safe to come back here. She was already reaching into the closet when the door to her bedroom crashed open behind her.

Rachel screamed. Her head jerked around and she caught a glimpse of her brother standing in the doorway. She stumbled backwards, trying to put more space between them. She tripped over the shoes on the floor and fell with a panicked squeak, trying to catch herself and pulling half of her clothes and hangers down with her as she fell on her ass.

Craig chuckled, “Guess it’s a good thing they didn’t name ya Grace.”

“I-I-I…” Her stutter choked the words off in her throat and her tongue wouldn’t work.

Her brother only stared down at her looking half-amused and half-suspicious, “I don’t have time to decode you, Ray-Ray. Just need to ask you a couple questions and yes or no answers will suffice, k?”

She’d started to pull herself up to her feet, thinking being sprawled on the floor that she would be easier to kill but his words stopped her in her tracks. She hated when he called her Ray-Ray, making fun of her stutter, but it wasn’t the dreadful nickname that kept her on her ass, it was the fact that he was asking questions at all, talking to her instead of simply pulling out the gun she knew he kept tucked into the back of his jeans and shooting her point blank.

She nodded, deciding to play along since she couldn’t run or hide.

“Good girl.” Craig leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest, “Tell me, did you hear me talking to my friends a little while ago?”

She shook her head quickly, maybe a little too quickly because he narrowed his eyes at her.

“Don’t lie to me Ray-Ray.”

“I-I-I’m n-n-not.” She stuttered over the words, certain he would pick up on her unease and call her out again but of course he didn’t. She always stuttered when she spoke to Craig because he scared the living hell out of her. He didn’t know that she didn’t stutter with people she trusted. “I w-w-was listening to m-m-music.”

She pointed to the headphones on her nightstand to back up the lie. Craig glanced at the small earbuds next to her crappy old phone and then glanced back at her. He still looked suspicious but the tension in his shoulders was easing, no doubt because he remembered what he’d told her years ago. She was supposed to put on headphones if he ever showed up with any of the boys from the crew. It wasn’t safe for her to know what they got up to, in case the cops ever came around asking questions. She’d still been a kid back then and she’d nodded naively and done just that. She almost wished she really had put on the headphones the second she heard him come home earlier but she hadn’t.

“You weren’t eavesdroppin’ on me and the boys?”

She shook her head.

“Ray-Ray?”

“N-n-no.”

“Good.” He shoved back to his full height, “That’s real good because I don’t wanna have to hurt ya Ray-Ray. I don’t like hurtin’ ya. But I will and ya know I will.”

She nodded even as she cringed backwards to get further away from him. His cold, calculating gaze held hers for a long moment but she saw the pleasure begin to carve its way onto his face. He’d gotten what he wanted and gotten to scare her in the process so of course he was enjoying himself.

“If you did hear, you best keep it to yourself sis.” A cruel sneer twisted his lips, “Word gets out about me and my new friends and I’m gonna know exactly who snitched. You don’t wanna end up in the dirt next to that whore momma of yours do ya?”

Rachel bit off another whimper, “I-I-I didn’t hear n-n-n-nothing”

“We’re done here. Just remember what I said.” Craig checked the expensive watch on his wrist, the one she knew he’d stolen because he could never have afforded it, “I got plans tonight. Big fight night stuff. Bomar shit. You keep yourself outta the way cuz I’ll be bringin’ me back some sweet piece of ass.”

With that, Craig turned and sauntered from the room and Rachel was finally able to breathe again. She wasn’t dead. Yet. But the threat had been issued. She needed protection and Craig, her stupid, rat, traitor brother had been the one to give her all the information she needed.

There was a fight tonight. A Bomar fight. And despite the panicked, nervous breakdown she felt coming on, she knew that was where she’d find the Bomar boy she needed. So that was where she had to go.

Chapter Two

The barn was packed halfway to the rafters and not for the first time, Remy wondered how his cousins managed to pull this off. Any other day of the week this place looked all but abandoned. Tonight, it was lit up like a carnival tent and the empty fields surrounding the barn were packed end to end with cars of every color, make and price point. He’d been able to see the glow of the place from a quarter mile away and thought surely anyone with half a brain knew exactly what was going on out here.

Old Settlers, Oklahoma was a small town. Smaller than small really. It was a dusty old oil town that died a little more every time one of the ol’ timers was put in the ground. There was no hiding anything in a town like this. Everyone knew what went on behind closed doors. Everyone knew what kind of business the Bomars dealt in. They knew what this barn was used for but nobody ever said a word.

It was no great secret that Sheriff Trebly had been on the take for years. The old man wasn’t a bad guy. He knew how things worked and he’d always held that some laws didn’t take into account how life was really lived. It helped that he had a bit of a gambling problem too. The old guy paid to play with a line of credit from the Bomars that would never be called in and their beloved Sheriff turned a blind eye to anything that didn’t risk human life. By Trebly’s estimation, two men beating each other unconscious in a cage was their own divine right to stupidity and, unless it spilled into the streets, wasn’t his concern.

The Sherriff’s son also happened to be his deputy though and he was not a fan of the Bomars. Luckily, Lincoln had figured out other ways of dealing with Lawson Trebly. Remy hadn’t asked what that meant, had been afraid to ask honestly. But it had become clear to him that Lincoln had something on the young officer because the guy might talk shit but he didn’t arrest every single one of them like he could have.

Because of that, the Bomars didn’t give much thought to the cops in Old Settlers but they still had to be careful. There were always outside threats to worry about. They’d all had their run-ins with the law but that was never their main concern. Rival gangs and competitors were their main source of trouble and now they had a traitor to add to their list of worries.

One of their own had turned against them. Someone they’d trusted into the inner circle had hit them where they’d known it would hurt the most. Knowing the person that had left Colt lying in a pool of blood was in this very room made Remy more than a little bit uneasy.

Just like this crowd did.

“It’s too fuckin’ crowded in here.”

“Tell me about it.”

He shot a knowing glance at his bodyguard for the night. His cousin, Ford, had been assigned the task of sticking by his side and he hadn’t bothered to argue. Out of everyone in the family, he was least likely to get in a fight with Ford and Lincoln must have known that when he assigned his twin to keep an eye on Remy.

The truth was, growing up, Remy had always been closer to Lincoln. Ford had been the quiet, somber counterweight to Lincoln’s loud, boisterous charisma and though they’d gotten along fine they hadn’t had much in common. Since he’d come back, even before he found out about Lincoln’s betrayal, Remy had gravitated more towards Ford. He’d grown up in the ten years he was away. He’d learned to appreciate Ford’s solid, unwavering seriousness and his ability to keep his head down and his mouth shut. Or maybe he just knew a man with demons when he saw one after so many years of looking in the mirror.

Ford didn’t like crowds. It was another reason Lincoln had probably stuck him on the sidelines tonight, guarding Remy instead of milling through the crowd eavesdropping for information. Ford had done some time behind bars and come out… different. That was all anyone in the family would tell him and since he certainly wasn’t going to ask Ford about it, Remy assumed nobody else had asked what happened to the big man behind bars either.

“How are we supposed to find one asshole in a sea of assholes?”

He thought Ford smirked at that but it was hard to tell behind the thick beard he’d been growing, “Like a needle in a haystack.”

“It’s not like the guy is gonna show up with a sign around his neck saying ‘I’m a rat’ ya know? Rats prefer shadows.”

“He’s hiding in plain sight.” Ford swiped a hand through his long, unruly hair, “Blending in like he’s one of us.”

“Because he is one of you.”

“No. He’s not. He’s not a Bomar so he’s not one of us no matter what bullshit Link spins for those boys on the crew. They ain’t ever gonna have the same loyalty we got because of our blood and this shit proves why.”

Remy had to bite his tongue to keep from making a snide remark about Lincoln. He wanted to snarl that Lincoln was only loyal to himself but even he knew that wasn’t entirely true. He’d fucked over Colt for years, that wasn’t loyalty, but he had managed to keep all of the boys together and, for the most part, out of prison. Lincoln cared about the family and he’d do whatever it took to protect them. Including and not limited to, lying, cheating and stealing so long as it suited the Bomar best interest.

Lincoln was more upset than anyone that the traitor was most likely someone in his organization. It had to be someone connected to the family and with enough knowledge to know when and how to hurt them. The attacks on Colt and his business had been done after a fight only insiders knew about and on nights the rest of the guys were busy elsewhere. The six or seven people deep enough in the organization to pull off something like that were all being watched now but so far their tails hadn’t turned up any hard evidence.

Whoever had bet against the Bomars was laying low, that was why they’d decided to hold another fight. Things had been too quiet the last few weeks. Nobody was talking, nobody was moving and nobody was running any jobs. It was time to do something, to draw their guy out and they’d all agreed a fight was a fairly harmless way to do it.

Harmless for everyone but Remy…

He hated fighting. He hadn’t bothered to tell anyone that because he was here by his own choices but he hated fighting. Hated the feel of bones breaking under his hands. Hated the smell and taste of blood. Hated the sight of the damage he could inflict with nothing but a swing of his fist or a well-placed kick. He was a Bomar. He was supposed to relish the violence, crave it even, but he didn’t. It made him sick.

Maybe it was Decker’s fault. Growing up in that house, seeing the terror that bastard leveled on Cash and Colt every time his anger got the best of him, made Remy hate the genes he’d inherited from their father. Or maybe it was the Army’s fault. Whenever he glimpsed blood now all he could see were the faces of his friends, his unit, as bullets whipped past their heads and damaged them irrevocably. Whatever the reason, the thirst for violence he’d been born with, that he’d happily wreaked havoc with as a stupid kid, was gone and in its place was a bone-deep fear that it was all he would ever be good for.

He’d left and he’d stayed gone for ten years. If it took fighting to earn his place back in his family, then so be it. If it took using his fists to prove to his brothers that he was here to protect them, then he would do it. But he didn’t have to like it and he was ready to get it over with.

“Are we doin’ this shit or not?” He shook out his fists and ignored the glare that Ford shot at him.

“Any minute now.”

“How’s it work? Link gets the crowd all fired up for blood to get last minute bets on the books and then I go to work?”

“Something like that.” Ford pointed upwards and Remy followed his gaze.

Almost as if his thoughts had conjured the bastard, the speakers cracked and a familiar voice hushed the crowd. Everyone in the barn looked up in time to watch his cousin step out onto the ledge of the loft high above them. He might as well have been taking center stage.

Lincoln knew how to command a room. He’d give him that. These were Abel’s fights. It was Abel’s barn and Abel’s domain but Lincoln was their leader and he wore the mantle like a king. He grinned down at the now mostly silent and riveted crowd, a not so benevolent leader that would have them all beheaded if he saw fit.

“Friends, family, random fuckers…” Lincoln chuckled at his own joke, “So glad you could join us for tonight’s festivities.”

The crowd roared at the welcome. Most of the people cheered and clapped. Several whistled and stomped their feet. But even amid the dull roar a few boos of dissent could be heard.

He wondered if anyone else noticed the way Lincoln’s sharp eyes scanned the crowd, looking for the source of those boos. His smile didn’t falter. His charisma was still on full display. But the warmth was gone as he searched the crowd beneath him for the idiots dumb enough to publicly oppose him.

“You see who the fuck did that?”

Remy shook his head at Ford’s question, “No, I told you...”

“I know it’s fuckin’ crowded Remy. If you ain’t got nothin’ helpful to say, shut it. Some of us want to catch this asshole.”

He opened his mouth to tell Ford where he could stick his attitude but sighed and brushed it off instead. The guy was right. Complaining wasn’t helping and getting in an argument with Ford about it only distracted his cousin from doing what they’d all come here to do. Find the bastard responsible for hurting Colt, and the family, and make him pay.

Remy tried to help scan the crowd as Lincoln continued his opening remarks. Amid the dangerous looking men and the overly made up and under dressed women, were a few familiar faces. He easily spotted more family members doing the same all around the barn but since nobody was dragging anyone out by their collar he assumed they had no idea where the dissent had come from either.

He gazed around the room again, hating that they were outnumbered. There were so many Bomars, it was a rarity, but he felt it tonight. He knew the mindset that anyone that wasn’t one of them was against them was extreme but that was how it had always been. Even when he didn’t feel like one of them, he knew his last name meant he had people on his side.

It was more than some people had.

Outside of family, he recognized a couple of people from town. Guys he’d grown up with or met in the past few weeks. Guys that worked for Lincoln boosting cars or for Abel and his boys running God only knew what sort of illegal products through their small town.

There were also women, lots of women. Lincoln called them groupies and he wasn’t wrong. They hung around the Bomar boys like some women hung around rock stars and in a way, he supposed that’s what his cousins were to these people. Dangerously handsome fuckers that knew how to have a good time and didn’t promise a damn thing but exactly that. Remy had met his fair share of women willing to climb him like a tree simply because of his looks and last name since he returned home and he saw more than one of those women in the crowd now, eyeing him like he was a piece of meat on auction.

Lincoln had explained to him earlier that it was a general rule after a fight, the winner got his choice of the ladies for the night. These women came here knowing full well what they were signing up for and were more than happy to be used for a few wild hours just to say they’d been with a fighter or a Bomar or both. Remy had only rolled his eyes at the idea and told Lincoln to get the hell away from him.

He had zero plans to take a woman home with him tonight. There was only one woman that he wanted. Only one that he fantasized about stripping naked, about kissing and touching, about sinking inside of again and again until she screamed his name… and she wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this.

That was why, the first time his gaze strayed over the familiar face in the crowd, he dismissed the resemblance as his mind playing tricks on him. He wanted to see her, so he did. That was all. Even still, he couldn’t stop himself from pausing and retracing back through the crowd. When he found the dark-haired girl with big, storm-cloud gray eyes looking back at him he stopped breathing.

No, his mind screamed with denial but his body knew it was her. It was already reacting. His heart had started to race, his pulse unsteady. His fists clenched with the need to reach out and grab her and he was hard instantly.

That only ever happened for one woman these days and all the logic and reasoning in the world seemed powerless to stop it. He’d tried. There was just something about her that turned him on and he couldn’t turn it off. He couldn’t ignore it and he didn’t want to ignore it. It was her, even if right now she didn’t exactly look like her. Maybe especially right now because she didn’t look like her.

Lord, he’d never seen her like this, so much of her on display. Usually she dressed more conservatively, almost as if she were hiding. Not tonight. Tonight she was showing off everything God gave her and the man upstairs had been generous.

She was built like a damn porn star.

His mind fractured with questions he’d never thought to ask himself. Was that why she dressed the way she did? To hide that body? Because it was bound to draw attention otherwise? Of course she did, he scowled at a man a few feet away that was openly eye-fucking her. If she was scared of men, and he knew her well enough to know that she was, the way every man here was ogling her must have scared the hell out of her.

He tried to tell himself that he wasn’t one of those men but he couldn’t seem to pull his eyes off her either. No, he wasn’t one of them. He was so much worse because he was supposed to be her friend but all he could think about was what it would feel like to get that soft, curvy body underneath him.

He’d had a pretty good idea she was curvy. She wasn’t some tiny little thing that he would’ve had to worry about breaking in half if he ever got his hands on her. He’d known there were curves hiding beneath her oversized clothes but he’d never quite imagined this.

She’d donned a pair of skimpy denim cut-offs that barely covered her ass. She had great legs. The perfect length to wrap around his waist. She wasn’t tall but she wasn’t short either. He figured most people would’ve called her average. Average height. Average weight. Average. But he never had and damn if he could think of her as anything but his when his cock was hard and he was aching from just a glimpse of her.

The simple white tank top she was wearing with the open flannel shirt over it wasn’t risqué by any means. In fact, she was probably more covered than any other woman here. But this wasn’t just any woman, and what was under that shirt had his mouth watering and his blood boiling.

He’d never considered himself much of a boob man but she had just converted him. He suddenly had a whole slew of new fantasies about his shy, sweet princess. Like her in his lap, those lush breasts in his face as she rode him.

Fuck, he had to forcibly shake his head to clear those thoughts.

He dragged his eyes back to her face and he got lost in those big, beautiful eyes of hers. He knew from experience that up close they were actually blue but it was so light they looked gray at this distance, like storm clouds threatening heavy rain. He could drown in those eyes but it wasn’t just the color.

She looked at him like he was the goddamned hero of the story instead of a villain and it was addicting as hell.

Her face was painted with makeup tonight and he decided instantly that he hated it. Hated that the thick black liner only made her big eyes bigger. Hated the way that rosy red mouth all but begged to be kissed. Hated that the sex doll outfit and makeup wiped away every trace of the innocent girl he knew her to be.

The only spec of innocence left was in her eyes when their gazes collided, and even that was tinged in something darker, something that he knew mirrored his own. Want. Need. Desire.

She nervously licked her lips and he had to swallow a groan. That was the most frustrating part of his desire for this girl. He knew she felt it too. Knew from the first time she looked up at him that she wanted him too. She was wary and distant and shy with everyone else but from the moment they met she’d looked at him with stars in her eyes and he’d wanted to give her the sun and the moon and everything in between.

God, he’d never wanted anything in his entire life the way he wanted her. Hadn’t thought he could want like this. Not after everything that he’d been through. Not carrying all of his baggage. But then she’d walked into his life and everything he thought he knew about himself had gotten shaken at the very foundation.

Because if all he’d wanted was her mouth, that full, red, pouty mouth that had given him more hard-ons in the past few weeks than he’d had in a lifetime, he would have simply taken it. If all he’d wanted from her was a tumble in the sheets to sate his lust, he was certain he could have seduced her already. But he wanted so damn much more than that, he wanted everything his brothers had with their women and he wanted it with her.

With Rachel. His Rachel. Damn it, she was his and knowing all of these other lecherous assholes were staring at her and imagining getting their hands on her made him violently, impossibly angry. Because he hadn’t claimed her yet, hadn’t wanted to push her too hard or too fast, had known she was scared and wanted to take his time with her, but coming here, coming here dressed like that, it blew apart all of his good intentions.

All he could think was mine and he had vowed to protect what was his this time around.

It wasn’t safe for her to be here. She didn’t belong here. She was too good, too sweet and pure and innocent to be in a place like this. If she knew what the kind of men that hung out in places like this wanted from her she would be terrified because as best as he’d ever figured out, men in general scared the living hell out of her.

He didn’t know why that was. She’d never told him. He assumed someone had hurt her, an old boyfriend maybe, but he’d never asked. It was a touchy subject for him. He knew it would be for her too. That was one thing he feared they had in common and maybe, that too, was one of the reasons he gravitated to her.

Because she was still good. Her shadows hadn’t swallowed her whole. They hadn’t eaten her alive. She had survived whatever had been done to her, to damage her, and she was still whole. She was still good and sweet and that needed to be protected at all costs.

That had been his first instinct with this girl from the moment he met her. Protect. Not seduce. Not bed. He’d wanted to protect her and that same part of him was screaming to grab her and get her the hell out of here right now.

He stamped down on his raging lust and looked at her again, more closely, looked at more than just her incredible body and beautiful face and he hated what he saw. Behind the makeup and the sexy outfit, he saw fear lurking in the depths of her eyes and it gutted him.

Something was wrong. He knew it. Why else would she be here? In a barn, at a cage fight, surrounded by hundreds of men that would rip her apart and destroy her goodness given even half a chance? Something was wrong and he had to find out what it was and fix it for her but first things first, he had to get her out of here.

Remy stepped towards her before he even told his feet to move. One step, two… and then a big, solid arm jutted out in front of his chest. It stopped him in his tracks.

“Where you think you’re goin?”

“Move, Ford.”

He’d forgotten his cousin was even standing there, “Not a chance.”

Ford shook his head and then glanced over his shoulder, directly at Rachel. Shit. How long had he been standing there, staring at her? Too damn long if Ford had figured out who he was looking at and where he was headed. Remy had an insane urge to tell his cousin not to look at her but he swallowed the threats that coated his tongue and tried to appear calmer than he was feeling.

“Let me go, Ford.”

“No can do. Link’s introducin’ ya now. You said you were ready to do this.”

“I only need a minute.”

He needed way more than a minute but he’d settle for one. He could grab Rachel and get her out of here in a minute. At the very least he could figure out a way to keep her safe while he was in the cage. Because as much as he wanted to walk out of the barn with her right now and never look back, he couldn’t. He’d made a promise to the family to fight tonight. If it was only Lincoln, he might have blown it off but he wasn’t doing this for Lincoln. He was doing it for Colt and for Cash.

“It’s one fuckin’ minute, Ford.” He growled when his cousin only shook his head.

“You can’t wait until later to get a piece of ass? Really? You don’t need the distraction right now.”

“Don’t call her that.” He grit his teeth.

“What? A distraction?”

“A… never mind. I need to talk to her. Now.”

“Yeah, yeah, line your prize up for after the fight but make it quick, okay?”

That hit him like a sucker punch. His prize. His brain screamed that thinking about Rachel like that was a bad idea. She wasn’t some groupie. She was good. But his body burned at the very idea of claiming her. She was his but he’d promised himself he wouldn’t push her since she was so skittish, that he wouldn’t rush things or force her into anything she wasn’t ready for, that he wouldn’t put her in danger by claiming her publicly but she was here, now, and it was the only way he could think of to protect her.

Fuck it.

He crooked his finger and watched as Rachel’s eyes widened in response. She looked to her left and right as if he might be motioning to someone else. When she looked back at him confusion clouded her face and in another situation he might have laughed.

Did she really have no idea? No idea that she was the only woman he ever saw, even in a room full of them. No idea the things he dreamed of doing to her every time he shut his eyes. No idea how much he wanted to drag her into his arms, right here and right now, in front of half his family and a hundred strangers and claim her not just as his prize but as his woman.

Slowly, her steps unsure, Rachel moved through the crowd towards him. Lincoln was still talking but from the cadence of his voice Remy could tell he was wrapping up. He didn’t have long.

“She looks scared of you. Maybe you should pick another one.”

Remy scowled when Ford spoke but bit his tongue. If he said anything right now, he’d tell Ford to fuck off and he couldn’t do that. He needed his cousin’s help. He looked back at Rachel and hated that Ford was at least half right. She did look scared but he didn’t think it was of him. At least he hoped it wasn’t.

As soon as she got close enough, he reached for her. His fingers latched around her wrist and he tugged her into his personal space. Her eyes widened again and her mouth fell open with a surprised little, “oh.” He didn’t know if that was because he’d shocked her or if she felt that same flare of heat that sizzled through him at the contact. And right now, unfortunately, he didn’t have time to find out.

“Rachel, look at me.”

Her eyes had dropped to the floor as if she expected him to chastise her or yell at her. And God, he definitely wanted to but he didn’t have the time for that either. When she didn’t immediately raise her gaze, he used his other hand to tip her chin up. When she finally looked at him with those big, stormy eyes, he had to fight the urge to kiss the wariness right out of her.

Not the time or the place, he reminded himself. She was scared. She was trembling and even if he wasn’t a good man, he would never even think of taking advantage of her. He wasn’t going to touch so much as one hair on her head so long as she was scared of him. Not one.

Behind him he heard the crowd roar at something Lincoln said and as the music started up again he knew what he was supposed to do. Lincoln had pumped everyone up. It was time. Remy was supposed to make his way out of the shadows and through the crowd to the cage. His opponent would do the same. They’d meet in the middle, shake and then the door would shut behind them, locking them in. Then he was supposed to fight.

At the moment he was having a tough time remembering who his opponent even was. It wasn’t important. The only important thing was making sure Rachel was safe.

“I don’t know what you’re doing here.” He told her softly, “I don’t know what the hell you were thinking dressing like this and coming down here but the second I step out of that cage, I’m getting you out of here. If you don’t want that, if you want me to leave you alone and let you do whatever it is that you came here to do, you need to say it right now, Rachel.”

“I-I-I…” She trembled harder and dropped her gaze to his chest, “I c-came for you.”

Something inside of him warmed at that. Him. She was here because of him. The logical, rational side of him wanted to know why. Why him? Why here? Why now? But the other side, the testosterone fueled caveman side, just wanted to beat his chest.

“I’m glad.” He caressed her chin softly as he tilted it back up, “I’m glad you came to me but this isn’t…”

“Okay loverboy. Time’s up.” Ford interrupted with a huff, “Move your ass or I’ll move it for you.”

Remy fought the urge to turn and deck his cousin. He didn’t even look at him. He couldn’t manage to tear his gaze off Rachel. He took a deep, calming breath and then did the only thing that he could.

“Rachel, this is Ford.” He said evenly, “He’s my cousin and I trust him with my life. I’m trusting him with you. Stay close to him and he’ll make sure nobody messes with you until I come back.”

“What?” Rachel and Ford both balked and he groaned.

“He’s going to keep you safe.”

“Damn it Remy. I’m not a goddamned babysitter. I’m supposed to be…”

“I don’t care what you’re supposed to be doing.” He snapped, turning to face his cousin finally, “This is more important. You are going to protect her and keep her safe until I come back for her or so help me God I will walk out of that cage and bring the fight to you. Understand?”

Ford bristled, “You’d really break your word to the family for a piece of ass?”

“I told you not to call her that.” Remy snarled, “Her name is Rachel and you will be polite and respectful. If you so much as raise your voice to her, I will tear your arms off and beat you to death with them. Got me?”

Ford looked like he wanted to say something else but his jaw only clenched. His shoulders heaved as he took a deep breath. He looked between them for a long second, no doubt sizing up Remy’s threat versus leaving the girl to her own devices. In the end he didn’t soften but he did give in.

“Yeah, sure thing Romeo. Just get your ass in the cage. They’re waitin’ on ya.”

Remy glanced around and groaned. Sure enough, everyone was staring at them, waiting for him to take his place in the cage. They had a captive audience and he felt Rachel cringe next to him as she realized the same thing.

Damn it, he’d wanted her hidden from these bastards not put on display. There was only one thing to do now that every man in the barn was looking at her. And damn if the beast inside him didn’t relish the very thought.

“She’s mine!” He saw Rachel’s eyes widen again as the possessive words reverberated through the big space but he wasn’t done yet, he had to make his point to keep the bastards away while he was in that cage, “Nobody touches her. Nobody messes with her. Try it and you deal with me.”

He turned back to Ford and lowered his voice, “Stay close. Please.”

His cousin scowled but nodded. He didn’t like it but he would do as Remy asked. He had no choice now. Remy had just thrown down the gauntlet, so to speak, and any man that dared approach Rachel now, knowing she belonged to a Bomar, would face Bomar justice. With Remy in the cage, that would fall to the rest of the family and since Ford was the closest, it was now his responsibility until Remy returned.

He faced Rachel again and cupped her cheek softly, “I’ll be back for you as soon as I can. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

She nodded and he pulled away before he could do something stupid. Before he could do anything stupider than what he’d just done anyway. Because drawing attention to Rachel had been dumb but kissing her right now would be crazy.

“Get your head in the game Remy.” Ford all but shoved him towards the cage.

“Keep her…”

“No distractions.” Ford shoved him again, hard, “Fight first. Family first. Pussy second.”

Remy’s fists clenched. He hated Ford talking about Rachel like that. She deserved better. But when he turned around his cousin was already walking away and his opponent was standing there waiting for him.

Shit. His opponent. He had to fight this guy. He was supposed to win and distracted or not, that would be easy. The tough part was going to be not doing it fast because he was fairly certain Lincoln had told him to drag it out, to play with the guy, so they’d have time to scout the crowd for the traitor.

And damn, he’d all but forgotten about that too.

Remy shot one last glance towards Rachel and forced himself to focus. The sooner he handled this guy the sooner he could get back to her. Fight first, family first, Ford’s words rang in his ears. Everything else was secondary. Always. Even her.

Chapter Three

Coming here had been a bad decision. One of her worst. Just ahead of letting her older brother live with her and right behind eavesdropping on his conversation earlier. This, choosing to come here, to this place, had been a terrible idea but it was the only one she’d been able to come up with after what she’d overheard.

Rachel looked up at the angry, bearded Bomar boy next to her and shivered with fear. He wasn’t looking back at her. He was glaring out into the crowd. The crowd that, even now, with their champion climbing into the cage was staring at her.

All her life, she’d been the kind of girl that was invisible. As a quiet, painfully shy and awkward child, nobody had ever paid much attention to her. Even when her body had changed with adulthood, she’d learned how to conceal it and keep people from looking at her. All her years of hiding from Craig and his friends, praying for invisibility, it had disappeared in one amazing, life-changing, terrifying moment.

The spotlight was on her now. She could feel it. She could feel the eyes of dozens and dozens of men on her, leering at her, and it made her skin crawl. She wanted to disappear, wanted to go back in time to when nobody had noticed she was here because she had a feeling her brother was somewhere out there, amid all of those hard, staring faces, plotting her death.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she scanned the crowd. She didn’t see him but she was certain Craig was out there. She’d been hoping to lay low and stay invisible until she could talk to Remy, gauge his mood and figure out how much she would have to tell him to earn his protection. The scene he had made was the opposite of laying low and she cringed thinking about what her brother must be thinking right now, not just having seen her here but having seen her at the side of the Bomars.

Instinctively, she moved closer to the Bomar standing beside her. He was one of the scariest men she’d ever laid eyes on but he was her only defense right now. If he walked away from her, she’d be on her own with no way to defend herself.

And Craig wouldn’t waste any time hurting her if she was alone.

Her shoulders automatically hunched in an attempt to make herself smaller. Trying to be less of a target came naturally to her but she fought the urge. She pushed her shoulders back, straightened her spine and tried to keep her chin up even though her teeth were chattering. If nothing else, she had a fairly well honed survival instinct and it told her that any outward signs of weakness here would be a mistake.

She had to be strong. Fierce. She had to be like Skylar. Someone worthy of standing next to a Bomar boy.

Oh God… she put a hand to her mouth to contain a small whimper as she watched Remy walk into the cage, his back to her now but the tension in his shoulders clear even at a distance. He’d claimed her. He’d said she was his. Publicly. And she might be young but she wasn’t nearly as innocent as she looked. She knew exactly what something like that meant in this crowd.

Remy had claimed her as his woman. She was as good as considered a Bomar now. Just like Skylar. Just like Jemma. She was one of them now. And if you messed with a Bomar, you dealt with all of the Bomars. Everyone knew that.

She hadn’t come here to choose a side but Remy’s claim had done it for her.

If she was with Remy, she was with all of the Bomars. And if she was with the Bomars, she was against Craig. Her brother. The only family she had left. For a split second, she almost felt bad going against him but it passed quickly. If coming here had signed one of their death warrants, it was better his than hers.

It took her a minute, through the fog of her fear and terror, through the rationalizations and the reasonings, to truly put together what Remy had just done. He’d claimed her. To these people, she was someone important to him, someone to be protected, a girlfriend possibly or a lover. But she and Remy both knew that wasn’t the case.

She wasn’t really his… was she?

Remy glanced up, looking right at her. Their eyes connected across the distance, through the bars of the cage, and she forgot to breathe. The heat in his dark eyes set the blood in her veins on fire and she shivered involuntarily.

Who was she kidding? Of course she was his. She’d been his from the moment she first looked up into his ridiculously gorgeous face and felt alive for the first time in her life. He’d seen her that day, really seen her in a way that nobody else ever had.

He looked at her like he wanted to claim her. Wanted to own her. Wanted everything from her. And for some reason, the thought of giving herself to him, giving him every part of her, didn’t scare her.

She wanted things with him that she’d never wanted from a man. And from the way he was looking at her, she had zero doubts he could, and would, give it to her. She had a sudden, panicked feeling that everything about their relationship had just changed.

“You’re gonna get him killed.” A hard, angry voice snarled from nearby and she almost jumped out of her boots.

She looked up into the equally hard and angry face of the bearded Bomar boy that Remy had said would protect her until he returned. Which one was he? There were so many of them it was hard to keep track. Add to that how much they all resembled, the fact that so many of them were twins and… Ford, she remembered finally.

As if the Bomar family tree wasn’t confusing enough, one entire branch was named after cars. The Auto branch, naturally, as if that wasn’t weird at all. Auto Bomar ran the sole garage in Old Settlers, the one his sons used to tear down and sell off parts of stolen vehicles on the black market. At least that was what the rumors claimed. Auto had two sets of twin sons. She couldn’t remember all four of their names at that moment but she knew enough to know that Ford was part of the older set of twins… which meant his twin was Lincoln.

Lincoln. Their leader. She shivered as she looked up at the twin glaring down at her. She’d always thought Lincoln was the scariest of the Bomars but this one was giving him a run for his money in a completely different way. Lincoln came off polite and charming at first glance but she’d never bought it. There was something about him, something that hid just beneath his ever-present smile that scared the holy hell out of her. This man was his twin, and he did resemble, but there was no veneer of false pleasantness. He was as rough as his twin was smooth and she wasn’t sure if that made him more or less terrifying.

“Wh-what?”

“You’re gonna get him killed.”  He snarled at her again, “He needs to focus and instead he’s makin’ goddamned googly eyes at you.”

Rachel bit her lip and dropped her gaze. Was she distracting Remy? She hadn’t meant to. She thought about the things she’d overheard Craig and his buddies say about these fights over the years and winced.

Bomar fight nights were brutal. Bare-knuckle, cage-fighting with little to no rules. Fights that went on until someone was unconscious or tapped out. She’d known when she came here that she’d have to witness some vicious blood sport but she hadn’t realized until she arrived that Remy would be the one climbing into the cage. The kind, gentle, sweet man that she’d gotten to know a little over the past few weeks was going to beat someone half to death. Or he was going to be the one beaten. She felt sick to her stomach all over again.

“I-I-I don’t want to distract him.”

“Too late.” Ford snorted.

A bell rang somewhere overhead and the crowd erupted in cheers again. Her heart thumped so hard when she saw the man in the ring with Remy take a swing that she thought it would burst out of her chest. She stopped breathing again as she watched Remy block the blow and unleash one of his own. His connected, blood flew and she had to look away.

“No, you watch this.” Ford turned her by the shoulders to face the cage again, “You watch him. You watch him and you decide if he’s really what you want.”

“I…”

“Look, I saw your face when he claimed you. You were surprised. You had no idea he was gonna do that which means most likely, you’ve got no clue what you’re gettin’ yourself into bein’ with a Bomar so you watch him and you decide… is he what you really want?”

Rachel stared back up at the bearded Bomar and worried her bottom lip. Was he trying to… help her? Warn her away? Something in his eyes told her that he was, but she didn’t know why that would be. Was he warning her off Remy? Or off Bomars in general?

Since he didn’t look like he wanted to talk about it, or much of anything really, she simply tilted her chin up and forced herself to do what he asked. She hated violence. She hated blood. But he was right. She had chosen to come here and she had to deal with what that meant.

She winced as she watched another of Remy’s fists connect with his opponent and the guy doubled over, protecting his ribs. For a split second, she thought Remy was preparing to finish him off. He put his hands on his shoulders and looked as if he were going to bring his leg up and break the man’s face on his knee but then he simply shoved him away. He paced the ring, breathing hard, sweat dripping from him and blood on his knuckles.

Remy’s gaze met hers again through the crowd and she shivered as his dark eyes danced with intensity. He was beautiful. Beautiful and scary. And she knew that she should be scared, terrified of the violent animal pacing that cage. Everything she knew about fear said that big and strong and violent and Bomar added up to a bad bet on her part.

But this was Remy. The same Remy that had touched her so gently just moments before he walked into that cage and drawn blood. The same Remy that had sworn he would come back to her and take care of her once he was done. She wasn’t scared of Remy.

She shivered as she watched his opponent come back upright and the fight continued. It was hard to explain why it was that the man swinging his big fists in that cage didn’t fill her with fear. He just didn’t. There was something about him, something in his eyes, that made her believe that this, all of this dark and dirty Bomar persona was just that, a persona.

She knew he wasn’t doing this because he liked the violence. He wasn’t doing it as an outlet for his anger. He was doing it to save his brothers. Skylar had told her that. And the fact that her boss had stopped warning her off the dark-haired Bomar boy only added to her conviction.

No matter what anyone else said, Remy Bomar was a good man. She knew it. She could feel it. That was how she’d known that she could go to him. That was why she’d come here tonight. And he would take care of her, she knew that too.

She trusted him.

“Hey there darlin’.” A smooth voice drawled near her ear a moment before a large hand slid around her waist. “You look like you could use some company.”

Rachel turned instinctively and came face to face with the most beautiful man she’d ever seen in real life. That knowledge was instant and there was no denying it, but that wasn’t why her palms started to sweat and her throat threatened to close off. Fear roiled in her veins because recognition came hard on the heels of that knowledge and along with it came the absolute certainty that she was also looking at one of the most dangerous men she’d ever met.

Not that she’d ever been formally introduced to Lincoln Bomar. She’d never been brave enough for that. She all but hid anytime he came into the salon or anywhere near her. But from the grip he had on her hip and the way it tightened when she tried to slide away from him, she didn’t think that was going to be an option this time.

“I-I-I..” She bit the inside of her cheek and silently cursed her tongue.

Why couldn’t she simply speak like a normal person? Why did she have to stutter any time her nerves got the better of her? If she could just say what it was she wanted to say maybe someone, anyone, would take her seriously, but of course she couldn’t do that. Instead she stammered each and every time her fear spiked and she couldn’t seem to make it stop. Overcoming her fear was the only fix but that wasn’t a possibility when faced with Lincoln freaking Bomar.

“I… No thank you.” She finally managed.

The man beside her laughed as if that was the most amusing thing he’d heard all day. The laughter softened his features, which she couldn’t seem to look away from. He really was ridiculously handsome and when he looked back at her she couldn’t help but think he had the most interesting eyes. Not blue, not really, more of a blue-green, like sea-glass. They were absolutely captivating.

A loud roar cut through the barn and she jumped when reality crashed in all around her. She was in a dangerous place. She was dealing with a dangerous man and she’d let herself get distracted. Stupid, she mentally slapped herself back to attention in time to catch Lincoln’s grin, which was just as mesmerizing.

Yeah, that was the word for it, she decided. He’d mesmerized her just like a snake. She should avoid eye contact. It was her best hope for not completely falling under his thrall.

“Seems my cousin has a problem with that idea.”

“Wh-wh-what idea?”

“Me keeping you company.” Lincoln nudged his chin towards the cage, “He seems more concerned with me talking to you than the guy gunning for his kneecaps.”

“Oh…”

“Or maybe I’m wrong and he’s glaring at you.”

She couldn’t help it, her eyes snapped back to his, “Wh-what? Wh-why me?”

Lincoln simply stared at her. Slowly, that amused look crawled back over his chiseled face. His eyes practically twinkled when he grinned at her again.

“You really don’t know, do you? Interesting. It’s been a long time since I met a woman as innocent as she appeared to be. He’s glaring at you because you haven’t told me to get my hands off his property yet.” His eyes flickered over her shoulder and narrowed, “Ford, make yourself useful elsewhere. I’ll keep an eye on Remy’s friend.”

“I…I… but….” Rachel struggled not to whimper when she had to watch the bearded Bomar boy nod and then turn to walk away. He hadn’t done much to make her feel safe but he’d promised Remy he would protect her. Surely that should have extended to keeping his brothers hands off her. But no, of course not, because nobody dared to oppose their leader. “P-please let me go.”

“Sorry, not yet. We need to talk.”

She stiffened when Lincoln ignored her request and held her firmly at his side. If he thought she’d run the moment he loosened his grip, he would have been right. He might be hot but his touch chilled her to the bone. There was something calculating in his every move, every word, and it sent her survival instincts into overdrive. She needed away from him but since she couldn’t run she simply stayed quiet and as still as could be.

It was the same tactic she used with Craig.

“Who are you?” Lincoln asked, his lips thinning seriously as his eyes raked over her, “I’ve never seen you here before. You don’t look like a groupie, despite your clothes, but you do look strangely familiar. Tell me why.”

She wasn’t surprised he ordered instead of asking. Just like she wasn’t surprised that he didn’t know her. She was a nobody particularly to a man as powerful as this one.

It did surprise her that he remembered having seen her somewhere, until she remembered that her evil half-brother was one of Lincoln’s minions. It was possible he wasn’t recalling her at all but rather that she looked familiar because he knew Craig. They didn’t have much in common but their looks were similar enough to show a shared parentage.

Silently she prayed that Lincoln didn’t place her as Craig’s sister. If he did, he would probably call her brother over and then she had no idea what she would do. Remy had claimed her. Craig couldn’t touch her, right? But she’d thought, stupidly, naively, that Lincoln couldn’t either. Yet here she stood, with his hands on her, that creeping feeling of discomfort rising up her throat, and no way out.

“I w-w-work for Skylar.” She admitted the only thing she could, hoping it would appease him.

“At the salon. Right.” His brows furrowed, “So what are you doin’ here? Ya know your boss ain’t gonna be pleased if she finds out you’re hanging with this lot.”

Her throat felt tight again so she simply shrugged. Lincoln raised an eyebrow and she knew that he didn’t believe her indifference. And why should he? She didn’t believe herself either. She hated the thought of Skylar being upset or disappointed in her. She was the closest thing to a friend that Rachel had ever had and she didn’t want to lose her.

“Don’t worry. I won’t be the one to tell her you were slummin’ it.” Lincoln winked, “But, since you are here, and since this is kind of my show tonight, why don’t you do me a favor and tell me what it is that brought you down here? Maybe I can help you… Skylar’s assistant.”

“It’s Ra-Ra-Ra…” She started to introduce herself but the sound of the crowd cut her off.

All around them, men erupted in shouts and cheers. Several whistled and clapped, others stomped their feet until the barn practically shuddered on its frame. There were a few people that booed but they were drowned out as well.

Her gaze swung to the cage again automatically and she winced at what she saw. There was a man crumpled to the ground in the center of the ring. He had his hands cupped to his face and blood was pouring down through the cracks between his fingers. Her stomach flipped at the sight even as a wave of relief went through her that it wasn’t Remy.

Her relief, however, was short lived.

“Rachel!”

She winced at the sound of her name being bellowed. Instantly, a dozen memories rose up to grip her with an age old fear. Whenever her name was yelled like that, it meant something bad was coming. Even as she knew that this wasn’t the same thing, she couldn’t help but freeze with fear when she saw Remy kick the door of the cage open.

He looked beyond angry. He was furious and all that rage was pointed directly at her. Oh God, she shivered, this had been a really bad idea. His gaze shifted a fraction of an inch and the breath she’d been holding came out as a relieved sigh. No, she wasn’t the one he was mad at. Not at all.

Lincoln had been wrong.

“Rachel!” Remy growled her name again as he pushed his way through the crowd.

God, he was... sexy. She’d never thought of a man that way before Remy. The few men she’d been attracted to before had been small, non-threatening, the complete opposite of Remy Bomar. She’d always avoided men like him but now, looking at him as he charged through the crowd, she was tempted to run towards him, not away.

His dark hair was cut short, almost buzzed to his scalp. The short strands were damp with sweat, just like the rest of him and insanely, she wondered if he still smelled like he usually did. Musky, manly, a hint of smoke and soap and something else, something that made the butterflies in her belly take flight whenever he came near her.

As he came closer now, she saw that his square jaw was tense, as if he was gritting his teeth. The stubble there was the same dark color as his hair, almost black, and it wasn’t just a five o’clock shadow. He always had that perma-stubble look that when paired with his sharp good looks and dark blue eyes made him the epitome of a bad boy.

Those navy eyes met hers again and a shiver raced down her spine. He was half-naked and coming closer and closer. His broad chest was slick with sweat and his muscles bunched. The black ink that wrapped around his hip and his bicep only added to the dangerous image. She’d never seen him like this, so rough, so raw, so… overwhelming.

“Rachel, get away from him.” He growled as he stopped in front of her, the circle of people around her moving to give him room, everyone but Lincoln who kept a firm grip on her when she tried to pull away.

“Remy…” Lincoln spoke up before she could find her voice.

“Fuck off Link.” He snapped.

“Remington.” Lincoln’s tone turned cold even as his eyes flashed fire, “Calm down. You’re scaring the girl.”

Remy tore his murderous gaze off his cousin to look at her and she winced as she saw his handsome face pale. She was shaking now. She could feel it though she couldn’t have pinpointed when it started. Her entire body was trembling. But Lincoln was wrong again. She wasn’t scared of Remy. She was scared of how much she wanted to leap into his arms and beg him to take her away from all of this.

“Rach?” Remy immediately softened, lowering his voice, “You okay, baby?”

She nodded, the endearment making something warm spread through her belly that calmed the worst of the butterflies.

Remy blew out a breath as if he too was trying to get a grip on himself, “Come on Rachel, we’re getting out of here.”

She managed a jerky nod.

“I’d say you don’t have to go with him but…” Lincoln started and Remy snarled at him.

“I told you to fuck off already.”

“But…” Lincoln continued as if he hadn’t spoken, “I don’t feel like burying my cousin’s body tonight and if he keeps talking to me like that I’m gonna have to.”

Remy rolled his eyes but a cold chill swept over Rachel. That had been a threat. A threat from the most powerful man she’d ever met, the leader of the Bomars. That made him Remy’s leader didn’t it? But he was rolling his eyes and snapping at him and it was all because of her.

She opened her mouth to apologize on Remy’s behalf, hating the thought of putting him in danger, but he stopped her. Despite the eye roll, Remy clenched his jaw and met his cousin’s gaze. When he spoke again his voice was softer but from the heat in his eyes she knew that it was more for the benefit of the people listening than because he actually felt apologetic for snapping at his cousin.

“Lincoln, please let her go.”

“Sure thing.” Lincoln smirked, “Just as soon as she tells me that you’re the one she wants.”

Rachel felt her cheeks flame hot with embarrassment at that dare. And it was a dare. She could hear it in Lincoln’s voice. Whatever he was up to, he’d approached her to mess with Remy. He wanted something and though she had no idea what it was, she knew that he was using her to make some sort of point. Remy had claimed her and yet it was Lincoln with an arm wrapped around her waist, refusing to let her go.

“She’s mine.” Remy answered with a growl, “She’s coming with me.”

“Sweetness?” Lincoln ignored him and smiled knowingly at Rachel. “Is that true?”

“Yes.” She answered instantly and for the first time all night, her voice didn’t waver. “I’m his.”

“See.” Remy growled, “Now get your hands off her or I’ll do it for you.”

Lincoln chuckled and slowly released the hold he had on her, “Who woulda thought the Bomars would turn out to be a possessive bunch of bastards? Fine. Go. We’ll talk later.”

Rachel wasn’t entirely sure what he was talking about because she wasn’t paying attention to Lincoln anymore. Remy’s dark blue gaze pinned her in place as he extended a hand to her in offering. She hesitated only a second, giving in to the urge she’d had to reach for him all night. The second their skin touched an electric current moved through her, making her shiver again.

“Come on Rach.” He laced his fingers through hers. “Let’s go home.”

At that, several wolf whistles went up and Rachel’s hand tightened on his instinctively. He squeezed in return even as the shiver of awareness that had heated her blood mixed with something else. Warmth and comfort, that was what Remy had been giving her since the day they met. Combined with her attraction, there was no way she could do anything but cling to him as he pulled her towards the door.

She didn’t even stop to wonder if he meant his home… or hers.

Chapter Four

Remy’s head felt like it was going to explode. The entire world had dimmed the moment he set sights on Rachel in that barn. Everything that had happened since felt like a blur. Leaving her with Ford, trying to focus on his fight and failing miserably, seeing Lincoln touch her and then seeing nothing but red. He’d put his opponent down with one swing the way he wanted to put Lincoln down for daring to touch her. And now, her words confirming that she belonged to him still ringing in his ears, the feel of her hand in his, he could sense his control slipping.

He shoved his way through the packed barn towards the exit. Most people were smart enough to move out of his way. From the way they were looking at him, he figured he must look crazy. He was covered in sweat and blood and he was all but dragging a young girl behind him out of the barn. The whistles and grins that confirmed the spectators thought he was claiming his prize did nothing to cool his blood.

He was jacked. From the fight. From Lincoln’s dare. From the simple feel of Rachel’s small, soft hand in his.

As he pulled her after him out of the barn and then down a row of cars, she never faltered. She hustled to keep up. She squeezed his hand tight, as if she was afraid he would let go. But she never once tried to pull away, tried to ask him where he was taking her or what he was doing. She was so damn trusting and it was that, more than anything, that had him stopping in his tracks to try and get a grip on the situation.

“Oh!” Rachel squeaked as she ran into his back.

She stumbled but he was there before she could fall. He spun to face her and saw the way her eyes widened when their bodies brushed. His traitorous cock throbbed and he pressed his advantage. He told himself that if she’d looked scared he would have stopped, would have calmed down and talked to her rationally, but she didn’t. She licked her lips and let him back her against the side of the nearest car until his big body caged her smaller one. He wasn’t entirely sure if he touched her whether he would kiss her or shake her so he didn’t dare.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” He snapped.

“I-I-I…”

“You don’t belong here, Rachel!”

“I but…”

“Coming here was really, really stupid. Coming here dressed like that? Fuck! What the hell did you think was going to happen?”

“I-I’m n-not s-s-stupid.”

He glared at her but her bottom lip trembled and all of his perfectly reasonable anger fizzled. Shit. He was yelling at her. He knew better than that. He had to get himself under control because if he scared her she would run and even if running was a smart instinct, there was no way he was letting her go. Not a chance. Not now, maybe not ever again.

“Damn it Rachel…”

“I’m n-not stupid.” She repeated stubbornly despite the wobble in her voice and he sighed.

“Rach, baby, coming here dressed like that… damn it, every man in there wanted a piece of you. You have to know that. Why would you come here knowing that?”

“I told you. I c-came for you.”

Just as it had in the barn, those words warmed something in his chest that he couldn’t name. Him. She’d come for him. But he wasn’t distracted now the way he had been in there and as much as he liked hearing the words, he needed more information. Because despite what she said, coming here, dressed the way she was, had been stupid.

“Why?”

“I n-n-need you.” She looked at the ground, bit her lip and then glanced back up at him from beneath her lashes, “I want you.”

It was like being hit with a branding iron. Heat seared him the moment he registered what she was saying. His cock, which had already rivaled a flagpole, twitched. And then she went even further because she reached out and touched him.

She raised her hands and though they were shaking slightly, she pressed them to his chest. And they both stopped breathing. Bare skin against bare skin, that electric current sparked between them. She felt it. He knew she felt it. Because she stared at the spot where she touched him as if she was mesmerized by his chest.

“Remy, I want you.” Her voice was softer, barely a whisper.

He grit his teeth to combat the overwhelming desire to give her exactly what she seemed to be asking for. She’d come here to find him. She’d dressed in this skimpy outfit for him. She was touching him and looking at him and telling him that she wanted him. It all sounded right, felt right, but the way she was trembling gave her away.

She was still scared. He didn’t know if it was of him or if it was whatever had sent her down here looking for him, and until he knew for sure, he wouldn’t touch her. He’d promised himself that he wouldn’t take advantage of her and he wouldn’t break that promise. He thought that promise, and keeping it, might be the true barometer of whether he could ever be a good man.

“No.”

Her gaze jerked up to his and her bottom lip trembled slightly, “Wh-what?”

“You don’t want me, Rach. Not like I want you. I wish you did but...”

“I do.” Her brows knit together, as if she didn’t understand what he was doing. Maybe she didn’t. Hell, he knew his body didn’t understand why he was pushing away the one woman it wanted. “I want you. That’s why I’m here. I-I know how this w-works. You c-claimed me. I’m yours.”

“You are mine.” Remy groaned, “But not like this.”

“But…” She started to pull away, her hands dropping as wariness returned to her face and he couldn’t stand it. He reached out and cupped her cheek again softly. Confusion flickered through her gaze as she looked up at him and he sighed, knowing that he was doing the right thing no matter how much it sucked.

“But you’re scared.” He met her gaze and when she started to shake her head he nodded, “Yes, you are. You’re scared of something and until I can be sure it’s not me. I’m not going to touch you, Rach.”

Her tiny pink tongue darted out to wet her lips again and her voice was breathy when she spoke, “You’re touching me now, aren’t you?”

“Not like I want to.” He managed a small smile even though that innocence was exactly why he couldn’t have her right now, “Trust me. When you’re ready, when I really touch you, you’ll know the difference.”

Rachel stared up at him for a long moment and for once, he couldn’t read her expression. Usually, whatever she was feeling was right there on her face. He had weeks of experience watching her, studying her, and he didn’t like not knowing what she was thinking.

It was part of his growing obsession with this girl that he wanted to know everything about her. That he felt he should know her every secret. That he wanted to be the one person that knew her better than anyone.

Finally she sighed and surprised him by cuddling her cheek into his palm, “That’s why I came to you.”

“Why?” He asked again.

“Because I knew I could trust you.”

“Of course you can trust me.” He stroked his thumb over her cheek, “Tell me what’s going on and I’ll do my damndest to fix it for you babe. I know you’re scared but whatever it is, I’ll take care of it. I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

“I do want you Remy.” Her eyes shuttered, her long, dark lashes covering those expressive eyes from him, “I just… I need you too. I need help and I didn’t know where else to go.”

“You were right to come to me. You can always come to me.”

A knot formed in his stomach as she shivered in his arms. He’d known something was wrong the minute he saw her. He’d known something had happened to send her down here looking for him, but whatever it was, he would take care of it. He hated that anything had scared her but he was happy that whatever it was, she’d come to him.

She trusted him and that was a gift he didn’t ever intend to take for granted.

“Tell me what happened.” He prompted when she was quiet.

Her eyes fluttered up, meeting his, and his gut clenched at the fear and pain she didn’t try to hide, “Something happened tonight and I…”

“Hey!” A loud voice shouted from somewhere far too close, interrupting Rachel and making her jump nearly a foot off the ground. Remy whirled around in time to see an angry looking man stomping towards them down the row of cars, “What the fuck is goin’ on here?”

“Go back inside.” Remy glared at intruder, “This is none of your business.”

“The fuck it ain’t!” The dark-haired man snarled, “That’s my sister!”

That pulled Remy up short and he glanced at Rachel in surprise. She’d never said a word to him about having a brother. Nobody had. But from the way her face had paled, her eyes had gone round and the way she’d begun to shake like a leaf again, he had a pretty good idea why that was.

She was terrified of this man.

A dozen thoughts ran through his head and none of them were good. Rachel had a brother that she didn’t talk about. An older brother from the looks of it, that scared the hell out of her. A brother that was here, at a Bomar fight night, which meant he had some sort of tie to Remy’s family. A brother that, based on everything that meant, was probably dangerous.

His decision was made instantly and Remy stepped in front of Rachel, effectively blocking the other man’s path to her. Even in the dark, it was clear to him as the man moved closer that he was related to the woman cowering behind him. His dark hair was the same color. He had the same plump mouth that gave his sharp features a decidedly pretty tint that was only lessened by the sneer he was leveling at them. But it was the eyes that were most telling. The same blue that was so pale it glinted silver in the moonlight. Big, round eyes framed with dark lashes. He didn’t doubt for a second that they were related just as he didn’t doubt that this man wasn’t getting anywhere near Rachel if he had any say about it.

“Back off.” He held out a hand when the guy tried to step around him.

“Play hell. Keep your fuckin’ hands off me and off my sister.” The guy glared over Remy’s shoulder, “Let’s go Ray-Ray. You shouldn’t be here and ya damn well know it.”

“I-I-I…”

“She’s not going anywhere.” Remy spoke up when Rachel stuttered behind him and even as the other man cursed at him he knew that it was the right move, the only move, because Rachel inched closer to him, pressing her front to his back, using him as a shield but reaching forward to squeeze his hand. He laced their fingers together, hating that he could feel her shaking with fear, and squeezed back reassuringly.

The man looked at their laced hands and snarled, “It’s like that?”

“Yeah. It’s like that.”

“Fuckin’ Bomars.” He cursed again, “Always thinkin’ rules don’t apply to you.”

Remy frowned, “Rules?”

“Family’s off limits to the crew. Lincoln’s rule. Don’t fuck where you eat so get your filthy hands off my goddamned sister.”

More than anything, the way this guy spat Lincoln’s name like another curse word got Remy’s hair up. He’d said Lincoln’s name like that before, sure. Hell, he’d threatened to rip Lincoln’s hands off not ten minutes ago for the exact same reason. He hadn’t wanted his cousin touching Rachel. But he was Lincoln’s family, he was allowed. Well, if not allowed, his dissension was at least tolerated. Outsiders didn’t get to talk about Lincoln like that, particularly not men that were part of his crew and were supposed to show deference.

“I’m not part of the crew.”

“You ain’t touchin’ my sister, Bomar.” The other man snarled, “Rachel! Get your ass over here. Now! You’re goin home and we’re gonna talk about this little adventure of yours.”

“I told you she’s not going with you.”

The oddly familiar masculine face flared red with rage, “I’m not here for you, Bomar and you can’t keep me from talkin’ to my sister.”

Remy edged to the side, blocking the other man again when he tried to get past him. Everything about this guy flared his protective instincts. He didn’t want him anywhere near Rachel but he had a feeling his words weren’t going to be enough to get rid of her brother. He’d either have to use his fists or…

“Fine. You want to hear it from her?” He turned just enough to meet Rachel’s gaze and saw that her big eyes were watery, “Do you want to go with him?”

She shook her head so hard and fast it was a wonder she didn’t get whiplash.

“There you go.” He turned back to the guy that was glaring at Rachel with so much hatred in his gaze that Remy had to resist the urge to shove him further away from the girl, “You can go now. She’s made her choice.”

“Yeah. I guess she has.” The other man sneered at them as he backed up slowly, though the look on his face was far from defeat when his lips curled menacingly, “You have fun tonight sis. Spread those legs like a good little whore. I’ll see you at home when he gets done with you, Ray-Ray.”

Whatever that parting shot was about, it must have hit because Rachel sagged against Remy’s side. He tore his gaze off the retreating figure and spun just in time to keep her from sinking to her knees. She was shivering so hard her entire body was shaking as he swept her up into his arms. She didn’t look at him. Her eyes were closed so tight he thought maybe she was trying to keep tears at bay and she was biting into her bottom lip so hard he worried she would draw blood.

“Hey, baby, it’s okay. He’s gone. You’re safe.” Remy tried to soothe her but she only shook her head and then buried her face in his shoulder, “I got you Rach. I’m not gonna let anybody hurt you. I promise.”

She clung to him, silently, and since he didn’t feel tears wet his chest he hoped that meant whatever was happening wasn’t as bad as he was imagining. He wanted to go after that damn brother of hers and beat him to a pulp for doing this to her. He didn’t even know what this was but he knew that Rachel didn’t deserve it just like he knew that he was going to protect her from it.

As he moved down the line of cars, carrying Rachel, he murmured to her softly. He told her things he’d been holding inside him for weeks, for what felt like forever. He’d told himself that he wouldn’t push her but he was done hiding how he truly felt about her too.

Tonight had changed things.

He told her how beautiful he thought she was. How special. How she was all he thought about, all he’d wanted since that first moment on the street. That she was his and he would take care of her or die trying. He wasn’t sure how much of it she heard, how much she took to heart, but some of it must have gotten through because by the time he reached the Challenger she’d stopped trembling and was simply clinging to him.

“Come on babe. I’m takin’ you home.” He lowered her gently into the passenger seat.

Her hand shot out, her nails digging into his forearm as she clung to him, “I-I-I c-can’t go home.”

“Not your home.” He smoothed her hair back softly, “You’re goin’ home with me tonight.”

She almost looked like she deflated her breath came rushing out so hard, “Th-thank you Remy.”

He brushed a kiss across her forehead, the most he could allow himself, and when he pulled away she let him go this time. He shut the door behind him and let out a rough breath of his own. However he’d imagined this night going, it hadn’t looked anything like this.

He had Rachel in his car. He was taking her home with him. But she was upset, scared and…

Something he’d been missing hit him in the gut then. She’d been stuttering. With him. All night. She’d stammered over her words, a clear sign of her nerves and fear and he hadn’t caught it.

Damn it, she never stuttered with him! Not even that first day they met. Skylar had been in awe because of that and questioned him about it endlessly. That was how he’d known it was important, that Rachel trusted him and it had only confirmed what he’d already put together.

She was his.

He grit his teeth against the urge to punch something. To lash out. He hadn’t been paying attention. He’d gotten distracted by her presence and her skimpy outfit and he hadn’t been thinking. If he’d been using the head on top of his shoulders he would have known something was wrong when she stuttered talking to him.

On his side, he opened the door and then grabbed a spare t-shirt out of his backseat. He’d left his other clothes inside, where he’d changed earlier. Luckily his keys were still in the ignition. He hadn’t worried about anyone stealing it, not here, not since it belonged to a Bomar.

Once he was fully dressed again, he slid into the driver’s seat and glanced at Rachel. She’d curled up into a ball, her legs tucked up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. It was a protective, self-preserving posture. He knew it well and hated that she didn’t feel safe. More than anything, he wanted to reach out and touch her, caress her, soothe her and tell her again that nobody would hurt her but he knew his words wouldn’t fix anything. She needed more than that right now.

“So…” He said instead, trying to keep his voice light when he felt anything but, “That asshole is your brother?”

Rachel sighed heavily and didn’t speak until he had backed out of the parking space, “Craig. He’s my half-brother.”

No stutter. He released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. She was scared but it wasn’t of him. The worst of his tension released and his urge to reach over and touch her multiplied by about a thousand. He white-knuckled the steering wheel.

“Seems like a real winner.”

Rachel turned her face to look at him, resting her other cheek against her knees, a pale imitation of a smile touching her lips, “Yeah, well, we can’t pick our family, right?”

“Tell me about it.” He pulled them out of the field and onto the road before glancing back to find her looking at him. “What?”

“You were really angry with Lincoln tonight. You were rude to him, called him out in front of everyone. You threatened him.”

“He had it coming.”

“B-because he touched me?”

Remy almost smiled at the slight stutter to her question. Did the idea of that make her nervous? He didn’t know if that was a good or a bad sign. Because despite her reasons for coming to him tonight, despite whatever else was happening, he knew she wanted him too.

“Yeah.” Remy gave in to his need to touch her and reached over with his right hand, lacing their fingers together, “I didn’t like him touching you. I don’t like the idea of anyone touching you.”

“You think he’d hurt me?”

He squeezed her hand and then lifted it to his lips and kissed her knuckles, “No. He’s not that stupid. But it doesn’t matter. Pain or pleasure, I’d kill him for giving you either.”

“Oh.” She squeaked slightly, and he saw her eyes widen before he had to glance back at the road.

They were silent as he drove down the dark and abandoned old highway. The barn was in the middle of nowhere. That was one of its benefits. There weren’t even streetlamps out here so he could only make out shadows of Rachel’s face from the dashboard lights.

But he could feel her watching him. He had always been able to feel her gaze on him like a caress. She always stared at him when she thought he wasn’t looking, like she was trying to put something together. He’d never said anything to her about it, had wanted to give her time to figure it out for herself. He’d known that she would, eventually, because she was a smart girl and it was so obvious.

He was hers.

As he drove, they settled into a comfortable silence and he could almost imagine they were a normal couple, just out for a drive together. Her hand in his felt so right, he couldn’t manage to let go of her. He shifted without releasing her and caught her small smile out of the corner of his eye.

It was a nice moment and he was afraid to ruin it but the truth was, there hadn’t been anything normal about tonight and they needed to talk about it. There were so many things he needed to ask her about. What had happened with her brother? Why was she scared of him? Was he the reason she’d come to find Remy tonight? But despite all of that, there was only one question that he couldn’t get out of his head, couldn’t shake, and he knew whatever happened with them would hinge on it.

“Rach?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Her fingers tightened around his and he squeezed in return, knowing she was expecting the worst when she stuttered, “Ye-yeah?”

“Do I scare you?”

Her head lifted and he could feel her looking at him again, “What?”

“You saw me at my worst tonight, Rach. Fighting. Not just in that cage but with Lincoln too. I broke that guy’s nose and if Lincoln hadn’t released you, I would’ve broken his too. It’s what I do. I fight. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been good at. Well, that and running away but I’m done with that now. No more running. So I need to know, now, before this goes any further, are you scared of me?”

“Uh… no.”

He’d expected hesitation. He’d thought she would take a moment to think about her answer and what it would mean. Instead, he got a firm and solid no without any indecision at all. And he was the one left stuttering.

“Wh-what?” He spared a glance sideways and saw her lips quirk, “What do you mean no?”

“I mean, no, Remy.” She said softly but with more confidence than he’d ever imagined, “You don’t scare me like that. I mean, I know maybe you should because I know what you are but you don’t. I don’t think you ever could. You make me feel… safe.”

Safe. There was that word again. He wanted to keep her safe and he liked hearing that he made her feel safe. It made that place in his chest that had opened to her the moment they met warm even as something sharp and painful stabbed at him.

“What I am?”

“Huh?”

He pursed his lips and wished they weren’t having this conversation in the car. He wished he could see her, see her eyes. If he could look at her for more than five seconds at a time he wouldn’t have to read so much into her tone of voice, into the way she’d said those words.

“What am I, Rachel? What am I that makes you think you shouldn’t trust me, even though you do?”

She sighed, “A Bomar.”

“Ah, that.” He snorted as he flicked his blinker on and made the turn down the little road that led towards his place. There was a strange relief that his last name was her biggest problem with him. “We don’t get to choose our family, like you said.”

“I didn’t mean...” Rachel squeezed his hand, “I know you’re not like the rest of them. That’s what I meant. You’re a Bomar but you’re not violent or scary. You’re… sweet.”

He bit off a chuckle, unsure if she’d think he was laughing at her, “Babe, nobody’s ever called me sweet.”

“I just did.”

“Yeah, you did.” He smiled in the darkness of the car, “And maybe for you I can be.”

Rachel shifted in her seat, uncurling her legs and rolling to face him more head-on. She looked like she wanted to say something but then changed her mind. She dropped her gaze to their joined hands and he squeezed gently.

“Rach, you can tell me anything. Whatever it is, I’m not gonna judge you. I’m not gonna yell at you. All I’m gonna do is try to be here for you and protect you.”

After another long minute where they jostled over the uneven road to his place, Rachel finally spoke. Her voice was so quiet he almost didn’t hear her. And when he did, he wished he wasn’t driving so he could pull her into his arms.

“I need you, Remy. I didn’t lie about that I just… I need you because you’re strong. You’re intimidating. Craig won’t mess with me as long as he thinks I’m under your protection.”

He fought the urge to squeeze her hand, anger and fear coursing through him, and his voice was rough when he forced himself to ask, “Did he hurt you?”

“Not yet.”

He swallowed hard, “So he threatened you?”

Rachel nodded.

“Fuck. Rach.” He groaned, “If you’d told me earlier I would have taken care of it. He was right there. I could have set him straight right then and there.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered. Words don’t matter to Craig. Just seeing me with you…” She shook her head sadly, “He’s dangerous and until I figure out how to handle him I guess I was hoping I could crash at your place. Just being with you will keep him away from me.”

“Rachel…”

“We’re friends, right?”

“Yeah.”

He stroked his thumb over her soft skin. That was the simple answer. That was the answer she was looking for. That’s what he’d been telling her for weeks because he was afraid telling her what he really wanted would scare her away. He wanted to be so much more than her friend, he was so much more than her friend. But he was her friend, first and foremost so he nodded.

“Then please, just trust me that I’ll tell you more when I figure it out myself.”

“Okay.” He agreed quietly.

It was all he could do. He didn’t want to push too hard, too fast. She’d come to him because she needed his protection. He could give her that without crossing any lines or pressuring her for more than she was willing to give. If she wanted him to be her friend tonight, he could do that.

He pulled the Challenger to a stop in front of the old trailer house and winced as embarrassment hit him. It wasn’t a nice place. It was barely even a livable place. The old trailer had sat unused and abandoned for years before he came home. When he’d moved in it had smelled to high heaven and despite all of his cleaning it still had a slight undercurrent of misuse to it.

“Uh… it’s not much.” He forced himself to release her hand so they could both step out of the car. “In all honesty, it’s kind of a mess.”

“I don’t mind.” Rachel shrugged, “I’m sure it can’t be any worse than mine.”

“Right. Yeah, you’ve got a place over in the park right?”

“Right.” She followed him as he went to the door and unlocked it. “It was my mom’s. She left it to me when she died. Cancer about five years ago.”

He motioned for her to go inside, “You were sixteen when she died?”

“Yeah.”

“And child protective didn’t get involved? Isn’t your dad in prison?”

Rachel made a strangled sound, “Yeah, well, how do you think I ended up with Craig back in my life?”

He hummed his acknowledgement of that piece of information. Her older half-brother had gotten custody of her probably. She’d been so close to legal age that the system had probably taken one look at an adult sibling, told him to handle her, and never checked on them again. God only knew what she’d had to deal with since if that little scene earlier was any indication.

A dead mother. A father in prison. A brother that ran in the Bomar crew. Jesus, how had she ended up so good and sweet and innocent? It shouldn’t have been possible but he was thankful that she’d survived her horrors. He wasn’t naïve enough to think she wasn’t scarred, wasn’t damaged, but she’d come out the other side and now here she was, with him.

Right where she was supposed to be.

“Uh, have a seat. I recommend the chair. That couch is shit.” He scrubbed his hair, “You want something to drink?”

“N-no thank you.” Rachel twisted her hands in front of her nervously and he resisted the urge to take them and kiss them again.

It was different here. Kissing her here, with his bedroom just down the hallway, it was somehow more intimate. She must have realized that too because he didn’t miss the slight stutter in her words. He didn’t trust himself to touch her with that being the case so he stepped back, away from her, putting more space between them.

“I uh… I’m gonna go take a shower. Need to wash off this night.”

“Yeah, of course. Go.”

“Make yourself comfortable. Help yourself to whatever. I’ll only be a minute and then we can talk.”

Rachel nodded but didn’t move from her spot just inside the door.

Remy forced himself to turn and go down the hallway. It was a two bedroom trailer and he’d taken the master in the back. The spare was completely empty for the time being. He’d have to figure out sleeping arrangements when he got out but for now he was only worried about hurrying through his shower before she freaked out and decided to bolt. The last thing he needed was for her to go running off on Bomar land and end up shot like a trespasser if one of his family members came across her.

After retrieving a clean set of shorts, t-shirt and boxers from his room, Remy ducked into the shower in the hallway. The hot water heater was shit so he always felt like he was racing against the clock to clean up before the stream turned to ice. Tonight though, he rushed through even his normal ritual of scrubbing down and rinsing off.

After what couldn’t have been more than five minutes, Remy snapped off the water and toweled off. He wasn’t going to touch her. Not tonight. But he was going to get some answers.

But after he’d tossed his clothes on, he walked back into the living room and came to a stop. There would be no talking tonight. Not because she’d run like he feared but because she was asleep.

Rachel had taken his order to get comfortable seriously. Her boots were sitting neatly just inside the front door. She had curled up in his big, easy chair and her hands were tucked under her cheek. Her legs were drawn up, as if she’d tried to curl into a ball to protect herself from something and his heart ached at the sight of her there.

Right. Having her here felt so damn right it made his chest hurt. He liked seeing her in his home. He liked her boots sitting beside his at the door. The only way it would feel any more right would be if he could pick her up and carry her to his bed but he knew that was a bad idea.

It was best if he left her here. Safer for both of them that way. He wouldn’t get any lewd ideas about rolling over and touching her in the middle of the night if she wasn’t within reach. Probably. He didn’t want to startle her awake either. He didn’t know enough about who had hurt her, or how, to risk her freaking out if she woke up in a strange bed with someone beside her. He had plenty of his own nightmares that started that way and he wouldn’t add to hers just in case.

Instead he retrieved the blanket off his bed and then draped it over her gently. She stirred softly and muttered his name but didn’t wake up. That ache in his chest became even more pronounced. She was dreaming of him and he could only pray it was a good dream. Taking a chance, he leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her forehead and then pulled away when she didn’t stir again. He could get his answers tomorrow.

“Goodnight baby.”

Chapter Five

Rachel woke up slowly, gradually slipping into consciousness from the deep, dark recesses of a good night’s sleep.  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so hard, slept so long or so easily. It had been weeks, months, maybe even years since she’d woken up without a start, without her heart racing from a nightmare or to the sound of Craig screaming her name.

Craig.

Her eyes flew open as the memories of last night fought their way to the surface. She’d overheard her brother talking to his new friends. She’d learned he was a traitor to his crew, to the Bomars, and she’d gone to their fight night to look for Remy. She’d found him but Craig had found her too. He’d threatened her openly, right there in front of Remy. He’d all but told her that when she came home, he would deal with her. Only instead Remy had brought her here, to his home.

Oh my God… she looked around and covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.

She was really here. She was in Remy’s trailer. He’d brought her home with him and then… she groaned, she’d fallen asleep like a total child.

He’d gone to take a shower and she’d sat down in the big, comfy chair like he told her and then, nothing. She’d fallen asleep and she must have fallen asleep hard because she hadn’t heard him come back into the room. She hadn’t felt him give her a blanket to cover up but he must have. She fingered the old, well-worn quilt as she chewed her lips and looked around the small trailer.

It wasn’t much and she remembered the way Remy had looked slightly embarrassed when he brought her inside. The trailer was old, that was for sure, but it wasn’t in as much disrepair as her own was. Craig had trashed her mother’s trailer but clearly Remy had tried to fix his up. The scent of cleaning supplies lingered and it wasn’t dirty, just old. Everything but the television and the chair she’d slept in, which were clearly new and that made her smile softly to herself because of course Remy would buy the necessities first.

He was just a guy no matter how much she idolized him.

She remembered everything he’d done for her last night. Gotten her away from Lincoln, gotten her out of that barn and away from the leering men inside. He’d kept Craig from hurting her and he’d brought her here. He’d kept her safe and through it all he’d looked at her and touched her as if she were something special, something precious.

And then she’d fallen asleep on him.

God, she dropped her head into her hands and swallowed a groan. He must think she was a total baby now. Not that he probably hadn’t already. She knew he was older than her. She’d pointedly asked Skylar just how old Colt’s older brother was once and gotten a knowing smile and a speech about age being about wisdom not years and then a number.

Twenty-eight.

He was seven years older than her. He’d been halfway around the world fighting in a war. He’d grown up fast and early being a Bomar. Of course he must think she was a baby! She was barely an adult, could barely take care of herself and now she’d not only run to him for safety because she couldn’t protect herself but she’d fallen asleep like a kid up past her bedtime.

Rachel wiped a hand over her face and sighed. She had bigger problems than whether or not Remy thought she was a child. She had Craig threatening to kill her. She had the Bomars every direction she turned. And she had to figure out just how much she could tell Remy because she knew he would have questions for her now that she was awake.

She stood up and folded the blanket neatly. Listening carefully, she didn’t hear anything but the wind rustling the trees outside. If Remy was in the trailer he must be asleep. That or he was being utterly still and quiet thinking she was asleep. Carefully, trying to avoid any heavy steps that would made the floor squeak or groan, she tiptoed towards the back of the trailer.

It was laid out exactly like her own from the looks of it. The door up front led straight into the living area. There was a small nook on that end that served as a kitchenette. A stove oven combo in one corner, a fridge in the other and a sink between with a microwave on the counter were all there was room for. The living room was large enough for the big couch, the chair and a flat screen television but not much more. The narrow hallway led to a small second room that was completely empty and next to that was the bathroom. She should have stopped there, gone to the bathroom and cleaned up a little, but when she glimpsed the open doorway at the end of the hall, the master bedroom, she couldn’t help herself.

Hesitantly, she tiptoed to the open door and then stopped as the dark room came into focus. Remy was in there. She could just make him out through the pale light seeping past the blinds. He was sprawled on the big bed, a sheet haphazardly pulled up around his waist. His head was turned away from her but it wouldn’t have mattered if he were wide awake. His broad chest was on full display and just like last night, she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away.

Her heart began to gallop and she bit her lip as she stared at him. She shouldn’t be standing here, gawking. She knew that. It was weird and creepy and stalkerish. If he woke up and saw her watching him like this, it would make things super awkward. He stirred slightly and she stopped breathing until he resettled, this time facing her but with his eyes still closed.

What would he do if he woke up and saw her here? Send her away? Or curl his finger at her like he had last night in the barn? The memory alone was enough to send butterflies fluttering in her belly. What would he do if she crawled into that bed with him and snuggled against that strong, broad chest? Would he hold her and promise to protect her? Or would he touch her, really touch her like he’d said he wanted to last night, and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe?

Remy twitched again in his sleep and she stepped back, out of the doorway. He was having a nightmare, she realized. All of the tossing and turning, she knew the signs well. She had more than a few of her own. Knowing that she would hate anyone seeing her like that, weak and alone, defenseless against the demons and the memories that came in the dark, she forced herself to turn and walk away.

Rachel locked herself in the bathroom and leaned against the door with a sigh. What was she doing here? Remy clearly had his own problems to deal with. She trusted him but she was still trying to figure out how much of her story to tell him. He’d said last night that he wanted her, that she was his, but most of what she knew about his past hadn’t come from him.

She’d heard the rumors, heard Skylar and Colt talking when they thought she wasn’t listening. They were worried about him. Remy had come home after a decade away and was still trying to find his place within his family.

The fighting was to save his brothers but who was going to save Remy?

Even knowing that he didn’t need to be dragged into her mess right now, she couldn’t convince herself to turn around and leave while he was asleep. Craig had already seen her with Remy. If she left him now, where would she go? Who could she turn to? Skylar maybe, but if she went to her then no doubt Remy would find out. She had no doubt that if she fled now without so much as a word that Remy would come after her.

Going through the motions, her thoughts a hundred miles away, she cleaned up as best she could in the small bathroom. She borrowed Remy’s comb and pulled it through her tangled hair. There was a spare toothbrush in the drawer, unopened, and after a few minutes of debate she gave up and opened it, telling herself that she’d replace it as soon as she got the chance. She washed her face, cleaning off the remnants of the overdramatic makeup she’d worn the night before and when she looked back at herself in the mirror, she both felt and looked more like herself.

When she finally worked up the courage to leave the bathroom, Remy was still asleep. She didn’t dare go back to his bedroom. She made her way to the living room to wait for him and then, because she was too nervous to sit still thinking about what would happen when he did wake up, she decided to raid his fridge for breakfast items instead.

His kitchen was hit or miss. Some of the cabinets were completely bare. Others were packed full of old dishes that threatened to spill out as soon as she opened the door. There was bread but it was beginning to mold. There were eggs in the fridge that hadn’t expired and an entire bag of hot peppers. A package of flour tortillas looked edible enough and after some searching she managed to find a frying pan and some spices.

Breakfast she could do. She could handle this. It would give her something to do with her hands and something to keep her mind occupied so she could stop fretting. She knew how to cook and she would make them both a hot meal. She figured it was the least she could do to thank Remy for last night. Even if he didn’t know it, he had saved her life.

After breakfast, she had no idea what she was going to do. No clue what she was going to say to Remy when he asked what was going on. She wasn’t sure how much she should tell him. He’d put together that she was scared of Craig but she didn’t think that would be enough information for him. He would want to know why she was scared of her brother and she thought he deserved to know that Craig intended to hurt his family members. But if she told him that, it might change how he felt about her. He might push her away, send her away, and she wasn’t sure she could survive without him. Literally.

She was lost and she had no idea what her next move should be.

All she knew was that she wanted to stay with Remy, but even that was a big ball of confusion for her. Did she want to stay with him because he was safe or did she want to stay with him because she wanted him? Maybe it was a little of both. Couldn’t it be both? She didn’t know. She’d never wanted a man before, never not been terrified of having one near one, never looked at one and not imagined the horrible ways he could hurt her. Not until she’d met Remington Bomar.

He made her want things she’d never thought she would want from a man. He made her feel things she’d never thought she could feel with a man. He made her feel safe. That was something no man had ever been able to give her and now that she’d found it, she couldn’t imagine giving it up, giving him up.

A board creaked behind her just as she was rolling the last of the eggs, chopped peppers and cheese into a tortilla. Her hands froze and her entire body tensed on instinct. She had excellent hearing, another of her survival skills, another way to keep tabs on Craig so he couldn’t sneak up on her. She had to physically force her shoulders down but when she turned and caught sight of Remy, the smile came easily and naturally.

He looked absolutely adorable. That should have been impossible on a six foot plus man with muscles designed to inflict pain but it wasn’t. Her grin widened as she watched him scratch his head, confusion on his handsome face as he took in what she was doing. He looked sleep rumpled and warm and more than anything, she wanted to cross the room and give him a hug, maybe go up on her tiptoes for a good morning kiss.

As had become a dangerous and frustrating habit, her gaze snagged on his mouth and she couldn’t tear it away until she saw it quirk up at the edges to reveal those Bomar dimples that made her insides do funny things. He’d caught her staring at his mouth. Again. It wasn’t the first time and she was certain it wouldn’t be the last. She only wondered how long he would let her get away with it before he did something about her interested looks.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” She echoed quietly and then cleared her throat and forced her eyes back to his, “Good morning.”

“Mm, yeah, no. That’s an oxymoron.” He yawned and stretched, the t-shirt he’d donned before coming into the living room riding up high and revealing the dark line of hair that disappeared into his sweatpants. “No such thing as a good morning.”

She smiled at his grumpiness, “Not a morning person?”

“Nope.” He moved a few steps closer, “That surprise you?”

“A little.” She bit her lip when he rounded the counter that had been between them, “I uh… I mean, you were in the army right?”

He made a disgruntled sound that could have meant anything, “Yeah.”

“Never got used to the mornings?”

Remy scratched his head again, “Nah. Nearly eight years and I never became one of those guys that could roll out of my bunk before the bell.”

She did the math in her head and tried not to let her surprise show. Out of all the conversations she’d overheard between Skylar and Colt and Skylar and Jemma, she’d never realized that Remy had been out of the army for two years before he came home. She’d assumed he came home as soon as he got out. He was so dedicated to protecting his brothers, she’d figured he came back to see them as soon as he could. But he’d been gone for ten years, not eight.

“Y-you were in the army for eight years?”

His dark eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned a hip against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest, “That’s not what you wanted to ask. You want to know where I was the other two years, right? Before I came back? It’s okay. You can ask, Rach.”

How did he do that? How did he always read her so easily? Know what she was thinking? That was what she’d wanted to ask. She’d wanted to ask where he’d been for the past two years. She wanted to know why he hadn’t come home as soon as he got out of the army. She wanted to know everything about him.

“I can?”

“You can ask me anything.” A small smile lightened his face and he reached for her slowly, so slowly that she knew he was trying not to scare her, but when his big, warm, rough hand slid against hers she still shivered and his smile fell, “Is this okay?”

She nodded.

Remy’s fingers laced together with hers and her heart skittered wildly in her chest. It was nothing, just a touch of their hands, but she felt lightheaded. Her palms were sweaty and she knew he must feel it but he didn’t pull away. He tugged gently and she moved closer like she knew he wanted her to. Their legs brushed as he positioned her where he wanted her, just in front of them, so close that if she leaned up or if he leaned down, they could be kissing.

“Rach?”

“Hmm?”

“Gotta stop lookin’ at me like that babe.” Those lips tweaked into a smirk, “I’m tryin’ to have a conversation with you but I’m only a man and you’re tempting me to forget my manners and take the kiss you’re all but beggin’ for, baby.”

Her gaze jumped to his, shocked by his easy admission that he wanted to kiss her and that he knew she wanted his kiss. He’d never said anything like that to her before. No matter how many times he caught her staring at his mouth, he ignored it. Their mutual attraction was obvious but neither of them had broached the giant elephant in the room. Remy smiled softly, knowingly, and she bit her lips nervously. She’d known last night would change things between them.

“I… but… you…”

Remy sighed when she stumbled over her words, “I left Old Settlers when I was eighteen. I had to get away before this place destroyed me. It was selfish and I knew it then and eight years later when I got out of the Army I thought coming back would be even more selfish so I stayed away.”

Since she’d been expecting him to say something about his desire to kiss her, it took her a second to process what he was telling her. She relaxed as the moment passed. He wasn’t going to push her about her attraction to him, at least not at this very moment, so she forced herself to focus on what he was telling her instead.

These were the kinds of things she wanted to know about him. The important stuff. Not just how attracted he was to her but who he was when he wasn’t playing the role of protective big brother or bad, Bomar boy.

She released her lips from between her teeth, “Selfish how?”

“I hurt the twins when I left. They were young and I couldn’t take them with me but it doesn’t change the fact that I left them behind. They grew up while I was gone. They grew into strong men. Good men. I guess I didn’t think I had any right to come back and fuck that up for them.” He must have seen the confusion on her face because he snorted, “I’m a Bomar, Rach. I’m conditioned to think that’s all I’m good for. I heard it all my life.”

“But I thought your dad… well, Skylar said… I mean…”

He nodded when she stumbled over words again, “You mean you heard that I was the favored son? Yeah, I heard that too. And to an extent it’s true. Decker never targeted me the way he did the twins but that doesn’t mean I don’t have scars.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” He said softly, his gaze on their linked hands when he frowned, “Just… looking like Decker, being the one they said acted like him, that carried its own weight. I don’t want to be like him.”

“I don’t think you’re anything like him. You came back to protect your brothers. You’re fighting in that cage for them. You took Colt’s place to get him out of the family business. You saved him. I can’t think of any other Bomar that would do something like that.”

Remy’s chin jerked up and a frown marred his handsome face, “Who told you that?”

“Wh-what?” She hesitated at the tense set of his jaw.

“Who told you I took Colt’s place to get him away from the family? That’s not exactly public knowledge, Rachel. That was a deal between me and Lincoln and…”

“Skylar.” She cut him off with a frown of her own. “Skylar told me.”

His frown melted away instantly and a sheepish smile took its place, “Sorry I just… of course she told you. I didn’t mean that you shouldn’t know it’s just, things with Lincoln are tense and…”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

“I should have known Skylar told you. She’s a good girl.”

“She’s the best.” She agreed instantly. “Skylar, she saved me in a lot of ways. She gave me a job but she also gave me a chance. She says I’m like the little sister she never had but the truth is, she’s the best friend I’ve ever had. She’s been there for me when nobody else would have been.”

“She warned me away from you, ya know?” Remy smirked and she grinned in return.

“Yeah, she warned me away from you too, at first, but lately… she’s kind of your biggest cheerleader.”

He chuckled, “Don’t think for a second I don’t know how lucky I am to be on that woman’s good side. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if she’d stuck to her guns and told me to stay away from you.”

“I’m not sure even Skylar could’ve convinced me to stay away from you.” She admitted and felt a blush heat her cheeks when Remy groaned and tugged her even closer, until their bodies brushed.

“Rach, nothing could’ve kept me away from you and nothing is going to convince me to let you go now that you’re here. You know that right?”

She bit the inside of her cheek, “Remy I…”

“You wanted to know why I stayed gone for two years? The truth is, I was scared. Scared that my brothers wouldn’t want me back after what I did to them. Scared that if I came back, I’d end up becoming someone I hate just to fit back into my own damn family. Scared that I’d have to face my parents and the scars they left me with.” Remy squeezed her hand and then met her gaze with a serious shake of his head, “But I’m done being scared, Rach. I’m done running. I’m back and I promised myself that I would protect the people I care about this time around. I didn’t expect you. I wasn’t looking for you. But the minute I saw you standing on the sidewalk that day, I knew you were going to be important to me. You are important to me. So I’m here for my brothers but I’m also here for you. Understand?”

She swallowed hard and managed a shaky nod. It was a lot to take in. She couldn’t remember anyone in her life ever telling her that she was important to them. Couldn’t recall ever being important to anyone. Nobody had ever taken care of her before and more than anything she wanted to lean against Remy, to let him be that person and let him take care of her.

“Good.” He stroked his fingers over hers slowly, softly, in a really distracting kind of way, “I wanted to make sure we were on the same page because last night changed things, Rach.”

“I know.” She managed to find her voice.

“I claimed you in front of half my family. They’re gonna assume that means we’re together and while it may have been spur of the moment, I meant every word. You’re mine so if you don’t want me, you need to tell me now.”

“Remy…”

“No, let me say this because I don’t want there to be any confusion about what I want.” He used his free hand to tilt her chin up so they were eye to eye, “I don’t know that I can let you go without a fight, even now, but I know without a doubt that once I have you, I won’t ever be able to let you walk away from me.”

She bit her lip to keep from saying his name again. She’d tried to speak twice and he’d stopped her both times. She wasn’t sure what she would have said but she knew exactly what she wanted to say to him now. But she kept her lips sealed until he raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“Rach?”

“I wanted to make sure you were done before you cut me off again.”

He chuckled, “Sorry babe, like I said, I wanted to be clear and up front with you about what I want. I want you. All of you.”

“Now it’s my turn to be clear then… Nobody’s ever said anything like that to me before, Remy. Nobody has ever wanted me, not just like that but in any way. So, yes, I think it’s clear that I want you but I want you to know that I want you in every way too.”

“God, it feels like I’ve waited forever to hear you say that.” Remy groaned, “I know it’s only really been a month since we met but I’ve been waiting for you forever, baby.”

“I feel the same way.”

Remy stroked his fingers over her racing pulse where their hands were joined, “I’m not gonna push you. I promise I’m not. I know extenuating circumstances sent you running to me last night but I’m not letting you go, Rach.”

“You’re going to let me stay here?” She blinked in surprise.

“As long as you want. Forever, if you want.” He smiled, flashing dimples when she only blinked at him, “Now, since I’ve answered your questions. Do me a favor and answer one of mine. Why are you making breakfast?”

“What?”

He’d just told her that he wanted to be with her in every way. That if she decided to be with him that he wouldn’t ever let her go. And then he’d asked about breakfast.

“Why are you making breakfast?” He repeated easily.

“Oh…” She cleared her throat and tried to follow his lead, “I uh, I wanted to thank you for last night.”

His dark brows furrowed, “Thank me? For what?”

“For bringing me here. For getting me out of there. For stopping Craig from…”

When her words trailed off, Remy sighed, “Rach, you’re gonna have to talk to me about him. I’ve got questions, a lot of questions. I need to know what the deal is with your brother.”

“Half-brother.”

“Half-brother.” He agreed, “You’re scared of him?”

It wasn’t really a question but she nodded, “He’s not a good guy. He… He threatens me. He’s got in in his head that he’s the boss of me. Most of the time I can ignore him or avoid him but…”

“But not yesterday?” He asked when she trailed off again.

She wasn’t sure how much to tell him. Everything he’d told her said that he wouldn’t send her away but how could she be sure? Telling him just why she was so scared of Craig would change everything, again. She didn’t want to lose Remy when she’d only just found him.

“Y-yesterday was a really bad day and I-I don’t want to go home. I’m scared of what he might do.”

“You think he’ll hurt you?”

She nodded.

Remy scowled, “Has he hurt you before?”

She chewed her bottom lip. She couldn’t answer that. Not honestly. If she answered it honestly, Remy was going to freak out. She knew he would because any decent person would. She couldn’t tell him. She’d never told anyone and no matter how much she trusted Remy, she couldn’t put it into words.

Not now. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Remy squeezed her hand to pull her attention back to him, “Is he the reason you’re scared of men?”

She winced at the knowing look in his dark eyes, “It’s not that I’m scared of all men… I’m not scared of you.”

“I don’t think that’s entirely true.”

“What?”

“You are scared of me, Rach. You can deny it but I can see it in the way you look at me sometimes.”

She shook her head immediately, “I don’t think you’d ever hurt me.”

“There may not be any reason for you to believe I’d hurt you but that doesn’t mean you trust that I won’t either.” He held up his free hand when she opened her mouth, “I’m not saying I’m special. I think you’re scared of all men. Not just me.”

“I’m not scared of you, Remy. I-I-I…” She groaned when her words began to run together and stutter. No. She couldn’t start stuttering now. Not now. Not with Remy. Not when she needed the words so badly.

“See. You’re stuttering. You only stutter when you’re scared.”

She grit her teeth. He knew her too damn well for a man that she’d known a little over a month. He knew that her stutter was related to her nerves, related to her fear. But what they were talking about did make her nervous. They were talking about how she felt about him.

“I’m not scared of you!” The words came out like bullets so that she didn’t stutter and her face flamed hot as she lowered her voice, “I’m n-not scared of you. I’m s-s-scared of how you make me feel.”

Remy studied her for a moment and his face softened. His thumb stroked over her wrist and she knew he could feel her pulse pounding. She didn’t know if he did it on purpose, if he even knew that he did it, but he tugged her even closer, until their hips were flush and his voice was low and husky when he spoke again.

“How do I make you feel, Rachel?”

“Wanted.” She admitted softly, “Desired. Beautiful. Special. Nobody’s ever looked at me like you do.”

“Baby, you’re beautiful. Don’t tell me other men haven’t wanted you. Unless they’re all deaf, dumb and blind, I don’t see how it could be true.”

She frowned when he made light of something she took so seriously, “Not like you. They… they… They looked at me like… not like you. They… They didn’t make me feel like this. You make me feel safe. I trust you and I want you.”

“God, Rach…” He winced as if her words struck him and she swallowed hard.

“What?”

“You have no idea what you do to me, do you?” Remy wrapped his free arm around her waist, his hand settling at the small of her back as his intense, dark blue eyes stroked over her face, “When you say things like that, all I want to do is kiss you.”

She bit her lip and he groaned. Slowly, so slowly that she knew, again, that he was trying not to scare her, he raised his hand and stroked his thumb over the swell. He popped her lip from between her teeth and when she instinctively licked her lips and her tongue grazed his finger he sucked in a rough breath.

“Can I kiss you Rachel?”

Her blood was pounding in her ears but she heard him, somehow. He asked and her heart swelled in her chest. This was why it had been so easy to trust him from the start. He was so careful with her. As if she were precious. And she knew right then, at that moment, that she wasn’t just half in love with him.

He had her whole heart. It was his to break. She could only hope he would be as careful with it as he was being with her body.

She nodded.

“I need to hear you say it.”

Her voice was barely a whisper, “Yes.”

Remy lowered his head, his eyes open and pinned to hers. Slowly, carefully, he pressed his lips to hers and at the first contact her lids slid shut. Warmth suffused her veins as he gently worked his lips against hers. His touch wasn’t tentative. He knew what he was doing but he went slowly, for her, and knowing he cared enough not to press too hard, too fast, was her undoing.

Rachel moaned and melted against him. The butterflies in her stomach did somersaults and her head felt foggy. Reality slipped away and her entire world was reduced to nothing but this amazing man and the way he kissed her.

Warm, wet lips sliding together. A slip of a smooth tongue, teasing against her upper lip, making her gasp and then groan as he tasted her. He took long, deep sips of her mouth, coaxing her into responding in ways she didn’t even know she could. Her own tongue slid forward to find his and earned her a rumble from somewhere deep in that beautiful chest of his. The sound of his pleasure made her bolder and she wrapped her arms around him, pressed closer to him, wanted to meld them together so that nothing could ever tear them apart.

Her first kiss, her first real kiss, and it was perfect. It went on and on for what felt like forever and it still wasn’t long enough. He pulled back as slowly as he had started it, in increments, as if he knew that taking away all of him after something so overwhelming would be too much for her already overheated and overpowered body and mind.

Finally, Remy broke the kiss when she never would have been able to and dropped his forehead against hers. He was breathing hard and dimly she realized that she was too. They were both panting as if they’d forgotten to come up for air and wow, maybe they had because she certainly felt oxygen deprived. Foggy, weightless, as if she was floating on the simple pleasure of his kiss.

Their eyes met and she shivered at the desire he didn’t try to hide. He wanted her. He’d kissed her as if he needed her and she knew she couldn’t hide what she was feeling in that moment. It was too much, too powerful and she had no experience with this kind of impossible longing.

She wanted more, so much more.

Remy groaned as he held her close, his rough fingers stroking across her cheek, “God, Rach… what am I gonna do with you?”

“Protect me?” She whispered softly, needy.

Remy smiled at that, “Always.”

Chapter Six

He’d been wrong earlier. When he’d told Rachel that good mornings didn’t exist he’d been wrong. This, here, now, this was a good morning. It had just been so damn long since he had one that he’d forgotten. But waking up to find Rachel in his kitchen, cooking him breakfast no less, talking to her, touching her, getting to kiss her… it was hands down the best morning he’d ever had.

Remy had to forcibly clench his fists to keep from raising his fingers to his lips like some love-struck teenage girl. His lips still tingled. He could still taste her and she tasted just as good as he’d been imagining. Sweet, soft, he licked his lips… God he wanted to kiss her again. He could spend the entire day kissing Rachel.

He wanted to do a hell of a lot more than just kiss her but for now, that was enough. More than enough. He knew that there was no way he would ever push her for more. He wouldn’t rush this, rush them. She was wary, tentative and clearly she’d been hurt before. He’d spent too long fighting his own demons to risk becoming someone else’s, particularly not when every fiber of his being demanded he protect this woman.

There was something about her. He’d known it from the moment he met her. Something about her that called to him. He was attracted to her, sure. She was a beautiful girl. But it was so much more than that. Some deep caveman part of him wanted to claim her and keep her as his. He wanted to protect her from anything that could possibly hurt her, right all of the wrong that had been done to her and murder anyone that dared to touch her.

Jesus, was this how his brothers felt all the damn time?

He couldn’t even think straight. From the moment he’d seen Rachel standing in that barn last night, the rest of his life had ceased to exist. She had become the focal point. His sole reason for being. He’d asked what he was supposed to do with her but he already knew. He was going to keep her because she was his.

But first, he had to get some answers and so far this morning his sweet, beautiful girl had been as quiet as a church mouse about why it was she came to him last night.

He shot another glance at her out of the corner of his eye but she was picking at her nails and her legs were still bouncing up and down nervously. He swallowed his questions for the tenth time, not wanting to upset her further. She’d been this way since the moment he suggested they run by her trailer to get some of her things before work this morning.

The suggestion had almost ruined the entire morning. Their easy conversation over breakfast had been sweet and flirtatious. He’d held her hand, stroked her pulse and basked in the way it jumped whenever he smiled at her. Hell, if that wasn’t reason enough to make him smile nothing was. But when he’d suggested they get ready for work, that she could ride in with him since the salon was right next to the tattoo studio, she’d paled visibly and withdrawn.

She hadn’t wanted to go home. Not even to get clothes. When he’d told her that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her, she’d finally admitted that she had an extra bag of clothes in her locker at the salon for emergencies so there was no need. He’d known there was more to her need to keep a bag at the salon but he hadn’t pressed her to find out what it was when she all but shut down at the mention of going home.

To say that he was worried was an understatement. There was being scared and running away and then there was this. She’d walked into an illegal underground fight just to find him because she needed protection. She’d packed a bag and stowed it at the salon as a backup plan. Whatever had happened, it was more than a simple fight between two siblings.

He slid his hand over onto her thigh and when her legs immediately stopped twitching he smiled at her. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of a grin lighting her face before she dropped her chin and her dark hair fell forward to hide her expression from him. He was about to move his hand, to push her hair back so he could see her when she surprised him by settling hers against his and lacing their fingers together.

He squeezed and she returned the gesture.

“You think Skylar’s gonna be mad I made you late this morning?”

She grinned at the icebreaker question like he’d hoped she would, “I don’t know. I’ve never been late before.”

“Never?”

“Never.” Rachel confirmed with a nod. “I open the salon for her since she’s usually the one running late. I unlock and get everything set up for the day that way, when she does roll in, all she has to do is tie on her apron and she’s good to go.”

“Maybe if we’re lucky she’s running behind too and we’ll beat her there.”

“Maybe.” Rachel giggled. “But she’s gotten better about being on time since Colt moved in with her. I think he wakes her up and makes sure she doesn’t fall back asleep.”

“M-hmm, I just bet he does.”

She blushed at his innuendo, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know. That’s why you’re so cute.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles as that blush crept down her neck.

He was wondering just how low those blushes of hers went as he parked the Challenger in an open slot in front of the tattoo studio his brother owned. It really was ridiculously convenient that Colt and Skylar owned businesses right next door to each other and an amazing coincidence that he and Rachel worked for them. Okay, well not all that coincidental considering Lincoln had forced Colt to hire him and Rachel had been working for Skylar long before he came back to town. Still, he liked the idea of them being able to carpool to work like this on a regular basis. He grinned again as he released her hand and stepped out of the car.

When she moved in with him, it would be even more convenient.

Fast, too fast, his brain warned but his heart told it to shut up. Rachel was what he wanted. She was what he needed. And no matter how bad the circumstances were that had brought her to him, he didn’t intend to let her go when it was all over.

He’d been honest and upfront with her this morning. He wanted all of her. Forever.

“Looks like her cars not here.” The hopeful tone of her voice made him feel bad as he circled the front of the Challenger.

“But Colt’s truck is.” He nodded over his shoulder, “I bet they rode in together.”

“Crap.” Rachel squished her nose up adorably, “I guess I should get over there and explain myself then. Thank you for the ride and…”

Remy cut her off with a kiss. He couldn’t help himself. The idea of letting her go and watching her walk away from him sent sharp, stabbing pains through his chest. He wasn’t ready yet. And if she thought she could brush him off, she had another thing coming.

Rachel responded almost instantly this time and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. She’d told him over breakfast that she’d never really been kissed before and that caveman inside of him had cheered. He’d been her first kiss, which also made him wonder what other firsts he would be for her. All of them if he had any say in the matter.

First and last.

“Hmmm-hmmm!” Someone cleared their throat loudly nearby and Remy reluctantly broke the sweet goodbye kiss.

He glanced up and saw his little brother standing in the doorway of his tattoo studio, glaring at them. Colt stepped outside, coming even closer, but Remy ignored him and focused on Rachel. She’d gone stiff in his arms and he didn’t like that at all.

Rachel jerked back from him, her cheeks flushed and her breaths ragged. She glanced around, as if she’d forgotten where she was and damn, that was good for his ego. But then he saw it, saw the moment she realized they were standing on the street and someone had caught them kissing. Her eyes went wide. She ducked her chin and her shoulders began to curl in, as if she wanted to hide.

Remy held on to her with one hand when she tried to pull away and tipped her chin up with the other so that she had to meet his gaze, “Hey… hey… we’re not doin’ anything wrong.”

There was fear in her eyes again and it felt like a punch to his gut. He’d worked all morning to put her at ease. He thought they’d managed to get past it but he should have known it wouldn’t be that easy. He’d never been able to forget his past and his fears that easily so why had he thought she could?

“I-I know.” She muttered softly and he grazed her damp bottom lip with his thumb.

“Don’t run from me, Rach. I’ll chase you.” He dropped his forehead to hers so they were eye to eye, “And we both know I’ll catch you.”

She smiled softly, her eyes twinkling, “I’m not running from you.”

She wasn’t running from him. Wasn’t pulling away from him. He swallowed his knee jerk reaction to assume it was his fault, that he’d done something to scare her and took a deep breath. They’d been fine until the interruption. She’d kissed him right there on the street. It wasn’t him.

It was their intruder that scared her.

“Good.”

He brushed his lips over hers again and swallowed a groan when she tilted her head up to kiss him back. For a girl that said she’d never properly been kissed until this morning, she certainly caught on quick. Her taste spread through him and he groaned as he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Her tongue stroked against his, taking the lead, and he felt a little weak in the knees. This girl, she was going to be the death of him, because even when he heard his name, he couldn’t force himself to pull away from her.

“Remy!”

He broke the kiss and held Rachel close as he glared over her head at his brother, “What?”

Familiar light blue eyes narrowed at the way he snapped but moved away from him too fast for him to gauge anything else. Colt’s lips pursed when he looked at Rachel and Remy felt an insane urge to tuck her behind him, to hide her away. Colt wasn’t a threat to her, he knew that. Logically he knew that Colt would never hurt Rachel just like he knew that Colt was madly in love with Skylar and wouldn’t try to take her from him. But he’d never felt all that logical when it came to this girl so he kept a possessive hand on her so there was no way his brother could mistake what he’d seen as something casual.

“Rachel.” Colt said with more warmth than his stony face showed.

“Good morning Colt.” Rachel answered shyly but steadily.

His brother snorted, “No such thing sweetheart.”

Remy glared at his brother when he used that endearment. He barely resisted the urge to clench his fists. He would not hit his brother. He would not hit his little brother. He grit his teeth and thought of all the times he’d called Skylar by that particular endearment. His eyes narrowed, wondering if his brother was trying to get back at him for that. If so, it was brilliant because he swore to himself right then and there that he wouldn’t call Skylar that anymore so long as Colt didn’t call Rachel by it.

Rachel only smiled at his brother, “I guess it’s genetic.”

“What?” Colt looked between them.

“He said the same thing this morning when he woke up.”

At that, Colt’s eyebrows nearly hit his hairline and his gaze winged straight to his brother, “You two spent the night together?”

“I… well… we…” Rachel stuttered and Remy cut her off with a frown.

“That’s none of your business.”

Colt glared right back at him, “See, that’s where you’re wrong. When my girlfriend freaks the hell out because she,” he pointed to Rachel, “left a note saying she was in trouble and then neither of you pick up your phone. That makes it my business.”

“Oh God!” Rachel gasped and her face went pale as she brought a hand up to cover her mouth, “Oh God, oh God… I-I forgot. I forgot about the n-note.”

“Note?” Remy asked in confusion.

“Y-yeah, I… I… crap. I just…”

Colt nodded knowingly when she stuttered, “Yeah, Sky freaked out. You’d better get inside so she can see you’re okay. She was really worried about you. We both were.”

“Remy…” She glanced up at him, worrying her lips but he cut her off with a shake of his head.

“It’s okay. Go. Go to work and I’ll come over to check on you later. Maybe I can bring by lunch and we can eat together. How does that sound?”

“Too good to be true?” She smiled and he chuckled.

“Don’t leave that salon without letting me know, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’ll see you soon, baby.” He kissed her softly and far too briefly before pulling away and pushing her towards the door of the salon.

He stood there, watching her walk away from him, and he had to fight the urge to go after her. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight and knowing that she was an adult, that she had a job she needed to get to, did nothing to lessen that need to hold her close and keep her safe. He watched her until she disappeared behind the glass door and it felt like his heart went with her.

Jesus, he’d never known he could feel like this. So out of control, so needy and possessive. He loved his brothers but he’d still left them behind when he had to in order to save himself. With Rachel, he wasn’t so sure anything but death would ever keep him from her side.

He jolted when a loud, female squeal echoed out onto the street. He took a step towards the salon before he even realized he was moving. Only a strong hand on his arm managed to stop him and he jerked his attention to his brother.

“Don’t worry. That’s Skylar’s happy scream. If it was the other kind, I’d beat you over there.”

He snorted when his brother released his arm, “You know Skylar has different screams for her moods?”

“Something tells me all the jokes about me and Cash being possessive little bastards are about to die a pitiful death, bro.” Colt motioned to the tattoo studio he owned behind him, “Come on. We need to talk.”

He followed his little brother through the swinging door, “You read my mind but I’m warning you, if this is some speech about staying away from her…”

“It’s not.”

“Good, because that ship sailed weeks ago.”

“I know.” Colt smirked when Remy raised a surprised brow, “You might not look all that much like me or Cash but I know that look, bro. I think it’s the same look for anyone and you’ve had it since… hell since the day you met the girl.”

“I love her.”

Colt stopped walking and faced him fully. The shock written on his little brother’s face would have been funny in another situation. He opened his mouth, shut it again and then scratched his jaw before snorting.

“Damn, okay. You can just come right out with that kind of shit, huh? Good for you. It took me way too long to figure out how to say it. You’re a helluva lot further in the game than I was at this point.”

“This isn’t a game.” He shook his head, “I love her, Colt.”

“You barely know her.”

He scowled at the thought he’d had himself, more than once in the past month. There was so much about Rachel that he still didn’t know, that he needed to know. He wanted to spend the rest of his life learning everything there was to know about her and he would but there was at least one thing that he did know.

“I know that I love her and I know that I at least have a shot of making her love me so for right now, I know enough.”

“The hell you do.”

He grit his teeth, “Damn it Colt, what’s your point?”

“You don’t have any idea do you?” His brother threw his hands up, “You have no idea why Rachel left Sky a note saying that if she went missing or if something happened to her that she should look in the trailer for the evidence.”

Remy’s heart stopped. It just… stopped. He shuddered out a breath and barely managed to take another. He’d known Rachel was in trouble. He’d known that she was scared. But he hadn’t realized she actually feared for her life.

“She what?” He finally managed to squeak out.

Colt sighed, “Yeah, I had a feelin’ you knew nothing about that.”

“Evidence? What evidence?” He demanded.

“Hell if I know. That’s why Sky’s been freaking out since she got to work and found Rachel’s note taped to her locker. We broke into it and there’s also a bag of clothes in there along with a big brown paper bag full of money and a revolver.”

“She hid a change of clothes, money and a gun in Skylar’s salon?”

“Looks that way.”

“You found a gun in Rachel’s things and a note telling Skylar that she was in trouble and you didn’t fucking call me?” He felt his voice rise until he was screaming but he couldn’t seem to get himself under control.

Colt glared at him, “Check your fuckin’ phone before you yell at me, Remy. We did call you. I called you. Sky called you. We called you twenty goddamned times!”

He jerked his phone out of his jacket pocket and cursed some more. It was dead. He’d forgotten it was dead because he’d also forgotten to plug it in last night. He’d forgotten everything once Rachel walked into his life and the phone was only the last in a long line of things.

“Shit.”

“Yeah, I’m going to get you and Sky a matching set of super chargers for those damn things.” Colt scrubbed a hand over his face and his voice was calm again when he spoke, “Of course we called you, Remy. It’s Rachel. Sky said if she was really in trouble and she needed help, that Rachel would come to you.”

He blew out an unsteady breath, “She did.”

“So tell me what the hell is going on.”

Remy dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling, “I wish I knew.”

Since Colt was silent for a moment, he closed his eyes and counted slowly to ten. He focused on his breathing. In and then out. It was one of the more useful things he’d learned in the Army, how to control his emotions and calm down when all he really wanted to do was tear someone apart limb by limb. By the time he opened his eyes, the worst of the rage had passed and he was able to at least focus.

He glanced at his brother and sighed heavily. Colt looked tense and ready for a fight. He had his arms crossed over his chest defensively and his legs braced apart. His chin was up, his lips were thin and his eyes were dark. He knew the look well, thought that if you lined them up right now in front of a mirror they’d look like carbon negatives of one another. Same size and build, with only their coloring to differentiate them. He was dark everywhere Colt was light and a sick part of him wondered if it was more than skin deep. Wondered if he’d inherited Decker’s black soul, the one Cash and Colt seemed to have escaped.

“No.” He said simply and watched Colt’s eyebrows pinch.

“Excuse me?”

“Whatever is going on, it doesn’t have anything to do with you. You’re going to stay out of it. I got you out. You’re clean. You’re safe. I intend to keep it that way.”

Colt smirked, “So you do have some idea what’s going on.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because your first instinct was to tell me that I was out. That means it’s related to the family. I might be a pretty blond but I’m not an airhead, asshole. You think that whatever is going on with Rachel has something to do with the Bomars, right?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

Remy sank down onto the small black sofa that served as the waiting area for Fine Lines. The tattoo parlor that his brother owned had gotten a renovation barely a month ago thanks to the assholes that beat him up and destroyed the space. Looking at it now it was impossible to see just how damaged it had been but Remy knew because he’d seen it firsthand.

He’d been the one to find his brother lying in a pool of his own blood, barely breathing. He’d thought Colt was dead for at least a minute and it had been the worst minute of his life. Out of all the damage he carried, all the demons, the idea of letting his brothers down, letting them get hurt, was the worst nightmare. He’d thought he was too late but he hadn’t been that day and he’d sworn that he would do whatever it took to make sure nothing like that ever happened to his brothers again.

“You can’t get involved.”

“Damn it Remy, I’m already involved.” Colt sat down beside him with a huff, “You really think Skylar’s not over there right now asking Rachel the same questions? You really think she’s going to let this go? Skylar loves that girl like a sister and she’s protective as hell. You should’ve seen the way she went after Cash before Jemma forgave him. She’s loyal and tenacious and she won’t back down from this fight just because you tell her to. Neither am I. You’re my family. Rachel is Sky’s. We’re both all in here.”

Remy leaned forward, resting his head in his hands and staring at the floor. If he had to blink once or twice to keep back the moisture that had formed at his brother’s words, then that was between him and his shoes. Family. That’s what they were. All of them. He’d always thought he was simply stuck with the hand he’d been dealt. He was a Bomar and his family was a bunch of criminals and bastards.

But the truth was, blood wasn’t what made family. Love was. Cash was making his own family with Jemma and their baby. Colt had Skylar. The twins had made their own family and Colt said he was a part of it. Rachel was a part of it. So of course, together, they were a part of it.

Love. Acceptance. Peace.

It was everything he’d wanted but he should have known it wouldn’t come easy. Nothing came easy in his life. From the little he knew, nothing had ever come easy for Rachel either. But they had a chance at something better, together, and he’d meant what he said when he told her that he was done running. They would get through this together, all of them.

“It’s her brother.” He sat back upright in time to see Colt’s head tilt with confusion.

“Rachel has a brother?”

“My thoughts exactly.” He snorted, partly relieved he hadn’t been the only one in the dark about that, “Half-brother. His name is Craig but the best part is, you probably know him.”

“How would I know Rachel’s brother but not know he’s Rachel’s brother?”

“Because he’s part of Lincoln’s crew.”

Colt’s eyes went wide, “Seriously? I had no idea she had a brother let alone that he was connected to the family.”

“Yeah, I met the asshole last night after the fight. He’s a real piece of work. Cursed and threatened me for touching his precious little sister.” He shook his head when Colt smirked, “No, that’s the thing. It wasn’t a protective brother thing. He doesn’t give a shit about Rachel. He threatened her too.”

“What? Why?”

“No idea. He scared the hell out of her and she was barely functional by the time I got her out of there. I had to carry her because she couldn’t walk. She went full radio silence and whenever I’ve asked about him since, she shuts down. All she’ll say is that he scares her and she doesn’t want to go home.”

Colt scratched his head, “Hold up a second, you ran into the brother after your fight… with Rachel? She was there? At the barn?”

He nodded and Colt shot to his feet.

“What the hell was she doing there in the first place? That’s no place for a girl like her. She doesn’t even like when more than one guy goes into the salon at the same time. Hell! I still scare her and I’m about as laid-back as the Bomars come.”

“Apparently she was looking for me.”

“At the barn, on a fight night?”

“Yep.”

Colt stopped pacing and turned back to face him, “Well if that doesn’t prove just how scared she was, I don’t know what does.”

“The damn revolver maybe.”

“Don’t even get me started on that.” Colt growled, “And before you ask, no I didn’t leave it over there for her or Skylar to accidentally shoot themselves with it. It’s locked up in my office.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. Tell me what the hell we can do keep our girls safe.”

Remy felt that spot in his chest warm at the way Colt said it. Our girls. Skylar and Rachel. There was no warning, no fight, no promise to kill him if he hurt Rachel. His brother had simply accepted that she was his and that they would protect her just as they protected Jemma and Skylar.

“Well…” He pushed to his feet so they were on equal footing, “As much as I hate to admit it, Rachel’s not going to tell me what’s going on with her brother. Not yet. I’ve given her every chance and I won’t push her if she isn’t ready to trust me with that truth.”

“Okay…”

“So we need to get information on the guy from another source.”

Colt groaned, “I think I see where you’re going with this.”

“He’s part of Link’s crew. If anyone knows what his deal is it would be Lincoln don’t you think?”

“You really want to call him in on this?” Colt hedged.

“Hell no. I’m still so angry with him over the way he handled things with you that I can barely be in the same room with him. Then, last night, he made a play for Rachel so the idea of putting my hand through his face is more appealing than ever.”

“He what?” Colt gaped.

“I claimed her, publicly, before the fight. It was the only way I could think of to keep her safe since I couldn’t just get her the hell out of there.” He smirked when Colt eyed him, “Yeah, okay, and because I wanted to but that’s not the point. The point is, our bastard cousin put his hands on her and tried to keep her from me even after I announced to the entire place that she was mine and anybody that messed with her would have to deal with me.”

“Woah.”

“Yeah, so I may have threatened to take him down right there in front of his fan club. He probably wants to talk to me about as much as I want to talk to him right now but it doesn’t matter. We need to know what he knows. It’s the only way to protect Rachel so I’ll make the call.”

Colt frowned, “I don’t like it any more than you do but I agree. We don’t have another option unless Sky gets Rachel to spill all the details to her. Considering I didn’t know the girl had a brother, I don’t see that happening.”

“Me either and it’s not just that she’s shy. She’s been hurt before and she’s scared and every instinct I have tells me it’s the brother that hurt her. I know what it’s like when the people you’re supposed to trust are the ones that hurt you. She’s not gonna open up easily but she is giving me a chance. I don’t want to blow it but I don’t want her ending up dead more.”

He hated the reminder of what he and Rachel shared. Damage. Pain and scars inflicted by their own family members. He’d always known someone had hurt Rachel but he’d assumed it was a boyfriend. Finding out that it was most likely her brother made him sick to his stomach. He knew that kind of sickness and he could only pray that he was wrong.

Colt sighed, “I know you and Lincoln are at odds over me. I get that. But he’s not as bad as you think he is, Remy. He’ll help us. Trust me.”

“Since you have so much faith in him, why don’t you call and ask him to come down here? My phones still dead and even if it wasn’t, I doubt he’d pick up for me right now.”

“Good point. I’ll make the call. Stay here.”

“Where would I go?” He snorted as his brother turned and walked towards his office in the back of the studio.

“To have a cigarette.”

He scoffed at that even though he did want to have a cigarette. He wanted to have an entire pack of cigarettes. But he wouldn’t. He’d quit. Well, he was in the process of quitting. His brothers hated cigarettes. They had too many bad memories of Decker using them as ashtrays. They carried those scars and Remy hated that just the smell of smoke could make them sick with bad memories. So he was quitting but it damn sure wasn’t one of the easier things he’d done in his life.

He wanted a smoke but he needed his brothers in his life. He needed Rachel and she’d told him her mother died of cancer. He didn’t need a cigarette.

Colt came back around the corner, his cell to his ear. Remy watched his brother stand there silently with the phone to his ear and his amusement faded. Lincoln wasn’t picking up which was strange. As the head of an organized crime ring, he was pretty much always in touch in case someone needed him. The phone rang and rang and he and Colt stared at each other, wondering what to do if voicemail picked up right about the time it clicked over.

“What?” A hushed, hurried voice whispered with irritation.

“Link?” Colt hit a button to put it on speaker and the response echoed in the empty space.

“No, it’s the damn tooth fairy. Yeah, it’s me. You fuckin’ called me. Who’d you think was gonna pick up?”

Remy rolled his eyes, “Nobody for a second there.”

“Is that Remington?” Lincoln’s voice came through a little louder, as if they’d finally earned his attention.

“Yeah, it’s me and Colt.” He answered quickly, “We need to talk to you. Can you swing by the studio?”

“No can do, Cuz. I’m… temporarily unavailable.”

Colt shot him a questioning look but Remy shrugged. He could no more decode Lincoln than he could speak French. He’d lost the ability to read his cousin’s mind a decade ago when he left town. The Lincoln on the phone wasn’t the same Lincoln that had given Remy a ride to the Army recruitment office because he knew how badly he needed to get out of town and only wanted to help. This guy was someone else entirely.

“It’s important.” He tried again.

“I’m sure you think it is.” Lincoln put a hand over the phone and his voice was muffled as he spoke to someone else before he came back on a second later, “Look, I’m kind of in the middle of something otherwise I’d be more than happy to talk to you boys. I was gonna hit you up later anyway. Feel you out about that girl.”

Remy flinched, “What girl?”

“The girl from last night. What? You claimed somebody else in the last twelve hours?”

“Rachel.”

“What?”

“Her name is Rachel.” He grit out.

“Yeah, Skylar’s friend.  Your… whatever she is. I need to talk to you about her.”

“Why?”

“I think she might know…” Lincoln cursed on his end of the phone and then someone shouted his name, “Damn it, I gotta go boys. I’ll swing by when I get back to town and we can hash it all out. Talk soon.”

The line went dead and Remy cursed, “Son of a bitch.”

“Yeah, you can say that again.” Colt tossed the phone on the check-in counter and grimaced, “Lincoln wants to talk to you about Rachel? That can’t be good.”

“No. It can’t.”

“Where you think he is that he said he’s out of town?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care. All I care about is keeping Rachel safe and if he isn’t going to help me, I’ve got to figure something else out.”

“She’s working next door with Skylar. She’s perfectly safe. Nobody’s gonna mess with her at the salon. Whatever is going on, let her work. Let her have some semblance of a normal day and if we’re lucky, maybe she’ll open up and tell Sky what’s going on. If not, no harm done and we’ve killed a couple of hours until Lincoln gets back to town.”

“Easier said than done.” Remy complained.

“I know.” Colt smirked, “Trust me I know. Once you admit you’d be shit without her, it’s damn hard to let her out of your sight isn’t it?”

Remy nodded in agreement. If there was one thing that he knew both of his brothers understood, it was a need to protect their women. Cash and Colt would give their lives for Jemma and Skylar. Just because he hadn’t had a lifetime to get to know Rachel, to be her friend or pine over her, didn’t make what he felt any less powerful.

She was his and he would protect her.

Chapter Seven

Rachel could feel Skylar watching her. It was that same overprotective, almost motherly stare of caution and concern. She’d been getting it all day, or rather since the day Skylar hired her. But right now, today, the look was too much. She felt like she was about to crack wide open and all of her secrets would come pouring out. She’d held it together all day but this, right here, it was too much.

Too much trust. Too much love. Just… too much.

“Stop looking at me like that. You’re freaking me out.” She bit her bottom lip, her hands shaking.

“Yeah, stop freaking her out, Skylar. The girls holding a pair of clippers to my head and I don’t wanna end up with a reverse Mohawk.”

Despite her nerves, Rachel smiled at the client sitting in the salon chair in front of her. Though, technically, she supposed calling him a client was a stretch. He certainly wasn’t her client and the idea of accidentally cutting all of his hair off and making him bald only made her nerves worse.

Bentley Bomar was Remy’s cousin. He was Lincoln’s younger brother. He was Skylar’s temporary bodyguard and he was her guinea pig.

Rachel held the buzzing clippers away from him when she saw him shoot Skylar a skeptical look in the mirror. She expected him to get up and run the other direction considering she was very clearly having a breakdown and she was wielding a weapon near his head. But Bentley didn’t move. He simply grinned up at her reassuringly when he caught her eye and shrugged.

“I could totally pull off a reverse Mohawk.”

Rachel laughed because yeah, he probably could. He was a Bomar and like every single other one she’d met, he was absolutely gorgeous. Like his brothers and cousins, he was tall and muscular, blue-eyed and tattooed, but unlike them, he always seemed to be smiling. Always. He was the only Bomar boy that had never made her shiver with fear, which she thought was probably how he had gotten stuck with his current assignment.

That thought ruined her momentary smile and she dropped her eyes.

Bentley had started hanging out at the salon after Colt was attacked. Skylar had told her the boys didn’t feel comfortable leaving their women unprotected with the person responsible still out there somewhere, running around free.

The fact that Rachel now knew who that person most likely was made her sick to her stomach.

She could put a stop to all of it, right here and right now. All she had to do was open her mouth and tell them what she’d learned last night. All she needed to say was that she’d overheard her brother meeting with some very unsavory characters to discuss plans to hit the Bomars where it hurt.

But no matter how many times the words found their way to the tip of her tongue today, she’d stopped herself from saying them and she didn’t know why.

She couldn’t explain her completely unfounded allegiance to a man that had hurt her more times than she could count. He didn’t deserve it. He deserved whatever punishment the Bomars felt like dishing out. But of course, as soon as she thought that, she thought about how Craig would no doubt end up in an unmarked grave and how he was the last family member she had. She thought about how she hadn’t actually heard Craig say anything about the attacks on Colt or his shop. She didn’t know for sure that he’d been responsible for hurting the man her only friend loved. And she couldn’t sentence him to certain death if she wasn’t sure, could she?

“Rach?”

The sound of her nickname snapped her out of her dark thoughts and she glanced up in time to see Skylar slinking towards her slowly, as if any sudden movement would frighten her. Her gaze whipped around to find Bentley staring at her as well, his brows knit seriously and his smile nowhere to be seen. A manic laugh worked its way up her throat and she covered her mouth to keep it in as tears welled in her eyes.

She’d made the only known happy-go-lucky Bomar scowl. She was that much of a downer. God, she was terrible.

“Okay, hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to do this now.” Skylar moved quickly once she was close, taking the clippers from Rachel’s shaking hands and putting them down on the counter. “It’s too much today. I get it. Sorry I pushed.”

That only made the sobs worse and Rachel spun away to hide the tears that escaped and ran down her face. Skylar was apologizing to her. Her boss felt bad for giving her the amazing opportunity to learn a skill and a trade that she could use for the rest of her life. Her friend felt bad for trying to help her. And she was keeping secrets that could get them all killed if she wasn’t careful.

“No. I’m sorry.” She shook her head and wiped at her cheeks. “It’s stupid I just… I got overwhelmed.”

That wasn’t another lie, she told herself as Skylar engulfed her in a hug and she simply held on for dear life. She was overwhelmed. Her entire life had changed overnight, literally, and she couldn’t find her footing.

Today had been too much. Not just everything that had happened with Craig last night and her worries about what she would eventually have to do about him. She was also worried about Remy and what they were doing and how intense her feelings for him were. And then she’d had Skylar worrying about her and hovering over her and not pushing her for answers about why the hell she’d left a note saying she might end up dead. It was all too much acceptance and support and love when she’d never had any experience with those things in her life.

“It’s okay.” Skylar brushed her hair back as she pulled away, “I’m sorry I pushed.”

“No, it’s… I know you were trying to take my mind off things and I appreciate the opportunity, really I do it’s just…”

“You’re not ready. It’s okay. You can practice on Bent some other time.”

“Really?” She sniffed and wiped at her cheeks, embarrassed by the flash flood of tears.

“Really.” Bentley nodded easily, his grin crawling up his handsome face so that his dimples reappeared, “Put me down for a reverse Mohawk anytime sweetheart.”

Rachel managed a small smile for him as Skylar went back to his side to take the apron off. She listened as they argued good naturedly over exactly what kind of hairstyle it would take to make him ugly. Personally, Rachel wasn’t sure there was a haircut capable of that but she kept her mouth shut and simply enjoyed the normalcy of their conversation

She wished she hadn’t freaked out. If it were any other day, she would have loved the opportunity Skylar had given her. For months she’d been shadowing Skylar’s every move in the salon, listening and watching and taking notes. Her boss had told her to think of her as a mentor and had been teaching her the basics so she could become a stylist someday too. She was eternally grateful for the chance to learn a skill, a trade that she would be able to use for the rest of her life. But she knew she wasn’t really ready for true hands-on experience and the only reason Skylar had offered up Bentley as a guinea pig was to get her doing something.

Rachel had been in a fog all day. Ever since she walked in the door this morning, she’d been thinking so hard about what not to say that she hadn’t said, or done, anything. Skylar had been understandably upset and hit her with questions hard and fast but when she’d all but shut down, her friend had stopped the inquisition and simply been there for her. She was thankful for that. She wasn’t sure what she would have ended up saying to Skylar if she had continued to push.

Explaining away the bag of clothes had been easy. It had been there for months. Skylar had known it was there, that she kept a spare set of clothes at the salon just in case she spilled dye on her or something like that. It was the other items, the ones Skylar hadn’t known about that had scared her. And Rachel didn’t blame her. Finding a stash of cash and a gun would have been bad enough but that note… Rachel regret that note more than anything else she’d done last night.

It had been stupid. If she hadn’t left the note Skylar never would have known anything was wrong, wouldn’t have looked in her locker and wouldn’t have found the money or gun. She never should have written that letter. She knew that now. But last night, in the grips of her panic and fear, she’d only been thinking that if she couldn’t find Remy or couldn’t convince him to help her that Craig could kill her and nobody would ever know how or why.

Now it seemed ridiculous to think that Remy ever could have turned her away. He’d taken her in with nothing but a look and sworn that he would protect her at all costs. He’d told her that she was important to him, special to him, and that he wanted her for himself. But last night she hadn’t known that what they shared was anything more than attraction, at least on his end, and so she’d written that note.

It hadn’t been too incriminating. She’d only said that if something were to happen to her that Skylar should look at Craig, that she should have someone go to the trailer to look for evidence, but she hadn’t said why her brother should be suspected in her disappearance or what evidence there might be. She was the only one that knew there was a second note, hidden in the vent of her closet where she’d taken her money from that would incriminate Craig for all sorts of things she’d heard over the years.

She knew, logically, that she should have told Skylar the truth. She should have told Remy the truth. But she was still so scared that they would blame her somehow, for being related to Craig, that they would abandon her and she truly would be all alone, or that Craig would still find a way to hurt her despite their protection. So she’d kept her mouth shut, at least for the time being.

According to Skylar, Lincoln was close to figuring out who the traitor was in his organization. If that was the case, it was possible she wouldn’t ever need to tell anyone what she knew. Lincoln would handle Craig on his own and she wouldn’t even need to get involved. Lincoln was clever and conniving. He would figure it out himself soon enough, at least that’s what she told herself.

“What do you think Rach?”

She looked up and realized she’d zoned out again, “What?”

Bentley smirked, “Damn girl, you give my ego a helluva beating you know that?”

“Huh?”

Skylar giggled when Bentley grabbed his chest just above his heart and feigned being wounded, “First female not to fall for that sexy Bomar smirk, oh however will you survive?”

“First female? Hell, first human being. My charm works on anyone with a pulse… except for her.” He scoffed playfully. “You at least used to flirt right back. I’m losing my touch. Clearly.”

“If I flirted back now, you’d end up in a lot more pain than that pretend heartache, Bent.” Skylar teased back.

The bell over the door dinged before Bentley could respond and they all turned to watch Jemma’s slightly rounded belly push through a moment before she followed it inside. She’d popped early and all signs pointed to another set of Bomar twins from the way she was growing. The pretty redhead was the absolute picture of pregnancy, glowing and beautiful, but she huffed unhappily as she had to duck under the large, tattooed arm that was holding the door open for her.

“I told you I could get it myself.” She complained.

“And I told you there’s no reason for you to be banging that damn baby against doorframes just because you’re hardheaded.” A stern voice answered with an exasperated sigh. “If something turns up wrong with that thing on your next checkup your boy’s gonna come after me and I don’t wanna have to put him down, okay dollface?”

“You act like it’s a given you could take Cash in a fight.” Jemma pursed her lips and gave the man trailing her an indignant snort, “You’ve never seen him when he’s fighting for me.”

“Your delusions about love are adorable as always.”

Rachel couldn’t help but smile as the arguing duo finally made their way inside and the door swung shut behind them. They were a strange looking pair. She’d seen Jemma with Cash hundreds of times and though he was big and she was tiny, it somehow looked just right. The petite and pregnant redhead standing beside the big, bearded Bomar looked like a poorly planned comic strip.

She knew the name of this particular Bomar now. Ford. He had been the one Remy left her with last night at the fight, the one that he’d asked to protect her. He was the one that had left her with his twin after warning her away from Remy. Rachel took a step back away from him instinctively and didn’t miss the way his lips pursed with displeasure as they skated over her.

“Ladies.” He nodded as his gaze tracked past Skylar and then came to rest on his little brother who was still sitting in the salon chair, “Hard at work as usual huh Bent?”

“Hey, don’t start. I was ordered to take a seat.”

“Uh huh.” Ford didn’t seem all that convinced or concerned since he turned his attention back to the girl at his side, “We’re here.  You’ve got twenty minutes and then I’m taking you home.”

Jemma’s eyes narrowed dangerously, “You’re not the boss of me.”

“No, the boss of you is at work, that’s why I’m babysitting. Twenty minutes dollface and then you’re going home even if I have to carry you out of here.”

“Ford, you’re a Neanderthal. A sexy Neanderthal but a Neanderthal no less. Has anyone ever told you that?” Skylar grinned as she crossed the room and took her best friend by the arm.

“Only this one, every day, minus the sexy part.” He smiled down at Jemma and Rachel struggled not to laugh.

It was suddenly clear to her, in that moment, that the brash and bearded Bomar was enjoying himself. He liked fighting with Jemma and from the way the redhead grinned back at him, she knew it too. They had clearly forged a friendship through the bodyguard role he’d taken up in her life. It was clear he cared about her, and the baby, and that made Rachel feel bad for automatically fearing him based on nothing but his last name and dangerous looks.

“Bent, get out of the chair. Jemma needs to sit.” Skylar ordered and the younger Bomar boy jumped out of the way instantly. “Actually, if you don’t mind, why don’t you guys go outside and have a smoke or something. We could use some girl time.”

“I don’t think…” Ford started but Jemma waved a hand at him.

“I told you I need to talk to the girls and that doesn’t require your presence. Go across the street and get me a bottle of water and a carton of Bluebell if you want to feel useful.”

“But…”

“Ford.” She said simply, a heavy stare backing his name up.

He held his hands up, “Fine. I’ll go buy your damn ice cream but your twenty minutes starts now.”

She stuck her tongue out at him again. He smirked and turned back for the door. Bentley followed.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Good call.” Skylar smiled at him.

Rachel watched the two Bomar boys leave the salon and felt a sinking suspicion that she’d been set up. Skylar had just sent the bodyguards away so they could have girl time. Her and Skylar and Jemma. Clearly her boss hadn’t simply pulled back when Rachel refused to answer questions. She’d regrouped… and then she’d called in reinforcements.

Turning to face the pregnant redhead and the willowy blonde, she knew she was right from the looks of caution on their pretty faces.

“Hey.” Jemma was the first to speak, a soft smile painting her face.

“Hi.” Rachel couldn’t help but return the smile, “It’s good to see you again.”

“I wish I thought you meant that.” Jemma’s smile dimmed as concern flooded her hazel eyes, “I hope you don’t mind but Skylar called me this morning and told me a little about what’s going on. I’m here to check on you, Rachel.”

This wasn’t a friendly visit. She’d known it. But hearing them say it made her insides curdle. This was an intervention. They wanted to talk to her about Craig, about what he’d done to her, or at least what they thought he’d done.

“I-I’m okay.”

“No, honey. I don’t think you are.” Skylar sighed and moved around Jemma’s chair towards her, “I don’t know exactly what happened or what’s going on but I’m not stupid and I know what abuse looks like.”

Rachel swallowed hard, “I-I don’t…”

“I asked Jemma to come because I thought you might want to talk to someone that’s dealt with abuse personally.”

Jemma must have seen the questions on her face because she sighed, “My ex was an abusive piece of shit. He liked to drink and when he did he got violent.” Jemma twisted the ring on her left hand and sighed, “Even when he wasn’t drinking, he verbally abused me for years.”

She hadn’t known that and she blinked in surprise. Jemma had been in an abusive relationship? She seemed so strong, so confident and sure of herself. Rachel couldn’t imagine her putting up with abuse, not for a second, let alone years.

Still, she shook her head, “I d-d-don’t know what you mean. I’ve never even had a boyfriend.”

Skylar frowned, “He doesn’t have to be a boyfriend for it to be abuse, Rachel.”

“And trust me, I get it if you don’t want to say the words.” Jemma shrugged, “I couldn’t say it for… well, for a long time. I denied it to everyone, even to myself. What it took for me to be able to accept I was in a bad situation and that I needed help… I don’t want that to happen to you.”

“B-b-but…”

“I didn’t have any friends around me when things got really bad.” Jemma continued, soft but firm, “I didn’t have anyone that I could turn to, that I could talk to. That’s not the case for you. You have Skylar and you have me. We’re your friends and you can tell us anything. We’ll never judge you. All we’re gonna do is try like hell to be here for you, Rachel.”

Tears pooled in her eyes before she could blink them back. Friends. They were her friends. Sometime after Skylar hired her, she’d realized that the blonde cared far more than a casual employer would. She’d known that Skylar was her friend, almost like a big sister, but she’d never realized that Jemma was her friend too. Sure the feisty redhead came by the salon all the time and they talked and hung out, chatting over dinner and drinks, but she’d always known Jemma was there to see Skylar. She was just the girl that tagged along with them on occasion. Here, now, with the two of them looking at her like they were worried, like they cared, she realized for the first time in her life, she had real and true girlfriends.

She’d never been close to any of the other girls when she was in school. She was too shy, too awkward. Her family had been gossip fodder after her father went to prison and that hadn’t helped at all. She’d drawn back, out of the public eye and she’d all but hidden in that trailer with her sick mother during her teenage years. Since her mom passed and Craig came back into her life, hiding had become her survival instinct. She didn’t put herself out there. She didn’t go anywhere but to work and back home.

But somehow, amid everything bad in her life, she’d found two friends. Two smart, beautiful, strong women considered her their friend. And she was more terrified than ever that when they found out the truth of who her family was and what she was hiding, that she would lose them in addition to the man she was falling head over heels in love with.

Remy.

“Oh God…” The words escaped her lips in a sobbing burst and tears clouded her vision.

“Honey, oh, sweetie.” Skylar was there instantly, wrapping her arms around her, again, and holding her close as Rachel cried harder and harder.

She broke. She just… broke. She’d felt like she might shatter all day and this, the two of them, it was too much. All of their concern and friendship and love, all of the things she’d never had in her life, were too much. And she broke.

She cried into Skylar’s shoulder, so overcome that she barely felt it when her friend moved her to sit in the little waiting area at the front of the salon. Jemma followed, sitting on the other side of her and putting a comforting arm around her shoulders as best she could considering Skylar hadn’t released her. The three of them sat together, huddled on the couch, as Rachel cried herself through the worst of it.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now.” Skylar murmured softly.

“I-I’m not.” She hiccupped as she wiped at her face.

“You are. You’re safe with us. You can trust us. We’re your friends.” Jemma squeezed her hand.

“We’re your family.” Skylar corrected with a small smile, “Or at least, I have a feeling we’re gonna be if Remy gets his way.”

“Ooh, that sounds interesting.” Jemma clearly tried to lighten the mood by forcing a laugh.

“Interesting? You should’ve seen the two of them when he brought by lunch earlier. They’re so damn cute I wouldn’t have been surprised if cupids and unicorns came out to dance around them.”

“Th-that’s… ridiculous.” Rachel wiped at her cheeks again.

“No, it was adorable.”

“Adorable? We’re talking about Remington Bomar, right? Mr. Tall, dark and deadly?”

“Oh, stop.” Skylar snorted, “You’ve seen how he looks at her.”

“Yeah.” Jemma’s smiled returned, soft and warm, “I have, and I already added Remy’s plus one to our table for the wedding next week so you’re sitting with us, right where you belong.”

Rachel glanced between them, chewing her bottom lip nervously, “I-I’m sitting at the family table? But I’m not...”

“Yes. You are, Rach.” Skylar cut her off, “I’ve been telling you forever that you’re my sister. You and Jemma and Billie are the closest thing I’ve ever had to sisters.”

“And Remy’s our brother now.” Jemma agreed with a nod, “So you’re family and there’s no use arguing.”

She sighed, “I… I wasn’t even going to come to the wedding.”

“Well, don’t tell me that!” Jemma gasped in faux horror, “You’re coming and that’s final.”

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

“I have something for you.” Skylar held up a hand, “Don’t argue. We’ll talk about it later. You’re going and that’s that but it’s not why we’re here today.”

A long moment passed in silence and Rachel struggled to control her breathing. She was going to Jemma and Cash’s wedding. She’d been invited of course but she’d thought it was a pity invite, because she’d been there when Jemma and Skylar were talking about it. It had never crossed her mind that Jemma actually wanted her there, because they were friends.

“Rach?” Jemma finally broke the silence by squeezing her hand. “You can tell us anything. We mean that. We’re here for you no matter what and if you really don’t want to talk about it, I’ll stop pushing but… it helps to get it out. Trust me.”

She swallowed hard, “I-I don’t even know where to start.”

“Wherever you want.”

“I’ve never had anyone to talk to before, I don’t…”

“Let’s start with something easy then, who are you scared of?” Jemma asked.

“Craig.”

“Your brother.”

“Half-brother.” She corrected, shocked to hear his name coming from her lips so easily.

“He’s a lot older than you, right?” Skylar supplied.

“Eleven years.”

“Wow, so you two didn’t grow up together?”

“No. He came around for holidays but, I never saw much of him until my mom died. I was sixteen and he was my only relative not incarcerated so…”

“He was supposed to look out for you. Take care of you. But he didn’t, did he?”

The tears welled again at the knowing softness in Jemma’s voice, “No.”

“He hurts you?”

“S-s-sometimes.” A silent tear overflowed and trailed down her cheek, “When he’s drunk or high, s-s-sometimes even when he’s not, he gets mad and he-he smacks me around.”

Skylar hissed in a breath, “I’ve never seen any bruises, Rach and I look for them. After everything with Jemma, I look. Why haven’t I seen them?”

Her bottom lip trembled, “Because he puts them where you can’t see. My ribs, mostly, or I wear long sleeves.”

“And your sick days.” Jemma shot Skylar a look, “You take sick days when they would be visible.”

She nodded.

Of course Jemma would know that, she hugged herself. The other woman had probably done the same thing. There was no hiding it. Not now. Her brother hit her. He hurt her. He abused her. And he had for years.

She struggled to breathe in and out and true to their word, neither woman pushed her to continue the story. They didn’t ask her more questions. They simply held her close, offering comfort and friendship. That, more than anything else, made her cry harder because there was so much more she needed to say to them, to her friends, but she couldn’t find the words.

She had no idea how long they sat there, huddled together. The tears began to wane after a while but since she didn’t struggle away from them, Jemma and Skylar didn’t let her go. She was just starting to wonder if the redhead was nearing her twenty minute time limit when the bell over the door rang.

“Ford, I told you to wait out…” Jemma looked up and gasped.

“Well, well, tell me if you’ve heard this one… a blonde, a brunette and a redhead walk into a bar…”

The familiar drawl sent a shiver of fear coursing down her spine and Rachel froze. She couldn’t look up, couldn’t move, could barely even breathe. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that she was hallucinating, that this was some sort of nightmare, but when her friends closed ranks, rising and pushing her behind them, she knew that she wasn’t dreaming.

Her brother had come for her.

“Get out.” Skylar spoke first, her voice full of venom.

Craig chuckled, “Now, now, is that any way to treat a customer?”

“You’re not a customer and you’re not welcome here. You need to leave. Now.”

“Sure, I’ll be going, just as soon as I get what I came for.” Craig’s boots thudded across the floor, coming closer instead of away, “That’s my sister and I need to talk to her.”

She cringed backwards and shook her head violently. No. She couldn’t talk to him. She couldn’t go with him. She couldn’t even be near him. But she couldn’t make her mouth open to say the words, to stand up for herself. She was frozen with fear and even when she knew it wasn’t fair to leave it to her friends to defend her, to put them between her and her dangerous brother, she couldn’t move to do anything else.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you.” Jemma spoke up.

Craig snorted, “What the fuck is with you Bomars? What makes you think you have the right to interfere in family issues?”

“Rachel’s our family now. That makes it our issue.”

“The hell it does. Some trashy Bomar boy claiming her don’t make her one of you. She’s my blood.” He growled, “You hear that Ray-Ray. You’re my goddamned family, you belong to me, and you better straighten up and get your ass over here before you make me mad.”

“You’re not going to talk to her like that in front of me.” Skylar hissed. “Get out.”

“Who’s gonna make me? Some pregnant broad and a Bomar whore? I may let your men get away with thinking they’re high and mighty but they ain’t here now are they?”

Rachel could hear the threat in his voice. She knew what it meant. He’d threatened that she was going to make him mad but he was already mad. She didn’t need to force her eyes open to know that his fists were balled into deadly weapons and she cringed thinking about her friends being on the end of his rage.

“Those men you’re so scared of are right next door. One yell from me and they’ll come running.” Skylar threatened right back.

“Look.” Craig sounded like he was gritting his teeth, his patience about to snap, “I didn’t come here for trouble. I came for my sister. She needs to come home.”

“She is home.”

The bell over the door dinged again and Rachel couldn’t help but look. She had to know if Craig had brought reinforcements. As paralyzed as she was, she would have to do something, find her voice or her legs or just agree to go with him, whatever she had to do, if he truly meant to hurt Skylar or Jemma. But to her utter relief, it wasn’t Craig’s friends coming through the door.

It was more Bomars.

Ford barreled through the door, all tattoos and threatening muscles. Jemma seemed to almost sag with relief but she held herself up. The bearded Bomar quickly evaluated the standoff and his eyes narrowed on the other man in the room.

“There a problem here?”

“Nah. No problem.” Craig instantly took a step back from the women.

“Kind of looks like there might be.” Ford focused on Jemma, “You girls okay?”

“Yeah, just get him out of here.”

Ford scowled, “You heard the woman, Bug. Beat it.”

Craig glared at him and Rachel cringed at the nickname she knew her brother hated almost as much as she hated Ray-Ray. He’d gotten it when he was a kid, because his eyes were too big for his face. He’d grown into them but she knew he still hated them, hated that they were so feminine with their roundness and thick lashes. She supposed she should just be happy nobody had ever called her that.

“I’m gonna take my sister home.” Craig nodded, “Come on Ray-Ray.”

She shivered and cringed back when he tried to reach for her.

“I don’t think she’s going anywhere with you. Not today.” Ford stepped further into the room, closing the distance between them quickly with his long strides, “Now, are you gonna leave without her or are we going to have a real problem here?”

Craig glared at her for a long moment and then seemed to decide something, his lips twitched slightly as he backed away, “No need to make this a fight. She’ll come home herself eventually. Won’t you Ray-Ray? You still know who your real family is.”

With that, her brother turned and walked out of the salon and Rachel sagged in defeat. Craig hadn’t come to get her out of some misplaced worry. His only worry had been that she knew he was a rat and would tell someone but this scene had proven that she either didn’t know his secret or if she did that she hadn’t told the Bomars yet. If she had, they would have been all over him just now. Instead, Ford had given him the option of leaving peacefully under his own power which meant the Bomars didn’t know he was their traitor. Even being forced to leave without her, she had a feeling Craig considered this little show a victory.

She curled into herself, unsure whether she had bought herself some more time or signed her death warrant.

“What the fuck is going on?” Ford demanded as soon as the door shut behind Craig. “She’s shaking like a goddamned leaf. Did he hurt her? I swear to God if he…”

“He didn’t touch her.” Skylar frowned as she bent down towards her, “Rach, honey, he didn’t hurt you. He can’t hurt you ever again. You’re safe.”

That wasn’t true but Rachel couldn’t find her voice so she just shook her head. She curled into a ball and tucked her face against her knees. She needed to hide. She needed for all of this to not be real.

“Damnit I leave for ten minutes and you girls somehow get yourselves into trouble.” Ford was cursing somewhere nearby, “Hey, look at me? You’re okay. Rachel, look at me.”

She was so surprised he knew her name that she turned her head and winced when she realized he was right in her face. All she could see were a set of sea-glass blue-green eyes and a thick beard that camouflaged what was probably a very strong jawline. There was concern in those beautifully colored eyes and she felt tears well in her own all over again.

They were worried about her. All of them. Her friends. The Bomars.

“Shit.” Ford cursed again, “Sky, go get Remy. Now. He’s the only one gonna get through to her.”

She heard footsteps and the door and squeezed her eyes shut. Remy. Skylar was going to get Remy. Everything was going to be okay. Remy would make it okay. She was sure of it. When the door dinged again less than a minute later, she knew he was there by the sheer sound of the heavy, rushed footsteps.

“Jesus, what the hell happened?” Remy growled and then, softer, “Rach? Baby? What’s going on?”

Her entire body shuddered when she felt those warm, familiar hands on her. She forced her eyes open and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him. Remy. Her Remy. Dark, worried blue eyes and a grim set to his soft mouth. She reached for him, uncertain how she could suddenly move her limbs when she’d been locked up only moments before. He was right there when she wrapped her arms around his neck, hauling her up against his chest. He cradled her close and she buried her face in his broad chest the way she’d wanted to do from the first moment she met him.

“Craig was here.” She heard Skylar explain from somewhere that sounded far away.

“What the fuck did he want?” Another male voice that must have been Colt asked.

“Her. He wanted her. He was very insistent that she go with him right now.” Jemma answered.

“What? Why? What’s Bug want with Rachel?” It was Bentley that spoke this time.

Rachel cringed, trying to bury herself deeper against Remy to escape this. There were too many of them. Too many people worried about her. Too many people that cared. She hadn’t had anyone a day ago and now she had all of these intense, dangerous people worried about her.

And she was lying to them.

She shuddered and a sob escaped her. Remy shifted her in his arms, getting a better grip on her. He stood easily, as if she didn’t weigh a thing, and she realized this was the second time she’d fallen apart on him in twenty-four hours. The second time he’d had to carry her because she couldn’t carry herself. And it wasn’t fair, not to him, not to any of them.

“Let’s go home baby.” Remy kissed the top of her head and then spoke louder, to everyone else, “I’m taking her home. We’ll figure everything else out later. Right now, she’s my priority and she needs to be somewhere she feels safe. That’s with me and we’re going.”

Rachel clung to him as he carried her out of the salon. She was fully aware that the others were talking about her as they left. Just like she was fully aware that when they did get home, she wouldn’t be able to escape Remy’s questions forever. Last night, she’d fallen asleep before he could convince her to tell him everything. She had a feeling that wasn’t going to be an option this time and honestly, she had no idea what she was going to say to him so she kept quiet.

Chapter Eight

Remy hated this. Hated that he had no idea what to say. Hated that he didn’t know what to do to make it better for her, to make it all stop. He had no clue what he could do to take her fear away, to reassure her that she was safe and that nobody would ever be able to hurt her again because he had no idea how she had been hurt in the first place.

He shot a glance at the woman he loved as she sat curled and shivering in the passenger seat of his car. She’d let go of him as soon as he deposited her into the seat earlier. She’d curled into a ball, her back to him and he couldn’t tell if she was staring out the window in silence or if she had her eyes squeezed shut to keep the tears at bay. He wanted, more than anything, to reach out and touch her, to caress her, to hold her hand and tell her that everything was going to be okay but since he wasn’t sure how she would react to his touch, he didn’t.

As the Challenger bounced over the rough terrain that led out to his trailer in the woods, he grit his teeth. Twice. They’d done this twice in less than twenty-four hours. He’d had to carry her out of a place full of his family members because she was shivering and shaking, paralyzed with fear. It was the second time he’d had to watch her fall apart and he hated that she wouldn’t tell him how to keep it from happening a third time.

He white-knuckled the steering wheel as he pulled to a stop in front of the trailer. He’d never been so scared in his life as the moment Skylar came bursting into Fine Lines. He’d beaten even Colt to his feet and when the pretty blond had looked at him, he’d felt his blood run cold.

She’d only said one word, Rachel, but he’d already been moving.

He’d known something had happened, something bad, but he hated that he didn’t know what. Craig, her asshole half-brother, had stopped in and upset her. He hadn’t touched her. That’s what the girls told him. But he’d clearly used his words to hit her again, where it hurt, and since nobody could tell him exactly what threats he’d made, he was left feeling useless.

He wanted to curse his cousins for leaving the girls alone in the first place. They never should have been alone. Bentley was supposed to stick to Skylar like glue when Colt wasn’t with her and Ford had all but become a big brother figure to Jemma since he was constantly at her side. He hadn’t thought about putting protection on Rachel today because he’d been right next door at the tattoo studio and Colt had promised him, repeatedly, that she was perfectly safe with Skylar.

Well, Colt had been wrong and Rachel was the one paying for it.

“Stay there.” He ordered gruffly when he put the car in park and Rachel reached for the door handle.

She winced and he knew his voice was too hard but he couldn’t help it. He jerked his own door open and slid out of the car. He needed to get himself under control. He needed her to trust him so that she would open up to him, it was more important than ever that she tell him what was going on. She wouldn’t do that if she was scared of him.

“Come on, babe.” He helped her up and then swept her into his arms.

“R-Remy, I c-can…”

“Shh, no talking. Not yet.” He cut her off as he stomped towards the trailer, “We’re both too on edge to talk right now. We’re going to go inside and you’re going to take a warm, relaxing bath. Then… then we’ll talk.”

He fumbled with the door handle, getting it unlocked, and then awkwardly carried her inside. She didn’t relax in his arms this time. She held tight to him but refused to lift her head and look him in the eye. She’d buried her face in his shoulder again so he only barely heard her when she spoke.

“I was only gonna say I could walk.”

He harrumphed at that but didn’t comment. She was going to say a lot more than that but not right now. Later, after, she was going to have to talk to him. She had to know that. He’d sworn that he wouldn’t push her but this wasn’t about them, it was about her safety and he wouldn’t back off when it came to that.

“A bath sounds nice.” She finally sighed as he twisted to fit them both into his small bathroom and then lowered her to her feet.

He twisted the taps, turning the hot water on full blast and leaving the cold barely turned on. He knew the hot water heater in the trailer was shit. This way she would get hot water to start and when it began to wane, it would still run at least warm for a while longer.

He turned back to find her watching him from tear-stained eyes, “I wish I had bubbles or those salt things you girls like but this will have to do.”

“It’s f-fine.”

“The hot water will help with the shaking.” His hands went to her blouse and she sucked in a surprised gasp as he began unbuttoning it, “You’re getting in that tub alone, Rach. You need to relax, not get worked up even further. I’m just helping undress you because right now, I need to see that you’re not hurt, okay?”

She bit into her bottom lip but nodded quickly.

Remy focused on the task at hand. He was not a good man. He knew that. The way his body responded to her as he revealed her pale skin was only further proof of it. He wanted her. God he wanted her. He wanted to run his hands over every inch of her beautiful body, kiss every centimeter of her smooth skin, and prove to both of them that she was alive and safe. But instead of doing any of that he simply stripped her naked, working methodically and ignoring his traitorous cock as it hardened and then ached. When she was completely naked, he forced himself not to look for anything but bruises and when he didn’t find any, he turned away.

“Get in the tub, Rachel. Let the warmth sink into your muscles. Relax. You’re safe here.”

“Th-Thank you, Remy.”

“I’ll find you something to put on when you get out.” He nodded and then left the room without looking back.

He hated that she was stuttering again. It was just the two of them. She should have felt safe. His cock being at full mast behind the zipper of his pants argued that maybe she was stuttering because of the sexual tension. God knew it was there and that she could probably feel it as deeply as he could. But he didn’t think so.

After a lot of rummaging in his drawers, he gave up on finding anything small enough to fit her. He simply grabbed an old t-shirt that would drape her like a dress and went back to the bathroom. If she didn’t want to wear it, she could put her work clothes back on. That was up to her. They’d have to figure out what to do about getting her more clothes though, and soon.

“Here’s a shirt for you.” He dropped it onto the counter and fought a smile when he saw her relaxing in his bathtub.

She’d twisted her hair up into a knot, keeping it out of the water. Several long, dark strands had slipped free and curled around her face. She must have used some of his body-wash because the room smelled like him and bubbles had formed around her body, shielding her from his sight.

“Thank you.”

“Feeling a little better?”

She nodded.

“You want something to drink? I don’t have wine but I could grab you a beer.”

“No, thank you.” Rachel looked away from him, to the place where she was trailing her hand through the bubbles, “I don’t drink.”

“Oh…” He shrugged, “Okay. No problem. There’s tea too.”

“Maybe when I get out.”

“Okay.” He nodded, knowing that was his cue to leave her alone no matter how much he wanted her to ask him to stay, “I’ll be out here when you’re done. Take your time and relax.”

Remy shut the door softly behind him and then released a rough breath. After spending far too long staring at the bathroom door, imagining Rachel’s naked body in that tub, bubbles sliding over her damp skin, he forced himself to walk away. Barging back in there now and doing all of the things he’d imagined doing to her would only make it harder for them to simply talk. And they had to talk.

There was so much he needed to know. Colt was right. He didn’t know nearly enough about her. He didn’t know enough to keep her safe.

Remy went to the kitchen and pulled a beer out for himself. He cursed as he popped the top and downed a long pull from the cold bottle. He hadn’t even known that she didn’t drink. Because why would he? It wasn’t as if they’d ever gone out for drinks or met up at the bar. He’d never even taken her on a date. That hard truth made him take another long pull off his beer as he wondered why it was she didn’t drink in the first place.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out with his free hand, setting the beer aside as he saw the message was from his brother. Colt, just checking in, asking if there was anything he could do. He sighed as he typed back a quick message that if he wanted to help he could get Lincoln to talk to them about Rachel’s brother.

As he was typing, another message came in and he snorted. There was no way Colt was aware his girlfriend was simultaneously texting him. He read through Skylar’s message quickly. She’d supplied something helpful at least, the fact that Rachel had admitted to her and Jemma that Craig abused her before he showed up and scared her. Remy punched out another thank you for the information and promised Skylar he was going to help Rachel however he could.

Since he still had his phone in his hands, he also typed up a quick message to Ford. Out of all the Bomar cousins, Ford was the one he would trust explicitly with Rachel’s safety. Ford was a good guy no matter what his genes or his rap sheet said. He was smart and he had decades of experience sitting in the background, silently watching and listening since his twin always took center stage. If anyone in that salon had seen or heard anything that might help him figure out what, exactly, Craig had said to make Rachel go nearly catatonic again, it would be Ford.

As he waited for his cousin to respond, Remy grabbed a cup from the cabinet and the jug of tea out of the fridge. He broke a tray of ice and then poured the brown liquid over it in the big glass. Instead of finishing off his beer, he tossed it in the trash and repeated the gesture, pouring a glass of tea for himself too. As much as he’d like to down another beer, or three, and go numb, he had to stay alert. He needed his wits about him when he sat down to talk to Rachel. He needed to be able to focus.

But nearly thirty minutes later when Rachel hesitantly walked into the living room, he knew he’d made a grave error in judgement. He was never going to be able to focus on her words with her looking like that. She’d let her hair back down and it curled casually around her shoulders. Her face, make-up free, made her look even younger but her near nakedness negated her innocence.

Shit. He swallowed a curse and gripped his glass of tea to keep from getting up and going to her. She’d decided to wear his shirt after all. His shirt and nothing else from the looks of it. He couldn’t tell if she’d donned panties or a bra but for the sake of his sanity, he hoped she had.

“Hey.” She tugged at the hem of the oversized shirt that looked more like a dress on her, “Y-you didn’t give me pants.”

“I don’t have any that would fit you.”

“Oh… well, I mean, the shirt is probably long enough… if you don’t mind that I’m not wearing pants.”

“I don’t mind lookin’ at your legs at all.” He pulled out the seat closest to his at the small kitchen table, “I poured you a glass of tea. Come sit down.”

Rachel started chewing her bottom lip but did as he said. She shuffled closer and slid into the empty chair. Instantly her hands closed around the glass of tea and she took a long drink, staring at him over the rim. She looked so damn young and so damn fragile like this that it broke his heart. She was too damn young to be scared all the time and he knew a thing or two about fear like that.

As they sat there, in silence, neither of them willing to speak first, he realized what he had to do. His throat felt tight and his stomach tightened with anxiety but he swallowed hard and reasoned that it was the only way. He would have to tell her at some point and he might as well do it now. At least if he told her now and she reacted badly, he would know for sure where they stood and if he told her now and it helped her to open up and come clean with him too, then it would be worth it to relive his own horrors.

“Rach…”

“I-I know you have questions.” She cut him off with a shake of her head, “I’m just… I sat in there, trying to figure out where to start and I-I-I don’t know what to say.”

“You’re right. I do have questions, a lot of questions.” He reached out and took her hand, “But I’m not going to push you to tell me anything you’re not ready to tell me. I wish I could but I just can’t.”

“But… why?”

“Because I know what it’s like to be scared, Rachel. I know what it’s like to be hurt by the people that are supposed to protect you and I know what it’s like when you think you can’t tell anyone, that there’s nobody who would be on your side or who could possibly understand.” He squeezed her hand and didn’t speak again until she met his gaze, “What you need to know is that I do understand, better than you think, and no matter what you tell me, I’m not going anywhere.”

Rachel’s bottom lip trembled slightly, “Remy, you don’t know…”

“I do know.” He insisted, “I know it’s hard to open yourself up to someone after you’ve been hurt, babe. So here’s what we’re gonna do. I’m gonna go first.”

“Wh-What?”``

“I’m gonna go first.” He repeated slowly, trying to control his breathing which had ticked up at the mere thought of talking about his past, “I’m going to tell you why I understand, maybe better than anyone else ever could, what it is you’re going through and if, when I’m done, you still don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. We’ll deal with it when you’re ready.”

“Remy, you don’t have to do that.” Her brows furrowed.

“I know I don’t have to.” He squeezed her hand and then released her entirely, unsure if he could get through this with her sweet touch distracting him, “This thing, you and me, it’s happening fast and if this is what it takes to make you trust me when I tell you that I understand and I’ll be here for you, then that’s what it takes.”

Rachel studied his face, looking for something, but he averted his gaze. He wasn’t sure he could look her in the eyes and tell her the truth. He’d only ever told three people this story and he knew without a doubt this would be the hardest.

First had been Lincoln, because when he’d been a scared, eighteen year old kid, there’d been nobody he looked up to more than his cousin. Lincoln had helped him the only way he could. He’d gotten him out of town. In the ten years he’d stayed gone, Remy had never told anyone else. He’d never expected to tell anyone else but when he’d come home, he’d known that his brothers deserved the truth. Cash and Colt had been horrified, rightly so, but they’d never flinched in their support. They’d felt bad that Remy hadn’t thought he could tell them before. They’d felt guilty for blaming him for his absence once they found out what caused him to flee town and leave them behind. But they’d never once looked at him with pity in their eyes and he had a terrible, anxious, knot in the pit of his stomach because he knew if Rachel pulled away from him because of this, that he would never recover.

“Remy, whatever you’re going to tell me, it won’t change how I feel about you.” Rachel reached for his hand this time, “You know that, right?”

He hoped that was true. Because what he had to tell her, it had changed his entire life. He was still dealing with the fallout and knew he would be for the rest of his life. He could only hope that Rachel might want to help him with it the same way he wanted to help banish her ghosts.

He took a deep breath for courage and then forced the words that felt like knives cutting his throat, “When I was sixteen, my mom started wandering into my bedroom at night.”

Rachel’s eyes widened immediately, her breath turning choppy, and he knew that she understood what he was getting at. Her small hand squeezed his and he squeezed in return. The attempt to offer him some strength, some compassion, made the rest of the words even more difficult and he stared down at the scarred table instead of looking at her.

“She was high and I guess… I guess I looked a lot like him, like my dad I mean. People said I did. Same dark hair and dark eyes and I’d just finally hit my growth spurt and shot up over six feet.” He swallowed hard, “I think Chrissy thought I was him. Decker. She called me his name whenever she came into my room… into my bed.”

“Oh God.” Rachel murmured but he continued before the words clogged his throat.

“At first, all she did was crawl into bed with me in the middle of the night and pass out. I’d get up and tuck her in and go sleep in the twins’ room or on the couch.” He closed his eyes and blew out a rough breath, “But as I got older, she would… she would…”

“Remy…”

“No. I gotta do this.” He sat back upright when he realized he’d started to curl inwards, self-protectively, “Chrissy touched me. She touched me in a way a mother should never, ever, have touched her child and the worst part is… I responded.”

The memories hit him hard and fast and he felt a cold sweat break out on his brow. He swiped a hand over his face and forced his breath in and out the way the Army shrink had taught him after his first tour. The old man had thought he was helping Remy deal with the deaths of his friends but he’d helped him with so much more than that. In and out, breathe. If you focus on the basics, you can’t think about the horrors.

“You were a teenage boy.” Rachel said softly and she insisted on tugging on his hand until he gave it back to her, “You were a boy and it wasn’t your fault.”

“I know that. I do. I know that but still… there’s something sick about it. Chrissy… She’s my mom and I...” His voice broke and he shook his head.

“Oh Remy.” Rachel whispered, tears in her voice that only made it harder for him to finish saying what he needed her to know.

“I’ve tried to convince myself that it was teenage hormones. It wouldn’t have mattered who it was in the dark when she touched me… but I knew it was her. It made me sick. It scared the hell out of me. But I knew it was her and my body… I got… turned on.”

“You were just a kid. You couldn’t help it. It was hormones, Remy. The only person in this story that’s sick is your… that woman.”

He swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat and nodded. He knew that was true. He knew all of it was true. It hadn’t been his fault. He hadn’t asked for it. He hadn’t let it happen. He’d been a kid and the drug-addicted adult in his home had taken advantage of him. But he’d had a decade to deal with it and he still couldn’t let it go.

He thought it would haunt him forever.

“I got away from her every time, before… before she could rape me… but I know it would have happened if I’d stayed in that house even a week longer. I got out the moment I turned eighteen. I got out and I wish I could say I never looked back but I did. I had to because I left Cash and Colt in that house with those monsters.”

“Oh God.”

“No. It wasn’t… she didn’t touch them.” Remy finally looked up, couldn’t let Rachel make that awful assumption, “She wasn’t the demon they had to deal with. Decker took that role for them. He was, is, a monster, just in a different way.”

Rachel winced but nodded slightly, “I’ve heard some of what Colt went through from Skylar.”

“Decker hated them before they were even born. He swears Chrissy was cheating on him and hell, maybe she was. I was young but Uncle Auto was around an awful lot looking back on it. It’s not unlikely he’s their real dad but that’s hardly the fault of the twins.”

“You were all just kids.”

“Decker, he was always tough on them but after I left it got worse. I wasn’t there to stand in the way anymore. To get them out. I left them there with those monsters.”

“What happened to Colt and to Cash, Remy it wasn’t your fault. You had to get out. You had to save yourself. You can’t feel guilty for that.”

“Then why do I?”

“Because they’re your brothers and you love them.” She wiped at her cheek and he realized a tear had escaped. She was crying. For him. “You want to protect them because you’re a good brother, a good man, but you can’t change the past. All you can do is be there for them now and I think you’re doing a really good job of that.”

He wanted to haul her into his lap. He wanted to hug her and hold her tight. He wanted some of that innate goodness and understanding of hers to rub off on him. He wanted to believe that he deserved to have her sitting here, in his kitchen with him, but deserving her meant finishing this conversation and they weren’t done yet, not by a longshot.

“Rach…” He stroked his fingers over hers, “I’m not a good man. I’ve said and done things that hurt people. I killed people when I was in the Army, when I was deployed. I’ve been with more women than I can remember because I was too drunk or too high to care at the time and because the memories made it hurt too bad to be sober. I have scars. I’m damaged. I’m not perfect and I’m nowhere near good enough for you but if you’ll let me, I’ll be here for you, by your side, for as long as you want me there.”

He watched as Rachel chewed on her bottom lip. Someday soon they were going to have to talk about that. She had to stop doing that. He knew it was nothing more than a nervous tic but it did things to him. He wanted to be the one nibbling on the plump swell and he didn’t want her ravaging one of his favorite parts of her.

“I’m glad you told me.” She finally sighed, “I… I won’t say that knowing doesn’t change things. It does. It has to because it’s a part of you that I didn’t know before and the thing is… I-I want to know everything about you.”

“Whatever else you want to know, all you have to do is ask.”

She lowered her chin and a blush colored her cheeks, “You said there’ve been a lot of women…”

He winced at the question in her voice because somehow he hadn’t thought that would be the part of his story she questioned, “None like you. They were warm bodies at best. A way to forget for just a little while at worst. I used them and they used me but it’s not like that with you.” He tilted her chin back up so she would meet his gaze, “I care about you, Rachel. More than you know. More than I can say because I don’t want to scare you away.”

A flicker of a smile passed over her lips, “You’re not gonna scare me away.”

“You’re special to me and I don’t want to fuck this up but if you want to hear about the women that came before you, if you need to know anything about them, just know that they were space-holders until I found my way to you. It’s you. You’re it for me. You’ve been it for me since the moment I first saw you and nothing. Do you hear me? Nothing, is going to change that.”

Rachel stared at him for a long moment and then gave a short nod, as if she’d decided something, “Okay, well, I think you should know, since we’re being honest… you said there’ve been a lot of women but there haven’t been any for me. Well, not women, well, not them either but… men. I’ve never been with anyone.”

He blew out a rough breath, unsure of what it was he’d thought she intended to say. Whatever it was, it hadn’t been that. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react to that though. He couldn’t very well tell her that he’d guessed as much from the shy, innocent way she looked and acted or the fact that she’d told him she’d never been kissed. Since he didn’t know what to say he held himself completely still and waited for her to continue.

“What you went through…. I understand part of it but it wasn’t like that for me.” Rachel bit her lip and avoided his gaze, “It was and it wasn’t I guess.”

“Rach?” He prompted when she didn’t continue, “What does that mean?”

“It means that Craig isn’t the one that hurt me.” She admitted and then winced, “I mean, he did. He does. He’s abusive but he’s never tried to hurt me… that way. It isn’t sexual with him. He’s… He… He actually saved me from that.”

His throat felt tight, “He saved you from what, exactly?”

“Well, when I was sixteen, just a couple of months after my mom died and Craig came home…” Rachel dropped her gaze again, “I-I-I didn’t realize what bad news he was yet and I-I wanted to hang out with my big brother. So, one night, he had friends over and they were all drinking and I… There was this guy. One of Craig’s friends. He was… cute and… sweet. He got me a drink and then another and…” Rachel shook her head, “I don’t remember much after that and I-I-I didn’t put it together until later… that he’d put something in my drink. He… he drugged me and he… he tried to rape me. He held me down. He was on top of me but Craig came in and shoved him off. He saved me.”

Remy sucked in a harsh breath as pieces of the puzzle he’d had but couldn’t fit together before began to slide into place. She didn’t drink because someone had drugged her. She was scared of men because her brother abused her and his friend had tried to rape her. People she should have been able to trust had taken advantage of her so she didn’t trust anyone. She kept to herself because she didn’t feel safe and her isolation had made her even more fearful of being in crowds, around groups of men and in social situations. Rachel being here now, with him, searching him out last night, he realized for the first time just how meaningful it really was.

She’d come to him. She trusted him. She was with him and trusting him not just with her safety but with her truth. She was his, in every way, she just didn’t know it yet.

“That’s why you won’t tell me what he did, what he threatened you about.” He sighed when she only bit her lip, “You still feel beholden to Craig for what he did back then no matter how much he’s hurt you since.”

She dropped her gaze and he sighed. She didn’t say anything and he knew that she wouldn’t. She might be scared of her brother but he’d saved her from something terrible and she felt like she owed him. She was protecting Craig, for now, but someday she’d see that one right didn’t undo all of the wrong he’d done since.

Remy focused on the other person involved, the one she wouldn’t feel the need to protect, because he wanted to hit somebody for hurting his woman, “Who?”

“What?” Rachel blinked.

“Who was it, Rachel? Who was the friend that tried to rape you?”

She smiled softly, “He’s long gone, Remy. You don’t need to hurt him on my behalf. He’s not important.”

“I still want his name.”

“Giving you his name gives him more importance than I want him to have in my life.” She shook her head, “It’s something that happened to me and it’s something that altered my life forever even if Craig stopped him from…. I’ve never been with anyone else. That’s what I meant when I told you I’d never been kissed. I-I-I’m a virgin.”

“Rach…” He swallowed hard as he thought about what she was really saying, “You’ve never been with anyone?”

Her cheeks flushed slightly and she shook her head, “I never wanted anyone. Men… men scare me. You know that.”

“Yeah I know.”

“Until you.” She reached for him again and he let her tangle their fingers, “I-I-I want you, Remy. I need you. You’re the only man I’ve ever wanted to want me.”

“I do, Rach. You know I do but…”

“No.” She said, almost forcefully and then she groaned, “God, I’m so sick of the but’s… I’m sick of being this person. I don’t want to be the girl that’s scared all the time. I don’t want to be scared of the things I want anymore. I’m done letting my past define me.”

“Rach…”

“I want you, Remy. I want you and I’m tired of being scared of things I want.” She bit her bottom lip and glanced up at him from under her lashes, “Touch me. Please?”

He goggled at her as she stared back at him, more determined than he’d ever seen her. He’d imagined this conversation going a lot of different directions but this had never been one of them. Rachel all but demanding that he give in to how much he wanted her and simply take her, left him unsteady and uncomfortable. Because he wanted to say to hell with it and simply lose himself in her for a little while… but he knew he shouldn’t.

They had more things they needed to talk about. Didn’t they? Shit. All of his blood was rushing south at the simple thought of claiming this woman, his woman, as his. He couldn’t be expected to make these decisions right now.

Chapter Nine

Rachel swallowed hard when Remy’s eyes flared with heat before he narrowed them at her, almost suspiciously. She probably shouldn’t have just blurted something like that out but she hadn’t been able to help herself. Even as he stared at her and her face flamed hot, she knew that she wouldn’t take back the words or the request.

Because she wanted it, wanted him. Because he’d opened himself up to her, shown her all of his scars despite his clear fear that she would push him away because of it. Because she wanted to show him that nothing about him could scare her away and because she wanted to be what he needed, the same way he had become what she needed.

Remy cleared his throat and then squeezed her hand, “I am touching you.”

“No.” She took a deep breath for courage and shook her head, “I want you to really touch me. Like you said you wanted to, like you promised you would when I was ready. I’m ready.”

“Rach…”

She could see the hesitation on his face. She could feel the battle raging inside him. He wanted her. She knew he did, but still he fought to deny her this and she knew it was because he was afraid to scare her with how much he wanted her. His hand tightened on hers but his eyes had gone soft and warm… wanting.

“I don’t want to think about all of the bad stuff anymore. I don’t want to remember anyone ever touching me but you. Take it away for me, Remy. Let me take it away for you too.”

He let out a strangled, wounded animal sound that nearly broke her heart, “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“Yes. I do.” She stood before her nerves could get the better of her and slid onto his lap. The bold move earned her a growl even as he released her hand to grip her hips. She thought for a second he might try to shove her off but instead he pulled her closer. Their bodies liked up naturally and she bit off a gasp when she felt him through his jeans and her panties, big and hard. “Touch me, Remy. Please.”

His dark eyes held hers for a long moment, studying and assessing. She knew he was looking for signs of her fear and that if he found even an ounce he would shut this down. She met his gaze directly, didn’t try to hide a thing, because there wasn’t any fear left for her, not when it came to this man. She stared into his beautiful eyes, his pupils dilated until they were nearly black, and tried to tell him without words what he needed to hear.

He wasn’t like the others. He wasn’t taking advantage. She trusted him. Loved him. And she wouldn’t regret anything with him, ever.

Remy swallowed hard and his Adam’s apple bobbed, “If I do anything that scares you…”

“You won’t.”

“If I do, say the word and I’ll stop. I promise you. I’ll stop.”

Her heart swelled for this incredible man. He would stop if she needed him to. No matter how far they went, how lost to passion they became, he would stop. He wouldn’t let it go too far, not if she didn’t want it to. And she didn’t need the reassurance of a promise, she’d already known that he would.

Since he seemed to be waiting for her to respond, she nodded.

Remy’s mouth slammed down on hers instantly and she moaned as he stole control from her. Her entire body sparked to life when his lips touched hers but this… this was nothing like his earlier kisses. Those had been sweet and soft. Kisses meant to soothe, to reassure. This kiss was pure passion. Raw and rough and needy.

She could feel his desire pulsing off of him in waves. She could taste it when his tongue skimmed her lips, demanding entry. And in response to his heady desire, her own rose quickly to a fever pitch.

Maybe some small part of her had initiated this because she hadn’t wanted to talk anymore. She hadn’t wanted to answer any more questions. She’d wanted to distract him. But that part of her was so small compared to the parts that ached for this man and whatever her reasoning had been, it didn’t matter anymore because Remy was touching her and kissing her.

Finally.

Rachel kissed him back as best she could, tried to keep up and arched into his touch. His big hands slipped under the hem of the oversized shirt, pulling it up over her hips so he could slide his hands across the small of her back. She gasped into his mouth as the electric current between them sizzled when their skin touched.

Her hips rocked forward instinctively and he groaned in response but didn’t push her further. They kissed, deeply, roughly, as his hands grazed her skin over and over again, and just when she was about to break the kiss to tell him to do something, anything, Remy pulled back with a desperate groan.

“Need to see you.”

“Yes.”

She wasn’t certain that had been a question. Wasn’t even sure what she was agreeing to. All she knew at that moment was that Remy needed something from her and she was desperate to give it to him.

Remy jerked the shirt up and she raised her arms to help him remove it. Before it even hit the ground, his fingers were on the clasp of her bra, unfastening it and then pushing it off her shoulders. For a split second, as she registered her near nakedness, she tensed up.

She was sitting on Remy Bomars lap wearing nothing but a pair of panties. Her. Rachel Grant. Quiet, shy, a little too round to ever be considered gorgeous, Rachel. She was average looking on her best day and Remy was so handsome, so fit and muscular and intense. She didn’t compare, not at all, and she had no idea what he could possibly see when he looked at her that would make him want her like this.

Remy was so attuned to her that he instantly paused. His hands, which had moved to rest on her ribcage, just beneath her heavy breasts, stilled. His breathing was ragged and his voice was rough when he spoke.

“Look at me, Rachel. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” His fingers inched upwards and cupped her breasts, causing a moan to fall from her lips and her eyes to slide shut, “My past, my family… ugly is all I’ve ever known. I never thought I’d get the chance to have something as beautiful and precious as you in my life. Let me show you how much you mean to me, baby.”

His voice, his words, they were so brutally honest and reverent that her eyes watered. She squeezed them shut, more certain than ever that if he saw it, he would stop. And he couldn’t stop. Not now. Not ever.

“More?” He asked, hesitantly.

She nodded.

Remy hummed appreciatively and his thumbs brushed her nipples. Her hips arched and another moan tore from her lips. Her breasts were sensitive, always had been. Ever since she hit puberty and they grew three cup sizes in a matter of weeks, she’d been oversensitive and she’d always hated it. Hated that her breasts drew unwanted attention. Hated the men that leered at them. Hated that sometimes they felt so sensitive even her bra rubbed them the wrong way. But when she felt Remy’s hot breath a moment before his wet tongue swiped over the hard peak, hate was the last thing she felt.

“Oh God!”

The entire world faded away as she cried out. The rush of blood in her ears and her helpless moans were the only thing she could make out as Remy tortured first one breast and then the other with his dangerously creative mouth. A tight coil of energy twisted tight inside of her and she found she couldn’t keep her body still.

Her hips began to move back and forth against the rock hard erection beneath her. Her back arched to give him more of her breasts. And she didn’t realize she’d grabbed his head until she was pulling him off of her with desperate, frantic whimpers.

“Remy…” Her breath caught as he raised his head.

He looked as wrecked and desperate as she felt. His lips were wet and swollen from his teasing and his eyes were glazed with a hunger that made her shiver. She wanted to kiss him, was just about to, when he spoke.

“Too much?”

“Not enough.” She panted, “I need more. Please, Remy. I need…”

She let out a squeal because Remy was moving beneath her before she could finish her sentence. She heard dishes crash to the floor at the same time he deposited her on the edge of the table. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was thinking making a mess and breaking things, but his tongue cut off her words and her train of thought as he kissed her deeply.

Rachel clung to him as the kiss spiraled out of control. She’d thought his kisses before had been passionate but now he was ravenous. Remy consumed her, claimed her, and she simply held on to him as tight as she could, certain that she was marking him as surely as he was marking her. She was so lost to his drugging kiss that she barely realized he was stripping her panties off until she was naked.

“Lay back.” He demanded as soon as he dropped them to the floor with her other garments.

She did so, without question and without complaint. The surface of the table was cool against her overheated skin and she shivered. The contrast of Remy’s warm body looming over her front and the chill of the counter was a shock to her system. She glanced up, trying to figure out what he would do next but all he did was stare at her.

God, the way he looked at her. A girl could get used to that kind of thing. And if she hadn’t already known she was falling in love with him, she would have right then. Because the way he looked at her made her feel so many incredible things all at once. Warm and safe. Protected and cherished. Needed and desired. But when he made no move to touch her, it still wasn’t enough.

“Remy, please.” She begged.

“Please what?” He asked, his voice rough and dangerously low.

“Touch me!”

“I am touching you.” He traced a finger between her breasts and she shuddered in response.

“I need more.”

“You need me.” He corrected with a growl that shot straight to her core.

“Yes!”

“Say it. I want to hear you say it.”

“I need you, Remy. Pease.”

“You have me.” He murmured softly, “You’ll always have me and I’ll always give you what you need.”

The hand that had been trailing across her belly dipped lower and she gasped as he finally, finally, touched her. Her legs fell open wide, allowing him access where no man had ever touched her before, and he groaned in response. She was so wet she couldn’t just feel him spreading her open and teasing her, she could hear it. She knew she was wet, soaking, embarrassingly wet, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. There was no embarrassment with Remy. He’d done this to her. Only him. And he would be the only man that ever had or could.

His fingers were magic, stroking and petting her until she was writhing against him. She bucked so hard the entire table moved across the floor but he only chuckled and used his other hand to hold her hips down. Somewhere, dimly, in the back of her mind she knew that she should be touching him too. She wanted to touch him too. But then he found that secret bundle of nerves and as an earth-moving orgasm barreled through her she forgot everything but the name of the man giving her such sweet pleasure.

“Remy. Remy. Remy. Oh God… Remy!”

For a long time she couldn’t hear anything but the sound of the blood rushing through hers ears but when her hearing returned she heard Remy’s answering groan, “So goddamned beautiful and you’re mine, all mine.”

“Remy… I…” She panted, trying to reach for him, to pull him close and tell him, something… but he was suddenly gone.

Rachel gasped and then moaned loudly as she felt the first swipe of his tongue on her overstimulated clit. Her eyes rolled back and her hips shifted up to get more of his attention. She felt boneless and soft after her orgasm but as soon as Remy tongued her slit, she was right back on the edge. Electricity sparked in her veins, that coil in her belly tightening all over again, and she whimpered.

“Remy. Remy, please.” She didn’t know what she was begging for but she couldn’t stop.

It was too much and not enough and everything she’d ever wanted all rolled into one beautiful act.

Her hands landed on his head again but his hair was too short to grasp. She opened her mouth, wanting to tell him, warn him, that he was going to make her come again, but the sound of his groans, his pleasure in doing this to her, propelled her back over the cliff and all that came out was a high-pitched scream.

Her entire body convulsed, electricity zinging through every cell in her body. She’d had orgasms before, by her own hand and by his not minutes ago, but nothing compared to this. Wave after wave rolled through her body and all she could do was cling to Remy and pray that he would hold her so she didn’t float away. She jerked and thrashed as it went on and on and when it finally began to wane and she started to come down, all she saw was Remy.

Remy. Her Remy. Her gorgeous, sensitive, protective Bomar boy.

“Never gonna let you go now, baby. Never.”

Tears flooded her eyes at the sweet promise and Rachel turned her head, trying to hide them and failing miserably when a choked sob escaped her. Remy cursed and then he was there. He pulled her up and off the table. He sat back in his chair and cradled her to his chest. His touch was firm but gentle as he stroked her back and the soothing gestures only made her cry harder.

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay baby. Let it out.” He muttered softly, “I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry, Rachel. I never should have pushed. I’m so sorry.”

She raised her head to look at him and even through the tears she could see the regret and fear in his eyes. The self-disgust on his handsome face stopped the tears cold. He was blaming himself and she couldn’t have that. She shook her head but he only buried his face in her neck.

“I’m so sorry, Rachel. It was too much, too soon, too fast. I knew it I just… Damn it, I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me. I’m so so sorry.”

Rachel forced his head up until he met her gaze, “I’m not crying because you hurt me. You didn’t. You never could. I’m crying because… well, because I had no idea it could be like that.”

Remy’s dark eyes searched her face, “Like what?”

“Beautiful. Perfect. I… you…” She dropped her gaze to his chest and realized he was still fully clothed, “That was absolutely incredible for me. Life-changing. But you didn’t take your own release.”

He scowled at her, “I will never, ever, take anything from you, Rachel. You give. That’s how this works.”

“I… well… okay.” She fumbled to figure out just how badly she’d messed up their beautiful moment, “Do you want me to…”

“No.” Remy smacked her hands away when she reached for his erection, “No, that’s not what this was about. This was about you.”

“But…”

“It was about you.” He growled and then softened his voice with a deep breath, “What just happened between us, that was the most beautiful, intimate moment of my life too, and it doesn’t matter in the slightest that I didn’t get inside you this time. We have plenty of time for that. What matters is that I’ve never shared anything like that with anyone else. I couldn’t have. It was you.” He brushed a soft kiss across her lips, “It was us, together. Understand?”

She nodded slowly, “I think so.”

And she did. As it sank in and as Remy simply held her close, she finally started to understand. This wasn’t about sex. It was so much more than that. What they had, it was bigger than simple attraction or lust. Their hearts were in it, the both of them, and when it happened, whenever it happened, it would be a first for the both of them.

He would take care of her. Even in the throes of passion, he would take care of her. Nobody else had ever done that. Put her first, made her feel important, loved her. She chewed on her lips as they sat there, holding onto each other, wondering if it was possible. If he really could have fallen in love with her as fast and as easily as she had him.

“Remy?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Does this mean that you’re m-my… boyfriend?”

He chuckled and nuzzled her ear, “Baby, I’ve been yours since the first day we met. Damn right, I’m your boyfriend.”

Remy groaned as he stretched out on the couch. His belly was full and for the first time in what felt like forever, his heart was too. His soul was at peace and he was… happy. God, he was happy. He knew they had a lot to work out, to figure out, but having Rachel here, in his life and in his home, it felt so damn right.

After they’d cleaned up earlier, she’d insisted on cooking dinner for them and he hadn’t been able to refuse a home-cooked meal. He wasn’t even sure where she came up with the ingredients for the spaghetti she’d made. He certainly had no memory of buying pasta and sauce. When she’d teased that some other woman had been filling his cabinets he’d actually felt a little bad admitting it was true.

Jemma and Skylar had been making sure he was fed properly since he moved out to the trailer on Bomar land. He’d tried to tell them he was used to taking care of himself but they’d ignored him and he’d taken his brothers words to heart. Cash and Colt had both told him not to bother arguing so he hadn’t. If he was honest, he appreciated the girl’s efforts. It had been a long time since he had anyone take care of him and he liked that they fussed over him, even if it sometimes made him feel like a child instead of a grown man.

When he thought of Rachel taking care of him instead, he definitely didn’t feel like a child though.

Watching her tiptoe around his kitchen, pulling ingredients from the cabinets and making him dinner had made his already painful erection even more difficult to live with. Watching her eat had been far more erotic than it should have been. He’d had to adjust himself more than once when he caught himself staring at her lush mouth and imagining it wrapped around something other than her fork.

He was hard as stone and one touch from coming in his pants. He was going to have blue balls for sure. He might need to ice himself after she fell asleep tonight. Either that or he was going to have to excuse himself to the bathroom and tug one out because there was absolutely no way he was going to push Rachel for more.

They’d already gone too far tonight. He should have shut it down the moment she climbed onto his lap. He certainly shouldn’t have stripped her naked and laid her out on the table to feast on her. He’d had his fingers inside her, his tongue inside her and his cock wanted to be next.

He shifted as discreetly as he could when Rachel curled up next to him on the couch. No, not next to him. She curled up against his side, all but on top of him and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from moaning when her breasts brushed against him.

She hadn’t put the bra back on. Little tease. Not that he could be mad about that. Hell no. He was damn proud of her for taunting him with her sexy body. He hadn’t realized she had it in her but she’d certainly kept him on his toes tonight.

They’d somehow gone from talking about their first, horrible, traumatic sexual experiences to wiping away their pasts by making new memories together and that had been all her. He would have stopped them. He would have insisted they talk more. But Rachel had known what she wanted and she’d taken it.

Some tiny voice in the back of his mind pointed out that she’d crawled into his lap to stop their painful conversation but he ignored it. Maybe she had but that certainly hadn’t been the only reason. She’d wanted him, needed him, and once she was in his lap and all but begging for him, he’d been powerless not to give her what she was asking for. He’d told her that he would always give her what she needed and that hadn’t been hyperbole or passion fueled words. That had been cold, hard truth.

He was completely at the mercy of this girl.

“Remy?”

“Hmm?” He pulled her hand away when she began to stroke up his thigh and instead laced their fingers together.

“What’re we watching?”

“Uh…. I don’t know.” He snickered, caught completely ignoring the television, “Some old action movie?”

“Oh…”

There was something in her voice that he didn’t recognize and he turned slightly. He used his free hand to tip her chin up and swallowed hard at the expression he found there. Her eyes were warm with things neither of them were ready to say and she was chewing her bottom lip again. He used his thumb to pop the plump flesh from between her teeth and when her tongue darted out, brushing his fingertip, he groaned and pulled it away.

“Watch the movie.” He ordered, his voice more gruff than he’d intended since it was thick with desire.

“What if I don’t want to watch the movie?” Rachel whispered softly as she nuzzled his chest.

“What do you want to do?”

Rachel surprised him again when she lifted up suddenly instead of answering him. She slid a leg over his lap, straddling him, and he groaned as she settled against his aching erection. He was forced to lean back to look up at her as she planted her hands on either side of his head and braced herself above him.

“I… I want to thank you for earlier.”

He immediately frowned, “No.”

“But…”

“No, Rachel. That’s not why you touch me. Ever. Not because of gratitude or repayment.” He reached up and gripped her chin, pulling it down until they were eye to eye, “You only ever touch me because you want to. Understand?”

Her lips pursed, “I-I do want to.”

“Because you want to thank me for making you come earlier?”

“No. Yes.” Rachel huffed out a breath, “I always want to touch you. I just… I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel earlier. I know you said you wouldn’t take your release but I know you need it, Remy, and I want to give it to you. You said you’d only take what I gave and I want to give you an orgasm.”

He groaned when she shifted slightly, putting pressure on his throbbing cock. Why was he arguing with her about this? His body was fully on board with whatever she wanted to do to him. It was only his brain that said he needed to slow this down.

“I hate to break it to you, babe, but you’ve already given me more orgasms than I can count.” He smirked when she tilted her head curiously, “I’ve been jerking off to fantasies of you for weeks.”

She bit into her lip again and her cheeks flushed prettily, “Really?”

“Yeah, baby. I’m not sure how I’d keep count at this point but I owe you way more than a handful… pun completely intended.”

Rachel licked her lips, shifting again and his entire body shuddered in response. Shit. He was supposed to be shutting this down. He wasn’t supposed to tell her that he jerked off thinking about her soft hands and soft mouth and even if he did, it wasn’t supposed to turn her on. She was sweet and innocent. No matter what the men in her past had tried to do to her, she was still a virgin. He needed to get a grip but his blood had left his brain hours again and his cock was trying to assert its authority.

“Does that turn you on, Rachel? Knowing that I touched myself thinking about you?”

“Yes.” She whispered softly, her breathing picking up. “I-I-I… what did you think about?”

“This. You. Having you in my lap. Getting my hands and my mouth on those beautiful tits of yours. Finding out how sweet you taste. Sinking inside you and watching you ride me. Wondering what it would feel like to fuck that luscious mouth of yours.”

“Jesus…” Her eyes flickered to his lips and then back to his eyes.

“Yeah, I have a lot of fantasies and you’re the star of every single one of them. I jerk off every night thinking about you. I have since the day we met.” He groaned when her hips shifted again and he fought the urge to buck up and grind against her soft heat until he exploded, “I swear baby, I’m so damn close, one touch and I’m gonna explode so whatever it is you want, you better decide… and fast.”

“I had no idea you could talk like this.” Rachel leaned forward slightly and licked at his lips, “You’re driving me crazy. I want you so bad. It’s all I can think about now.”

He tried to suck her tongue into his mouth but she pulled back too soon.

“Can I see it?”

Fuck. He closed his eyes and swallowed a groan. He wasn’t going to survive this. There was no way. He couldn’t deny her. He didn’t have it in him. But before they jumped into the deep end he at least had to make sure they were on the same page.

“Be specific about what you want, Rachel.”

She worried her bottom lip again, “Take it out, Remy. I want to see you touch yourself.”

Son of a… his hands were on the button of his jeans before his head could talk him out of this. He wanted it. God, he wanted it. Since Rachel was watching his zipper with rapt fascination and licking her lips, he knew she wanted it too. Maybe he would go to hell for taking advantage of their attraction when she was vulnerable but it felt like fucking heaven having her eyes on him as he lowered his pants as much as he could with her hovering over his lap.

“Rach, you gotta…” He sucked in a rough gasp as she slid to the floor.

Shit. Fuck. Damn. Rachel Grant was on her knees in front of him. All of his dreams were coming true. All of the reasons this was a bad idea disappeared in the fog of lust and desire that overpowered him as he shoved his pants down his legs and watched her lick her lips expectantly.

His cock bobbed and smacked into his abs. He was so hard it hurt and Rachel’s face being inches from his dick didn’t help matters. He cupped his hand around the base and squeezed, hard, trying to rein in the need to pump until he could ease the pressure because he needed to come so bad.

This wasn’t about him. He was the one half-naked this time. He was the one about to explode. But this was still all about Rachel. It would always be about Rachel. No matter when or how they came together, she would be the one in charge because he would never risk scaring her.

“Wow.” Rachel’s lips curled slightly, a dirty smile making his chest ache as she looked up at him, “You’re huge.”

He managed a choked groan, “You’re good for my ego.”

“Well, I mean… I may’ve never seen one before in person but I know enough to know what big is. I read.” Rachel tentatively reached forward and then paused, “Can I touch it?”

“Me. Yes. You can touch me. Fuck, yes.”

He made a mental note to ask her what the hell she’d been reading right before she scrambled his brains by wrapping her small hand around his dick. His hips pumped forward automatically and he had to force himself to still when she gasped. Her small, soft hand was too gentle to make him explode but the simple feel of her, the knowledge that it was Rachel touching him, forced him to close his eyes and take deep calming breaths.

“It’s hot and hard but… soft too.” She moved her hand tentatively in a long stroke and he groaned, “Did that hurt?”

“No, baby. It feels fuckin’ fantastic but I need more.”

She met his gaze, “Show me?”

Remy used his free hand to cup her cheek. God, he loved this girl. So shy and tentative but so damn bold and sexy. He’d had no idea she would be like this. He’d had no clue it would turn him on so much knowing he was the first man she’d touched like this, explored like this. That he was the first man to give her pleasure, to teach her what he liked and what she liked in turn, made every part of him swell.

With his other hand, he moved his grip up and covered her smaller hand with his. He squeezed until she gasped again and then pumped himself a couple of times. She was a quick study, moving her hand up and down his shaft with just the right amount of pressure and a slow, dragging motion that was sure to set him off if she kept it up.

“God, Rach…” He closed his eyes and his head fell back. “That’s so good, baby.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He smiled at the question in her voice.

“More?”

Before he could figure out what she meant, he felt her breath against his thigh. His eyes flew open and he glanced down just in time to watch her little pink tongue dart out and lap at the tip of his dick. Pre-come had gathered there and she licked at it gently, circling the crown and then sucking just the tip into her mouth.

And he snapped.

That was the only word for it. The only excuse. She’d been pushing him all night and he just fucking snapped when he saw her pretty mouth circling his aching dick.

Not like this, his brain screamed. He wasn’t coming for the first time with the woman he loved on her knees. It just didn’t feel right and he needed her closer, in his arms, where he could feel her heart beating as wildly as his and look in her eyes and know she was with him. He needed her close to make sure the bad memories stayed locked up tight as they made new and better ones together.

He grabbed her roughly and hauled her up from the floor. Rachel let out a squeak of protest but he silenced her with his mouth. He shoved his tongue between her lips and kissed her as he settled her over his lap. It only took a moment for her arms to wrap around his neck and her tongue to twine with his. He could taste himself on her, the musk of his arousal, and mixed with her sweetness it made him wild.

His hips punched up as he dragged her down and they both groaned. He could feel her heat and wetness through her panties. It would be better skin to skin but he didn’t dare push the thin fabric aside. If he did, he’d bury himself inside her before she could take another breath and that wasn’t the way he wanted it to happen. Even with the barrier of lace, Rachel stiffened against him slightly and he fought to grasp reality and reassure her.

“Not gonna take you tonight, Rach. Not tonight. But I want to be as close to you as possible when I come. Need to feel you come with me.”

He guided her back down and they both gasped as the head of his cock found her slit. The panties were a barrier, sure, but she was soaking wet for him again and the fabric molded to her folds. He slid against her, pressing her down until her sweet body wrapped around him.

Rachel whimpered and her body immediately flexed, trying to take him inside despite the fabric between them. He held her hips between his hands and helped rock her against him as his dick twitched eagerly. He spread her open, her softness to his hardness, and knew the only thing keeping him from entering her as they ground their bodies together was that slip of fabric and his last shred of sanity.

“Oh God…” Rachel dropped her head back on a moan as he pressed up and found her clit.

“Yeah, that’s it baby. Let me hear you.” He dragged his lips over her shoulder where the shirt she was wearing had fallen aside and sucked at her sweet skin, “Tell me who you belong to.”

“You.” She gasped.

“That’s right. You’re mine, Rachel. This is mine. I’m gonna be the first and only man to ever sink inside you and when I do, it’s gonna be so damn good because you were made for me baby.”

“Remy, please.”

“No begging.” He bit her earlobe as her hips sped against his, grinding down hard, “You never have to beg me for what you need. Just ask. Just tell me what you want.”

“Make me come. Oh God, Remy! Make me come.”

He was so far gone, he could barely think beyond driving his hips up against her soft, wet core. She was dripping wet for him, drenching them both. His girl liked dirty talk apparently which was good to know because damn, he couldn’t seem to stop talking to her.

“Fuck, you feel so good Rach. Better than any fantasy. I’m gonna come baby. I’m gonna come all over you. Mark you because you’re mine and I’m yours. All yours, baby.”

“Remy!” She screamed his name as her climax ripped through her and he could feel the ripples pass through her body and into his.

That was all it took. He’d held out as long as he could just so he could see that blissful look on her beautiful face and hear her cry his name. He released the tight grip he’d held over his self-control and bucked up against her again and again as she rode out her pleasure and then he exploded right with her.

Rachel collapsed against him as the last tremors left her body and he could do nothing more than wrap his arms around her and hold her close. They were both breathing hard, panting. Their clothes stuck to their sweaty bodies and he realized they hadn’t bothered to fully undress. That was a damn shame considering how gorgeous she was but he supposed he could correct that mistake next time. Right now, he was too far gone to do much more than press kisses to her overheated skin.

“Mmm, Remy.” Rachel mewled softly, rubbing her cheek against his chest, “That was…”

“Yeah.” He agreed with a happy hum, “Just imagine how good it’s gonna be when I get inside you.”

She pulled back enough to look at him and smiled, “We might not survive it.”

Remy’s heart thumped hard in his chest as he stared up at her. She was so damn beautiful and she was his. If all the hell he’d gone through was what it took to get to this girl he’d gladly walk through it again. Her dark hair stuck to her forehead and neck where sweat glistened. Her lips were red and swollen for their kisses. Her eyes glassy and sated. He’d never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

“I think we can survive just about anything so long as we’re together.”

Her lips curled upwards again and she pressed a kiss to his mouth, “I had no idea you were such a sweet talker, Remy Bomar.”

“Only with you.”

“Mmm, I’m sleepy.” Rachel stifled a yawn and he chuckled.

“Shower first. Bed second.”

“Yeah, you got me all dirty again.” Rachel giggled, “You might have to shower with me. I’m not sure my legs will hold me up.”

“Twist my arm, why don’t ya.” He found the strength to lift them both and Rachel squealed as she wrapped her legs around him. “Come on baby, let’s take a shower together.”

“Together?”

“Uh huh.”

“Then bed?” She bit her lip again and he knew what she was thinking.

“Then bed, together too. You and me, in my bed. No more sleeping in the chair or on the couch. You belong with me.”

Her voice was barely a whisper when she sighed, “I’ve never belonged anywhere.”

“Yes, you have. You’ve belonged with me. I’m just sorry it took me so long to find my way back here and to you.”

She softened in his arms, her eyes warm and watery again, so he paused in the hallway to kiss her. Soft and slow and sweet, he tried to tell her without words what today had meant to him. He knew they hadn’t fixed anything. Not really. They still had the situation with her brother to deal with and the fact that she still hadn’t told him exactly what Craig was threatening left him uneasy. But he’d meant what he said.

They could face anything as long as they were together.

Chapter Ten

“What’s your favorite color?”

Rachel bit her lip to hide a smile, “Blue?”

Remy chuckled, “Was that a question? Were you asking me if it’s blue?”

“No. Blue. My favorite color is blue.”

“Hmm, like light blue, clear sky on a summer day blue, or more of a cerulean blue?”

It was her turn to laugh, “You know the difference in sky blue and cerulean?”

“Yeah, I uh… I’ve been working with Colt for a while now and whenever he’s mixing colors he’s always complaining that he can’t get Skylar’s eyes right. He swears it’s because they’re not cerulean, that they’re some special sort of blue specifically designed to torment him. I’ve learned a lot about colors since I started at Fine Lines.” Remy rubbed his foot against her shin, “So, which is it?”

Rachel smiled at the sweet story about Colt and Skylar. She liked that something so tiny about their relationship could make her boyfriend smile when he talked about it. He didn’t smile nearly enough in her opinion but she thought it was very telling that this particular story had stuck with him. It was clear to her that he adored Skylar like a little sister but even more clear that he thought Colt doting on her was pretty special unto itself.

“Neither.”

“Neither?” He looked skeptical.

“Midnight blue. That’s my favorite. Dark, darker than navy. The sky just before everything goes black.”

Remy’s smile softened and his eyes warmed as he leaned forward to brush his mouth over hers. Rachel sighed into the sweet kiss as sparks flared in her belly. The knowing look on his handsome face as he pulled away hinted that he knew as well as she did that midnight blue was the color of his eyes.

Dark and mysterious, hinting at unknown dangers, that was Remy. And when his pupils dilated and the black overtook the blue, it was like watching a lunar eclipse. It was beautiful. He was beautiful. But he was also the kind of man that would laugh if she told him he was beautiful so she didn’t bother.

“Mmm…” She licked her lips, “Your turn. Favorite color.”

“Green.”

They’d been playing this game since they woke up. Since it was Sunday they were both off work. They’d slept in and woken wrapped around each other. Both too content to move, they’d simply pulled the blankets over them and spent the past hour getting to know each other better.

It had been Remy’s idea and she knew it was a good one. As convinced as they both were that they belonged together, as explosive as their attraction was, there were too many holes in their fragile foundation for either of them to feel steady yet. No matter how good their chemistry was or how deeply familiar their pasts were to each other, they both needed more.

And they both wanted more. They wanted everything. With each other.

Looking back on their night together, on their morning, Rachel’s only regret was that of all the things she’d told Remy, she hadn’t come clean about the most important secret she was keeping yet.

She wanted to tell him. She did. But every time she worked up the courage, the words got stuck in her throat. Her mind would begin to whirl and that age-old fear she’d always lived with would get the best of her.

She was safe here, in this trailer, with Remy, but when she thought of telling him the truth she started to think about what it would mean if she couldn’t stay here. She’d think about how angry Remy was going to be when he found out she’d known Craig was the traitor and hadn’t told him. She thought about how scared she’d been when her brother walked into the salon yesterday or when he’d confronted her outside the barn and she would remember his threats about what would happen to her when she didn’t have Remy protecting her anymore.

But as scared as she was of Craig, the thing that scared her most was the thought of losing Remy. He had become so important to her in such a short span of time. He had come into her life just when she needed someone most. She trusted him. She loved him. And losing him would destroy her.

So she’d kept her mouth shut. It was what she did best after all. She stayed quiet. She stayed out of the way and hoped nobody noticed her. She prayed that she was wrong and her brother being a traitor had nothing to do with the attacks on Colt. She prayed that Lincoln would figure it out for himself sooner rather than later and she wouldn’t have to choose sides.

Because as much as she hated Craig, and she did hate him, he was still her blood. He had done awful, horrible things to her. He had slapped her, hit hurt, hurt her more times than she could count. He’d let people into her life that drugged her and tried to rape her. He’d ruined her childhood, taken her innocence and twisted her entire life into a nightmare but he was still her brother. Even if he was only her half-brother. He was her family. And she couldn’t be responsible for putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger.

She just couldn’t.

“You’re doing it again.” Remy whispered softly, and his fingers stroking over her cheek brought her back to the present. They were in bed together, cuddling and talking. He was staring at her with that concerned crease between his eyes again. “You’re right in front of me but you disappeared for a minute there.”

“Sorry.” She winced as she cuddled into his touch, “I’m back. I’m here.”

“Where’d you go?”

“N-nowhere, just… worrying, I guess.”

His lips pursed when she stuttered and she held her breath, waiting to see if he called her out. Waiting to see if his patience with her obvious half-truths ran out. Because he knew the stutter meant something was wrong, he just didn’t know what. Instead, he only pulled her closer as he rolled to his back and drew her against his chest. He stroked her back and she only felt worse about lying to him when he tried to reassure her.

“You don’t have anything to worry about, Rach. You’re safe with me. Nobody can hurt you here. I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you ever again.”

She held on to him tight and forced the words out, “But what happens to me when you’re not around anymore?”

“Am I going somewhere I don’t know about?”

“No… just…” She blew out a rough breath, “People break up all the time, Remy. People leave. Y-y-you left once before.”

He tensed beneath her and she immediately regret voicing her doubts. She hadn’t meant it to sound like an accusation. He’d told her why he left. She understood. She couldn’t use that against him. But it didn’t mean she wasn’t scared he would leave again, or leave her, when he knew the truth about her family.

“I told you that I had to leave before. It was my only option. I ran because I thought it was the only way but I’m not a scared kid anymore, Rachel.” He twisted until she was looking up at him, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m done running away from my problems. I came home. I am home. Cash and Colt and the girls. You. You’re my home now and nothing and nobody could ever make me leave you.”

She bit her lip to stifle a flash of tears as her heart swelled. Home. He included her in his family. He called her his home. And she had always wanted that, somewhere to belong, someone to belong with, someone to love her. But she’d been scared so long it was hard to believe it was even possible.

She chewed on her lips, “I know you might not want to leave me but… what if… what if something happens to you?”

“Nothing’s gonna happen to me, baby.”

“You don’t know that. You can’t know that.”

“Rach…”

“No!” She shook her head when he said her name in that consoling tone, “I know you only fight for Lincoln to save your brothers but it’s still dangerous. Who’s going to save you?”

“You are. You do.”

“Remy, be serious.” She frowned, “I’m not as naïve or as innocent as you think I am. I’ve lived with Craig for years. I’ve seen the kind of men he deals with, works with, and some of those men are your cousins. They’ve been to my house. I’ve seen things, heard things. It’s not safe for you to be working with them, Remy.”

His brows furrowed, “What cousins?”

“Remy…”

“What cousins, Rachel? Who’s been to your house? Who hangs out with Craig?”

“That wasn’t my point. You know that right?”

“Who, Rachel?”

“Ugh, I don’t know.” She threw her hands in the air, “I’m bad with names and you all kind of look alike.”

His lips twitched, “We don’t all look alike.”

“Yes, you do. How many sets of twins are there? And the rest of you do resemble.”

“If you mean we’re all handsome as hell, then yeah, I have to agree we probably do.” He laughed when she rolled her eyes, “What? We are.”

“Yes, I know. I know all about the Bomar eyes and the Bomar dimples and the Bomar bone structure. I’ve heard all about the Bomar legends working in the salon. Girls talk. You’re all a bunch of dangerously sexy man-whores and as far as the women in this town are concerned, you’re all fairly interchangeable.”

“I may have heard those rumors.” His gaze turned serious when she huffed “But we’re not interchangeable to you, are we?”

“You were… before… All of your cousins looked alike because I was scared of all of them, all of you. But then…”

“Then you met me.” His lips twitched again.

“Well, technically I met Colt first but…” Rachel squealed as he rolled them, pinning her to the bed, “Hey! I was saying something!”

“Mmhmm.” Remy settled between her legs and she gasped when she felt his hardness. It took everything in her not to flex her hips up against him. She bit her lip and tried to focus on his words and not the way his strong body felt holding her down. She would have thought it would freak her out, being pinned, but with Remy it did something else to her entirely. “You were saying my brother’s name and I had to put a stop to that.”

“What? Why?”

“Because hearing you say my brother’s name, ever, makes my fists clench but hearing you say his name here, in our bed, makes me want to put my fist through his handsome face.”

Our bed. She bit down harder on her lips to quell the smile. He’d said our bed.

“Remy Bomar…” She said instead, “Are you jealous?”

She expected him to laugh it off. She thought he would make a joke or an innuendo. Instead, he surprised her by meeting her eyes and nodding seriously.

“If that’s what you want to call this insane urge to deck my brother for ever having breathed the same air as you, then yeah, I’m jealous as hell.”

“You do know that Colt only has eyes for Skylar right?”

“Yeah, but what about you?” His eyes studied her face and that furrow appeared between his brows again, “Did you have eyes for him? A crush or something? You said you met him first and…”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” She cut him off.

“So you didn’t have a thing for him?”

“No. I didn’t have a thing for him. He was just the first of you guys I actually got to know and… he’s not a bad guy.”

“No. He’s not. He’s one of the good ones.”

“He is. Just like you.”

“I don’t know if I’d go that far…”

She tilted his chin back towards her when he started to look away, “I would. I do. You’re a good man, Remy. That’s why it worries me, you working for Lincoln. I don’t want you to get hurt or… worse.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen to me.”

“But…”

“All I do is fight, babe. And nobody’s gonna beat me in that cage. Nobody.” Remy kissed the end of her nose, “The rest of it, the stuff with Colt, we’re not going to let that happen again. Link’s gonna find his traitor and the danger will go away and my cousins won’t be hanging around the salon all the time. You’ll be safe. We’ll all be safe.”

She tried not to flinch at the mention of the traitor. The danger, everyone on red alert, and she had the power to fix it. She could protect Skylar and Jemma, Cash and Colt, even Remy. All she had to do was find the strength inside herself to say the words.

“I’m glad they were there yesterday though, to take care of you when I didn’t know you were in danger.”

“Yeah…” She managed a nod, “F-Ford sent Craig away. I-I need to thank him for that.”

“You can’t even say his name without flinching. I’ll tell him you said thank you.” Remy smirked, “He’s a scary fucker huh?”

“He looks it but… I-I don’t know. I think he has a soft side.”

Remy laughed, “Oh, I don’t know if I’d go that far but he is a good guy. I trust him and there aren’t too many of my cousin’s I would say that about.”

“R-R-Royce?”

“Do I trust Royce? Hell no. Trouble follows that guy like it’s his shadow.”

“No. Royce. That’s Bentley’s twin right? Lincoln and Ford’s younger brother?”

“Yeah.” Remy drew the word out slowly, seriousness returning to his face, “Why?”

She knew from the look on his face that deciding to answer his earlier question had been a good idea, “I-I… I think he’s the one that hangs out with Craig. I know it wasn’t the others so… It was Royce.”

“You’re sure it wasn’t one of the Bible Bomars? Abel or his brothers? There’s a bunch of them too and their business crosses with Lincoln’s a lot of the time.”

“N-No.” She shook her head, “They’re all dark haired, like you, right?”

He nodded seriously, his jaw tense.

“It’s Lincoln’s family that has the lighter hair. Well, and the twins.”

When Remy winced, she hated that she’d thoughtlessly mentioned his brothers’ resemblance to his cousins. She’d heard the rumors. She’d heard that the reason Decker Bomar hated his two youngest sons was because he thought they weren’t his. She’d heard that Colt and Cash might very well be Auto Bomars sons and the resemblance was certainly there. The twins looked more like Lincoln, Ford, Bentley and Royce, Auto’s sons, than they did Remy. Remy had his father’s dark coloring, the same coloring that Decker’s twin, Duke, and his sons, the Bible Bomars, all had. But it was clear that mentioning that his brothers might not be his brothers, hurt Remy and she regret the words.

“Yeah.” He choked out.

“So it was Royce.” She said quickly, getting them back on topic. “It had to be. He’s the only one I haven’t met now.”

“Royce is friends with Craig?”

She nodded.

“That’s good to know.”

“Is it?”

“Yeah. I’ll talk to him. See if I can’t get him to keep your brother away from you.”

“Th-thank you.” She managed even if she didn’t feel all that thankful.

She had a feeling giving Remy that bit of information was only going to make her brother angrier. She hadn’t seen Royce hanging out with her brother recently anyway. And if Craig had turned traitor they couldn’t be as close as they used to be. But maybe if they talked to Royce they’d figure out that Craig had turned on them, and why, and she wouldn’t have to explain what she knew, or how she knew it.

“Come on.” Remy jerked upright suddenly.

“What?”

“I don’t want to think about my family bullshit anymore. Let’s get out of here. Let’s go do something fun today, just you and me.”

“I… but…”

“There’s something I want to show you. Come on. Get up.”

“What?”

“There’s this place I used to go sometimes and I haven’t been since I got back to town. I want to take you there. It’s special and I want to share it with you.” He smirked, “My special girl.”

She smiled as he paced the room excitedly. He was gorgeous. All brawn and muscles and tattoos, he looked dangerous as hell. But then he grinned like that, the smile that flashed those Bomar dimples and made him look younger, almost boyish. And if she’d ever be able to tell him no, it wasn’t going to be when he was half naked and grinning at her like that.

“Stop staring at me and get your cute little ass out of bed before I change my mind and decide to handcuff you to the headboard.”

She laughed, “You don’t have to handcuff me to your bed, Remy. I’m not going to try and run away.”

His grin widened, “Oh, baby, there’s plenty of reasons to handcuff you to the bed that don’t have a thing to do with you not getting away.”

“Really?”

Remy choked out a laugh, “Yeah, really, now, since you’ve given me a hard-on I’m gonna go take a cold shower. Get up and get dressed or so help me, when I get back, I’ll spank your cute little ass.”

Rachel giggled as she watched him walk out of the room. A part of her wanted to call after him and tell him there was no need for the cold shower. She’d given him the erection and she could certainly help him with it after last night. But the shy, uncertain girl she’d always been kept her lips pressed closed.

She wasn’t sure what had come over her last night. She’d felt so bold, so free. Remy made her feel sexy and wanted and desired. It had gotten to her. It must have. Because the Rachel she’d always been never would have climbed on a Bomar boy’s lap and insisted he take his cock out so she could see it and touch it and… suck it.

Her body responded to the memory, growing warm and wet and she tossed the blankets aside. She’d never considered herself a sexual person. After what had happened to her, she was so scared all the time of inviting more pain, more hurt, that she’d never given a thought to the pleasure she was forfeiting.

But being with Remy was pure pleasure. He made her feel things she hadn’t known she could feel. He made her feel sexy and wanted. She wanted to be the woman he saw her as instead of the scared little girl she’d always been.

“You better be putting pants on, Rach.”

She grinned when she heard him yell from the bathroom. As tempted as she was to see what he would do if she didn’t put pants on before he came back in the room, she hustled to find something to wear. He wanted to take her somewhere special and that was more important for their relationship right now.

Besides, she could probably figure out a way to get him out of his pants again when they got back.

“Are you sure about this?”

Remy chuckled and adjusted his seatbelt. It was only about the thirtieth time Rachel had asked that question since he’d begun coaxing her behind the steering wheel of the Challenger. If he was another man, he might be worried that she seemed so flabbergasted by the idea of driving his car but he wasn’t. He trusted her, completely, and he couldn’t wait to see that look of pleasure on her face when she crossed the finish line.

He’d brought her to his favorite place in the whole world today. The old, abandoned drag racing strip had been his home away from home when he was a teenager. It was the place he’d first learned to drive. Uncle Auto had taught him because Decker had been too drunk of course. And it was where he and Lincoln and the other Bomar boys would race whatever heap of metal they’d been able to get their hands on in an attempt to outrun their demons.

Most people in Old Settlers had forgotten that the strip existed. According to family legend, Boyd Bomar had it built for his sons when they were just kids. He’d been certain one of his boys would be a race car driver but as close as he’d gotten was getaway drivers. Duke had gone to prison. Decker had become an alcoholic. And after years of running the garage and the track, Auto had shut it down and stuck to what he knew. Cars. Both fixing them and stealing them.

The track had fallen into disrepair. The grandstand and the concession were graffiti covered and buried in weeds. But the strip itself was still intact, run down enough to show that somebody had been using it in the years Remy had been away. He’d have wondered who it was if he’d been alone but since he’d had Rachel, he hadn’t given it much thought.

With Rachel, everything else fell away.

There was nothing but her for him. Nothing and no one else. She was his sun, his light, his reason for being. She was his and he would spend the rest of his life trying to make her smile at him the way she had when they’d first pulled up to the old drag racing track.

The way her smile made his chest feel tight when he pulled to the starting line. The sound of her slightly terrified but mostly exhilarated scream the first time he gunned the engine. The way her laughter had filled the car when he slid to a stop at the finish line. The way she’d bounced up and down and kissed him, begged to do it again with the windows down so she could feel the wind in her hair.

Those were the things that made this the single best day of his life.

No death or destruction. No fists or fighting. No threats. No worries or doubts or fears.

It was just him and Rachel out here. The two of them, spending the day together, like a normal couple. Doing something fun together. Doing something normal, or okay, drag racing in an abandoned field probably wasn’t a normal first date but he was a Bomar so maybe it was. The two of them laughing and smiling and enjoying themselves. It was hands down the best day he could ever remember having and all they’d done was talk and get to know each other better and drag race the Challenger for a couple of hours. It was the best day of his life and it wasn’t over yet. Not even close.

“Rachel, put your hands back where I showed you.” He took her small hands in his and kissed them gently before depositing one back on the wheel and the other on the gearshift.

“I dunno about this Remy.”

She was chewing on that damn bottom lip again so he popped it free and then leaned over the console to kiss it gently, “I trust you. You can do this. It’s gonna be fun.”

“But...”

He nipped her bottom lip and tugged on it with his teeth until she whined. When he released her she swayed closer but he smirked and shook his head. The way she was looking at him, if he kissed her again right now he’d haul her cute little ass over the gearshift and into his lap. And then he’d have her naked and he’d slide her down his now aching erection until he was buried deep inside her and…

“No.” He had to clear his throat because the word came out too husky, “No more buts. You wanted to drive the Challenger. You drive the Challenger. What happened to not being scared of what you want anymore?”

Rachel pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at him and he fought a laugh. He was using her words against her and they both knew it. Her chin tilted up a degree and she huffed but turned her gaze back out the windshield. He covered his grin by rubbing his chin.

He’d figured something out about his girl today. She liked fast cars, just like he did. She liked that out of control feeling of flying when you hit top speed. It made her breathless and giddy. She liked a little bit of danger even if she’d never admit it and that was fine. Because he’d also realized that the reason she could enjoy this kind of danger, instead of being scared, was because he was there and she trusted him to keep her safe.

“Are you sure about this?” She swallowed hard.

“Yes, you can do this. I showed you how and when to shift and when to let off and brake. You can do this.”

“You really trust me not to wreck your car and kill us both?”

He chuckled, “You’re not gonna wreck the car and kill us, Rach. Stop overthinking it. Matter of fact, stop thinking at all. Just grip the wheel, put your foot on the gas and let go.”

“Let go?” Her eyebrows shot skyward and he snorted.

“Not literally.” He sobered and shook his head, “Do not let go of the wheel, Rachel. No matter what happens. Do. Not. Let. Go. Of. The. Wheel.”

“See, now I’ve even got you worried.”

She kind of did but he refused to let it show. She’d told him that she had a license but had only very rarely driven in her life. She’d had to sell her mom’s car to pay for the funeral and her bastard brother hadn’t let her near his car. She knew how to drive, just barely.

He reassured himself that this wasn’t really driving. The strip was a quarter mile in a straight line. She wanted to drive. She’d told him so. Even if she’d immediately retracted the question and been nervously arguing with him ever since. She wanted this, needed it, to know that she could do even the things that scared her, so he was going to make sure she did it. That was all there was to it.

Remy slid his hand over hers on the gear shift, “Ready?”

“No.”

“Are you ready?” He repeated when she shook her head.

“I…” Her hand on the wheel tightened until her knuckles were white and then she bit into her bottom lip, faced forward and nodded, “I… okay. Yeah, let’s do this.”

“On the count of three…” He felt his heart ratchet up a notch when she shifted in her seat, putting her foot on the pedal and giving another nod, “One. Two. Three.”

He shoved the gear shift forward and the car lurched. They peeled out and the smell of burning rubber hit his nose at the same moment the back end began to swing around. He started to open his mouth, to remind Rachel to grip the wheel and steer, but she was already correcting and straightening them as the car sped forward. A grin spread over her face and it was her hand on the shifter that moved this time as the tach on the dash neared the red line. He pulled his hand away, letting her do this on her own, but never taking his eyes off of her.

She was gorgeous. She always was but like this… the only other time he’d seen her light up like this was last night, when he’d made her come apart in his arms. That knowledge made his pants terribly uncomfortable as his dick twitched and he steadfastly ignored it like he had all day. This wasn’t about him, it was about her.

Rachel’s smile spread across her entire face and her eyes danced though they never left the road. Their surroundings flew past them in a blur as she hit top speed. She shifted just when she was supposed to, just like he’d taught her, and he’d never seen anything so sexy in his damn life. His woman, driving his car, like a bat out of hell. His sweet, shy, tiny little girlfriend controlling thousands of pounds of metal and gasoline was damn near as good as sex.

They hurtled over the finish line and Rachel let up on the gas. She downshifted and braked and screamed as they skidded to a stop. Minus the scream, it was like she’d done this a million times, like she’d been born for it. As soon as the car stopped moving she threw her hands up and screamed again and he laughed because he’d never seen her so happy.

“Oh my God!” Rachel squealed with delight, “That was amazing! Oh my God! It was amazing!”

“Yeah, baby, it was.” He unsnapped his seatbelt, “You’re amazing.”

“Oh wow… Oh Remy…” She was breathing hard from her excitement and her cheeks had gone pink, “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. You did it. Not me.”

“I did it because you made me. Thank you. Thank you!” She unsnapped her seatbelt and launched herself at him, “Thank you, Remy. Thank you.”

She kissed him and he groaned as her excitement and taste incinerated the last bits of his willpower. He was hard. He’d been hard for her since he woke up this morning and no amount of cold showers or jacking himself off or ignoring it would make his need for this girl go away. She wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth, her tongue teasing at the seam of his until he opened and he lost it.

Rachel being bold and demanding was his kryptonite. He couldn’t refuse her. Not when she was shy and reserved with everyone else. With everyone but him. Her need, her desire, was so strong that all of her nervousness disappeared and there was nothing left but how much she wanted him.

And how much he wanted her.

When her tongue stroked into his mouth he groaned and grabbed her. He hauled her over the console and she gasped but didn’t complain when her foot got stuck and twisted. The kiss broke as they both laughed at the awkwardness of trying to get close in the small car and Remy felt his heart swell in his chest.

Her eyes were big and bright and so full of things neither of them could say yet that he wanted to shout the words right then and there. He had to bite his tongue to keep them at bay, worried that they would ruin this moment. Too much too soon. Instead, he kissed her again, soft and slow, and tried to tell her how much he loved her with nothing but his touch.

Rachel kissed him back as he helped her to straddle him. The passenger seat of the Challenger was too small, too tight a fit. She couldn’t settle down on top of him the way he wanted, couldn’t grind against him the way she needed, but their hips both bucked, searching for each other, seeking the friction and touch of the other.

With a frustrated moan, Rachel tore her mouth from him, “Remy, please…”

“I know, love. I know.”

She gasped when he cupped her breasts and her head fell back. God he loved the way she reacted when he touched her. She was still wearing one of his oversized t-shirts and it had fallen off one of her shoulders revealing creamy, untouched skin that he wanted to mark. He slid one hand to her back to hold her steady as he reared up and latched his mouth to the spot where her neck met her shoulder and sucked.

“Oh God, Remy…” She shuddered out a breath and arched into his touch.

He sucked hard, knowing he was bruising her, and only released the mark when he was sure it would be visible for days. She might cover it up with clothes before she went back to work but he would know. She would know. And that would be enough… for now.

He wanted inside her. He wanted to claim her. He wanted to make her his in every way. But until she was ready for that, he’d claim her in every other way he could.

She was staying with him, indefinitely. They were living together. She was sleeping in his bed. She was his and he wanted the world to know it.

“Remy, please…” Rachel begged again and he groaned because he knew that he couldn’t give her what she needed. Not like this. Not their first time. But he could make her come. He could give her that.

He slid his hands up beneath the loose fitting shirt and unsnapped her bra, “Off.”

“Yes.”

Rachel scrambled to help him, pulling the shirt up and knocking her elbow against the window in the process. She winced and he frowned. He pulled her elbow up and kissed the spot that would probably bruise on her soft skin. She sighed and then wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned down to kiss him again.

He took control this time, stroking his tongue into her mouth and earning another moan. Her tongue met his with eagerness and passion, twining and then chasing him back into his mouth. He sucked and she bucked against him, those needy little moans falling from her again and reminding him of his intention to suck on another part of her.

He pulled her shirt up, had it over her belly button and would’ve had her full, lush breasts uncovered in another second if a loud and resounding horn hadn’t chosen that exact moment to blare. Remy froze and Rachel squeaked and jerked back. Her head collided with the roof of the car and she winced. His head spun around, instantly looking at the driver’s seat and the wheel before reason told him that it wasn’t their car honking.

The noise continued to blare and he groaned as reality sank back in. They were in the middle of nowhere. They’d been alone out here all day. Nobody would have just randomly wandered upon them which meant that whoever was out there, whoever was honking, had come looking for them.

“Damn it.” He cursed as he threw his head back against the headrest.

“Oh my God! Someone’s here?” Rachel’s pink cheeks flamed red and she scrambled, trying to crawl off his lap. When he caught her by the waist, holding her in place, she frowned at him, “Let go.”

“No.”

“Remy…”

“You’re not going anywhere until you put that bra back on, baby.” He smirked when the flush spread down her neck and under the hem of his shirt. “Whichever one of my bastard cousins is out there, they saw enough of you at the barn the other night.”

Rachel bit into her bottom lip again, “How do you know it’s one of your cousins?”

“They’re the only ones that know about this track other than me.”

“But your brothers…”

“Have never been out here as far as I know.” He sighed as the dark reasons for that crawled out of the box he tried to keep them in, “I was long gone by the time they were old enough to drive. I never brought them out here and I seriously doubt anyone else would’ve bothered.”

Rachel’s eyes softened, “You can’t blame yourself for every single thing you missed in their lives, Remy.”

“Who else can I blame? I’m the one that left.”

“You had to leave to save yourself.” She cupped his face and forced him to look at her, “If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be here now to save me.”

His heart thumped hard and he felt something warm and suffocating clog his throat. He couldn’t speak to that. He couldn’t find the words. So instead of saying anything, he leaned up and kissed her. He poured his heart and soul into the kiss because they were both hers, always had been, always would be.

The horn blared again and he broke the kiss with a curse, “Stay here. I’ll go see what they want.”

“But…”

“No buts. Stay.” He deposited her back into the driver’s seat and did his best to rearrange his erection so it wasn’t pressed painfully against the zipper of his jeans.

“Don’t order me around like a dog.” Rachel frowned.

He frowned right back, “That’s not what I…”

“Sit. Stay. Be a good girl? That’s the kind of crap Craig says to me, Remy.”

Shit.” He leaned close to her again and gripped her chin, “I didn’t mean it like that, Rach. I promise. I just meant that I want you safe and right now, until I figure out who is out there and what they want, it’s safer if you stay in the car. Okay?”

Her eyes were soft again when she nodded, “Okay. Just say that next time.”

“Anything I do, it’s to keep you safe. Always.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and then another to her forehead before pulling back to the sound of short bursts of clearly agitated honking, “I’ll be right back.”

“Be careful.”

“Always.” He winked and ignored her eye roll as he pushed up and out of the car.

He straightened his clothes again once he was vertical and when he saw the classic, cherry red, Chevelle SS sitting just on the other side of the track, he scowled. He slammed the door of the Challenger shut and glared at his cousin who was leaning against the side of his car, one heavily tattooed arm still stuck through the open window to lay on the horn again. Even across the distance and with the beard shielding his lips, he could see Ford grin before he honked long and loud.

Remy flipped his cousin off as he stalked towards him, “Lay off. The horn is unnecessary.”

“Oh, I thought you’d appreciate I announced my presence from over here but if you’d have preferred I walk over and knock on the window when clothes were coming off, I’ll keep that in mind next time.” Ford was clearly smirking beneath his heavy beard now.

“How long have you been here?”

“Long enough to see your little bird spread her wings and fly.”

Remy growled, “You saw her cross the finish line?”

“Yep. She’s pretty good. In another life, she might’ve had a real shot at driving.”

“She’s not gonna be a getaway driver for you assholes.”

“Course not.”

“You saw all that so I guess you decided to wait and enjoy the show instead of announcing your presence as soon as she stopped?” Remy felt his fists clench at his sides even imagining his cousin seeing Rachel naked.

“Hey, once you’ve been locked up you learn to take your kicks where you can get ‘em.” Ford smirked and then stepped back when Remy started towards him, “Damn, slow your roll, Remy. Link’s right. You boys are too easy to rile these days.”

“It’s real easy not to rile us too. Just don’t talk about our women.”

“Noted.” Ford nodded his chin towards the Challenger, “So that’s what she is huh? Yours? You sure about that?”

“You were there the other night. You heard it yourself. She’s mine. What’s with the questions?”

“Nothin’.” Ford pushed off the car to his full height, “Link just asked me to check in with you. See how things are going with the girl.”

Remy frowned, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. He just asked me to check on you two so here I am, checkin’ in. He wanted a status update after I told him about what went down at the salon yesterday. Said he wanted to talk to her himself when he gets back to town.”

“He’s still gone?”

Ford nodded.

“On business?”

Ford nodded.

“Is that normal?”

Ford shrugged.

“As usual, you are just a wealth of information.” Remy snorted and earned a smirk in return, “I don’t know what Link’s deal is with Rachel but you can tell him he isn’t talking to her without going through me.”

“Will do.”

Remy didn’t like Lincoln’s sudden interest in his girl. Not at all. He’d thought Lincoln being all over her at the fight had just been about messing with him. His continued interest in her was unsettling. If Lincoln wanted to talk to her, Remy would know exactly what it was about before he got within twenty feet of her. He loved his cousin but he didn’t like him all that much these days and he damn sure didn’t trust him.

“While you’re at it, tell your twin that Rachel’s brother is part of his crew and he’s a grade A asshole. He needs to take a good hard look at that bastard because the way he talked about Link the other day, he ain’t a fan or an ally.”

Ford scowled behind his beard, “I told Link about the scene at the salon. What’s this about him talking to you about Lincoln?”

“He corned me and Rach after the fights the other night. Spouted some shit about Bomars being trash and thinking rules don’t apply to us. I don’t like the guy and I don’t trust him. I don’t think Lincoln should either.”

“Good to know. I’ll take a harder look into him myself. I didn’t like that scene I walked in on at the salon so he’s got something coming down the pipeline for threatening the girls anyhow.”

“Good.” Remy rubbed his hair and then remembered what else Rachel had told him this morning, “Oh, your little brother’s been hanging out with that bastard by the way. Rach said she’s seen him at the trailer a few times. You might check with him.”

“Royce.”

Remy snorted, “How’d you know? Could’ve been Bent.”

“Nah, if Bug is involved it’s probably trouble and trouble is Royce’s favorite kind of fun.”

Remy nodded and then stopped, “Wait? Bug?”

“Craig Grant. Rachel’s brother. Bug. That’s his nickname.”

“Because of the eyes?”

“Because of the eyes.” Ford smirked, “Funny because they fit your little bird perfect, all big and innocent like...”

“Stop talking about Rachel’s eyes. Now. Before I give into the urge to put my fist through your ugly mug.” Remy warned with a smirk of his own.

Ford barked out a rough laugh, as if he hadn’t used it lately, “Damn, it really is too easy. Keep your fists to yourself Remy. I’m going.”

“Good. Get gone.”

“Tell Rachel I said hello.” Ford waved as he pulled the door of the Chevelle open and laughed again when Remy flipped him off.

He watched his cousin leave and couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness that had overtaken his earlier pleasure. Not even when Rachel pushed open the driver’s side door of the Challenger and stepped out, smiling at him. He moved back towards her, because he had to. She was like a magnet. But his worries didn’t ease, not even when he kissed her and told her Ford was just checking on them.

He didn’t like Lincoln’s interest in Rachel. He didn’t like that his cousin was keeping tabs on her. He didn’t like that Craig was a part of Lincoln’s crew or that they were currently looking for a traitor in that crew. He didn’t like the way things were starting to add up in his head and he really didn’t like that Rachel still hadn’t told him what it was her brother had threatened her with to send her running to him.

But he wouldn’t push her. He’d told himself that. He’d promised himself that. And he wouldn’t break that promise. Not to himself. Not to her. Not ever.

He trusted her and he trusted that if there was any foundation for this new fear that had cropped up that she would have told him.

Chapter Eleven

“Honey, I’m home.”

Remy grinned as he pushed into the trailer and kicked his boots off at the door. Damn, there was something about coming home to Rachel that tied him up in knots. It felt so… normal. Domestic. But it was also foreign and special and he loved the idea of it because he’d never really seen scenes like this anywhere but on TV.

Decker had certainly never hurried home after a long day of work. He’d never been happy to come home at all. Whenever he did stumble in the door, he’d been drunk and angry and he’d taken it out on his wife and children. Chrissy had never been the kind of woman to wait up on him either. She’d never been sitting at home, making dinner and keeping house and home for him. Their house had never been a home but that was what Remy and Rachel were building.

Home.

Maybe it had only been a few days but those days had been perfect and their nights had been magical.

They woke up wrapped around each other. They fought over warm water in the shower or he snuck into the small space and teased her until the space was hot and the water was cold and they both ended up being late to work. She rode into town with him every day and kissed him right there on the street where they’d first met. She went to Split Ends and he went to Fine Lines and whoever managed to get away grabbed lunch and they ate together every day. They rode home together most nights and then Rachel insisted on cooking dinner and they cuddled on the couch until inevitably cuddling turned into something else.

They hadn’t made love yet. Not yet. Not for lack of wanting to on both of their parts but he’d stopped them from taking that step time and again.

He wanted it. He wanted her. He wanted to claim Rachel and make her his in every way. He loved her and he thought she loved him but she hadn’t told him yet and he couldn’t bring himself to take her virginity until she did.

Maybe the words shouldn’t have mattered so much to him. Not when it was obvious in all of the ways she looked and talked and touched him that she did. But he needed the words. Maybe because he’d never heard them much in his life. Maybe because there’d never been anyone that told him those words that he’d been able to believe. But he needed to hear Rachel say she loved him so he could believe it was true when he was certain she was still keeping something from him.

That thought sobered his good mood just as it had for the past five days. Ever since Ford had shown up at the track that day and told him Lincoln wanted to talk to Rachel. Ever since he realized that Rachel’s brother was a low-life member of Lincoln’s crew and that they were looking for a rat in that crew. Ever since the thought had entered his mind he hadn’t been able to shake it.

What if Craig was the rat they were looking for? What if that bastard was threatening more than just Rachel? What if he was the threat to Remy’s family too?

He’d tried asking Rachel more about her brother but she shut down whenever he mentioned Craig. She’d told him about her half-brother threatening to hurt her, about the times he’d come home drunk or high and smacked her around. She’d told him about the few times he’d shoved her in her room and told her not to come out because his shitty friends were trying to touch her. But whenever he brought up what had happened that last night when she showed up at the barn scared for her life, she shut down.

He’d let it go this week or, he’d tried to let it go. He’d let her get away with distracting him from his line of questioning with kisses and touches. And he’d told himself that he was overreacting, worrying about nothing, that he was assuming the worst. But the truth was, he assumed the worst because in his life, that was usually the way things went. If it could go bad, it would but this was Rachel and he refused to let the worst touch her.

Lincoln would be back tonight. He’d sworn he would. He’d been mute about where it was he’d been for the last week but he’d said he would be back tonight for Cash and Jemma’s wedding. He wouldn’t miss the biggest family event in years. Not even if Cash would have preferred he stayed far, far away from his pregnant, soon to be wife. The entire family would show up tonight to celebrate the happy couple, or for the open bar, and Remy planned to corner his cousin as soon as possible and demand answers.

“Remy? Is that you?” The sweet voice drifting out of his bedroom pulled him back to the present and he smiled again as he remembered it wasn’t his room anymore. It was theirs.

“Nope, it’s the big bad wolf.” He chuckled as he headed down the tight hallway.

Her giggle floated to him and he basked in the sound. That was the best sound he’d ever heard. It didn’t matter if he actually said something funny or not, he loved the sound of her laughter wrapping around him. She’d told him that was what Skylar called him the first time she warned Rachel away and though he didn’t find the reference all that funny, she seemed to, so he used it… a lot.

“Babe, we’re running late so I’m gonna hop in the…”

He stopped in the doorway of the bedroom because his heart stopped at the sight of her. His throat went dry and whatever it was he’d been saying, he forgot it. The pain in his chest was so sharp and overwhelming that he raised his hand to the spot and then worried that he’d suffered a heart attack and he was dead. Because the vision standing in front of him was his version of heaven.

Rachel was standing in front of the dresser, her back to him as she adjusted the necklace that dangled around her slim neck in the mirror. Her dark hair was down and curled around her shoulders. Her small, curvy body was hugged by the most seductive piece of black satin that he’d ever seen. The long sleeves belled from her arms whimsically and covered her elegantly even though the short hem left her shapely legs bare. The matching heels completed the picture perfect look and instantly he was hard as he imagined bending her over the dresser and sliding beneath that short dress.

“Remy?”

Rachel saying his name jerked him out of that fantasy and he met her gaze in the mirror. Her face was done up with makeup again which he hadn’t seen since that night at the barn. Dark red lipstick and thick black eyeliner highlighted every bit of her beauty. Her big, blue-gray eyes met his and his heart jumpstarted again as he rushed towards her.

“My God, you’re gorgeous.”

“Really?” She turned before he reached her and the worry he’d seen in her eyes in that mirror was still there.

He didn’t stop, he simply got close enough and then pulled her into his arms, “I love you, Rachel.”

She gasped but he didn’t give her time to respond to the words. He captured her mouth with his and moaned as her sweet taste flooded his system. She kissed him back but when he tried to deepen the kiss, wanting, needing, to meld himself to her, she nipped his lip and then pulled back.

“Stop.”

He instantly released her, “What?”

Fear slithered through his veins and rejection made him step back. He’d told her the first time he kissed her that if he ever did anything that scared her, anything that went too far, all she had to say was stop. She hadn’t, not once, not when they were kissing or touching or when she was coming apart in his arms. But he’d told her he loved her and…

“No. Don’t.” Rachel grabbed his biceps keeping him from retreating further, “I didn’t mean stop, stop. I just meant…” Her cheeks flushed and she smiled softly, “We’re going to be late to the wedding if we… we have to stop.”

“Oh…” He let her draw him close again as relief made him sag against her, “Yeah, the wedding. I forgot about that for a second there.”

Rachel giggled lightly, “You forgot your brother is getting married tonight?”

“I forget the rest of the world exists when I look at you, Rach.” He brushed her hair back softly and kissed her temple.

“Remy…” Her voice was barely a whisper, “About what you said…”

He sighed when she trailed off nervously, “I love you. I love you so much it scares the hell out of me and I swore I was going to wait, give you time to get comfortable because I know it’s fast but… I can’t watch my brother pledge his life and love to Jemma tonight and not admit that’s exactly what I want with you. I want us to have everything together, Rach. I love you.”

“I…”

“No.” He cut her off with a press of his lips against hers, “Don’t say it now. Don’t say it back to me just because I said it. You say it when you’re ready and not a moment before and I’ll be here, waiting… no matter how long that takes.”

“But…”

“I love you Rachel.” He kissed her again quickly, relief spreading through his tense muscles as the admission settled the worst of the nerves he’d been feeling for weeks. He’d kept it tied up inside of him, thought he needed to keep those precious words to himself, but he didn’t. He’d told her and he already felt more at ease about them. She would say it because she felt the same way. He knew she did. But it wouldn’t be right now and it wouldn’t be because he’d said it first. “I’m gonna hop in the shower and then we can go. I won’t be long.”

He pulled away from her, unable to look down at her beautiful upturned face or the wonder in her eyes and not kiss her again. He turned and headed for the shower without bothering to grab clothes for when he got out. He couldn’t stay in the bedroom with her a moment longer and not touch her, not kiss her and tempt her to say the words he wanted to hear so he could lay her down in their bed and claim her once and for all. So he walked away to take a cold shower and knew he’d likely need another by the time this night was over.

Because watching his little brother pledge himself to Jemma was going to be emotional for them all. Adding Jemma to the family, officially, was a long time coming and way past overdue. It should have happened ages ago but it had taken a second chance for Cash to get his forever with the woman he loved and Remy knew that watching them become husband and wife would be one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen.

But having Rachel at his side tonight made it all perfect. Holding her hand. Touching her. Dancing with her. Sharing his family with her and her with them, it was everything that he’d always been missing in his life. A place to call home.

“Remy?”

He paused in the doorway and turned back, worried that Rachel was going to say something that would be impossible to ignore, “Yeah?”

Her eyes were bright and if he wasn’t mistaken, a little bit damp. He wanted to rush to her and ask her what was wrong but from the smile painting her full lips he knew that wasn’t what had brought on the tears. Nothing was wrong. Not with them being together. And maybe that was just as miraculous for her as it was for him.

“Just… hurry.” She finally smirked, “I don’t want to miss a second of this night.”

He returned her smile with a wink and then hurried to the bathroom and shut the door. He had a feeling tonight was going to be one of the best nights of his life. Not just because Cash was marrying Jemma, finally, and Colt and Skylar would be at their sides to share it with them. But because he was a part of it and he’d never thought he would get that chance until he came back to Old Settlers.

He’d finally come home and for the first time since that day he stormed back into town on a mission, it finally felt like home too.

“Jesus…”

Remy watched from across the room as Rachel tilted her head back and laughed at something the other girls said. That pain in his chest had been growing all night and was now a solid, heavy weight he knew he would carry for the rest of his life. It wasn’t a burden. It was gift. And it was all because of the beautiful girl with the dark hair and stormy eyes that chose that moment to glance his way and smile.

Sitting through the wedding with Rachel at his side had been just as overwhelming as he’d expected it to be.

He’d watched as Cash stood at the altar, clearly nervous but smiling and he’d known even before the crowd began to stand and turn that Jemma had entered the room by the sheer joy that overtook his little brothers face. The small crowd had been mostly family and friends and they’d laughed when Cash stormed up the aisle instead of waiting for Jemma to come to him. He’d swept his girl off her feet and carried her back to the altar, only depositing her back on the ground after a long, deep kiss.

Rachel had taken his hand in hers, linking their fingers and squeezed. She’d smiled up at him when he looked down at her and he hadn’t been able to stop himself from kissing her. Her cheeks had been flushed when he pulled back and though he’d wanted nothing more than to pull her into his lap, he’d let her take her seat as the wedding got underway.

When Cash promised to love, honor and cherish Jemma until he took his last breath, to always put her and their children first, to be honest and faithful, to be eternally hers, he’d felt Rachel squeeze his hand again and he’d squeezed back. When Jemma promised to love, honor and cherish Cash until she took her last breath, to always put him and their children first, to be honest and faithful, and be eternally his, Rachel had sniffled and he’d caught her wiping at her cheeks.

It was then, right then, in that moment, that he’d known somebody soon he would convince this girl to exchange vows like that with him. He wanted her tied to him in every way. He wanted to see her in one of those big, fancy white dresses, her hair twisted up and her makeup mussed by tears and his kiss. He wanted to see her belly swollen with his child, something he’d never thought he would want, something he had no idea if she would want, but that he knew they would talk about and decide together.

Because even though she hadn’t said the words yet, the way she’d looked at him when the happy couple was pronounced husband and wife, had told him that she wanted all those things with him too.

“They look good together, huh?”

He glanced up to see Colt smirk at him as he slid the empty chair at Remy’s side around and sank into it backwards. Movement on his other side caught his attention and he snorted as Cash winked and did the exact same thing. Sometimes, the twins were kind of creepy with the way they even moved alike. He smiled at them but his eyes automatically drifted back to the group of women dancing together to some ridiculous song from the eighties about balloons or something.

He realized it was the first time all night he’d seen Jemma or Skylar without their significant other attached to their side so he wasn’t surprised his brothers were crowding him now. They never left the girls for long but from here they could watch just as he was watching Rachel. And the three of them together really were a sight to behold.

The curvy redhead in white, holding her slightly swollen belly but swaying and laughing as she yelled something over the music to her friends. The tall, willowy blonde in a little black dress that left nothing but tan skin and tattoos on display swaying her ass in a provocative way clearly intended to get her in trouble from the way she bit her lip and looked over her shoulder at his brother. And right in the middle of them, the center of attention, as bold and outgoing as he’d ever seen her, his pretty little brunette bopping her head and dancing right along with her best friends as they happily sang loudly to the music.

“Yeah, they do.”

“It’s because they’re ours.” Cash gave a sigh that could be considered nothing but contentment, “I’m glad they’re all friends.”

“Family.” Colt shook his head, “They’re all family, our family.”

Remy swallowed hard, “Yeah.”

“You gonna make an honest woman out of Sky?” Cash grinned at his twin and Colt flipped him off.

“Better question is when she’s gonna make an honest man out of me.”

“Touché.” Cash nudged his shoulder into his older brother, “What about you? How are things going with Rachel?  You two seem…”

“Happy.” He finished with a shrug when his brothers exchanged a look across him, “We’re good, still figuring things out, but we’re happy. She makes me happy.”

“She looks pretty happy from where I’m sitting too, bro.” Colt chucked him in the arm, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her quite like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s not hiding in the corner, pretending she’s invisible. She’s out there, having fun, and Sky didn’t have to drag her out tonight. Being with you, she seems to finally be coming out of her shell so whatever it is you’re doing… keep doing it. Happy looks good on both of you.”

Remy felt the smile curl at his lips as he watched Rachel and Skylar spin around each other. Colt was right. She never would have been on that dance floor two months ago or even two weeks ago. Before they’d gotten together, she’d hidden her light in the shadows, too afraid of being seen by the wrong people. But she didn’t hide with him and that was extending past just the two of them into the rest of her relationships now.

It was beautiful to see. It was even more beautiful to know he had a hand in it. He was helping her see who she really was, who she could be. She was a gorgeous, lively, intelligent and sexy as hell woman and she deserved to be seen. She deserved to shine. And he was only lucky that she’d let him get close enough that her light erased his shadows too.

“I told her I love her tonight.”

“Woah.” Cash grinned.

Colt chuckled, “Good for you. I know you told me that you did but it feels better to tell the woman you love right? Feels better when you hear her say it back.”

“She didn’t say it back.”

He almost laughed at the way both of his brothers’ heads whipped to face him at that. So far, none of them had been able to tear their eyes off their women. Despite their conversation, their attention had remained on the three girls on the dance floor. But now he had their undivided attention.

“Wow, I’m sorry bro. I really thought she…” Cash trailed off, a deep line etching itself between his eyebrows.

“I told her not to say it.” Remy cut him off, hating to worry him on his wedding day, but the line only deepened.

“What? Why?”

“I didn’t want her to say it just because I did. I want her to take her time and say it when she’s ready, when she means it, because when she does, I don’t intend to ever let her take it back.” He cleared his throat when he saw the twins exchange another look, “She’s mine. She knows she’s mine. But there’s something going on with her, something she hasn’t decided to trust me with, and until she does I don’t want to push her.”

Colt frowned now too, “Her brother?”

Remy nodded.

“Any news on that front?” Cash sighed as he glanced around the reception hall, “I know Lincoln wanted to talk to her, talk to you about her, but I haven’t seen him. Did he not show up?”

“No. He text earlier and said something important came up. He’ll be back tomorrow. I told him to come by the trailer and we can talk then.”

“If you want us to be there…” Cash started but Remy held up a hand.

“You just got married. It’s your wedding night. You and Jemma need to be alone and enjoy your honeymoon. Don’t even think about showing up at the trailer tomorrow.” Remy frowned when his brothers started to argue, “That goes for both of you. I got you out. You’re out. Whatever Link thinks is going on with Rachel’s brother… I’ll handle it.”

“I don’t like it.”

“You don’t have to like it but you do have to let me deal with this myself, however I see fit. This isn’t about you. It’s about Rachel and she’s mine so I’ll protect her and if it comes to it, I’ll ask you for help the same way you asked me when Jemma needed it.”

His brothers were silent for a long moment as they all three sat there, watching the girls dance to their silly song. For the first time in a long time, he knew exactly what the twins were thinking. They’d been able to do that when they were kids. Read each other’s minds. Not just Cash and Colt but him too. And right now he knew that they were thinking the same thing he was.

Whatever it took, whatever the problem, they would protect their women.

Jemma turned towards their table and crooked a finger and Cash chuckled. He was on his feet almost instantly. There wasn’t even time for his brothers to make a joke about him being whipped he was gone so fast.

Colt chuckled, “I never thought I’d see him this happy, not after Jemma left town when we were kids.”

“I wish I’d seen them together back then... maybe if I’d been here he wouldn’t have thought he had to drive her away.”

“Nah, you can’t think like that.” Colt shook off the comment easily, “They found their way back to each other. That’s what matters. They were meant to be and they found a way to overcome their bullshit. When it’s real, that’s what you do.”

Remy almost made a smart remark about Colt waxing poetic when just months ago he hadn’t even been able to admit he wanted Skylar let alone that he loved her, but he didn’t. Because Colt was right. They all had their issues, their scars, even the girls, but loving each other and being together made them strong enough to overcome the demons.

Wasn’t that what he’d done with Rachel? He’d revealed all of his secrets to her. He’d told her everything that he’d thought could drive her away. He wanted her to do the same, to tell him whatever it was she was holding back, and let him fight her demons with her. He thought that together they could overcome anything.

“Mind if I sit?” A rough voice spoke and he and Colt both looked up in time to watch Ford drop into the chair Cash had vacated.

“Hey. Thanks for coming.” Colt nodded to him, “It means a lot to Cash to have the family here supporting him.”

“Nice to be invited. Been a long while since we had anything worth celebrating.” Ford fingered his beard and frowned, “None of Abel’s boys made it?”

“Nah, Noah said he was busy and Abel… he said it was too soon. None of them wanted the reminder.”

Ford nodded and the three of them fell silent as they thought about the last time there was supposed to be a wedding in the family. Joel, the second oldest of the Bible Bomar clan, had been engaged a few years ago. He’d been just a few short weeks from walking down the aisle with his high school sweetheart, Nessa. Then he’d had an accident, wrecked his car, and all of those plans had been abandoned for a funeral instead. Remy hadn’t been in Old Settlers at the time but he’d heard the devastating news from Lincoln.

It had been about five years since they put Joel in the ground but the Bible Bomars were still mourning. Abel was as angry as ever, blaming everyone and everything for what had happened to his beloved second in command. Noah had stepped up to take Joel’s place in the family, in the organization, and had been struggling to be his own man ever since. Silas had gone to prison not long after and Levi had been in and out of jail and rehab. Only Daniel, the baby of the family, had seemed to come out of the last five years unscathed but he was still so young, barely seventeen, that everyone was hoping he would escape the Bomar curse and make something of himself.

Five years since Nessa gave birth to Micah. Five years since the next generation of Bomars had been born. Five years without anything good happening to them until Jemma had come running home to Cash. Now they were married and in a few more months, Micah would have a cousin to play with. More Bomars, something that Remy would’ve thought of as a bad thing before he met Nessa and Jemma and Skylar and his Rachel.

Now… now he knew that the next generation of Bomars would be nothing like his or the one before them. Because these women were nothing like the ones that had come before them. They were strong and independent. They were feisty and demanding. They didn’t take shit off anyone and they would raise good boys who would turn into good men.

For the first time in a long time, the Bomars future looked bright.

“Think I’m gonna go dance with my girl before she does something that’ll get her in trouble.” Colt smirked when Skylar shimmied against Bentley, who she’d begun dancing with as a new song blasted over the speakers, “See you guys later.”

Remy nodded and watched his little brother stride confidently to the middle of the floor and jerk the blonde away from their cousin. Skylar immediately molded her back to Colt’s front and did the same shimmy she’d been giving Bentley a moment ago. Their cousin threw his hands up innocently and backed off quickly, clearly knowing what was good for him since Colt was possessive as hell when it came to Skylar.

Ford chuckled, “Maybe the kid does have a brain after all.”

Remy smirked, “Maybe.”

They fell silent again as they watched their friends and family dance and mingle. Rachel had retreated from the dance floor since her friends were now dancing with their men. She was at the bar in the corner, getting a bottle of water, and he kept one eye on her, though he didn’t immediately go to her since he was hoping his usually quiet cousin had approached him in order to say something. He wasn’t disappointed when Ford eventually sighed.

“Link was sorry he couldn’t be here. He knows you want to talk and will be by tomorrow to see ya.”

“Thanks for the heads up.”

“No problem.”

“Any idea what it is he wants with Rachel?”

Ford shrugged.

“Is that a no?”

Ford scratched his beard, “He wants to talk to her about Bug.”

“What about him?”

Ford shrugged again and Remy fought the urge to snipe at him. The whole quiet and mysterious thing worked with the ladies but he knew it wasn’t an act. Ford had always been that way. He knew unless there was something Ford thought he could add to the conversation, he didn’t bother opening his mouth. This time though, he couldn’t be sure if Ford was quiet because he didn’t know what Lincoln was up to or if he was quiet because his twin had told him to stay that way and it bugged the hell out of him that either of his cousins knew something about Rachel and her situation that he didn’t.

“Look, if it’s about what I think it’s about… Rachel doesn’t know anything.”

Ford raised an eyebrow but remained quiet again.

“If she knew anything about what her brother was up to, she would’ve told me by now. She’s been living with me for a week. We’re together. She’s mine.”

“I know but…”

Whatever Ford had been about to say was cut off by a noisy racket near the door. They both turned to see what was going on, as did several of the wedding guests. The first thing he saw was Bentley arguing with someone and he frowned, wondering what the hell the kid was doing, but when the other person shoved the younger man, Remy’s breath caught in his chest.

Decker. Decker was here. His father had somehow found out about the wedding and decided to show up. He’d shown up drunk and belligerent, as per always.

It wasn’t the first time Remy had seen his father since he moved back to Old Settlers. He’d spotted his old man once or twice in town the past few months. Every time, he’d been able to slip away without being noticed, avoiding the confrontation he’d known was inevitable, but he knew that wouldn’t be an option this time.

Decker was here to ruin Cash’s wedding day. It was the only reason for him to show up when he hadn’t been invited. He hated the twins, wanted them dead, blamed them for everything that had ever gone wrong in his life. So he was here to destroy the happiest day of Cash’s life just like he’d tried to destroy the son he swore wasn’t his every day since he was born.

Remy started to stand, to go and help Bentley, to keep the twins from seeing the bastard and letting him harm them in any way, but a heavy hand landed on his arm. Ford shoved him back into his chair and gave one firm shake of his head. He watched his cousin stand and blinked in confusion.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting him out of here.”

“He’s my dad. I’ll deal with him.”

“No. Not this time. You’ve managed to escape him this long. I’ll get him out of here before Cash sees him.”

Remy gaped at his cousin, “You don’t have to do it alone. I can help you. He’ll go if I…”

“No, Remy.” Ford glared down at him, “You can’t take everything in this family on your shoulders. I’ll take care of Uncle Deck. You stay here with your brothers and your girls. This is where you belong.”

That tightness was in his throat again so he couldn’t find the words to thank his cousin. Remy simply nodded and Ford did the same before walking away. He’d forgotten, because Ford usually chose to stay quiet, that when he did speak, his cousin usually said a mouthful.

Ford would get Decker out of here. He’d take him away. He wanted Remy to stay here with his brothers and with his sisters. He wanted him to stay here with Rachel because this was where he belonged.

Not in some dilapidated shack on the edge of town. Not in some fight with his father. Not hiding in the shadows. He belonged here, with his family, in the light. So that’s where he was going to stay even if he knew he would owe Ford a favor for this after.

Rachel turned from the bar and smiled at him so he pushed to his feet again. Staying away from her this long had been an absolute feat in self-control. He moved towards her and didn’t stop until he had her in his arms.

“Dance with me, love.”

She smiled, “I thought you’d never ask.”

Chapter Twelve

It had been the most amazing, utterly perfect, beautiful day. Rachel let Remy lead her onto the dance floor, past their friends and family, to a spot in the corner where they were mostly alone. She let him pull her into his arms, wrapped herself around him and rested her cheek against his chest. She’d never felt more at home than she did here and now in this place and with these people… with Remy.

She’d spent all day with Jemma and Skylar. They’d all taken off work today, closed the salon and spent hours getting ready for the wedding. Skylar had done all their hair while Jemma worked on their makeup and they shared stories and laughter until she’d worried they’d all be late to the wedding.

Then she’d gone home to put on her dress, the dress that Skylar had given her, the one her friend had clearly bought for her. And as soon as she slipped the black velvet and lace dress on, she’d known that she couldn’t reject the gift because it was perfect. It was perfect and it made her feel all of the things she’d never felt before. Beautiful and special and sexy. All of the things that Remy had told her she was, repeatedly, over the last week. So much so that she’d started to believe him and tonight, here, in this beautiful dress and in his arms, she felt more like herself than she ever had.

The woman she’d wanted to be for so long. Not the girl that was scared of everything and everyone. Not the girl that hid from her problems and ran away. She felt like a smart, capable woman for the first time in her life. Like someone worthy of being loved and willing to open herself up and love in return. A woman that knew what she wanted and asked for it, demanded it, and then took it if need be.

She knew what she wanted now. What she’d always wanted. Who she’d always wanted.

Remy.

He was the reason she’d begun to push past her limits. He was the reason she’d started to trust her instincts and was learning to stand on her own two feet. He was the reason she’d opened her eyes enough to realize she had two amazing women that were her friends, who had her back and were there to listen to her and help her through anything. He was the reason that she was learning what it truly meant to be loved and to be a part of a family that would do anything to protect each other.

She loved him.

She’d loved him since that first day on the street when he managed to distract her from her fears. She’d looked up into that handsome face and those dark blue eyes and fallen for him. She’d been falling ever since. Every word, every touch, every single time he told her how special she was, how much he wanted her, how he needed her, she fell even more in love with him.

And he’d told her that he loved her earlier. She’d felt it since the first time he touched her. She could see it in the way he looked at her. It was in every way he made her the center of his universe but tonight he’d given her the words for the very first time and then he’d told her not to say them back until she was ready.

She’d been ready to say them right then. She’d been holding them inside her, afraid of saying them too soon, too fast. She’d still been scared but she wasn’t scared anymore. Saying them wouldn’t be clingy or crazy since Remy had said them first. She would have said them back right then, told him she wanted all of the same things he wanted, forever and a family with him, but she’d known they were running late for the wedding and there hadn’t been time for what she’d known would come next.

When she told him how she felt, they were going to make love. Finally. He’d stopped them from going that far time and again and to be honest, it had been frustrating. Not because he hadn’t made her come, he had. Over and over and over again, he’d touched her and kissed her and done things to her body that she hadn’t even known were possible. But he’d refused to truly take her, claim her, and she thought he was waiting for her to say the words that would bind her to him before he bound her to him in return.

Not just those three little words either, but the truth.

He needed to know the things she was keeping from him. No more secrets. No more lies. No more half-truths. She had to tell him what she’d overheard Craig plotting with his friends. She had to come clean about what she knew, about what her brother had done, and she had to do it soon.

It was the last barrier between them, the thing keeping them from truly being happy and giving them the future Cash and Jemma were living. When they’d exchanged vows and sworn to be honest and true to each other, she’d felt her heart clench painfully in her chest. Because she knew if she wanted a day like this with Remy with the white dress and the happily ever after, that honesty had to come first.

She didn’t think he would throw her out. Hate her. Push her away. But the fear was still there, so much a part of her that she knew it wouldn’t be easy. She had to do it… just not tonight.

She wasn’t going to ruin this day with that drama. It had been too perfect. Too magical. Too everything for it to end badly. She only wanted it to end one way and that was with her in Remy’s bed, in their bed, with their bodies as intertwined as their hearts and souls had become.

“Remy?”

“Hmm?” He stroked a big hand up and down her back before settling it right above her ass again.

“This is nice.”

He tugged her even closer, which she hadn’t thought was possible, “Mmm, it’s a lot better than nice.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I just watched my little brother get married. He’s happy and he’s gonna be so good to Jemma and that baby. I’m here with my family, with you, and that makes me happy. Life’s not just nice… it’s damn near perfect.”

She cuddled her cheek against his chest, “Damn near?”

“Damn near.” He chuckled and she knew it was because she’d cursed.

He’d told her this week that she sounded ridiculous when she cursed. He said she was so sweet and innocent that the words didn’t seem threatening at all. She’d made a point of throwing more of them into their conversations just to hear that laugh of his she loved so much.

“I think I know what would make it perfect.” She bit her lip and then leaned back enough that she could look up into his handsome face.

He was looking down at her and her heart immediately jumped at the heat in his dark eyes. He was so good looking it was a little intimidating. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve someone like Remy looking at her as if he was the lucky one but she hoped he never stopped.

“What’s that, baby?”

“There’s something I want to tell you, something I’ve wanted to tell you for… well, for a long time.” She pushed forward when she saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard, “I’m not saying it because you said it. I’m not saying it because I feel like I owe you for all that you’ve done for me. I’m saying it because it’s true and because I don’t want to go another day or even another hour without you knowing that everything you feel is what I feel and everything you want is what I want.”

Remy’s grip on her tightened momentarily, as if he wanted to hold onto her, “What are you saying, Rachel?”

“I-I-I’m saying…” She took a deep breath, let it out and tried to calm her racing heart because she didn’t want to stutter when she said this, not this, “I love you, Remy Bomar.”

He sucked in a sharp breath and one of his hands moved to her face, cupping her cheek and tilting her head back so she had to look him in the eye, “Say it again. Look me in the eyes and say it again.”

She realized then that she’d been talking to his chest. Because she was shorter than him, sure, but also because it was easier to get it out if she didn’t have to look into those intense blue eyes of his. She met them now and felt herself falling into him all over again but since she’d always trusted him to catch her, she didn’t hesitate to keep right on falling.

“I love you. It scared me at first just how much I wanted you, how I could want you at all after everything… I-I don’t want to be scared anymore. I’m not scared anymore, not so long as I have you. I love you.”

Remy sealed his lips to hers and she kissed him back with all of the love that swelled in her heart. She loved him. He loved her. They were going to be okay. So long as they were together they were going to be okay. She expected him to deepen the kiss so when he kept it sweet and simple and then pulled back to stare down at her she whimpered.

“I love you too, Rach. God, I love you. Say it again.”

“I love you, Remy.” She smiled softly when he closed his eyes, as if he was soaking in the words, “I love you. Take me home. Take me home and make love to me.”

His eyes flipped open and then narrowed on her, “Rachel…”

“Take me home, Remy. I want to go home, to our home, to our bed, with you. I want you to make me yours.”

Those dark eyes searched her face, “You already are.”

“Make love to me.”

“Are you sure?” He cupped her face again, “Be sure, Rachel, because there’s no going back. Once I take you to bed, you’re never leaving it. No matter what else happens, I’m never letting you go.”

She smiled at that because it was those words she hadn’t known she even needed. He wasn’t letting her go. No matter what happened. Did he know how much she needed to hear that? To know that no matter what she told him, what he found out, that when she gave him the secret that would most likely end her brother’s life and mean she had nowhere else to go, that she wouldn’t be alone. She would still be his. They would still be together. Because he loved her and she loved him.

“Never?”

“Never.” He confirmed.

“Take me home, Remy.”

A small smile flickered over his lips, “I thought you’d never ask.”

Rachel giggled slightly as he used her earlier words but the sound faded as he grabbed her hand and all but dragged her off the dance floor. They went past Colt and Skylar who were wrapped around each other, all but making out as their bodies slid against one another in an intimate dance. They went past Cash and Jemma too, the newlyweds dancing slowly, their arms wrapped around each other but with joined hands on the swell of Jemma’s pregnant belly. The happy couples were so deeply lost in each other that they didn’t even notice Remy and Rachel leaving the reception early and neither did anyone else.

Once they were outside, Remy paused and looked around. She didn’t know what he was looking for, or who, but he continued on a moment later without a word. She’d thought maybe he was trying to remember where they’d parked but he headed straight for the car and when they go to it, he pushed her against the door.

His mouth captured hers again and she moaned when his tongue lapped at her and then pushed inside to tease her. It was a little rough and a little desperate and she loved it. This was the kiss she’d been certain she would get inside but he’d saved it for when it was just them. Because he was still protecting her, always protecting her, even when she didn’t realize it.

Remy kissed her long and deep. He kissed her until she was writhing against him, pushing her hips against his to feel his hardness. She needed more and now she knew what that more was. She knew that this man was the only one that could give it to her.

“Please…” She begged when he dragged his lips from hers.

“God you’re so sweet. I can’t get enough of you. I’ll never get enough of you.” Remy was panting, out of breath, but he pulled back from her, “Let’s go home, baby.”

“Home.”

There was that word again. What he’d given her. What he’d become for her. Home.

It didn’t take Remy long to get them home. The man had been raised to be a getaway driver after all and he controlled the Challenger like a professional. Through all of the winding turns and gravel-sliding hills, he never stopped touching her. He kept her fingers intertwined with his on the gearshift and she knew that if this muscle car had been an automatic his hand would have been doing a lot more than just holding hers.

When he parked the car, he took a deep breath then blew it out and stared at her, “If you’re having second thoughts, I need to know now, Rach. Once we get inside, once I take you to bed… I don’t know that I’ll be able to stop myself anymore.”

She smiled in the dim light and then leaned over the console to kiss him. His words were intimidating, or they should have been, but she didn’t believe them for a second. He would stop. If she asked him to, he would. She’d never doubted him and she wouldn’t lose her faith in him now.

He kissed her back softly, “Baby…”

“Hmm?” She licked at his bottom lip.

“Get your cute little ass inside. Now. Before I lose control and take you in the backseat of this car.”

She giggled, “Mmm, the backseat? That could be fun.”

“Not your first time.”

“Maybe the second or third?”

He growled at her teasing, “House. Bed. Now.”

Rachel grinned and opened her door when he pushed her towards it. Almost as soon as her feet touched the ground, she heard him doing the same. Since she’d already taken off the heels Skylar lent her, she darted towards the trailer and felt him chase her. Her heart was racing when he caught her just inside the door, slamming it behind them and then pulling her back, flush to his chest.

“You runnin’ from me, love?”

“Never.”

“Mmm,” Remy licked her ear, “You want me as much as I want you, don’t you?”

“More.”

“Impossible.” He nipped her with his teeth, “This dress is beautiful. Take it off. I don’t want to rip it.”

He released her and she stepped back enough to turn and face him. The dress had a small zipper in the back but in reality, it wasn’t necessary. She supposed a more experienced woman might have played coy and let him unzip her but her hands were already shaking and he was the one that was experienced here so she just did what he said.

Rachel grabbed the material of the skirt and pulled it up. She heard Remy’s sharp intake of breath even though she couldn’t see him as she pulled the dress over her head. She dropped it to the floor and took a deep breath for courage before she looked back up to meet Remy’s gaze.

His eyes were almost black, the pupils pushing the blue out to a thin ring, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, “You weren’t wearing anything under that dress all night?”

Her cheeks flushed with heat and it spread down her neck and over her naked chest, “I-I-I couldn’t… the shoulders were sheer and I didn’t have a strapless b-b-bra so…

Remy took two steps forward and cut her stuttering off with a deeply invasive kiss. She moaned at the possessive kiss and he took advantage, his tongue darting inside to twine with hers. He softened the kiss after only a moment and she thought he was going to pull back so she let out a surprised shriek when he lifted her up instead.

“Legs around my waist.” His voice was rough and she followed the order, wrapping her body around his as one of his big hands went to her bare ass, holding her close, “Hold onto me.”

“Always.” She peppered his jaw with kisses as he carried her towards the bedroom.

The feel of being in his arms, completely naked, while he was still fully dressed, was far more erotic than she’d thought it could be. The cotton of his dress shirt rubbed against her erect nipples. She could feel him through his pants, big and hard, and her body responded in kind, growing wet and achy. It knew the kind of pleasure this man could give her and was ready for more, for everything.

But when he set her gently on the bed and pulled back to look down at her, all of her confidence faltered. He stripped off his shirt and she couldn’t help but gape up at him as he revealed his perfect body. Muscles and ink, that ring of stars tattooed on his side and the other on his shoulder, he was all tan skin with the raised slash of a scar here and there, proof of his hard life imprinted on his hard body. He’d shaved for the wedding so his square jaw was free of its usual dark stubble which only highlighted his soft mouth and high cheekbones even more than usual. He was beautiful, perfect, and she didn’t deserve him.

Remy must have seen her falter because he paused with his pants unbuttoned and reached for her chin, “Rach, baby, you still with me?”

“Yeah, I…” Her voice broke, “I want you. I-I… I’m just scared.”

His hard face softened instantly and the heat in his eyes turned warm and gentle as he knelt in front of her and framed her face, “You don’t have to be scared of me, Rachel. I would never hurt you. Never. You know that, right?”

“Yeah…”

“I know you’re a virgin and I know how big a gift it is that you’re giving me. I know you were saving it, saving yourself, for someone that would love you the way you deserve to be loved. Baby, that’s me. It’s always gonna be me. I may not be innocent, not by a longshot, but I’ve been waiting for you all my life too. If you’re not ready, that’s fine. I’ll keep waiting until you are. I’d wait for you forever.”

Tears clouded her vision and she shook her head, trying to wipe them away, “No. It’s not that. I don’t want to stop.”

“Rach…”

“No.” She reached for him and forced him to meet her gaze this time as she shook her head, “It scares me how much I love you. I’m scared of losing you. I’m scared that if we do this, if we take this last step, you’ll have my body right along with my heart and that if I lose you, I’ll never get either back.”

Remy softly caged her wrists and held her hands to him, “Baby, I love you… but you’re never getting those things back if I have any say in it. They’re mine. You’re mine.”

She bit her lip as his words sank in, “I love you so much.”

“Then let me love you, Rachel. Let me show you how much I love you, show you that there’s nothing that could ever make me stop.”

His words, his sweetness, his love, it completely undid her. She was already naked but now she felt it. Naked and exposed. Every fear on full display. Her fear of being hurt, of being abandoned, of being used and discarded were all right there and all she had to do in order to vanquish them forever, was trust Remy.

The decision was really simple when she thought about it that way, “Make love to me.”

“Always.” Remy kissed her lips softly, “Whenever I touch you, I’m making love to you Rachel. Always.”

“I-I…” Her nerves go the better of her and she sighed, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Your body does. Your heart does. Just feel me.”

Remy kissed her again, soft and sweet. His lips were always so soft, so at odds with all of his hard edges. He kissed her until she was melting against him, until she was wrapping her arms around him and trying to pull him closer. He kissed her until she was the one to nip at him and suck on his bottom lip, all but demanding more.

When he moved, he moved quickly. He had her on her back on the bed, before she even realized he’d budged but all of a sudden there he was. His heavy weight didn’t feel confining holding her down. It felt like the perfect balance she needed so she didn’t float away. It felt safe, warm… perfect.

She tried to wrap her legs around his waist and grind her hips up against him to get the friction her body needed but a big hand on her thigh kept her pinned. She whined and Remy broke their kiss to chuckle. He leaned up enough to look down at her and the tilt to his lips could have verged on smug.

“Damn I love when my shy girl gets demanding.” He tilted his hips down and rubbed his length against her causing her to moan, “Tell me what you want, baby.”

“You. I want you.”

“You already have me.”

“Inside me.” She gasped when he rewarded her for her boldness by sliding a hand down between her legs, “Remy, please…”

“Shh, we’re gonna go slow, love. I don’t want you to feel a second of pain. Not now. Not ever.”

Tears prickled her eyes again but she didn’t have time to get lost in how sweet he was because Remy lowered his head and licked one of her nipples. She arched and cried out so he did it again. And again. And again. He kissed and sucked and licked at her breasts and as he tormented her sensitive flesh, his free hand slid between her legs and slowly began to work her open.

He’d spent the last week learning her body and he was right. He already owned it. It responded to him in ways she hadn’t even known were possible. He touched and she reacted. He pushed and she pushed back. He demanded and she gave because he had never once simply taken from her. Even now, when she knew he was hard and aching, throbbing for his own release, he didn’t rush.

He teased and tortured her. His fingers slid easily through her folds. She was so wet for him, so ready, but he didn’t budge from his mission to drive her crazy. He continued to play with her nipples as he slid two fingers inside her, swiping over her clit and making her arch off the bed.

“Oh, God, Remy.” She cried out as her eyes squeezed shut and her body shuddered, “I’m too close. I’m going to come.”

“No you’re not. Not yet.” His voice was gruff, rough as he released her breasts, “Your orgasms belong to me too. You don’t come until I say you can.”

Her body shuddered at his possessive tone, “I-I… I don’t think it works like that. Oh God, Remy… please.”

“You’re so goddamn tight.” He groaned as he pressed another finger into her.

“Feels… good. Too… good.” She struggled to breathe.

“Gonna feel even better when I get inside you.”

“Yes. Please. Please, Remy. I need you.”

She needed him inside her so badly she couldn’t even retain another thought. She needed Remy to join them, bind them together, once and for all. She needed to feel him inside her and she needed it now.

He pulled back and she whimpered at the empty feeling inside of her when his fingers slipped from her body. A cold chill washed over her and her panic got the better of her. Her nails dug into his biceps and she whimpered, trying to hold him close.

Remy stilled instantly, “Condoms are in the bathroom, love. I gotta go get one.”

“No. Don’t leave me.”

“Rach…”

“No.” She cut him off and met his intense gaze, “I need it to just be you and me. Please, Remy. You know I’m a virgin. I’ve never been with anyone and I’m on birth control.”

“Birth control?” His gaze narrowed, “Why?”

“Because if the worst happened… I-I-I didn’t want a baby to be stuck in the same life I was.”

Remy’s eyes closed, squeezed tight as if her admission was as painful to hear as it was for her to say, “Jesus…”

“The pill… it makes me feel safe. You make me feel safe. I don’t need anything else between us if you don’t. I trust you.”

Remy stared down at her for a long minute where she was almost certain he was going to insist on getting a condom. Then he kissed her, a long, deep, soul-melting kiss that was all the answer she needed. He poured everything into that kiss, all the love he swore he felt for her, and it only made her surer of her decision to trust this man from the very beginning. She kissed him back the same way, loving him with her lips and tongue until their bodies were grinding together, the dance becoming faster and more frantic as they soared closer to the edge.

He took her at her word, that she was ready, that this was what she wanted. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t slow down. He simply aligned their hips and drove into her, as if she’d burned through the last thread of his control. In one hard stroke, he buried himself inside her, sealing her heart and body around him.

“Remy!” She screamed his name and he froze buried deep inside her.

“Shhh, shhh, it’s okay baby.” He whispered softly as he planted sweet kisses across her cheek and jaw, “It’s okay. Give it a second and it’ll get better. I promise.”

She bit her lip and moaned as sensation coursed through her. There was a little bit of pain. She couldn’t say there wasn’t. But it was mostly the pressure, the feeling of fullness, the feeling of rightness that made her breath catch in her throat. She forced a deep breath and then another as Remy soothed her.

“Love you baby. Love you so much. Breathe. Just breathe.”

He kissed her softly and she swallowed past the lump in her throat as the pain began to turn into something itchy and needy. It wasn’t enough. She didn’t know why or how but even with him buried inside her body, it wasn’t enough.

“It doesn’t hurt. It’s… oh God, it’s so good.”

Remy’s lips twitched, “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Move. Please. I need more.”

“God, you’re perfect.” He kissed her lips and then dragged her bottom lip between his teeth, “So fucking perfect. Hold onto me, baby. You’re so tight, so wet, I’m not gonna last long.”

She did as he said and wrapped herself around him. There was still a small, stinging pain as he pulled back and thrust forward slowly this time but she wouldn’t tell him that. He would stop. She knew he would because he’d sworn not to hurt her. And he couldn’t stop because she could feel the pain turning to pleasure, building up inside her as her heart swelled and she fell even more in love with this incredible man.

He buried himself inside her and then pulled back, driving deep in slow, even strokes that hit her in all the right places. Her hips automatically circled, twisting and retreating and meeting him as he moved inside her. Her heart thumped in her chest and she realized, again, how right he was. Her body knew exactly what to do, even if she’d never gone this far before. And it knew because it was answering the call of his. This man that she loved so much it scared her. But there was nothing to be scared of anymore, not with Remy.

“I love you.”

“Love you too, baby.” He shifted slightly, lowering his body so he could nip at her lips and when he slammed inside her again she whimpered because he was grinding her clit at the same time, “Come for me, Rachel. I’ve felt you come on my fingers and my tongue. I need to feel you come on my cock while I’m buried deep inside you. Give it to me.”

“Oh, Remy…” Her body shivered as the impending orgasm barreled down her spine.

“That’s it baby. Come for me.”

“Remy!” She screamed his name when it all became too much.

She shuddered as every muscle in her body roiled with pleasure and her eyes shut again. She wished she could have kept them open. She’d wanted to see Remy’s handsome face when he found his own pleasure inside her body. She was already floating on her high when she felt him slam into her again and hold himself deep inside, when she felt the warm rush of his seed spill into her, and knowing that she would always have this piece of Remy made her orgasm even more powerful.

“Rachel.” He whispered her name as his climax waned and he collapsed against her, “Rachel. Oh, baby. Baby, I love you.”

“Love you too.” She managed through panting breaths.

His heavy body on top of hers was the only thing holding her together right now. She would have soared right off the bed otherwise. She kept her arms and legs wrapped around him when he tried to roll off of her even though her limbs felt weightless and weak.

Remy groaned and pushed up on his elbows when she didn’t let him go, “I’m crushing you.”

“You’re holding me together.” She corrected.

“Did I hurt you?” His dark blue gaze turned wary and concerned as it skittered over her, “I swore I wouldn’t hurt you and I…”

“No. No. It was perfect, Remy. You’re perfect. I love you so much. Thank you.”

He snorted, “Are you thanking me for fucking you, Rach? Really?”

She smacked his chest, “Thank you for loving me.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that either, babe. It’s easy. You make it so damn easy to love you. It’s the one thing in my life that’s never been a fight. From the moment I met you I knew I had to have you.”

“You do. You have me.”

“And I’m never letting you go.” He kissed her nose and then rolled them so she was resting against his chest.

Rachel tightened her hold on him and closed her eyes, praying that was true. Because he was right, things between them had come easily. The easy friendship that sparked from the easy attraction that had so easily turned into this relationship. They’d been playing house for a week because it was so easy to fall into each other, to trust each other and be there for each other. She only prayed that when she told him the truth, when she came clean and things got hard, that all of his sweet words would still stand true.

Chapter Thirteen

“Mmm…”

Remy paused his hands where he’d been stroking over her beautiful body but she didn’t wake. She didn’t move. She made a warm, humming noise that made the ache in his chest even more pronounced. When he’d woken up a half hour ago, he’d been content just to stare at her, amazed that she was here with him. He’d remembered every detail of their night together, of what it sounded like when she told him she loved him, what it had felt like to join their bodies, and of course the more he’d thought about that, the more his hands had seemed to develop a mind of their own.

He had to touch her. He couldn’t seem to stop himself. Hell, from the first day he met her he’d found it impossible not to touch her. He’d tried to go slow, tried not to push her, but the truth was, he’d known she was his and she hadn’t left his thoughts, or his sight, much since.

How many times had he gone over to Skylar’s salon in the last month? How many times had he let Skylar trim his hair when it hadn’t needed trimming? Too many really, because she’d started gigging whenever he walked through the door. But since Skylar liked him she’d let him get away with it, let him make his excuses to spend time with Rachel and so he had.

No matter what else he’d had going on, he’d found ways to see Rachel. Sometimes it was getting to work early so he could walk her in. Sometimes it was convincing Skylar to go to lunch with her boyfriend so he could spend his lunch next door with Rachel. And sometimes he got to walk her home if he managed to cut out of the shop at the same time she was leaving the salon.

But in all of those instances, in all of those days and weeks, this was what he’d known they were moving towards. This. The two of them. Together. Forever. They still had things to talk about, to learn about each other, but this was the start. This was the beginning of the rest of their lives.

They loved each other and this, waking up in bed with her, wrapped around her, was the best morning of his life.

Remy stroked his fingers over the small scar on her shoulder. He’d never noticed it before. Of course, usually when she was topless he was much more focused on her breasts. Now, the sheet was tucked around her but the soft cream of her skin called to him and he couldn’t help but notice the small slash of scar that dotted her otherwise perfect skin. He leaned down, kissing it softly, hating that something had caused her pain.

“Mmm…” Rachel moaned again and shifted, curling against him, “Remy?”

“Mmhmm.” He kissed her shoulder again.

“I was hoping last night wasn’t a dream.”

“Not a dream. I’m here, baby.”

Her eyes fluttered open, soft and sleepy, “Morning.”

“Good morning, you mean.” He smirked when she raised an eyebrow. “With you here, there’s definitely such a thing as a good morning.”

Rachel giggled, “Such a sweet talker.”

“Only with you.” He leaned down to kiss her but she turned her face away.

“Morning breath. Let me go brush my teeth.”

He chuckled this time and tipped her chin back towards him, “Kiss me, Rach.”

She pursed her lips but leaned up and kissed him. A perfunctory brush of her lips over his. Pressure and nothing more. And he laughed when she tried to pull away. He caught her and tugged her back, kissing her soundly, kissing her until she gave up her discomfort and kissed him back.

“Mmm, that’s better.” He winked as she shoved at his chest. “You always taste good, babe.”

“I need to brush my teeth.”

“In a minute, hold on.” He traced a finger over the scar again and frowned, “How did this happen?”

“What? Oh…” Rachel reached up to touch the scar, as if she’d forgotten it was even there, “It’s nothing. Just an old scar from when I was a kid.”

“Rach.” He didn’t like the tone of her voice, “Tell me.”

“When I was about…” She paused and bit her lip, staring at the ceiling as if thinking really hard, “Seven, I guess? There were these kids in my class that started picking on me. They would make fun of my clothes, the fact that I lived in the trailer park, that Mom worked at the diner and Dad was… well, a criminal.”

“They hurt you?”

“Yeah they… at recess one day I was playing on the merry-go-round and this older girl named Stella, she wanted her friends to ride. She pushed me off and I fell into the edge of the slide. It cut me pretty bad and I had to go to the hospital for stitches.”

“Damn.” Remy rubbed his finger over the scar, “I kinda want to beat up a seven year old girl.”

“No need.” Rachel laughed and then her mood sobered, “Craig took care of it.”

“Your brother?” He asked, surprised she’d spoke his name so easily, almost warmly.

“Yeah.” She frowned now, “He was smoking with some of his friends in the parking lot that day. He was a senior then and he… well he saw the whole thing and he came rushing over. He got right in the faces of those kids and he told them if they ever laid another hand on me that they’d answer to him.” She snorted, “Those girls never even looked at me the wrong way again.”

“He saved you.”

“Yeah, I guess he kind of did.” Rachel was chewing her bottom lip again, her face serious, “That’s the thing about him. I never knew what I would get growing up. He was either the good big brother that saved me from evil threats or he was the evil threat. There was no middle ground.” She released her lip and her voice was soft when she sighed, “I guess there’s still not.”

“Rach…” He didn’t like the way pain had colored her pretty face but she shook him off.

“I’m going to brush my teeth.” She rolled over and pushed up out of the bed, wincing slightly.

His worry about her sudden serious mood turned to the physical, “You okay?”

“Just a little sore.” She shot him a small smile over her shoulder as her cheeks flushed pink and that look, combined with knowing he was responsible for both her ache and that blush, warmed him inside out.

“Brush your teeth and then run a warm bath. It’ll help with the soreness.” He followed her up out of the bed and groaned when she bent over to pick up a shirt, her round, perfect, naked ass right in front of him. He grabbed her hips and pulled her back, flush against him, “Jesus, Rach, don’t bend over naked in front of me right now.”

“Mmm,” She moaned and rubbed against him, “Remy…”

“No.” He released her quickly, before his body could talk his head out of what it already knew was the responsible decision, “You’re already sore. You don’t need me bending you over and pounding into you. Not right now.”

Rachel bit her lip and looked up at him shyly through her lashes, that flush stretching down her neck and over her chest now, “But… later?”

“Damn right, later.” Heat coursed through him and he growled, as he pushed her towards the door, “Take your bath. I’ll figure out something for breakfast.”

“Don’t burn the trailer down. I’ll make something when I get done in the…”

Rachel’s teasing tone was cut off by the sound of something loud banging against the side of the trailer. She jumped nearly a foot in the air and clutched the shirt she’d grabbed to her chest. She started to shrink before his very eyes, all of the confidence and strength he’d begun to see in her disappearing as fear washed over her beautiful features. He grabbed her, pulling her to him, and felt her shaking.

“Rach…” He started but the pounding came again.

It wasn’t something hitting the side of the old metal trailer. It was someone. Someone was banging on the door, or if not the door, just the wall in general. He strangled a curse as he held Rachel, hating whoever had interrupted their perfect morning, hating that something so small could still scare her so badly. He wanted her to understand that she was safe here, with him, always.

“It’s okay. It’s probably just one of my…”

It was his words that trailed off this time because the pounding became incessant and a voice accompanied the banging. A voice he knew. A voice he’d hated and feared in equal measure for a lot of his life. A voice he had prayed he would never hear here, not in this place, the place he’d decided to call home, that he wanted to build a home with Rachel.

“Remington! Remington! Remington you goddamned, son-of-a-bitch, piece-of-shit!  You get your ass out here right now, boy! You hear me!”

His blood ran cold at the sound of his father’s voice. Decker was here. Beating on the trailer and screaming his name, calling him every curse in the book and slurring while he did it. It was barely nine o’clock in the morning and the bastard was drunk and spewing vile hatred out of his mouth.

He was here to fight, finally. The reprieve was over. He’d figured out Remy was home, figured out he was living less than a mile away, on Bomar land no less, and he’d come to confront him. He’d known it would happen eventually but the fact that his father was here, now, when he had Rachel with him and was scaring her, that was what flipped the switch and turned the fear into anger.

His entire body heated with it and he carefully guided a shaking Rachel into the bathroom, “Stay in here. Don’t come out until I tell you he’s gone.”

“But, Remy…” She tried to hold onto his hand.

“No. He’s my father. I have to deal with him. You don’t.”

“But…”

“Rach, I gotta go before he starts breaking things.”

The sweet, open, confident woman that had woken up in his arms looked up at him with fear and worry in her beautiful eyes now. Her dark brows furrowed and her lips thinned. He knew she wanted to say something but she only swallowed hard and then nodded slightly.

“Okay.”

“I don’t want him anywhere near you. He’s dangerous and it sounds like he’s already drunk, or still drunk. Whatever the case may be, I don’t trust him with you so stay here, run your bath and I’ll be back as soon as I get rid of him.”

Rachel nodded and then leaned up and brushed a kiss over his lips, “Be careful.”

“He can’t hurt me.”

Her eyes softened, “Yes, he can.”

Since her words of understanding made his chest feel heavy, he only clenched his jaw and then pushed her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. She understood him so well. Decker couldn’t hurt him, not physically, but he could and would still hurt him given half a chance. He would throw every vile, angry thing he could at him and it would still hurt even though he should know better by now

Decker had been a terrible father, but the bastard was still his dad.

Remy went back to his bedroom and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as quickly as he could. The pounding was still coming, though it was getting weaker. The drunk bastard was losing steam. That was a good thing. He wondered momentarily if he could just wait it out, if Decker wouldn’t wander off and pass out somewhere, forget he’d ever been here. Then he remembered that he wasn’t a kid anymore, that he was a grown man and he’d sworn he was done running, done hiding, from his problems.

Even if he didn’t want to do this, he could and he would. For Rachel. Because if he didn’t face Decker down now, that bastard might show up again later. He might show up when there was no one here or when Rachel was alone. And he didn’t want his father anywhere near the woman he loved.

He shot the bathroom door one last look and as he walked past it he heard Rachel on the other side. She wasn’t running a bath like he’d told her. She was pacing. He wanted to break down the door and pull her into his arms. Instead, he paused long enough to put a hand on the rough surface.

“I love you, Rachel.”

A sharp intake of breath, “I love you too.”

“Stay in there and turn on the water. I don’t want you to hear this.”

He turned before he could hear her answer and headed for the door. After another deep breath for courage, he pushed it open. Decker had been standing near enough to it that he stumbled back, out of the way, and nearly landed on his ass. His arms spun in comically wide circles, trying to regain his balance, but Remy didn’t laugh as he stepped down out of the trailer so that he was on solid ground to face off with his father.

Decker looked almost exactly like he remembered. Big and muscular, a mountain of a man. Despite the alcoholism and the fighting, years of abusing himself and others, he’d somehow managed to age well. If it wasn’t for the gray that had begun to pepper his dark hair around the temples and the extra pounds that turned his chest and stomach into a barrel, it would have been like looking in a mirror.

All this time, all the years away, Remy had somehow managed to convince himself that everyone was wrong. That he didn’t look as much like this violent bastard as they said. But here and now, face to face with him, it was impossible to deny that he hadn’t inherited every bit of his DNA from this man.

Same dark hair. Same dark blue eyes. Same dimpled chin and square jawline. He had the same broad shoulders and muscular build. He was a Bomar through and through, every muscle and bone.

He swallowed hard when the older man narrowed his eyes at him, “What are you doing here, Decker?”

“Oh, look at that. The little prince remembers me after all. What’s with that Decker shit? You call me Dad and you tell me right fuckin’ now what the hell you’re doin here.”

“I live here.”

“Bullshit.”

“I do. I live here. This is my home and I don’t appreciate you just showing up here.”

Those dark eyes narrowed and Decker swayed slightly as he glanced around, “You livin’ on my land and you didn’t feel the need to maybe ask me if that was okay?”

“It’s not your land. This parcel is Uncle Duke’s and since he’s still behind bars, Abel gave me the okay.”

“Abel gave you the okay.” There was a sneer when Decker spoke his nephew’s name and Remy wondered momentarily what his cousin had done to earn the ire, “I take it everybody knew you’s back but me, huh?”

Remy shrugged.

“You come home after being gone eight… nine years and you cain’t be bothered to let me know?”

He kept phrasing his words as questions but his slur was becoming more pronounced and so was the anger in his voice. He wasn’t really asking because his feelings were hurt that his son had come home and he hadn’t been told. He didn’t even know how long Remy had been gone. He was only upset that the rest of the family had known something he didn’t. That’s what this was about.

“You too good for your Dad now? That what this is?” Decker stumbled slightly, moving forward, most likely to shove him but Remy stepped out of the way and Decker nearly fell when he spun on him, “You’re too good to come see your mama too huh?”

His throat felt tight at the mere mention of his mother but he shook it off, “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“You’re a piece of shit just like those bastard twins. You been with those little shits haven’t you? They know you’re here? Been sucking up to ya, turning ya against your own family? Those bastards don’t know a thing about family!”

A flash of red hot anger made Remy’s fists curl, “If you mean my brothers, yes they know I’m here. I came home for them, not you.”

“Those two pussies ain’t your brothers and you damn well know it.”

“What I know is that if you ever say anything like that to me ever again, I’ll lay you out old man.” Remy growled, “Cash and Colt are my brothers. They’re my family. My only family. So no, I didn’t call you when I came home because I didn’t want to see you. I don’t want anything to do with you so you can leave. Now.”

If he expected Decker to throw a punch, he would’ve been disappointed. His father didn’t clench his fists and come at him. He didn’t wave a white flag and back away either. He only narrowed his eyes, looking Remy over from top to bottom, and then he burst out laughing.

It was a deep laugh, raw and mean and everything about this man that he hated, “See there, you got a backbone. More than them two pussies got for all that they may be Bomars or not. They ain’t mine but you sure are.”

“I said, don’t talk about my brothers. You don’t have any right. The twins are good men despite the hell you rained down on them so you can stay away from them and stay away from me or I’ll return the lesson you taught us all that you don’t pick on people bigger than you.”

“Is that a threat?” Decker’s laughter faded and he bowed up, “You ain’t gonna talk to me like that, Remington. I’m still your father.”

“You’re not anything to me. Not anymore.”

“Your mama would…”

“Don’t talk to me about her!” He screamed and then fought to get his breathing under control and lower his voice, “She’s a worthless druggie.  You broke her the day she had the twins and you ruined all of our lives because of it. Everything that’s happened since, every hurtful word and bad decision, that’s on you. You can talk about family all you want but you don’t know a damn thing about family!”

Something he said must have hit below the fog of the alcohol because pure rage covered Decker’s face and his fists clenched. Remy knew what was coming before it happened. He knew that the fight he’d expected for years was finally here and he welcomed it with open arms.

He needed it. Needed to finally work through his anger and his despair and his hatred in the only way his family had taught him how. With his fists.

So when Decker rushed him, he let his father get in one solid punch. He took it on the chin and felt it reverberate through every bone in his body. Damn, the old man still had hands of steel. His eyesight went foggy for a second, just long enough for Decker to knock him off his feet. All of his breath whooshed out of him when they hit the ground and a cloud of dust haloed around them.

His training kicked in and his arms came up, covering his face to fend off the brutal fists being thrown at him. He’d underestimated the bastard. Even drunk and disoriented, the anger was always sitting right there at the surface with Decker and he’d unleashed it without so much as a second thought on the one son he actually claimed to have loved.

As he lay there in the dirt, battling his own father, Remy’s anger peaked higher than it ever had before. Not for himself. Not because his father was trying to beat the hell out of him. Not because any and all hopes he’d had of avoiding this were gone. Not because he was, in essence, breaking every tie with his parents by doing this. But for the twins.

They’d been on the receiving end of this all their lives. They’d had to deal with this when they were far too young and far too small to defend themselves. They’d been children. They had been fragile, breakable children when Decker had hit them, abused them, burned them with cigarettes and tried to not just break them but destroy them.

And Remy had left them behind. He’d run away. He hadn’t protected them. He had failed them. But he wouldn’t fail them again. He wouldn’t fail Rachel. He wouldn’t fail himself. Because he might be a Bomar but he wasn’t tied to their curse. Not anymore. He could be a good man. Just like Cash and just like Colt. He could protect his family. He would. Always.

He stopped simply defending against the blows and took control with one twist of his body. He flipped Decker off of him and pinned him before he could jump back up. He used his height and weight to keep the other man underneath him when he bucked and then threw his own first punch.

The sound of bone crunching against his knuckles was music to his ears. Decker cursed and bucked harder, throwing elbows and knees. Remy got into a rhythm and the rest of the world faded away. Punch, block, block, punch. The bastard got a few lucky throws in, nearly dislodged him once, but the awful hate pouring from his mouth never stopped.

He cursed and spit blood and cursed some more. He called Remy names. He disowned him. And Remy wanted to scream that he’d disowned himself ten years ago but he didn’t. He couldn’t. He was too caught up in destroying this man that had tried so hard to destroy everyone Remy loved.

He was so deep in the darkness, in the pain and anger and hate, that he didn’t realize he wasn’t alone until big arms were wrapping around his chest and hauling him up to his feet. He fought the tight hold. Her jerked and spun, trying to get away. He threw an elbow and heard a curse, his name breaking through the fog of the adrenaline that had come with the fight.

“Cool it, Remington. Cool off.”

His throat felt bruised right along with the rest of him, “Link?”

“Stop fighting. He’s done. Stop fighting or you’ll kill him.”

Remy let his cousin pull him away as his vision began to clear. He sucked in great, heaving gulps of air and slowly, reality seeped back in. His eyes immediately went to the bloody figure on the ground and his stomach turned.

Decker’s face was a bruised and broken mess. He wasn’t unconscious but he was mumbling and smacking at Bentley’s hands as his nephew tried to help him up. Remy pushed out of Lincoln’s hold and stepped further away, taking huge breaths and trying to regain his sanity.

He’d lost it for just a minute there. Totally and completely lost control. He hadn’t done that since his first years in the Army. Back then, he’d had no way of controlling his temper. He’d reacted to every threat, every harsh word, with his fists. But he wasn’t that same scared and angry kid and the fact that he’d let Decker reduce him back to that embarrassed him.

Lincoln and Bentley were here. They had seen it. He glanced at the slick muscle car sitting next to his own and wondered how he’d missed the sound of that engine driving up. He’d been lost in the bloodlust and he hadn’t heard them arrive, had no idea how long they’d been there or how much they’d seen.

He watched as Bentley tried to help a woozy Decker to his feet. The Bomar known most for his always present smile certainly wasn’t grinning now. He frowned when Decker smacked his hands away and then cursed at him when he started wandering off, throwing his hands in the air and looking at his older brother.

“Go after him, Bent. Make sure he gets home.” Lincoln ordered.

“I got him home last night.”

“Yeah, well get him home again and this time, make sure his drunk ass stays there.”

Bentley cursed but hurried off after his uncle. Decker was at least heading in the direction of his house. That was something, Remy supposed. Somebody should probably have dragged him back, put him in a car and drove him over there since he was bleeding and it was a good mile over rough terrain. Since nobody bothered, he figured cutting across the fields would shorten the trip enough and his cousins thought Decker should walk it off.

Lincoln cleared his throat when the two figures disappeared over a hill and Remy turned back to face him. It didn’t occur to him until right then to question what his cousins were doing here in the first place. He hadn’t seen Lincoln since that night at the barn and even before that, their relationship had been strained because of what he’d done to Colt.

Remy wiped at his lip, realized it was split when it came back with blood and wiped that on his already stained shirt, “What are you doin’ here Link?”

“We’ve got business remember?” He raised his eyebrows, “The girl?”

“Oh, yeah…” Remy frowned as he shot the trailer a quick look, thankful Rachel had obeyed his order to stay inside and not come out to see him falling apart, “I need to talk to you about that.”

“Did she tell you what she knows?”

Remy shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He felt a little woozy himself and wondered if he might not have a concussion. Decker still threw one hell of a punch. That must be why he was confused, why Lincoln’s words didn’t make any sense.

“What she knows?”

“About her brother. Did she tell you what she knows about Bug? About what he did to Colt?”

The confusion he’d been feeling turned into a sinking sense of dread as Lincoln’s words sank in. He felt nauseous and this time he couldn’t be sure if it was from the fight, the blood or the confrontation he didn’t want to have. He’d expected it, known this was coming, but after everything else that had happened, he’d somehow forgot.

Lincoln was home from wherever he’d been. He’d come here to talk to Rachel. He thought she knew something about their traitor, about the threat to the Bomar family, and about what had happened to Colt.

For days Remy had told himself that he was jumping to conclusions, always thinking the worst. He’d pushed those thoughts away. He’d buried them down. He’d focused on how good it felt to be with Rachel, how good they were together. He’d ignored his gut instinct that she was hiding something important from him because he was in love with her.

He’d woken up with the girl of his dreams and thought they would spend a perfect day together. Decker had ruined that but he’d thought it couldn’t get worse. What he’d forgotten, for just a minute there, was that he was a Bomar… and things could always get worse.

Chapter Fourteen

“She doesn’t know anything.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I love her and she loves me and if she knew anything that would hurt me, hurt my family, she would’ve told me by now.”

“I know you think that but you can’t be sure. I need to talk to her.”

Rachel cringed back from the door and wished there was another way out, any way out of this that didn’t end with Remy hating her. But there wasn’t. She’d known that she needed to tell him the truth, tell him what she’d overheard, what she knew about her brother and the trouble he was causing for Remy’s family, but she’d been scared.

She’d been scared and she’d frozen, just like she always did. She’d chosen to hide here, with him, instead of fighting. Instead of telling the truth. She hadn’t come clean and now it was too late.

Lincoln had figured it out. He’d put it together. And now he would tell Remy that she was a liar, that she was related to their traitor, that she’d been keeping what she knew from him.

Lincoln wanted to talk to her and she thought, somewhere in the back of her mind, that should scare her. The eldest of the Bomar boys, their leader, wanted to talk to her about her brother. He wanted to know what she knew. The fear should have swallowed her whole. It should’ve made her knees shake and her palms sweaty but that wasn’t the reason she wanted to shrink into the floor.

It was the way Remy had stood up for her when she didn’t deserve it. He loved her. She loved him. And he believed that meant she’d been honest with him. The fact that she hadn’t been was going to hurt Remy and that was the thing that made her cringe backwards when the door flew open, banging against the side of the trailer as a big shadow loomed in front of her.

She bit her lip and swallowed a whimper when Remy came barreling back into the trailer. She should have stayed hidden in the bathroom like he told her to but she hadn’t. She’d quickly brushed her teeth and found a change of clothes and then she’d tried to eavesdrop on what was happening outside.

She’d heard him arguing with his father. She’d been incredibly proud of him for standing up for himself and for his brothers, but then she’d heard the fight start. She’d been trying to decide if she should go out and stop it or run back to the bathroom when she realized Lincoln was there.

Despite hearing the fight, she hadn’t expected Remy to look quite so bad. His clothes were dirty and bloody. The collar of his shirt was torn. There was a bruise already forming on his chin and another near his temple. His hands were clenched at his sides, scraped raw and bleeding as well. His lip was busted and he dabbed at it with his tongue even as he eyed her with a dark, worried gaze.

“You okay?”

She snorted, “I’m not the one that just got into a fistfight with my father. I’m fine. Remy…”

“I’m fine.” His eyes narrowed as he looked her over again, clearly taking in her dry hair and the change of clothes she’d put on, “You were supposed to stay in the bathroom.”

“I was worried about you.”

“Why?”

She flinched back at the question, “Because I love you.”

He sighed and wiped at his lip, “No, I… never mind. I wouldn’t have stayed hidden if you were in trouble either. Look, Rach, I don’t know how much you heard but uh… Lincoln’s here and he…”

“Wants to ask you a couple of questions.”

Her gaze darted over Remy’s shoulder and she watched as Lincoln Bomar stepped up into the trailer. His mere presence in the space made it feel suddenly small and claustrophobic. It wasn’t that he was a huge man, he wasn’t. He was about the same size as Remy actually. Tall and broad and muscular, but not a giant or a bodybuilder. Yet there was something about him, the way he held himself, the aura of power and confidence that surrounded him, something that made him seem bigger than he actually was.

He wasn’t smiling this time. Wasn’t smirking.  He looked as serious as she’d ever seen him. His ridiculously handsome face was pulled into a tight mask, his lips thin and his eyes narrowed. Those beautiful blue-green eyes looked different today and it took her a moment of staring at him to realize it was because there were dark circles beneath them. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. There was stubble on his jaw where usually there was none and his clothes, which were always perfectly put together, were wrinkled.

She swallowed down the urge to ask him if he was okay. She had no idea where it came from. Her worry about Remy must have simply transferred itself to the other man because despite her bruised and bleeding boyfriend, something about seeing the always proud and put together Lincoln disheveled worried her.

“He just wants to talk to you.”

Rachel pulled her eyes back to Remy when he spoke and her stomach tightened painfully. Lincoln didn’t just want to talk to her. He wanted to accuse her of things. He wanted to interrogate her. And God only knew what he’d do to her when he figured out that his suspicions were right.

“Rach.” Remy cupped her cheek and forced her to look at him, “Nobody’s gonna hurt you. I promise. He just wants to talk. There’s no reason to be scared of him.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re shaking, baby.” Remy stroked her cheek and she closed her eyes and tried to stop shivering. “It’s okay. I’m not gonna let him hurt you. I’m not going anywhere.”

She wished that were true but she didn’t know if it was. She thought there was a very good chance that Remy would leave her if she answered Lincoln’s questions. He would leave her and it would be her own fault because she should have told him the truth from the start.

“I-I-I’m s-s-sorry.” Her words stuttered out and she felt hot tears well in her eyes.

“Oh, baby.” Remy was right there, pulling her into his arms, “No. No apologizing. No stuttering. There’s nothing to be afraid of here. I promise.”

She clung to him for only a moment. She let herself enjoy the feel of him, memorized it. She imprinted every single thing she could about the man she loved into her brain so that she would never forget. The way he smelled, the way he felt, the way he touched her. Since she might never feel him hold her again she breathed him in and then she let him go like she knew she had to.

No more fear. No more hiding. No more lying.

“O-o-kay.” She breathed out shakily and looked past Remy to Lincoln, who had shut the door behind him and was leaning against the kitchen counter now, “I-I-I’ll answer y-your q-questions.”

Remy moved to her side and put a possessive arm around her, “You’re scaring the hell out of her, Link.”

“I’m just standing here.”

“You’re glaring at her.”

“Seems to me someone with nothing to hide wouldn’t have a reason to be scared.”

“Bullshit.” Remy growled, “You’re a scary mother-fucker on your best day so stop trying to intimidate her before I take your head off.”

“You choosing her over the family?”

For once, Remy didn’t seem to have an answer to that and Rachel sank down onto the couch behind her, out of his grip. No. He couldn’t choose her over his family. He wouldn’t. But by answering Lincoln’s questions, it meant she was choosing him over hers. Craig was all she had left. Telling Lincoln what she knew would most likely get her brother killed.

“I’m not choosing between her and my brothers because I don’t have to. She’s mine. She’s with me. She hasn’t done anything wrong. Just because she’s related to that piece of shit traitor brother of hers doesn’t mean she’s done anything wrong.”

Her head jerked up at the sound of Remy saying that word. Traitor. The tears that had begun to cloud her vision made it difficult to see him but not impossible. She saw his handsome face twist with something she couldn’t name, had never seen before, and she watched him sink down to his knees in front of her.

“Wh-wh-what?”

Remy brushed her hair back gently, “Your brother is the traitor that Lincoln and the boys have been looking for. That’s what he’s here to tell us. Isn’t it Link?”

“Uh, well, yeah.” Lincoln frowned, “You already knew?”

“Wasn’t too hard to figure out once I started thinking about it. Guy is a huge dick. Talks shit about you, about all the Bomars. And you were way too interested in Rachel for it to just be about fucking with me. I’m not an idiot.”

Rachel listened to Remy explain how he’d already figured out that Craig was a traitor and struggled to breathe. He knew. From the sound of it, he’d known for a while. But… that couldn’t be right. Could it? She’d spent all this time wondering and worrying that if he found out she was related to the person that hurt his family that he would throw her out, hate her… stop loving her.

“Y-y-you knew?”

Remy’s dark gaze came back to hers and his brows furrowed, “Wait… you knew?”

She bit her lip as disbelief and then a thin veil of anger colored his face. Two words. Two words and she’d just outed herself. She told herself that she’d intended to come clean anyway but from the way Remy pulled his hands from hers, she wasn’t sure she ever could have prepared herself for the giant, gaping hole that opened up in her chest when he let her go.

She nodded slightly.

“Told you she was lying.” Lincoln snorted and Remy whirled on him so fast he was a blur.

In one blink of her eyes, he was up and across the room. He grabbed Lincoln by the front of his shirt and pressed him back against the wall. She could see nothing but his back but she assumed his eyes were blazing with furious heat. When he spoke, the words were quiet and angry.

“Shut the fuck up. Right now. You don’t know anything about her.”

“I know she’s had the chance to tell us about Bug for months and hasn’t.” Lincoln shoved Remy hard but he didn’t budge, “Get the hell off me, Remington.”

“She’s scared of him, you asshole. Do you understand that? Whatever she did or didn’t say, it’s because she was scared.”

She was scared. So scared. But more than being scared of Craig, she was scared of losing Remy.

“Remy…” She tried, softly, to get his attention but he didn’t acknowledge her.

“She’s mine, Lincoln. Mine. You lay a fucking hand on her and I swear to God I’ll put you in the ground. You do whatever you have to with that piece of shit traitor but you don’t touch her and you don’t threaten her. She’s mine and I swore to protect her, even from you.”

“Get. Off. Me. Remington.” Lincoln growled so low it was barely audible but the sheer force of the words was deadly and the clear threat in them, the threat against Remy, against the man she loved, broke through the barriers that were keeping her quiet.

“I heard him that night. I-I-In the trailer, i-it’s hard to keep a s-secret in the trailer.” She spoke up and slowly, she watched as Remy’s grip on Lincoln loosened and he turned back to face her. “He was meeting with s-some guys I’d never heard before. I-I... I didn’t realize what they were s-saying a-at first.”

Both men were looking at her now but she couldn’t stand to meet Remy’s eyes and watch all the love go out of them. She stared at the floor right in front of her instead. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them the same way she had when she’d first heard Craig with his friends. She curled into a ball, trying to shield herself from this, even as she let what she knew spill out.

“T-the guys were a gang. I-I think they were Hispanic, maybe. S-some of them spoke s-spanish b-but not all of them so… They were talking about hurting you, all of you, the B-B-Bomars.”

Once she got that far, something happened. There was no explaining it. Maybe it was simply knowing that it was over. That everything she’d tried to hold onto and put together had already fallen apart. There was nothing else to be scared of because she was already going to lose Remy over this. But the rest of the words came out easily, no stuttering, not even when the tears began to stream down her face.

She told them what the group of men in the trailer that night talked about. Stealing shipments, jobs and recruits from the Bomars. Rigging fights. Working their way deep so they could hit them where it hurt. But she also told them what she hadn’t heard. She hadn’t heard Craig say a word about busting up Skylar’s salon or Colt’s tattoo studio. She hadn’t heard him bragging or laughing about leaving Colt for dead. She hadn’t heard anything about Craig hurting Colt that night.

She managed to raise her eyes with the only shred of hope she had left, “He didn’t hurt Colt, right?”

Remy winced and turned his back on her. She swiped ineffectually at her cheeks as another stream of tears poured out of her. He couldn’t even look at her. He wouldn’t look at her and it hurt. It felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

“Actually…” Lincoln sneered, “I spoke to Colt this morning and he remembered something. One of the guys that attacked him was wearing a mask, probably because he was afraid Colt would recognize him.”

“But that doesn’t mean…”

“The other men called that guy Bug.”

“Oh God…” She felt physically ill and had to swallow back bile, “Oh God…”

“Colt didn’t remember the name, couldn’t remember because they beat him in the head with a baseball bat, but he’s pretty sure now that it was Bug. After we put it together he said the eyes were familiar, that he’d known they looked familiar but not how. It’s because they look like yours.”

Remy blew out a rough breath and Rachel struggled through a sob, “I didn’t know. Oh God, I didn’t know. I thought he was… I didn’t know he’d hurt Colt. If I had… I would have… you… you have to believe me.”

Lincoln shook his head, “Why should I believe you about anything when you didn’t come to us and tell us what you knew in the first place?”

“I w-was s-scared.”

“Of us? Of me? Come on, Rachel. You know how this stuff works. We protect our own and if you’re not with us, you’re against us. You chose your side and…”

“Stop.” Remy spoke up suddenly, his voice rough and guttural. “Stop it Lincoln.”

“Remington, you were wrong. She’s not…”

“I said stop it.” Remy turned on his cousin, “I don’t care if you believe her or not. I don’t care what you think of her. It doesn’t change anything. You’re not gonna touch her. You’re not gonna hurt her and you’re not gonna threaten her anymore.”

“You can’t honestly believe that she…”

“I do.” Remy turned back to face her and her breath caught in her chest, “I believe her.”

“You’re stupid if you…

“Shut up, Lincoln! Just shut the fuck up for once in your goddamned life!” Remy growled at his cousin, “I believe her. She didn’t know her brother… half-brother… was responsible for hurting Colt. There’s no way. She loves Skylar. They’re best friends. If she’d known, she would have said something. Right?”

Rachel nodded weakly.

She couldn’t believe it. Well, she could actually, she just hadn’t wanted to believe it. She’d known that Craig was capable of hurting people. He’d hurt her, more than once. She’d heard him talk about hurting others. But the thought of him hurting Colt like that, someone she liked, someone she cared about, she hadn’t wanted to think that was possible.

Because he was her brother and she’d known that if he hurt Colt she couldn’t stand by him. She couldn’t protect him. He would have whatever Lincoln wanted to do to him coming. He was a dead man walking and she seemed to be the only one just now realizing that.

“She knew he was plotting to hurt us and she didn’t say anything.” Lincoln countered.

“Because she’s fucking scared!” Remy yelled, “She’s scared of him. He hurt her. He threatened her. Damnit, Ford said he told you what happened at the salon that day! You know he’s been asking about her, trying to find a way to get to her and that’s while she’s been here with me. What the fuck do you think he’d have done to her if she was on her own?”

Remy was… defending her? Rachel wiped at her face again. She couldn’t quite keep up as the two men yelled at each other, fists clenched, blood on both their shirts already from the earlier fight. The two of them, chin to chin, felt like a powder keg about to explode.

“Yeah, she came to you, didn’t she?” Lincoln snarled, “She knew she was in trouble and she came to you to protect her. She’s playing you, Remington.”

“No. No.” She shook her head. “It’s not like that.”

“It’s always like that.”

“Damn it, Lincoln. Stop.” Remy looked like he wanted to pull his own hair out, “Stop.”

“Why? Because you don’t want to hear the truth? You’d rather live in your fantasy world where she actually cares about you? Where you’re not a pawn she’s using just to protect…”

That was as far as Lincoln got. Before he could finish his sentence, Remy exploded. Rachel screamed as she saw it happen but she couldn’t do anything to stop it. Remy’s fist connected with Lincoln’s jaw and the sound was like a bullet going off. Lincoln made a noise, a half-surprised half-outraged growl that was muffled when his head snapped back.

He came back upright quickly, fists clenched and Rachel moved before she could convince herself it was a bad idea. She took five quick steps across the living room and squeezed herself between the two big men. She put her hands up to warn Lincoln back but Remy gave a growl and grabbed her instantly.

“Rachel, no!” He jerked her aside, putting her behind him without even looking at her. “Don’t touch her Lincoln!”

“I wasn’t going to.” Lincoln held his hands up and took a step back. “Jesus, Remy, I know I ain’t the nicest of us but I’m not gonna hit a girl.” He sniffed when Remy didn’t budge, “I wasn’t even gonna hit you, asshole.”

Rachel and Remy both looked skeptical.

“I’m gonna give you that one because I fucked up with you ten years ago. I should’ve told you to stay. I should’ve figured out a better way to help you than sending you away. I figure you deserve at least one.” Lincoln scratched his jaw and then worked it back and forth as if it were already sore, “You’re lucky you did that here though, where I won’t have to even the score, but that’s all you get. One. Try it again and I’ll lay you out Remington.”

“You won’t ever get that chance.” Remy growled. “You come at me, or her, and I’ll put you in the ground.”

“Uh huh…well, at least we answered one question.” Lincoln leaned around Remy far enough to look at her, “She cares about you enough to do something stupid like throw herself in front of me to protect you. Which was very, very stupid, sweetheart.”

All of her earlier fear had vanished at the thought of Remy being hurt. She’d had to stop it. Had to get between him and the threat. That was why her voice didn’t stutter and she tried to get around Remy to put herself between them again.

“I love him. I love him and you’re not going to hurt him for something I did.”

Lincoln sighed, “I’m not gonna hurt him at all. He’s family. I protect my family. Try to keep up.”

“Don’t talk to her like that.” Remy growled, keeping one firm hand on her, “Don’t talk to her at all.”

“Jesus, you boys… I’ve heard love is blind but I didn’t realize it was stupid too.” Lincoln groaned and moved away from them, “She lied to you, Remington. For weeks. She put all of us at risk. Those brothers you swore to protect? Colt was attacked and left for dead by her brother and his new best friends.”

“Yeah.” Remy nodded seriously, “By Craig and his friends. Not by her.” He held up a hand when Lincoln opened his mouth again, “If she’s scared of them, don’t you think it’s logical that she’s scared of you too? She came to me for protection, sure. Fine. But it’s way past that now. She’s mine so stop threatening her.”

“I’m not threatening her. I’m just saying I don’t trust her.”

“You don’t have to. She’s not part of your crew. She’s not yours. She’s mine.”

“Yeah and if she’s yours, she’s family but…”

“Exactly.” Remy snapped and Lincoln winced as if he’d just walked into a corner he hadn’t seen coming. “She’s with me and that makes her family. We protect family still, right? That’s what you’re always blowing hot air about. Colt’s family and I wasn’t here to protect him from you. She’s my family now and I won’t make the same mistake again. I’m going to keep protecting her and since we’re family, that means you protect her too now.”

Fresh tears burned her eyes as she realized what it was she’d been missing. She was so deep in her fear, so swallowed up in it, that she hadn’t noticed that Remy wasn’t reacting like she’d thought he would. Sure, he’d moved away from her at first but he’d defended her time and again when Lincoln went on the attack.

He’d said he believed her. He’d pulled her away from his cousin to protect her. Was it possible? Did he really not hate her? Was he really not going to throw her out and forget all about her?

“You want to keep her, that’s on you.” Lincoln shook his head, “I’m not keeping this shit from the rest of the boys though. They deserve to know you’re choosing a liar, the sister of a traitor, to shack up with.”

Remy took a dangerous step forward and she grabbed his arm before he could swing it again, “Remy, no!”

“He’s not going to talk about you like that in our home.” Remy snarled.

“Stop. Both of you, stop!” She begged as tears worked their way forward again.

This was all her fault. She had done this. Remy was going to have to choose between her and his family and somehow, someway, he was choosing her. He was choosing her and he was making the wrong choice.

She had done this and she didn’t deserve his protection. She wasn’t one of them. She wasn’t anything like them. She wasn’t smart or stubborn like Jemma. She wasn’t bold and brash like Skylar. She had done nothing to prove herself to these men, to show that she could stand with them instead of against them, that she could be loyal and helpful.

That was the only answer. She knew it. Maybe she’d known it all along. She had to choose Remy and the Bomars, on her own, and stand by them. It was the only way.

“What can I do to prove to you that I’m with Remy for good? With him because I love him? I choose him. If I have to choose, I choose him.” Rachel wiped at the stray tear that escaped and rolled down her cheek, “I didn’t know Craig hurt Colt but you’re right. It shouldn’t have mattered. I knew he wanted to hurt you and you’re Remy’s family, Skylar’s family, and that should have been enough. I was scared, too scared to help before but I’m not anymore. Tell me what to do to prove that I’m with you and I’ll do it.”

“Rachel, no.” Remy hissed but she shook her head at him.

“I have to. I owe your family this.”

“You don’t owe him a damn thing!”

“I owe you. I should have been honest from the beginning but I was so scared… scared of everything but I… I’m more scared of losing you.”

“You’re not gonna lose me, Rach.”

She hoped that was true but until she proved to him and to herself that she could stand with him instead of behind him she wasn’t sure she could believe that. She turned to face Lincoln, putting Remy at her back. She knew they’d have to talk about all of this a lot more but this… this was her decision.

“Tell me what you need me to do.” She told Lincoln as steadily as she could.

The older Bomar boy looked down on her for a long moment but she didn’t blink and didn’t look away. Staring at him like this, she saw past all of the things he showed the outside world. The pretty face that hid the dirty Bomar soul. Those were both there, sure, but there was something else. Something deeper. She could almost see a battle waging behind those sea-glass eyes before he narrowed his gaze and nodded.

“You can help us lure Craig out.”

“No.” Remy growled.

“Out?” She asked, ignoring him.

“Nobody’s seen him in a day or two. We think he’s hiding out. Maybe he figured you’d come clean eventually and he wanted to get a head start. That or he’s visiting with his friends in the Santos Peridos MC, planning something else. We need to give him a reason to come home so we can get our hands on him.”

“No!” Remy growled again, “No, you are not using her as bait.”

“I’ll do it.”

“The hell you will.” Remy spun her around by her shoulders, “No, Rachel.”

“Look, you two lovebirds talk amongst yourselves. Figure it out. I’ve got a meeting in…” Lincoln looked at the expensive watch on his wrist, another of those watches like the one Craig wore, “Shit. Now. I have to go. If you’re helping, call me tonight. If you’re not… just know it’s not going to save your brother and I’ll be sure the entire family knows about your hand in all of this.”

The threat made Remy snarl again, “Get the fuck out of my house.”

“I’m going.” Lincoln moved past them, “He has my number, Rachel. I’ll expect your call.”

Rachel watched Lincoln leave the trailer. When he opened the door, she got a glimpse of Bentley leaning against the hood of a car. He didn’t smile at her and if possible, that hurt her feelings far worse that Lincoln’s threats and curses had. She’d never liked Lincoln, never thought of him as anything but scary. She’d thought that Bentley was her friend though, or at least that they were on the verge of a friendship, but that was all gone now. Lincoln slammed the door behind him and in the quiet and still trailer she became suddenly aware of Remy standing directly behind her.

He loomed over her but he made no move to touch her and that hurt too. He’d touched her since her revelations but only to protect her from Lincoln, she realized now. They hadn’t been affectionate touches so much as protective. He was still protecting her… but that didn’t mean he still loved her.

She turned around to face him and winced at the pain written all over his handsome face. He’d told her that he loved her yesterday. They’d spent the night dancing and drinking and celebrating Cash and Jemma. They’d made love for hours, slept wrapped around one another, and in the midst of all of that, they’d talked and made promises to each other.

They wanted each other. They needed each other. They’d planned for a life together. But today it was all crashing down around them and she didn’t know how to rebuild them when the reason their foundation was shaky was her fault.

“Remy…”

“Rachel. Don’t.”

“No. Please. Let me. I need to explain…”

“You don’t.”

Tears worked their way back into her vision, “Please, Remy, please don’t leave me. I love you. Let me explain.”

Remy shook his head and moved towards her, framing her face between his bloody fingers, “I love you too and I’m not leaving you. I told you before, nothing could make me leave you behind. Nothing. We’ll figure this out. We’ll work through it. I love you.”

“W-w-why?” She sobbed as her legs gave out, her strength waning, and Remy had to catch her, had to hold her up, just like he had since the moment they met.

Chapter Fifteen

Remy caught the woman he loved when she collapsed. Every single part of him recoiled at the sight of Rachel in pain. He ached to hold her, to soothe her, to tell her that everything was going to be okay. But at the moment, he wasn’t sure that was true and he didn’t want to lie to her. So instead of saying that, he simply answered her heartbreaking question.

“Because you’re beautiful baby, inside and out. You have such a sweet, gentle soul. Even after everything you’ve been through you don’t see the bad in people. You always see the good. You saw the good in me. You bring it out in me.” He shifted her against his chest, holding her close when she made no move to wrap her arms around him, “You make me a better man, Rachel. Being with you, it takes all the hate and anger those monsters put inside me and soothes it. I love you, baby.”

Rachel shook her head, her small body heaving under the weight of her heavy sobs, “Y-y-you s-s-shouldn’t.”

“Shhh…” He soothed softly as he carried her down the hallway to the small bathroom.

It had seemed to work the other times. When she’d been scared and hurting, he’d put her in a warm bath and it had helped calm her down. He didn’t even bother undressing her, or himself this time. He simply stepped into the tub and rearranged her in his lap until they both fit. He flipped the tap on and the water began to pool around them, cool at first and then warming, sinking into his clothes and weighing him down. But Rachel never moved, never pulled way or cuddled closer, she simply laid exactly where he’d put her and cried and cried until he had no idea if she would ever stop.

When he realized that the bath itself wasn’t going to help, he began to stroke his hands over her, trying to soothe the both of them. His fists wanted to clench. His jaw wanted to grind his teeth into dust. But he couldn’t lash out, no matter how much he wanted to.

He was pissed off. Angry. Mad. Beyond mad. He was seething on the inside but he wasn’t mad at Rachel. He was mad at himself. He was angry at Lincoln. He wanted to rip Craig Grant apart limb by limb now that all of his worst fears had been confirmed. The man had hurt his brother, nearly killed him, and he’d hurt the woman Remy loved too. He’d scarred her so badly that even now, she couldn’t seem to wrap her head around how or why he would choose her.

She’d expected him to throw her out. Turn on her. Hate her. He’d seen the fear written all over her face as she spilled what she knew. And she knew a lot. A lot that she hadn’t told him. A lot that she’d been keeping from him. But she hadn’t lied, not like Lincoln had accused her of doing.

She’d never lied to him. She’d told him she was scared. She was afraid of her brother. He’d threatened her. He’d hurt her. But when he’d asked her why she’d never lied, she just hadn’t told him the truth. She hadn’t trusted him with the truth. And fuck that hurt.

He loved her. He’d told her he loved her. He’d promised to protect her. But she hadn’t trusted him to believe her, choose her, and stand by her.

He understood the fear. Hell, he’d lived with his own fears too long not to understand where she was coming from. It was one of the things that had drawn him to her. They were the same. They’d both been betrayed by people they should’ve been able to trust. He had let her in, past that, but as far as they’d come in the last week, she hadn’t overcome hers yet.

She’d never had anyone choose her or put her first. She’d told him that. Her father had been a mean old bastard that was better off in prison. Her mother had worked herself into an early grave instead of taking care of her daughter. And Craig, that piece of shit half-brother of hers, had hurt her irreparably. She didn’t trust anyone to be there for her and he wasn’t sure he could even blame her for lumping him in with everyone else.

He’d run the last time things got hard. Ten years ago, instead of facing his demons he’d fled the city, the state and then the country. He’d chosen war over fighting with his family. He’d run towards bullets in a desert on the other side of the world, chosen to watch his friends bleed and die, rather than stay and deal with his damage. Of course she would think that given another bad situation, another betrayal, that he would up and disappear again.

He’d deserted everyone that mattered to him back then. He’d left Cash and Colt behind to fend for themselves. He’d left his cousins and friends behind to deal with each other. He’d run away from his responsibilities, from his life, from his family. But nothing could make him run away from Rachel.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He brushed his lips over the top of her head, “I promise that you’re not going to lose me, love. I swore to protect you. Remember that? That day in the kitchen when I first kissed you? That was the first day of the rest of our lives. I told you. You’re mine. And I protect what’s mine. There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore. I’m not going anywhere so come back to me. Come back, Rachel.”

He held her to him but she didn’t respond. The water in the tub was turning tepid and his woman had still made no move to speak so he sighed and pulled the drain. He had no idea what to do next. He’d thought that he had seen Rachel at her worst. That night after the fight, when her brother threatened her and she’d fallen apart, he’d thought that was as bad as it could get. Then, after the confrontation in the salon when she’d fallen to pieces, he’d sworn that he would never let her fear get the better of her like that again. But that had been nothing compared to this…

She was paralyzed with fear. She didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Showed absolutely no signs that his words were getting through to her.

Rachel was putty in his hands as he stood them back up and held her in place. Her legs held, which was an improvement, so he kept one hand on her hip and used the other to grab a towel. After helping her out of the tub, he stood her on the rug and slowly, with sure and gentle movements, began to undress her.

It wasn’t easy. The wet clothes were heavy and clung to her body. When his hands brushed against her breasts she sucked in a gasp of air and he chewed the inside of his cheek. Her nipples stiffed as he worked her bra off and he was the one to suck in a breath as a new plan to get through to her began to form in his head.

Keeping his breathing as steady as he could, he worked to undress her. Peeling layer after layer away until she stood in front of him completely bare. Completely vulnerable. But she made no move to cover herself. Then again, if the flush that had stolen over her cheeks and worked it’s way down her chest was any sign, she wasn’t as unaffected by her nudity as she seemed.

Since his clothes were soaking wet too, Remy took a chance and let her go. She swayed slightly but didn’t fall. She also didn’t move away from him. Quickly now, he stripped his shirt off over his head and when he dropped it to the ground and looked at her again she’d begun to chew on her bottom lip. Her eyes were big and cloudy, red from her tears, but her lashes fluttered as she stared at his chest and he felt heat rush through his own veins.

She was still here with him. She wasn’t pulling away. He had to hope that meant he could get through to her. He had to prove to her that he was still here with her too, that he still loved her, that he always would.

He kicked out of his jeans and heard her breathing kick up a notch once they were both naked. Slowly, so he didn’t scare her, he eased forward and pulled her into his arms. He lifted her easily, holding her close, pressing them together until it was impossible to tell where he ended and where she began. She shivered against him and then he felt it. Tentatively, her arms came up around his neck, holding him to her in return and he let out a shuddery breath of relief that there was some sign that she wanted this, wanted him.

Remy tipped her chin up and kissed her, slow and soft. No tongues. No teeth. Just his lips against hers, grounding them both. He tried to tell her with his kiss all the things he needed her to know.

He loved her. He chose her. He always would.

When she tried to deepen the kiss, he broke it. Confusion colored her big, gray eyes but as much as he hated that look on her beautiful face, he simply shook his head. They weren’t rushing this, not this time. He carried her to their bedroom and gently laid her back on the bed, following her down until every part of their bodies were in line and only then did he kiss her again.

Sweet and gentle, he kissed her as if they had all of the time in the world, as if there was no need to rush, because there wasn’t. He wasn’t going anywhere and neither was she. He intended to make love to her the same way.

Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck again, moaning against his mouth when she rocked her hips up and felt his erection. He propped himself up on one elbow and used his free hand to force her hip back down to the mattress. She bit her lip again, that look of confusion painting her pretty, tear-swollen face and making him groan.

“We’ve rushed through too much already. This, you and me… I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. I don’t care how long it takes to prove that to you. I’m not going anywhere. Just relax and let me love you.”

He kissed her again and slowly, after several long minutes, he felt the tension in her body begin to relax beneath him. Her lips were warm and soft against his. Pliant, receptive, but he could feel that she was still holding back. There was a part of her that she was still keeping from him, afraid that if she gave it to him and he left her that she might never be whole again. What he had to prove to her was that neither of them were going to be whole until she trusted him completely.

He nuzzled her jaw, back to her ear, “I love the way you taste.”

“H-h-how?”

As much as he hated when she stuttered with him he smiled as he nipped at her ear. She moaned and arched up into him. Her soft curves pressing against him. Any reaction was better than the paralyzing fear of earlier. If he had to use their chemistry to prove to her that she was his, then so be it.

“You taste like mine.” He kissed down her neck to the swell of her breast, “Like you were made to drive me mad. Everything about you makes me crazy. The way you taste, the way you look, the way you respond to me.” He licked her nipple, “The way you need me.”

“R-Remy…”

“Shhh, no talking. Not right now. Right now, you’re simply going to let me take care of you… because that’s what you do when you love someone. And I love you Rachel. So much.”

“Bu…”

He captured her mouth again and groaned when her tongue licked him. His own stroked forward before he could remind himself that he was supposed to be going slow. The taste of her had been slowly rolling through him but this was a direct punch to his gut and he couldn’t help but push his hips down against her. Rocking against her softness until she pressed up again and he remembered this was about more than getting off.

Remy broke the kiss, “Let me love you, Rach.”

He slid a hand down her body before she could respond and found her wet folds. She jerked, a shaky breath escaping, as he slid down to her clit and then circled it mercilessly. He stared down at her, watching the way her eyes widened and then squeezed shut, the way she bit into her lip and whimpered when he pressed just right. He slid a finger inside her and her hips jerked up, wanting him deeper and he obliged, all the while watching her face for reactions.

He was paying attention for any hesitation on her part but he didn’t find any. She didn’t pull away from him. She arched closer, wanting more, needing more, and he would happily give it to her. He’d give her anything.

“Remy.” His name came out on a breathy moan, her head thrown back, eyes shut, all but pleading.

“Damn, the way you react for me… I love it. Love the way you open up for me, always so needy. You don’t just want me. You need me.” He nipped at her bottom lip with his teeth, “Say it. Say you need me.”

“I-I-I…” Rachel let out a keening cry when he flicked her clit, “I need you. Please, Remy.”

He kissed her as his fingers worked their way inside her, driving her higher. Their mouths were meeting in hurried, panted breaths now. His cock ached to take the place of his fingers but he refused to press inside her until… shit, he couldn’t hardly remember what the point of all this was. He only knew that he’d had one and it was more important than what his dick wanted.

“You’re beautiful. So goddamn beautiful.” He groaned as he flexed his fingers deep and she cried out as she arched against him, “Tell me you love me. That you believe I love you.”

Rachel let out a heaving sob and when he met her gaze he saw that tears fell from her eyes, “I love you. I love you so much.”

Remy froze, his heart constricting at the sight of her tears. Her words sounded right but the tears, they were all wrong. This hadn’t been the way to go about this. He could see that now. He was pushing again, too hard and too fast. She was too fragile and she was already broken. He would shatter her if he wasn’t careful.

He pulled away but Rachel let out a wailing cry and grabbed his shoulders. Her nails dug into his skin, scratching him until he was sure he was probably bleeding. He didn’t care about that, didn’t care about his pain. He was fully focused on hers.

“Baby…”

“No.” Rachel wiped at her eyes with the back of one hand, “Don’t leave me, Remy.”

“Never.”

The one word came easily and he leaned down, kissing the tear track marks on her cheeks and down her temples. She shuddered against him, holding him close, and he let out a shaky breath. He didn’t know what would hurt her more, if he stopped or if he kept going, so he left it up to her.

“Make love to me.”

“Rach..”

“I need you, Remy.” Her bottom lip wobbled, “P-p-please.”

He had never been able to deny her anything so he leaned down and kissed her again. He could taste the saltiness of her tears and wasn’t entirely certain his own weren’t there between them too. When he broke the kiss this time, he trailed his lips down her neck. He kissed a path to her breasts and then teased her nipples, making her squirm.

She palmed his head, “Remy…”

He slid down the bed and buried his face between her legs, cutting her words off into a keening cry. He licked her and relished her taste. God he loved the way she tasted. She was wet and swollen and he momentarily wondered if she was sore from the night before. She’d been a virgin and he’d taken her more than once throughout the night. But when she tilted her hips up and cried his name again he forgot about asking if she was okay and simply buried his tongue inside her.

As he made love to her with his mouth, he couldn’t help but think of the first time he’d had her open to him like this. He’d barely even kissed her before he’d gone down on her. He’d wanted her that badly and nothing had changed since then. He would always want her like this. Need her like this. Even that first time, before that first time, he’d known there was no going back for them.

From the first time he saw her, he’d known how special she was. Beautiful but painfully shy. Slightly awkward and scared. And he’d wanted to save her then, had thought she could be the one to save him right back. He’d been right. She had. She’d given him a purpose, showed him what home really meant, what loving someone meant. Now it was his turn to do the same.

She was it for him.

“Mine.” He growled.

“Yours.” She agreed.

“Love you, Rach.”

“Love you.” She whimpered as he kissed across her stomach, “Don’t stop. Please, don’t ever stop.”

He knew she was asking for more than just sex. That was exactly what he was going to give her too. He was going to love her, protect her, make her his until there was no question between them or anyone that they belonged together.

“Gonna make love to you, baby.” He bit her nipple and then trailed his hot lips up her neck, “Gonna make love to you until you believe that I’ll never let you go. Never. Gonna join us until we’re one person. One heart. One soul.”

Rachel gave a jerky nod and that was enough, at least for now.

He buried himself inside her beautiful body in one brutal push of his hips. Her body, so soft and wet, opened to him and they both moaned. Home. She felt like home in his arms. Like all of the mistakes and pain he’d had to endure to get to her had been worth it, because with Rachel he’d have enough good days to wipe out all the bad.

Today had been a bad day but it didn’t have to define them. It wasn’t a breaking point, not for him. He wasn’t sure that he had one with this girl. Today was a bad day but that’s what love was about right? The good times and the bad and you stuck them out when you loved someone. Those were the vows he’d heard him brother say just last night and he felt them deep in his soul when he was with this girl.

They would figure it out. Find a way to move past it. They had to.

Their bodies moved together. Hers pressing up every time his swept down. Their hips rolling together with the kind of perfect synchronicity that he knew from years of mindless fucks wasn’t possible with just anyone. He could lose himself with Rachel, in Rachel, because he trusted her and loved her. Because she was his true other half, the piece of his heart and soul that had always been missing.

She healed him and he only hoped that he could do the same for him.

His hips thrust more quickly as his control slipped away. He leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers, needing to connect them in every way possible. Their bodies were moving so fast, so hard, that he couldn’t keep up the kiss without the threat of busting both their teeth out so he simply held there above her lips so that they were breathing the same air.

“Remy, oh, oh, oh Remy…”

He felt it as soon as Rachel’s orgasm began to take hold. She clenched all around him, her body trying to hold his deep. And that was where he wanted to stay, deep inside her, where he belonged, joined with her as if they were the same person. But his body overrode that want with a pressing need to drive and drive and drive until the need to bust tingled up his spine.

Rachel screamed, her entire body tensing tight around him, as her orgasm crashed into her. Her mouth open, her head tilted back, her nails digging into his shoulders as she held him close. And he needed her to hold him, to keep him on earth, as he spiraled off his axis.

He spilled inside her with a ragged groan. His hips refused to stop pumping. It seemed imperative to drive his seed as deep into her as possible. He wanted a part of him to linger inside of her long after this moment.

“Rachel.” He moaned as he finally crested, “Love you, baby.”

“Love you too.” She immediately responded, dragging his face to hers and kissing him deeply, “Love you too.”

Their foreheads fell together and the rest of the world melted away. They shared breath. Their bodies still joined. And everything outside of this moment ceased to matter because this was about them, about the two of them, finding each other and trusting each other.

Remy brushed her damp hair back and winced when he felt her shake beneath him, “Oh, baby… don’t cry.”

“S-s-sorry.”

His heart clenched, “No. Nothing to be sorry for. Just be here with me, okay?”

“I am.”

“Then nothing else matters.”

Rachel bit her lips but nodded and he couldn’t do anything more in that moment. The talk they needed to have, it wasn’t for right now. Right now all he could do was hold her and love her and hope that somehow it was enough to overcome all of her doubts. They’d both been through so much. Pain and hurt. But together, they could overcome it.

He knew it. He only hoped she did too.

“Love you.” He said again, unsure what else he could say or do to get through to her.

Rachel hugged him close, holding him to her, until he softened enough that he slipped out of her body. He knew he should get up. Get a wet towel, clean her up. Clean both of them up. But he couldn’t force himself to release her. Not now. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Definitely not when things were so shaky between them.

He rolled to his back, taking her with him so that she had no choice but to sprawl across his chest. He tightened his hold until there was no way she could get away from him, not that she tried. Rachel clung to him just as tightly.

They lay together like that for a long time. He felt his breathing slowly return to normal, felt hers do the same, but he knew neither of them were asleep. He stroked one hand through her hair, another up and down her back and he half thought he was dreaming when he felt her shudder. Then, he felt it, great wracking sobs that threatened to tear him apart just as steadily as they threatened Rachel.

She was crying again and this time, he had no clue how to stop it.

He simply held her. Pulling her even tighter against him until he wasn’t certain she could even breathe. He held her tight and told her he loved her and that they would make it through this. He told her that there was nothing left to be afraid of and he knew, once Lincoln dealt with Craig, that it would be true.

Chapter Sixteen

They lay on their sides, staring at each other, neither of them speaking. They’d been that way for a long time. When Remy had woken up, the sun was setting and he’d rolled over to find Rachel in bed beside him, the blankets pulled up to her chin and her hands beneath her cheek. She’d looked so small and fragile that his first instinct had been to reach for her so he had. He’d laced their fingers together and then brought her hand to his mouth, kissing it gently.

But still she hadn’t spoken.

Her dark hair was tangled from sleep and from his hands. Her beautiful face was swollen and splotchy from all the tears. Her big, gray eyes were bloodshot and her bottom lip was ravaged as if she’d spent the hours he was asleep chewing it between her teeth. She must have gotten up at some point when he was sleeping because she was wearing one of his oversized shirts again which sent a possessive urge through him that was hard to shake.

He wanted to pull her into his arms. He wanted to hold her tight and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But since he couldn’t read what she was thinking in that beautiful head of hers, he simply held her hand and waited for her to work up the courage to say something.

He had no idea how long they lay there like that, fingers intertwined, gazes locked, before Rachel finally let out a rough breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them they looked wet again but she blinked, keeping the tears at bay. She squeezed his hand, as if she was afraid he would pull away when she spoke.

“I-I-I… I’m sorry.”

He winced at the stutter and squeezed her hand in return, “Shhh… there’s nothing to apologize for, baby.”

“B-b-but…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I wish…” He sighed heavily and rolled up to his elbow so he could look down on her, “I wish you’d trusted me enough to tell me but I get why you didn’t. You were scared. You are scared. But you don’t have to be scared of losing me, Rach. That’s never gonna happen.”

Her chin wobbled, “I-I-I d-d-din’t know… know… about Colt.”

“I know. I believe you.”

“Y-y-you do?”

Her questions, her doubt, ripped at open wounds but it was the stutter that pierced his heart. She stammered when she was scared, when she was hurting, when she was nervous. She shouldn’t be any of those things with him. Ever.

“You’re mine, Rachel. You’re mine and I swore to myself when I came home that I would protect the people that I love, this time around. I’m going to protect you. From Lincoln. From Craig. From anything and anyone that would ever try to hurt you.”

“I-I-I… I don’t deserve you.”

Remy started to explain to her that it wasn’t about what they deserved but stopped himself short. He’d spent a lot of his life thinking he didn’t deserve to be happy, didn’t deserve to be loved, because of what had happened to him when he was a teenager. It hadn’t been his fault. Logically he knew that but it didn’t mean that the dirty, unclean feeling went away. It hadn’t. Not when he’d started drinking to black out. Not when he’d tried whatever drugs he could get his hands on. Not even when the Army had handed him a gun and made him fight for his own survival.

It hadn’t even gone away when he tried to screw his way into forgetting. Every touch of those nameless, faceless women had only made him feel worse. Being with them had never felt right and he’d always been left with the same queasy feeling that made him sick to his stomach when he was done with them.

Only Rachel had managed to wipe his slate clean. To take his history, his doubts and fears, and put him at ease. The first time she’d smiled at him, his stomach had flipped for all the right reasons and the first time he’d kissed her he’d felt nothing but sparks of nervous energy and need. She had done the impossible. She’d fixed him. And if he didn’t deserve her, all he could do was hope that one day he would.

He knew that telling her that she was wrong, that she did deserve him, wouldn’t change her way of thinking any more than it would have his. They were a lot alike in that respect. So used to being hurt that they always expected the worst. Rachel would have to see for herself that her fears were unfounded and that started here and now.

He shook his head, “Baby, if you’d told me from the start what Craig was threatening you about then I could have stopped him weeks ago. We wouldn’t have all of this hanging over us. You wouldn’t have needed to be scared anymore.”

“I’m sorry.” She sniffled, “I t-t-thought you’d… I thought you’d hate me.”

“We don’t get to choose our family, remember?”

Rachel’s entire face cringed as she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

“I… I should have told you.” Rachel wiped at her eyes and he sighed.

“Yeah, you should have.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.” He brushed a stray tear from the corner of her eye, “And I’m sorry that you’re in a position where you have to choose between my family and yours.”

“It shouldn’t have been so hard to choose. Not after everything he’s done. He hurts me. He has for years. He’s mean and cruel and abusive. He’s a criminal… I just… I…” She trailed off on a sniffle and Remy sighed.

“He’s still your brother.”

Her bottom lip trembled, “He’s the only family I have left.”

“No, baby. He’s not. Not anymore.” Remy shifted, pulling her into his arms until she was caged between his legs, her back to his chest and her head on his shoulder as he leaned against the headboard, “I’m your family now. If you’ll have me that is. I know it’s tough to believe me after everything you’ve been through but I’m not leaving you.”

“Remy…”

“If you don’t want me anymore, you still won’t be alone, Rachel. You have Skylar and you have Jemma and that means you have Cash and Colt. Even if you don’t want me, you’ll have them.”

“What?” Rachel spun to face him as best she could considering he still held her tight, “What are you talking about? Why would I not want you anymore? I love you! My worst fear is that you’ll leave me, not the other way around!”

Even the words had felt wrong on his tongue but he’d felt like he had to say them. If she’d really only been with him for protection, like Lincoln thought, then he would have to let her go. He didn’t think it was true but if she wanted out, he needed to know now. Because the kind of family loyalty that was expected of the Bomars was intense and what came next, it would mean there was no getting out for her, for them.

They were in too deep to simply walk away from the family like Cash had. Maybe Remy had only joined the family business to help get Colt out and maybe he’d always secretly hoped that he would eventually figure out how to get himself out too but he knew that would be impossible now. That was the conversation he had to have with Rachel now because if she wanted to walk, she needed to do it now.

“I’m never going to leave you but…” He tucked her hair behind her ear, “You saw my family this morning. Me and Decker trading blows. Lincoln making threats. You saw for yourself what I come from.”

“You’re not them though, Remy. You’re not like them.”

“I am.” He sighed heavily, “When I think about what Craig did to my brother… I could rip him apart with my bare hands and not even blink.”

“I… I know.” She dropped her gaze again.

“And you know if I feel that way, my entire family will. You know what’s going to happen next, don’t you?”

Rachel gave an involuntary shiver, “L-L-Lincoln’s gonna kill him, isn’t he?”

“I don’t know babe but if I had to guess… Craig’s going to wish he was dead long before that happens.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“So you have to decide if that’s something you can live with, Rachel. Can you be with me knowing my blood is going to hurt yours?”

Rachel cringed and her voice was soft, barely a whisper when she spoke, “Mine hurt yours first. If it’s true, if Craig really was part of that attack on Colt… He left him for dead. Jesus, Remy, I’m so sorry.”

He groaned and held her close, “You keep apologizing but that wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know. Now that you do, you have to choose. I wouldn’t blame you if you want nothing to do with any of us Bomars.”

“I want you, Remy. I choose you.” She tilted her head back up and met his eyes, “I-I-I told Lincoln I would help.”

His heart squeezed painfully in his chest as he remembered the offer his cousin had made this morning. Lincoln wanted Rachel to help him get to Craig. The bastard had been smart enough to go into hiding at some point this week and he couldn’t help but wonder why that was.

Had he seen Rachel with Remy? Had it been obvious they were in love? If so, the logical conclusion would be that she would tell him the truth eventually. Craig must have known his time was limited when he realized he couldn’t scare Rachel into coming home. Because she already was, with him.

But the very thought of Rachel putting herself in danger had him shaking his head.

“No.”

“Remy…”

“No, Rachel. You’re not helping Lincoln. You’re staying out of it.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.”

“Remy, I have to do this. I have to help, Lincoln. It’s the only way I can make up for not telling what I knew sooner.”

“Dammit you don’t owe Lincoln.”

“No, I owe you and Skylar and Colt. You said yourself that you’re my family now. That means I have to do my part to protect the family, right? Just like you did for Colt by walking into that cage.”

God he loved her. He hadn’t ever thought of Rachel as protective. He was so used to looking at her and seeing a victim. Someone to be protected. But he should have known better because he knew beneath that shy, timid exterior was a strong and capable woman. She had opened up to him, told him how she’d learned to survive and in bed she’d become downright demanding. His woman was a survivor so of course she would want to stand up for herself and for him if she could.

But he still couldn’t let her do this.

“It’s not the same thing.”

“You’re right. It’s not. I’ll just be luring Craig out for Lincoln. I won’t be the one putting myself in harm’s way like you did.”

“You will though. That’s what you don’t understand. Being connected to my cousins, to me, it automatically puts you in harm’s way, babe, and this… helping Lincoln? There’s no way he can guarantee your safety and I’m not okay with that.”

“Remy…”

“No!” He growled, “I’m never going to be okay with you putting yourself in danger.”

“But don’t you see why I need to do this?”

He sighed, “I see why you think you have to. You still feel like you owe me for helping you but…”

“No!”

“Yes!” He raised his voice when she stared at him, “You think you owe me for helping you that night at the barn. You think you owe Sky for giving you a job and being your friend. You don’t have any idea how to simply accept that we’re here for you because we love you.”

Rachel looked hurt by his words so he held her close.

“Baby, we love you and you don’t owe us for that. It doesn’t come with specifications of what you have to give us in return. There are no strings attached to my love for you.”

She gave a small snort, “No? Because it kinda seems right now like the strings are that you have to approve before I can help the family.”

“I’m not going to stop loving you just because we disagree on what you should do, Rachel.” He frowned as he tilted her chin up back up so he could look her in the eye, “But I’m not letting you do this. I’ll tie you to the bed if I have to. The idea of you being in danger, even the possibility that you might get caught up in a firefight or something between my cousins and your brother… it makes me sick.”

“If I don’t call Lincoln, he’s going to tell everyone that I knew Craig was the traitor and didn’t come clean.” Her bottom lip trembled slightly, “They’ll h-h-hate me.”

“Lincoln makes a lot of threats. It doesn’t mean he’ll follow through.” He twisted her hair around his finger, “I’ll talk to him. Give him some time to calm down. He’ll come around when he realizes that you’re not going anywhere. You’re family.”

“But I want to help.”

“You can, okay? We’ll figure out a way for you to help that doesn’t include putting yourself in danger. I’m not letting my cousin use you as bait. I’m sorry, Rachel but you have to trust me that this isn’t the way to make things right. Okay?”

She nodded slowly.

Remy blew out an unsteady breath at her agreement. They were going to be okay. She wasn’t going to put herself in harm’s way. Lincoln would figure out a way to get to Craig that didn’t involve risking the life of the woman Remy loved. If it came down to it, the rest of his family could hate him and Rachel both.

He’d talk to Cash and Colt, explain what had happened and they would understand. Jemma and Skylar already loved Rachel like a little sister. They wouldn’t turn their backs on her. And if those women had any say in the matter, neither would anyone else. He had to hope that would be enough. It was more family than Rachel had ever had. Between him and his brothers and their women, he had to hope that would be enough to make up for losing her brother.

Because she was losing Craig. She’d already lost him. Wherever he was, whatever he was doing, his breaths had become numbered the moment Lincoln put together what he’d done. He’d be in a shallow grave somewhere out in the woods where the Bomars would have plausible deniability if someone ever stumbled across the bones.

The fact that Remy knew things like that, knew that Lincoln would get rid of the body where it would never be found, only reminded him that if he hadn’t left town he’d likely know exactly where those bodies were buried.

He’d left to escape the trauma of his mother’s sick abuse but he’d left more than just Chrissy behind. He’d walked away from what it meant to be a Bomar too. He’d gotten out, gotten away, and his record was clean because of that. Lincoln liked to point out that they were thieves, not murderers, but the truth was that more than one person had gone missing over the years after trying to cheat a Bomar boy. All of their hands weren’t dirty but all of their hands weren’t clean either. He truly believed Craig would be dead within the next day or two and he only hoped that when it happened, wherever it happened, that he could keep Rachel far away from it so she wouldn’t have to witness something that would scar her forever.

“I love you, Rachel.”

She glanced up from under thick lashes, “I love you too.”

“You trust me?”

She nodded.

“Are you sure? You trust me, Rach? Believe me when I say that I’m not going anywhere? That I’m gonna spend the rest of my life loving you and keeping you safe?”

She nodded again.

“Then come here and kiss me. Love me. Stay in this bed with me and don’t think about all of the bad out there until tomorrow. We’ll deal with it together. Tomorrow. Today, just be here with me. Please?”

Rachel stared at him for a long moment and he couldn’t read her expression. It was soft and loving but not as open as he would have liked. He wanted her to truly open up with him and tell him all of the things she thought she couldn’t tell anyone. He wanted her every secret but for now, he would take this. Her trust and her love and her body and her future.

They’d tackle their pasts together, tomorrow.

She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his and he groaned when she used her teeth to nip at his bottom lip. He smiled against her mouth and returned the favor. She was a fast learner, he had to give her that. She’d quickly figured out not only what she liked but also what he liked. Luckily, a lot of those things seemed to overlap. She licked the inside seam of his upper lip and he shuddered as desire rolled through his every cell. For a girl that had never been kissed just a few short weeks ago, she knew exactly how to drive him crazy.

When he opened and sucked her tongue into his mouth, Rachel moaned and scooted even closer. It took a little maneuvering but as they kissed she twisted until she could straddle him. He tangled one hand in her hair and slipped the other down to her hip, holding her tight when she started to rock her hips against his growing erection.

He broke the kiss with a harsh breath, “Wait…”

“What?” Rachel’s lips were swollen and she licked them obscenely, “Why?”

“Are you sure you’re not too sore? I don’t want to hurt you.”

Her face softened as a smile inched upwards and then she leaned forward and kissed him softly, “I’m not sore, Remy. But thank you for asking and for caring so much… I love you.”

“I love you too but I shouldn’t have taken you so many times so quickly after I… we…”

“Is that a blush, Remy Bomar?” She teased with another smile, “You mean so many times since I gave you my virginity?”

He sighed, “Yes. You must be sore. I shouldn’t take you again so soon.  You need time to recover.”

“I needed you, Remy.” She shifted her hips slightly and they both moaned, “I needed you and you gave yourself to me, just like I gave myself to you. This thing between us, how much I love you… the only thing I’m scared of is losing you.”

“You’re not gonna lose me, baby.”

“I’m beginning to believe that I just… it’s not easy for me.”

“I know. Me either. We’ll get through this together.”

She was quiet for a long moment and he felt the rush of quick desire subdue itself. He still wanted her. He would always want her. Especially when she was in his lap, in bed, but what they shared went deeper than that. She stilled against him with a heavy sigh and he brushed her hair back, kissing her softly.

“Mmm, okay, just relax. I’m not gonna jump you. I just want to look at you for a second. You’re so gorgeous.”

He leaned back against the headboard and let her have her way with smirk. He’d never liked it when women commented on his looks. Not until Rachel. She could look all she wanted because he knew she saw what was beneath the skin too. She saw him in ways nobody else did. He could just be Remy with her, he didn’t have to hide anything. She knew all of his darkest secrets and she loved him anyway.

“Mmm, all muscles and strength. You’re built like you were born for fighting but it never scared me, not even that first day though I couldn’t have explained why. I wanted you, even then, even when I had no idea what it meant.” She traced his chest again and then paused with a finger on the tattoo that covered his shoulder, “When’d you get this?”

His throat felt tight and he tensed as her light nudged in on another of his darkest shadows, “Right after I left town…”

“What’s it mean?”

He’d hoped to never have to answer that question. Most people didn’t bother looking at it too closely. But he should have known he’d have to explain it to Rachel at some point. And why not today? They were already sharing so much. If he was going to trust her to tell him her secrets, he had to trust her with his own.

Remy glanced down at the old scrollwork tattoo. It was designed to look like an old sheet of music. The bars and notes were just gibberish to most people. Music was like that. It was a language to itself and you might recognize it but unless you knew how to read it, it was meaningless.

He still couldn’t explain why it was he’d gotten the stupid thing. He’d been at Basic for a few months and he and a few friends had snuck away for a night out. They’d gotten drunk but he knew it wasn’t the alcohol that had made the decision. It was some weird mix of nostalgia and self-punishment and he’d thought more than once of covering it up but had never found the time or the money or the energy.

“Remy?” Rachel’s soft voice pulled him back to the moment, “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me why you have the sheet music for Mary Had A Little Lamb tattooed on your shoulder. It’s okay.”

He snorted, “You can read music?”

“I was a band nerd in middle school.” Rachel blushed again and he chuckled.

“If you tell me you played the flute, I’m going to make some seriously inappropriate jokes. You know that right?”

She shoved him playfully, “I never went to band camp but yes, I did play the flute.”

“Oh baby, that is never going to not be funny.” He caught her hand when she started to hit him again, “You said middle school. You didn’t play in high school? Did you quit band?”

“Had to. In high school you have to be able to provide your own instrument and we never had the money for that so…” Rachel shrugged and then shook her head, “Don’t think I didn’t notice you changed the subject.”

“I know. I’m just trying to figure out how to explain it. I don’t understand why I did it myself most days so…” He shoved a hand through his hair and sighed, “There weren’t many good days in my childhood. Most of the stuff I remember, its Decker drunk and stomping all over everything. The twins cowering with fear. Chrissy… she uh… you know…”

“Yeah I know.” Rachel found his hand and twined their fingers.

“Well, there was this one day that I’ll never forget because amid all the darkness it was… perfect. We were all over at Aunt Mary’s house. That’s my Uncle Duke’s wife. Do you know her?”

Rachel shook her head, “No but I’ve heard of her. She’s pretty reclusive, right?”

“Yeah. Only leaves her house to go to church I think. She’s very religious which is hilarious considering she married Duke Bomar.” He shrugged, “I don’t know the whole story but suffice to say, she got pregnant and her father insisted Duke do right by them and marry her. They don’t believe in divorce or, hell, birth control apparently, because there’s five Bible Bomars and there’d probably be more if Uncle Duke hadn’t spent most of his life in prison.”

“Six.”

“Huh?”

“There were six of them. Joel died but that doesn’t mean he never existed. There were six of them.”

Remy blew out a rough breath, “You’re right. Of course you’re right. It’s just… Abel refuses to talk about Joel. He freaks out if anyone even brings up his little brother’s name. Sometimes it’s easier to forget.”

“I understand that.”

“I know.” He nodded and then shrugged, “Anyway, the point was, that day at Aunt Mary’s house was the best day of my life until I met you.”

“Such a sweet talker.” Rachel kissed him lightly. “Continue.”

He nodded, “We had this big meal and all my cousins and uncles were there. It was a madhouse. I was probably ten, nine or ten, but I remember looking around and knowing that this day was important. I don’t know if it was someone’s birthday or what but everyone was happy which was so damn rare in my world.”

“That sounds nice.”

“It was.”

“So you got the tattoo for your Aunt Mary?”

He snorted, “No, nothing like that. It would’ve made sense I guess but… no. It was… Aunt Mary had a piano. One of those big, stand-up ones like they have at churches? She had one and we weren’t allowed to touch it but that day, after we ate, I remember hearing music coming out of the living room so I went to see who I could get into trouble for touching Aunt Mary’s most prized possession.”

“Nice.”

“Yeah, well, you’ve met my cousins. They were always in trouble anyway.” He shook off the smile, “It wasn’t one of my cousins playing though. It was my… It was Chrissy.”

Rachel’s eyebrows rose, “She knows how to play the piano?”

“Knew, probably. Yeah.” He thought back to that day and the way she’d looked sitting on the piano bench, so young and blonde and beautiful. Untouched by the harsh realities of her life or the harsher drugs that had already started to turn her brittle. ”I doubt she’d even know what a piano was if she saw one anymore.”

Rachel squeezed his hand again but said nothing. For that, he was grateful. As the memories swirled, the guilt and the anger were swiftly rising up inside him again. Sometimes he wondered if he hadn’t dreamed that entire day. It was fuzzy and out of focus after all these years, so oddly out of place in the dark days of his childhood, that he honestly couldn’t be sure and he didn’t know what was worse, if it had been real and so rare or that he’d dreamed it up entirely.

“She sat me down beside her and she showed me one key at a time how to play the song she’d been playing. Over and over and over she would show me and then play it and then let me play it. We must have sat there for hours.” He continued, his throat tight with emotions, “My… mom… she taught me how to play Mary Had A Little Lamb on the piano when I was ten years old and it was one of the best days of my life because she was there, with me, just me.”

Rachel stroked his cheek, “It sounds like a beautiful day.”

“It was this one perfect moment in a relationship that would go so, so badly just a few years later.” He bit out with a wince, “I just, I guess I clung to that as proof that she wasn’t always a monster. Like maybe that one, beautiful thing she did would be enough to wipe out all the bad but it wasn’t. It didn’t. It doesn’t.”

“Oh, Remy…”

“I don’t know why I got the tattoo. It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid.” She grabbed his chin when he tried to turn away and forced him to look at her, as determined as he’d ever seen her, “It’s not stupid that it meant something to you. She was your mom and she’s… as much as it hurts to think it, she’s not a monster. She’s sick and damaged but she’s still your mom and you’re allowed to want the woman that gave you that beautiful memory back.”

He felt tears sting his eyes and shook his head, “That’s why I love you. You always see the best in people.” He wiped at his cheek and cleared his throat, “You see the best in me too. Thank you for that.”

“It’s easy to see.” Rachel leaned down and brushed a kiss against the corner of his eye, “You’re a good man, Remington Bomar.”

“I want to be, for you and for Cash and Colt.”

“You are and it’s not for any of us. It’s just who you are.”

“I love you.” He managed to choke out.

“I love you too.” Rachel kissed him softly.

It had been a very long and emotional day and he sighed as he tugged her head back to look at her. He loved this woman so damn much. He would do anything for her. All of his old demons, they were slowly fading away, becoming bearable, and it was all thanks to her. Little by little, she was wiping out the dark shadows of his past and making his future look bright. He only hoped he was doing the same for her.

“I know you said you weren’t going to jump me...” He murmured against her lips as he stole another kiss. “But I didn’t make a similar promise.”

Before she could react, he flipped them. Rachel squealed as her back collided with the mattress and he loomed over her. She didn’t struggle to get away, only wrapped her arms and legs around him and then smiled. His heart squeezed tight in his chest at that smile. This, being with Rachel like this, having her smile at him like this… he wanted this moment to be the one that lasted for the rest of his life.

Chapter Seventeen

Rachel lay in the dark, watching the man she loved more than anything sleep, trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing. He would understand. He would have to. This was the only way. She had to prove that she was strong enough to stand with him, to be a part of this family and that meant she had to make this choice herself.

No matter how much he might hate it. How mad he might be. He would have to understand that this was her decision to make. She would have to make him see but she knew that she couldn’t get into another argument about it right now.

He’d threatened to tie her to the bed and she didn’t doubt that he’d do whatever was in his power to keep her here with him where he thought she was safe. She loved him for that. Even as she knew that she was taking a huge risk by betraying him, again, by not talking to him, but she knew that not calling Lincoln wasn’t an option.

She needed to do this. Not for Lincoln. She knew she didn’t owe him anything. But she did owe Remy no matter what he said. Relationships were about give and take and all she’d been doing since the moment she approached him was taking. It was her turn to do this, to give him the peace of mind of knowing that the person who had hurt his brother was taken care of.

Even if it meant turning on her own brother.

After their last bout of lovemaking, Rachel had lain awake in the dark for a long time thinking about what calling Lincoln would mean. She wasn’t just offering to help him get in touch with Craig. She would likely be used as bait to lure him out to his almost certain death.

Could she deal with that? Live with knowing she was responsible for his death? She wouldn’t have thought so but the more she thought about all she’d heard that night, the more she thought about how bad Colt had looked after being attacked at his shop, the easier the decision had become.

She hadn’t stood up for herself at all. Not once. Not ever. She’d let Craig get away with taking everything that should have rightfully been hers. The trailer and everything inside it and even what little money had been left in the bank after her mother passed away. He’d taken it all and he’d given her nothing but grief and pain in return.

He treated her like she was nothing to him. A roommate he wished would disappear. A punching bag for when he was angry. Someone to taunt and lord his power over when he wanted to feel important. He hadn’t treated her like she was his sister, a member of his family, in a really long time and no matter what he may have done for her in the past, saving her from those girls on the playground or saving her from his drunk, shitty friends, those good moments didn’t make up for all of the bad no matter how much she wanted to cling to them.

Talking with Remy about his mother and that tattoo had more than confirmed that for her. She could hold onto the good moments with Craig and still let him go. Because he wasn’t that same boy anymore and she knew that he’d turn on her given even half a chance.

Rachel winced slightly as she rolled to the edge of the bed and pushed to her feet. Despite what she’d said, she was definitely a little bit sore from their multiple rounds of lovemaking. But she loved the slight sting of knowing that Remy hadn’t been able to help himself, that he’d needed her so badly he’d forgotten his worries and taken her again. She would always want him like that. Desperate for her, soft and needy and murmuring words of love as they came together.

She only hoped after what she was about to do that she would get to have him again. That he would forgive her. Again. That he would understand why she was putting herself at risk and simply accept that after this, she would never have to do it again.

As quietly as she could, she tiptoed around the bed to find some clothes. They’d never gone back to her trailer for more so she’d been slowly buying pieces from the thrift store to mix in with the small stack she’d kept stored at Skylar’s salon in case of emergency. She’d known it wasn’t a forever kind of fix, that she would have to go back someday, but she’d never thought it would be under these circumstances.

After grabbing a pair of panties and a bra and what she hoped was a t-shirt and jeans, she shot the bed one last look. Remy hadn’t moved. He was sprawled across the middle of the bed on his back. One arm was slung out beside him, where she’d been laying only minutes ago, and she itched to crawl back into the bed beside him and snuggle.

For a moment, she thought about walking back over and kissing him goodbye but she knew that she couldn’t. He would wake up. He’d figure out what she was doing and he wouldn’t let her leave. She couldn’t let that happen so she couldn’t say goodbye, which was okay. Because she didn’t want it to be goodbye anyway.

If she had any luck at all, she would go and take care of this and be back before he even knew she was gone. She didn’t expect it to happen that way. She had crap luck at best. But without hope, she didn’t have much of anything.

After one last look, she took a deep breath for courage and then she left the room. She shut the door behind her softly and then went into the living room. Quickly and quietly, she tossed on the clothes she’d grabbed. Luckily, there was a bra and panties and jeans, just as she’d thought. The t-shirt however was one of Remy’s, a big oversized thing that draped her like a dress and fell off one shoulder. Despite the size, she smiled as she hugged it to her, loving that it smelled like him. Maybe that would make being apart from him tonight easier. He would be with her in spirit even if he wouldn’t support her doing this.

After dressing, she went to the kitchen and retrieved Remy’s phone from the charger where she knew he kept it plugged in at night. It was fully charged and she assumed he’d never unplugged it after the events of the morning. They’d spent the rest of the day in bed. A lost day, really. But so much had happened, it felt like they’d been at Cash and Jemma’s wedding weeks ago instead of a mere twenty-four hours ago.

She easily found Lincoln’s number among the limited contacts in Remy’s phone and transferred it to her own. She pulled on a pair of shoes at the door, wincing when her elbow collided with the wall and sent a loud reverberating noise through the trailer. She rubbed the sore spot and held her breath as she waited to see if Remy stirred, if he called out or came out of the room looking for her.

When he didn’t and the trailer remained quiet, she blew out an unsteady breath and unlocked and opened the door. As quietly as she could, which wasn’t all that quiet considering the age and shape of the rusted old trailer, she moved downs the steps and only once she was on the dirt ground did she gently snap the door back shut behind her.

After another full minute of standing there, waiting to see if she’d disturbed the quiet night, the rest of the world continued to move around her and she finally started moving a little faster. She headed up the driveway at a brisk walk, hugging her arms around herself and wishing she’d thought to grab a jacket because it was actually pretty damn cold during the dead of night this time of year.

She shivered and ignored the sounds of the wildlife all around her as she walked. It was birds and squirrels and nothing too harmful. That’s what she told herself. The howl of a coyote somewhere in the distance made her jump and she picked up her pace. She was used to walking since she didn’t have a car but once she thought she was a safe distance away from the trailer so that Remy couldn’t hear her, she stopped walking and put the phone to her ear.

It only rang twice before a rough, familiar voice came on the line, “What?”

“Uh… Lincoln?”

“Yeah.” He snapped, “Who is this? How’d you get this number?”

“Um, it’s uh… Ra-Ra-Rachel.”

There was a loud noise on the other end of the phone that she couldn’t make out and then a low chuckle, “Oh, yeah, hey Ra-Ra-Rachel.”

She hardened her jaw, “Don’t make fun of me like that.”

“Or what?” There was a sneer, “You gonna sic my cousin on me? Because I gotta say, you don’t scare me little girl.”

“Y-you don’t scare me either.” She shot back though she was fairly certain the stutter negated any and all of her confidence.

“Uh huh.” He snorted, “So, tell me, what can I do for you, Rachel?”

She straightened her spine and let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, “Y-you said earlier that.. that… you need my help.” He was silent and she groaned, “With Craig? You said you need me to help draw him out.”

“Did I?”

“Lincoln, please. I’m calling to help.”

“You are. I didn’t expect to hear from you. My cousin seemed highly opposed to the idea. How’d you change his mind?”

“I… uh… I didn’t.”

“Hmm?”

“He uh… He doesn’t know I’m calling.” She chewed on her lip and looked out at the dark woods all around her, “I snuck out. We need to do this tonight. Can you send someone to pick me up?”

Nothing but silence greeted her again and she grit her teeth, trying to figure out the best way to get through to Lincoln. He seemed to hate her and honestly, she didn’t blame him. He was the eldest Bomar, their leader. He was responsible for protecting his brothers and cousins and she had become a liability if not an outright threat. She reminded herself that it didn’t matter if Lincoln liked her or not and tried again.

“Lincoln, send someone to get me. I’m leaving Remy’s, walking up the road. I need a ride or it’ll take me half the night to walk… back to the trailer park.” The word home had gotten stuck in her throat and she struggled to finish her sentence.

That shitty trailer in the park wasn’t her home. Not anymore. Not since the first night she stayed with Remy. It hadn’t felt like home even before that but it had been where she lived because her mother had left it to her. Now it only seemed like another dark part of her past that she needed to get rid of once and for all.

“Yeah. Okay.” He finally cleared his throat, “I’ll send someone your way but you’re not going back there. Not yet. We need to talk first.”

“Fine. Just send someone. It’s fuckin’ cold.”

He chuckled, “You’ve got a mouth on you. Who knew? I thought you were just some shy, timid, little thing.”

“Not anymore.” She forced her chin up even though she was alone.

“Good. You’re gonna need that spine when my cousin finds out you snuck out and called me against his wishes.”

Rachel’s confidence wavered, “Y-you’re not… not gonna tell him, are you?”

“Let’s talk first. See if we can’t work something out. I’m intrigued. I wasn’t expecting you to call, like I said. But since you have, I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself.” He muffled the phone and spoke to someone else before coming back on, “Your ride will be there shortly. See you soon, dollface.”

“Don’t call me…” She started but the dial tone was the only response so she dropped the phone and cursed at the night sky.

What was she doing? Risking everything she’d built with Remy for a chance to redeem herself in the eyes of a family he didn’t even like all that much? No. She reminded herself. She wasn’t doing this for Lincoln or for Remy. She was doing it for her. Because if she wasn’t strong enough to do this, she wasn’t strong enough to be with Remy. And she wouldn’t lose him. Not because of her own failures and not because he only saw her as a victim. She wasn’t. At least not anymore.

When the sleek, red, muscle car pulled up beside her on the road, she didn’t have to look inside to know which Bomar boy had been dispatched to pick her up. She didn’t even hesitate to crawl inside the car and slam the door shut behind her. She was half frozen from the cold, shivering and shaking and it wouldn’t have mattered if Freddy Krueger himself had stopped to pick her up. She would have gotten in the car.

The heat was running and she put her hands in front of the vent before even glancing at the driver’s seat, “Hey Ford.”

He gave a slight nod and then shifted and whipped a U-turn to get them going in the right direction.

It took a couple of miles for her to fully warm back up and even still, she shivered slightly. She figured that had more to do with what she was doing than with the weather though so she finally sat back in the seat and crossed her arms over her chest. Her driver hadn’t spoken a single word so she turned to take him in.

He looked just as big and imposing as always but oddly at ease driving the old car. In the faded black leather, one big hand on the shifter and a tattooed wrist thrown over the wheel, Ford looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. As if he were only out for a Sunday stroll instead of picking up a scared girl on the side of the road in the middle of the night for his gang-leader brother.

“Stop staring. It’s rude.”

Rachel’s lips quirked at the growl, “I can’t figure you out.”

“Maybe because I’m not a fuckin’ puzzle.” He shot her an annoyed look out of the corner of his eye, “You shouldn’t be here.”

“You just picked me up.” She snorted.

“Because I was told to, not…”

“And do you always do what you’re told?”

That earned her another growl though he otherwise ignored the comment, “Not because I think you’re doing the right thing.”

She blew out a long breath and stared out the window into the dark, “I think you’d probably do the exact same thing if you were in my spot.”

“And I think if that’s your logic, it proves my point. Word of advice, never emulate a Bomar. It’ll only get you into trouble. You’re making a mistake.”

“I need to prove myself to Remy.”

Ford’s semi-relaxed demeanor disappeared and he rubbed as his beard, “No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.” She argued.

“He already chose you. He loves you. He doesn’t want you involved in this family bullshit any more than he wants to be involved it. He got dragged into it because my brother is a bastard that believes keeping the family tied to him is the only way to keep us all together but Remy wants out, he needs out and he needs you safe if he has a shot in hell of having a worthwhile life.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow when the bearded Bomar boy fell silent. She’d been around him enough to know he was a man of few words. Remy liked and respected him though. He’d told her that Ford was the cousin he trusted most these days, not just for the truth but to have his back. She couldn’t help but wonder if that’s what Ford was trying to do now.

“You just called your twin a bastard.”

Ford snorted, “That’s all you got out of what I said? That parts not exactly news.”

“Yeah, but, you’re Lincoln’s twin.”

“So? We’re not the same person. We don’t agree on everything. We don’t even agree on…” He rubbed his beard again, “I can disagree with him in private and with family. But out there, in our world, he has to be seen as having no weaknesses, no dissent in the ranks. It’s the only way he can rule the way he does without someone trying to kill him. And I may not like Link every day of the week but he’s my other half so I’d prefer he didn’t end up six feet under anytime soon.”

“Wow.” Rachel grinned when he shot her another annoyed look, “You get talkative on late night car rides huh?”

Ford harrumphed so she didn’t tease him again.

She shifted slightly in her seat and thought about the way things worked in the Bomar family. They were so tight-knit, even with all their differences and all their problems. Any one of them would lay down their life for the others. Remy wanted to be free of the organization, sure, but he hadn’t said a word about leaving behind his family.

He worked with Colt. He doted on Cash. He teased Bentley whenever he stopped by the salon. He’d been worried about Royce when she told him his cousin hung out with her brother. He looked up to Ford. He seemed to hate Lincoln but he still deferred to him in public.

They were family and family stood up for each other. They chose each other. Even when the choice might look like a mistake to an outsider, as long as they had each other at the end of the day then they would be okay.

If she wanted to be part of that family, she had to do this. She had to choose her place beside them all. Not just Remy.

That night in the barn when she’d been trying to steel her spine and be strong, she’d told herself she needed to be more like Skylar. Smart. Independent. Fearless. Skylar had put it all on the line to save Colt. That had earned her a distinguished place within the family, an honored place. It was fairly well known that Skylar had stood up to Lincoln and won. If Rachel was going to be a Bomar, and she hoped that Remy wanted that as much as she did, then she had to earn her place too.

The car pulled to a stop a couple of minutes later and Ford got out. Rachel squinted, looking around, trying to figure out where they were. She hadn’t asked where they were going. For some reason, she’d thought it would be the barn. Wasn’t that where Lincoln did his business? But when she stepped out of the car, she almost stopped breathing.

“What are we doing here?”

“This is where I was told to bring you.” Ford motioned her ahead, “After you.”

Rachel winced but forced her feet to move. She couldn’t run away. Not now. It was too late for that. As she walked up the one small step onto the front porch, she wished she’d stayed in bed with Remy. Warm and safe. Because she had a feeling whatever was waiting on the other side of this door, it wouldn’t be either.

The door to Colt and Skylar’s apartment opened before she could knock and she bit her lip as her best friend stared at her for a long moment. Skylar looked tired but she figured that was to be expected at this hour. Besides, just a day ago they’d all been out late celebrating Cash and Jemma. Skylar’s blonde hair was twisted up into a messy bun and she was wearing a faded old sweatshirt that looked suspiciously like it was Colt’s with a pair of cute polka-dot sleep shorts. Rachel opened her mouth to say hello and was swallowed in a hug.

“Oh.” Her breath expelled in a rush because Skylar hugged her so tight but when she regained her footing she raised her arms and returned the squeeze.

“You should’ve told us.”

Rachel instantly cringed and tried to step away but Skylar only tightened her hold.

“You could’ve told us. That’s what I meant. We love you. Well, I love you. Colt doesn’t use that word quite so freely but we love you and we support you and…” Skylar’s hurried words gasped to a stop suddenly as she released Rachel and looked over her shoulder, “Oh, hi Ford.”

“Skylar.” The bearded Bomar scuffed his boot against the ground and stared at his feet.

Interesting. Rachel looked between the two. Her friend wagged her eyebrows playfully but as she was going to ask what that look was all about, and why the hell Ford Bomar looked like he was blushing, a rough voice yelled from inside the apartment.

“Damnit Sky, get inside. You’re half-dressed and it’s freezing outside.”

“Coming.” Skylar chirped, taking Rachel’s hand and dragging her inside after her. “Come on in Ford. Make yourself at home.”

Colt’s eyes narrowed on his girlfriend at that, “Not too at home.”

“What?” Skylar asked innocently.

“Nothing.” Colt answered with an amused sigh, patting his knee so that Skylar rushed over and sat in his lap.

The two kissed and Rachel felt an answering pang in her chest. It was a feeling she’d had a lot since her friend had hooked up with the tattooed twin but for once, it wasn’t envy. It was loneliness. She wanted Remy here with her and she wished, not for the first time since she left his bed, that she’d never left it at all.

“Could you two take a breather for a minute or two so we can get through this?” An annoyed voice chimed in and Rachel wheeled to find Lincoln leaning against the counter in the kitchen.

Logically, she’d known he was here. He was the one she’d called.  He’d sent Ford to come get her and he’d told Ford to bring her here. She’d known he was here but somehow, she’d forgotten. Looking at him now, she was certain not many people could ever say that about Lincoln Bomar.

Where his twin was rough, Lincoln was smooth. Clean-shaven with shortly trimmed hair, he was the complete opposite of Ford’s wild locks and beard. But they still looked alike. Beneath the surface differences they had the same build, tall and muscular, and those same sea-glass colored eyes. But where Ford’s had looked at her with soft understanding in the car earlier, Lincoln’s only looked at her with mild curiosity and barely restrained disdain.

“You’re the one that knocked on our door, Link. Not the other way around.” Colt kissed his girlfriend one more time before looking between them all, “You can tell us what this is all about now. You said we were waiting for someone. I had no idea you meant Rachel but now that she’s here I’ve got to ask… where’s my brother?”

Lincoln raised an eyebrow and then looked directly at Rachel. She frowned at him. Clearly Colt had meant the question for him but he wanted her to answer it. Fine. She’d have to find her voice with these men sooner or later.

“He’s at home. In bed. At least he was when I left.”

Skylar raised a skeptical eyebrow, “You left Remy sleeping to come here?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Colt’s brows furrowed as he looked between all of them, “Lincoln told us that Craig is the traitor. He’s the one responsible for all the shit that’s been happening to the family. Does Remy not know?”

“He does.” Rachel swallowed hard and sighed, “He found out this morning.”

“But he’s not here to come up with a plan with us?”

“No. He uh… he didn’t want me to help Lincoln get to Craig.”

Colt cursed. Skylar hushed him. The two of them talked to each other quietly for a moment and Rachel twisted her hands together nervously. Ford was still standing awkwardly in the doorway with it wide open behind him. She thought that was strange considering the chill in the air but didn’t say anything because she couldn’t imagine him shutting the door and enclosing her in this stifling atmosphere. Lincoln leaned against the kitchen counter, completely unmoved by anything that was going on.

Finally he pushed to his full height and sighed, “Okay, you’ve had a second to deal with the fact that Remy doesn’t want the girl to be part of this. That’s his choice. Luckily for us, this choice is hers to make, not his.”

“Now, wait just a second…” Colt started and then gave Skylar a quelling look when she started to speak, “If Remy doesn’t want her to be part of this, maybe she shouldn’t be. I wouldn’t want Sky to…”

“We all know what you wouldn’t want Sky to do but she did it anyway and she got you out.” Lincoln cut him off with a snort, “She made her own decision and this one is Rachel’s to make.”

She sucked in a shaky breath, “It’s my choice to make and I’ve made it. I’m helping do this.”

“Rachel…” Skylar started but she shook her head and cut her off too.

“No. You can’t talk me out of this. If anyone could have it would’ve been Remy. I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t want to hurt any of you. I think… I think my family has done that to yours enough. So if I can help, if I can do this one thing and guarantee that nobody will get attacked like Colt was again, I have do it. Please, can you trust me that I can handle this? Please?”

She bit her lip as her best friend stared at her for another long minute. She always hated when Skylar did that. As if the other woman could see inside her head to all of the doubts and fears she’d never given voice to. Finally, the blonde nodded and Rachel let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“I can do this.”

“I know you can.” A familiar voice came from the doorway and Rachel gasped and spun around.

Standing directly behind Ford was Remy. She had no idea how long he’d been standing there but now it made sense why the bearded Bomar boy had left the door open. He’d known they were expecting another guest. She swallowed hard and then shot him a glare.

“You called him?”

“Before I even picked you up.” Ford shrugged, completely unfazed by her death stare, “He deserved to know what you were doing. Even if it’s not his choice, he deserved to know.”

She couldn’t fault him for that, she supposed. She returned her gaze to Remy as he stalked forward into the apartment. He looked slightly sleep-rumpled and fully annoyed. His lips were thin and his jaw was hard. His fists were clenched and she could feel the tension pouring off of him.

“You left me.”

“I was coming back.”

“You left me sleeping, to come here and do this. To put yourself in danger.” His jaw flexed as he grit his teeth, “Damnit baby, I woke up and you were gone and I thought…”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t you ever leave me like that again. Do you hear me?”

She nodded and he cupped her cheeks, kissing her gently. She kissed him back but when normally he would have deepened the kiss, he pulled back. He dropped his forehead against hers and she saw the softness in his eyes even though the rest of his body was still hard.

“I know you can do this and clearly you’re going to do it with or without my blessing so I’m here to support you. You’re not going in there without me. I’ve got your back, baby. I’ll always have your back.”

Tears welled in her eyes again and she nodded quickly, “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I love you.”

“Thank you for believing in me and for coming after me. Nobody’s ever cared that much about me before.”

“Well you have people that do care now so remember that before you do anything stupid like running away in the middle of the night, okay?”

“Okay.” She smiled softly.

Remy kissed her forehead and then pulled her against him. She hugged him tight and that pang of loneliness in her chest subsided. He was here, with her, supporting her. They were going to be okay.

“Now that we’re all here.” Lincoln spoke up, “Let’s get started.”

Rachel wiped at her cheek and turned in Remy’s arms to look at his cousin, “You were waiting for him? You knew he was coming?”

Lincoln smiled, the same all-knowing, the world is at my feet smile that was specifically designed to show off just how smart and charming he was. It was the smile that said, he knew everything. Always. About everyone. But she didn’t think he’d known Remy was coming no matter what he or his cocky smile said. She snuck a glance at Ford, who rolled his eyes, and she swallowed a knowing smile of her own.

This was her family now.

Chapter Eighteen

Earlier, when they all talked through the plan, it had seemed simple. Easy even. Make a phone call. Tell Craig she was home and they needed to talk. Wait for him to arrive. The boys would be waiting outside and once he was here, they’d take care of him. Easy.

Only, as the phone rang in her ear again and again and again, her hands had started to shake and the doubts and fears had worked their way back in.

What if she couldn’t do this? What if Craig didn’t pick up? What if he didn’t come home? Would they blame her if the plan didn’t work?

Voicemail picked up after the fourth ring and she tried to steady her breathing. It was a basic setup. One step above a burner phone. The automated voice said she’d connected with the right number and then a moment later the beep came.

“Uh… Craig?” Her voice was a whisper and she cleared her throat, “Craig, it’s Ra-Ra-Rachel. I need to talk to you. P-please.” She swallowed hard, “Something happened and… I’m home. Things with R-Remy, they’re over and I need your help. I… I’m home. Where are you? Come home. Please.”

She hung up and dropped her head into her hands. That had been quite possibly the worst voicemail message ever. She blew out another unsteady breath and wondered if her brother was screening his calls. Not that she was necessarily surprised that he hadn’t picked up for her. She doubted he even had her number saved. But if he wasn’t answering his phone, she was left to wonder just where he was and what he was doing.

He’d certainly been in the trailer recently.

She looked around and scowled at the mess. On its best day, when she’d been living here and cleaning every chance she got, it had still been dingy and dirty. The trailer showed its age and the wear of its indifferent occupants. But in the time since she’d left, it had gone from simply worn to dirty to disgusting.

There was trash overflowing from the can in the corner. Piles of take-out food wrappers littered the floor and coffee table. Empty beer bottles covered most of the hard surfaces and mostly empty liquor bottles were tossed about haphazardly as well. There was a new stain on the sofa that she was fairly certain was vomit but she hadn’t gone close enough to find out for sure. The entire trailer smelled of it and her stomach turned with the urge to throw up. The pile of dishes in the sink was strange since Craig couldn’t cook to save his own life but she also hadn’t gone close enough to inspect them because a bug had crawled out of there earlier and she thought she was going to hurl.

They’d never lived like this before but she saw now that was only because she’d refused to let them. She had cooked. She had cleaned. She had taken care of the trailer because it was her mothers, because it was hers, or it should have been. And she’d tried to take care of Craig too but clearly that had been as wasted an effort as keeping this run-down trailer clean.

Her phone beeped and she jumped half a foot into the air. She gave a shaky laugh and then looked around the trailer. Still alone, she shook her head at her stupidity. It was just a phone. It couldn’t hurt her.

She raised it and smiled at the text message from Remy.

Love you babe.

She typed back a quick response and then put the phone aside. She was too nervous and too scared to simply sit here and do nothing while she waited. So she decided, despite everything, she might as well clean.

She knew the plan. She couldn’t leave the trailer now that she’d made the call. If Craig showed and she wasn’t here, he’d get nervous and bolt. And the boys couldn’t come in and keep her company, if he saw them before they saw him, he’d get nervous and run. She was on her own with only the knowledge that a few Bomar boys were tucked out there in the dark somewhere keeping an eye on the trailer for movement.

Remy was out there too but he wasn’t alone. For that much she was thankful. He and Lincoln had fought on his involvement for a good half hour before Colt finally stepped in and taken his cousin’s side. The look of betrayal on Remy’s face had been awful to see but the truth was, she agreed with the other men. If he was going to be there, he needed someone to watch his back, and hold him back if necessary.

He would come charging in to protect her the second Craig showed and that could be dangerous for all of them. It was best if Craig made it inside and let his guard down. Then, when the guys came for him he would be stuck inside with nowhere to run. He wouldn’t be able to get away.

That was the plan and honestly, she thought it was a pretty good one all things considered. She called for help. Craig came running, hopefully, even if it was just because he thought he might have a new way to stick it to the Bomars. And then once he was cornered, they took him away and…

She didn’t like to think about what came after the and. Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good. Lincoln hadn’t gone into details when they were planning this and for that, she was grateful. She didn’t need to know what he intended to do to her brother. All she needed to know was that he was out of their lives and the people she loved were safe.

During their little planning meeting, Lincoln had let slip that the reason for his extended absence the last week was meetings with the Santos Peridos MC. She’d only known MC stood for motorcycle club because Sons of Anarchy was in her Netflix queue. She certainly hadn’t been aware a real motorcycle gang existed nearby but even with her limited knowledge she knew enough to know they must be dangerous and that if they were talking to Lincoln he was far more connected in the dangerous underworld than she’d ever realized. Whichever members of that gang Craig was working with to destroy the Bomars, they were being handled on their end. Lincoln hadn’t said what exactly handled meant in that situation but she could guess.

Trying to wipe her mind of what would happen when her brother showed, Rachel busied herself by stuffing as much trash as she could into the extra bags she found beneath the sink. After that, she pulled out cleaning supplies and started wiping down every available surface. She didn’t wash the dishes though. Something about washing the plates that Craig had left to rot with mold and mildew left her uneasy and she couldn’t explain why. Maybe it was just that bug.

She had no idea how much time had passed when the trailer began to look as though it was inhabitable for humans. She put the bags of trash outside the door and did a quick glance around. Not a thing looked out of place.

She knew Ford was out there somewhere, though not in his ostentatious car. He was hiding in some beat-up old thing he’d scrounged up from the garage. She thought they’d parked it a few slots down but it wasn’t there and she had no idea where he’d have gone. She knew he wouldn’t have left though so she didn’t worry about that. He was here somewhere. She could practically feel someone watching her. The hair on the back of her neck rose and she ducked back inside.

Colt was out there too, despite a lot of arguing with Skylar about it. He’d wanted to be part of this because of what they’d done to him. His girlfriend hadn’t wanted him diving back into the family business of blood and mayhem but since he’d sworn that all he would do was keep an eye on Remy, she’d eventually caved. Skylar was at home, alone in their apartment, though despite the late hour she was probably wide awake.

Lincoln on the other hand was neither at home nor alone. He’d gone somewhere public and at this hour that had meant to the bar. They’d all agreed it was best that nobody associate him with whatever happened tonight. If anyone saw Craig come home before he went missing again, Lincoln needed an alibi. As the leader of the Bomars, he had the most to lose.

They all protected each other. That was why Colt was with Remy right now, keeping him company and keeping him sane so he didn’t barge in too soon. That was why Ford had taken the job picking her up and watching her now, so that nobody else would have to get involved. And, she liked to think, because he kind of liked her just a little bit too. Because she was going to be one of them when all of this was over.

Rachel yawned and looked at the clock on the microwave. It was nearly one in the morning. She had called Craig a little after eleven. It had been almost two hours and there had been no word from him. She glanced at the phone, found another text from Remy telling her if she wanted they could call it all off but she only sighed and typed back another quick message letting him know that they were doing no such thing.

Craig was well known for staying out half the night. It wasn’t even that late. Not really. The bars wouldn’t close for another hour. He might not be ignoring her plea to come home. He might just be drunk somewhere with a whore. That had always been more important to him before so why would it have changed now?

Rachel chewed her bottom lip as she stared at the closed door to her bedroom. In all of her cleaning, she’d never glanced inside. She’d been too worried about what she would find. If Craig had left the rest of the apartment to this sort of disrepair she wasn’t sure what he would have done to her private space.

He’d always hated that she took the big bedroom before he moved in. He hated her for so many things. But she’d left all of her things here. Her books and clothes and old photos. And she knew if she opened that door and he’d destroyed everything that she would probably cry even though she kind of already hated him too.

Finally, with nothing else to do, she pushed the door open and stepped into her old room. And her breath caught because the room was completely untouched. Nothing was out of place. Her closet was still in shambles from where she’d pulled out clothes for her emergency bag the night she’d gone to Skylar’s and then to the barn. Her bed was neatly made. Her headphones were even still on the nightstand where she’d left them.

Was it possible? Had it really only been a little over a week since she was here? This place didn’t feel like home at all. Nothing here looked like it belonged to her and she smiled softly when she realized why that was.

She wasn’t the same girl that had lived here. She’d changed. She’d grown up. She was stronger now. She was actually living, making choices and deciding her own life. She had a job she adored, friends she cared about and a man she loved. She had a family, a real family that cared about her, for the first time in her life.

She was happy.

Rachel sat down on the bed and lifted the only framed picture she had of her old family to look at it. For most of her life she’d stared at this picture and tried to figure out where it all went wrong. Now, looking at it, she could see it had always been wrong. Because nobody had looked like they wanted to be there, together, not even in this old photo.

Her father was scowling at the camera. Craig was half out of focus, as if he’d moved at the last minute, maybe trying to escape. Her mother was looking down, at her, instead of at the flash. And little Rachel, barely four years old, was crying.

It was the only family photo she’d ever been able to find so she’d framed it despite the awfulness of the image. That was how much she’d longed for a real family. She’d wanted it so badly that she’d been willing to stick with Craig no matter how badly he treated her but she knew now that wasn’t family.

Now she knew what real family meant. She was part of one. A rag, tag band of outlaws that barely liked each other some days but still had each other’s backs no matter what. They loved and hated and hurt and protected each other all at the same time. And she was one of them now.

Maybe it was all the stress of this day catching up with her. Maybe it was just her emotions finally winning out over her brain. But the tears began to fall again and Rachel could do nothing but curl up in a ball as the sobs began to wreck her. They weren’t giant, heaving, empty sobs like they had been when she thought she’d lost Remy. They were just sad, dejected tears for the girl she’d been. For the girl she hadn’t known she could become. For the girl that was finally part of a real family and felt loved for the first time in her life.

There was no telling how long she cried before the tears finally ebbed. It was late and she was tired and she was curled up in her bed. So she fell asleep. She only jerked awake some time later when a strange sound caught her subconscious. Between the hangover of a little bit and not nearly enough sleep and her emotional upheaval, her eyes were swollen so she squinted them shut and tried to listen.

She’d have sworn she heard… footsteps.

“Oh God…” She whispered as she hurriedly rose from the bed and rushed toward the door but it was too late.

By the time she reached it a large figure filled the space, blocking her way. She barely got a glimpse of her brother in the dim yellow light but it was enough to understand that cornering him had been a mistake. Because she was cornered in here with him until someone showed up to save her. And Craig hadn’t come home to talk to her. He’d come home to kill her.

“You little bitch.” He hissed a moment before his hand streaked across her cheek, whipping her sideways so hard that she fell into the wall and would have gone to the ground if he hadn’t wrapped a hand in her hair and jerked her back upright, “You think you can just come back here after what you did?”

“Craig, please…” She whimpered as he jerked her around by her hair.

“Don’t you fuckin’ say a word. You already did enough of that!” He screamed in her face and then shoved her hard enough that she went sprawling back onto her ass. “You think I don’t know you been runnin’ your whore mouth, Rachel? Tellin’ shit you were never supposed to know?”

Her vision was blurry and her face stung from the painful slap she hadn’t expected. Oh and she should have expected it. Her eyes were crusty from the earlier tears and her nap and fresh tears sprouted to make her vision blurry. She tried to crawl back, to get away from him, but he bent over and grabbed her hair again, making her scream.

“What’d you tell them, Rachel?”

“Everything!”

He landed another hard slap to her face and she reeled as the world spun around her, making her nauseous. Momentarily, she thought she should have lied but when he shook her until her teeth rattled she knew there was no point. He hadn’t really been asking anyway and this way, at least she wasn’t a liar.

“They know everything? Ha! You don’t know shit so how could they?”

“Fuck you, Craig.” She hissed as she kicked at him, landing what she hoped was a solid knock in his kneecap but he only pinned her legs beneath him, straddling her and holding her down, which set off every survival instinct she had.

She flailed madly against him but it was no use. He had at least a hundred pounds on her and most of it was muscle. He was strong, too strong. And he was wild and ravenous for her pain right now. She glared at him but he didn’t even look like her brother right now. More like a mad animal with wide eyes and snarling lips and it hit her then that he was probably on something.

He definitely wasn’t sober.

“You grew a backbone while you were gone. I think I kinda like it. Say it again.”

She bit her lip to stifle a cry of pain as he slapped her again and laughed like a maniac.

“Fuck me? Fuck me? Yeah, okay.”

“Stop it!”

“You gave it up to that Bomar boy didn’t you? That piece of shit got between your legs, didn’t he? All that time makin’ sure you saved it for someone special and you gave it to him like a groupie whore.” Craig snarled, ripping at her clothes and true fear curdled in her belly.

“Oh, God… don’t. Don’t. Craig! I’m your sister! Don’t!”

“You’re not even stuttering. You’re not scared of me anymore huh? Well, I can fix that.” He ripped at her shirt again and she bucked, trying to get him off her.

She was still scared of him though. That was the thing. She’d just found a way past it. Hadn’t let herself think of what might happen if he got around the others and got to her. She couldn’t have thought about that and agreed to this plan. So she’d only focused on Remy. She’d focused on doing her part for the family and getting rid of Craig once and for all. But she’d still been scared of him, and now, with him holding her down and ripping at her clothes like a madman, she was absolutely terrified.

He’d lost him mind. He was crazy. And where the hell were her boys at? Why wasn’t Remy rushing through the door? Or Ford? She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold him off.

“Craig! Stop!” She screamed as she threw all her weight into freeing her arms and managed to slide one loose.

She reared back and punched him in the nose with every ounce of strength she had left in her body. It knocked him backwards and he sputtered in shock. She took advantage and scrambled out from beneath him. A quick glance showed blood spray the hand he’d used to cup the wound. She’d broken his nose which gave her a momentary feeling of pride before she saw him snarl and head her way again.

Rachel scrambled to her closet. She just had to get to her closet. The vent. She kept her gun hidden in the vent. If she could get to it she could pull it out and point it at him and he would have to stop, he would have to stop or she would shoot him. She would shoot him if he made her. If it was between the two of them, she would have the guts to save herself this time.

“Nooooo!” She screamed when he latched onto her ankle at the same time her hand brushed the vent, which was wide open and empty.

He jerked her backwards and then grabbed her hair, slamming her face forward into the carpet and making her head spin all over again.

The gun wasn’t in the vent, she remembered too late. She’d taken it to the salon and Colt had put it away for safekeeping. But the note she’d left behind as an insurance policy for Skylar to find was gone too. She’d been distracted by the seemingly untouched room. She’d thought he hadn’t been in here but he had. Craig must have found it which meant he knew that she knew everything. Those were the secrets he thought she’d spilled. He knew. She’d come back here with nothing to defend herself and he was going to kill her. She was overpowered and all alone just like she’d always feared she would be.

Where was Remy?

“You fuckin’ bitch.” Craig snarled, flipping her over as he spit in her face, “I shoulda killed you years ago. Saved me a shitload of trouble. My mistake but I can fix it. I’ll just have to bury you next to your whore mama. Nobody’ll even miss you.”

“Th-Th-That’s… not… t-true.”

An eerie red blood-stained grin spread over his face, “There’s the stutter.”

He was going to kill her. She knew it as simply as she knew the sky was blue or the grass was green or that she loved Remy Bomar more than she’d ever known was possible. Craig was going to kill her and it was all her own fault.

If she’d told Remy sooner, they’d have gotten to Craig before he knew what was coming. He wouldn’t have been able to sneak his way in here, past the others. Because she hoped he’d snuck past them, that he’d found a way around them and that he hadn’t already done something horrible to the men she’d only just begun to consider her true family.

No. No. Her mind screamed. Remy was fine. Safe and fine. Sitting out there somewhere in the dark with his brother, completely unaware of what was happening in here. Because if he knew, he’d be here and she hoped that when he did realize something was wrong, that they’d missed something, that he wasn’t the first one through the door. She didn’t want him to be the one to find her body.

Tears prick her vision again but this time it wasn’t for herself. It wasn’t because she had protected this man who cared so little about her that he would kill her with his bare hands. It wasn’t because he was supposed to be her brother and care for her. She only cried now because she knew how badly this would hurt Remy.

He’d asked her not to do this. Not to go. Not to involve herself. But she’d insisted and he’d been right. She’d gotten herself hurt. Worse, if she didn’t fight, she was going to get herself killed.

Big hands landed on her throat and she tried to scream again, “Remy! Help! Remy!”

“What the… you’re callin’ for that fucker? When he sent you away? You’re a stupid fuckin’ bitch ain’t ya! He aint’ gonna help you. Ain’t even gonna care you’re gone.”

Craig tightened his hold on her throat and her entire body bucked, trying to get the air she so badly needed into her lungs. He didn’t know Remy was out there. He’d believed her message that they were done. Which meant Remy was alive and unhurt. He was okay. And if she was going to die, then at least it was knowing that.

She scratched at Craig’s face with her free hand and he released her throat to smack her again. She sucked in a gasp of air but it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough. He easily pinned her arms with one hand and used his other to press against her airway. Stars began to dance in her vision and the entire world started fading to black. The roaring of her desperate, oxygen-deprived blood in her ears was so loud that she wasn’t even sure the sharp noise she heard was real until a second screeching bang rang out a moment later.

Craig jerked above her, his hands leaving her throat as he grasped at his chest, and she sucked in a gulp of air. The stars were still dancing and the entire room was spinning. Her brain was still in a lull and it took her an extended second to see that the reason Craig had stopped choking her to death was because he was now clutching at his own throat.

A giant, gaping hole had opened up just below his chin and off-center by a couple of inches. A second hole had torn through his shoulder but it was the neck wound that was hemorrhaging blood. Dark red liquid poured out of the wound faster than he could try to shove it back in. His fingers and clothes were soaked in it within the blink of an eye and she felt the warmth trickling down onto her as it left him forever.

All of it must have happened in the span of a second or two but it felt like hours that she watched her brother try to put his own blood back inside him. His wide, gray eyes, so much like her own, panicked and scared but still so angry when he finally saw the hopelessness of it and stared down at her. And then he was gone, the light went out of him and his entire body slumped over to the side, just beside her, almost as if he’d decided to lay down to take a nap all of a sudden but didn’t have the energy to get all the way off of her.

“Rach! Rach! Rachel!”

Somewhere in the fog of everything, she could hear someone desperately screaming her name but it all felt so far away. As if maybe she was still asleep and this had all been a nightmare and the screaming was just Remy trying to wake her up from her bad dream. But when someone grabbed her shoulder and shook her, when she opened her eyes, she knew that it was real. It was all real.

“Rach? Baby? Oh God…” Remy was there at her side, shoving Craig fully off of her and dragging her into a sitting position as his hands glided over her, checking for wounds, “Are you hit? Oh God, did I hit you? Where’s all the blood coming from?”

“I…I…” The words stuck in her throat and it took a couple of tries to get them out, “It’s not mine.”

“Oh baby. Oh God, baby.” Remy smashed her to his chest and held on with shaking hands, “I thought I was too late. I heard you screaming and I burst in and saw you on the ground and I thought… Oh God, are you okay? Did he hurt you? Oh your face, baby…”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Another voice cut Remy’s off and they slowly pulled apart until she could see Ford standing in the doorway, a gun in his hand and a shocked and horrified expression on his face, “It looks like a goddamn crime scene in here.”

“Because it fucking is!” Remy growled at him, “Where the hell were you?”

“I saw something and went to check. Shit. I…” Ford ran a shaky hand through his hair and then shook his head, “We can’t talk here. We’ve gotta go. All that noise, somebody’s gonna call the cops. You gotta get out of here.”

Rachel swallowed past the bile in her throat and winced at the pain it caused, “I-Is he dead?”

“Yeah, he’s dead.” Remy cupped the back of her head and forced her to look at him, “I had to. He was going to kill you. You know that right?”

She nodded, though the entire thing felt like nothing more than a dream right now.

“Seriously, you gotta go. Now. I’ll clean this up but if you wanna stay clean. You go. Now.”

“It w-w-was self-defense.” She shook her head at Ford, “W-we don’t have to hide it.”

“Honey, he shot him. Not you. That’s not self-defense.” Ford explained slowly, as if he were talking to a child.

“But…”

“But he’s a Bomar. Do you understand? Cops find him here with a dead guy and a murder weapon and he’s going away, Rachel. He’s going away for a really long time if you don’t get out of here right now.”

She met those serious blue-green eyes and saw the worry in them. That was for her. She was coherent enough to know that Ford was worried about her. He was worried about all of this, the entire situation, but he was worried about her too. And that made her heart crack open and the tears start again because her own brother had tried to kill her but Ford, an ex-con Bomar boy, was trying to save her.

“Ok, come on baby. I got ya.” Remy guided her up and then swung her into his arms.

“Gun?” Ford asked.

“Oh the carpet next to the bastard.”

“I’ll take care of this. You take care of your girl.”

“I will.” Remy started to walk past but she shot out a hand out and caught Ford by the edge of his shirt forcing them to stop or jerk him after them.

“What?” He growled.

“Th-Th-Th…” She whimpered when she couldn’t get the words out and Ford winced and patted her hand gently.

“Don’t thank me. I should’ve been here and he’d never have touched you. I’m sorry, Rachel.”

Remy hauled her out of the trailer before she could tell Ford it wasn’t his fault. Craig must have tricked him, circled around, something. Ford had been trying to help. She didn’t doubt him for a second. And now he would be left to clean up her mess, all of them would because this hadn’t gone anything like what she’d planned.

Remy quickly put her into the passenger seat of a car she didn’t recognize. She had no idea where it had come from or how they’d gotten it. She had no idea how they’d gotten here at all.

He climbed into the driver’s side and started the engine before looking at her, “You’re going to be okay, baby. I promise. You’re going to be okay.”

Her bottom lip trembled and she curled into a ball as the tears broke free again, “I-I-I wanted to be strong. I didn’t want to cry. I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for.”

“I was so scared I was going to die.”

“I know. Me too.” Remy reached over and squeezed her leg gently, “There’s nothing to be scared of anymore.”

As he drove them out of the trailer park, into the dark of the abandoned streets, she leaned back in the seat and thought about that for a moment. He was wrong. They may not have to be scared of Craig anymore but now they had a whole new list of things to be scared of.

Remy had killed a man to save her. Ford was covering it up. But even if the law didn’t figure it all out, what was going to happen to them now? She didn’t know and that definitely scared her.

Chapter Nineteen

Remy tightened his fists on the steering wheel and focused on breathing. He’d just killed a man. It wasn’t the first time. He’d killed men when he was in the Army, when he was deployed. He’d used a much bigger gun and he’d done it from a much further distance but he had taken lives before tonight. This one though, this was the first time it had been personal.

He’d wanted to kill Craig Grant and he had. He’d seen that piece of shit sitting on top of Rachel, hurting the woman Remy loved, and he’d pulled the trigger without a second thought. He couldn’t claim he’d done it on orders or because it had been the only way. He may have been able to fight the other man off of Rachel if he’d tried but he hadn’t tried.

He’d shot him at point blank range with every intention of killing him and he didn’t regret it for a second.

Remy only regret that he hadn’t gotten there sooner. If he’d gotten there sooner, maybe he could have stopped it before it got that far. If they’d realized Craig managed to sneak past them before he heard Rachel screaming, he might have been able to slow down and think rationally. But all of the if only’s in the world wouldn’t change the fact that Rachel’s brother was dead, Remy had pulled the trigger and Rachel had seen all of it happen.

He glanced at her as he sped down the abandoned highway and felt his stomach turn. She was curled into the fetal position again. Her back was to him and she was shaking though there were no sobs to tell him if she was crying again. He didn’t need to see her face to know she was black and blue. Didn’t need to see the ripped clothes to know what that bastard had been trying to do to her. And knowing that he had killed the man that hurt her was the only thing keeping him sane in that moment.

Craig was dead. He wouldn’t hurt Rachel ever again. He couldn’t hurt Colt or any of Remy’s family ever again. He was gone and even if Remy would have to deal with the fallout of taking another human life, he would never regret pulling that trigger.

His phone rang as he made the turn onto the narrow gravel road that led to his trailer and he groaned as he tugged it out of his pocket, “What?”

“Where the fuck are you Remington?”

“Headed home.”

“What the…”

“I’m taking Rachel home.” He cut his cousin off with a curse and lowered his voice, “This car is a mess, Lincoln. You’ll have to send one of the boys to pick it up. Clean it up or get rid of it. I don’t care. Just send someone tonight.”

“Remy…”

“Don’t.”

“Remy.” Lincoln said his name again, the one he went by, the one that his cousin never used because he preferred to annoy him by using his full name. Lincoln used his nickname now and for reasons Remy couldn’t explain, tears blurred his vision. He couldn’t remember the last time Lincoln had called him that. Maybe the day he’d drive him to Falls Lake to sign up with that Army recruiter and get him the hell out of dodge? It had been years and it felt personal in ways he couldn’t describe.

“What?” He finally bit out.

“I’m sorry.”

A tear rolled down his cheek and he swiped at it with the back of his hand, “I know.”

And he did. As much as he might hate Lincoln for letting Colt get involved in the family business, he knew why his cousin had done it. To keep him close. It was the only way Lincoln knew how to take care of people.

He hadn’t meant for anything bad to happen to Colt just like he hadn’t meant for anything to happen to Rachel tonight. He’d been doing what he thought needed to be done and now that it had all gone to hell, nobody would feel worse about it than Lincoln because it meant that he had failed. He hadn’t been able to protect his family. He hadn’t been able to keep them safe. It would haunt him and no doubt, someone would end up paying the price for Lincoln’s anger.

“I’ll clean it up.”

“I know.” Remy said again.

“How’s Rachel?”

Remy glanced at her again, watching her tiny back heave with breaths and struggled for his own, “Not good.”

“Take care of her.”

“I will.”

“I can’t leave the bar for a while. I’ll need the alibi if anyone asks questions. But I’ll come by later to talk to her if that’s okay with you. To apologize to her myself. I don’t know exactly what all happened tonight but I know it was bad and you didn’t want her there so…”

“Yeah, I… just hold off until tomorrow. We need some time.”

“Understood.” Lincoln cleared his throat, “I’ll leave you to it then.”

Remy hung up without saying goodbye and silently cursed the glimmer of blood on the screen in the light of the dash. The phone would have to go too. Right along with the car and their clothes and everything else. They’d have to get rid of everything this night had destroyed and as he glanced over at his girlfriend, he only hoped that wouldn’t mean she needed to get rid of him to wipe out the memories of what he’d done too.

He’d killed her brother. Her half-brother. Her only living relative that she had anything to do with. And even if he’d done it to save her, he feared that she would hate him for it.

He pulled into the drive and killed the engine. Rachel didn’t move so he didn’t bother telling her to wait for him. He simply circled the car and opened the passenger door. Her eyes were shut when he lifted her out but she wrapped her arms around his neck and let him carry her inside without a word.

More than anything, he simply wanted to take her to bed. He wanted to hold her close. Wanted to reassure himself that she was alive, that she was whole, that she was still his. But since she was covered in blood, and now so was he, their destination had to be the shower first instead.

“We gotta get cleaned up, okay babe?” He set her down on the bathroom counter and leaned over to flip the taps on.

“Bath?”

“Shower.” He shook his head even though his heart squeezed tight when she spoke. “Easier to wash it all off that way. I’ll come in with you if you want or you can do it yourself if you prefer.”

“Stay with me. Please.”

“Always.” He kissed her temple lightly and then helped her to undress.

Rachel wasn’t frozen with fear like he’d been afraid she was. Not like she had been just this morning when Lincoln had threatened her, when she’d thought he would leave her, when she’d realized her brother was going to die. She was pale and tear-stained, bloody and bruised, but she wasn’t broken. Not this time.

God, she was so much stronger than he gave her credit for.

Slowly, he helped her remove the t-shirt she’d been wearing. It was ripped and bloody and he tossed it in the small trashcan next to the toilet. He winced at what he saw when the shirt was removed. The angry marks on Rachel’s neck were already turning from red to purple, and his temper flared all over again. That son of a bitch had tried to strangle her, could have killed her, would have if Remy hadn’t busted in when he did, and tears swarmed his vision as he thought about how close he’d come to losing her tonight.

“Rach…” His voice broke.

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m okay.” She soothed him when he knew it should have been the other way around, “You saved me.”

“I’m so sorry.” His hand shook as he lightly traced the damage to her pretty face.

The bruises would be impossible to hide. Not just the handprint around her neck but the angry black eye that was already starting to swell shut. Her lip was busted and dried blood coated her chin. He hated that someone had done this to her while he’d been twenty yards away with no idea what was happening. He hadn’t protected her. Not at all.

“Shh, I’m okay.” She said again, taking his hand and pulling him into a hug, wrapping herself around him, “I love you.”

“I love you too. So much. I thought…” His voice broke again and he struggled to breath, “I thought I lost you.”

“I’m here. I’m right here.” She sniffled against his chest, “Let’s take a shower and wash it all away. I want to wash it all away.”

“Okay.” He managed a nod as he helped her down from the counter and then out of the rest of her clothes.

As Rachel stepped into the shower, he quickly tore off his own clothes and tossed them in the trash can too. They would have to get rid of the entire sack. Burn it probably. But he’d leave that up to his cousin. Lincoln had said he’d send one of the boys for the car so after their shower Remy would stick the clothes out there with it and they could take all of it away at once.

By the time he stepped into the shower behind Rachel, she was standing under the beating water and it ran red at her feet. Streaks of pink trailed down her beautiful body, the last of the blood washing away. The bruises lingered though and so did the pain in her eyes, so he pulled her to him and simply held her for a long time.

He had to remind himself that she was here. She wasn’t really hurt. Not irreparably. The bruises would fade. Her busted lip would heal. They would find their way past this. Somehow.

“Remy?” Rachel said his name a while later, as the heat of the water began to fade and he had to release her to wash up before it ran out completely.

“Yeah?”

“What happens now?”

He winced at the question. He’d known it would come. He knew they had a lot they would have to talk about. But he’d expected her to want to avoid it, to put it off. He’d thought they might simply be able to curl up together in bed and not deal with any of the repercussions until tomorrow.

“We don’t have to talk about it right now.”

Rachel bit her lip, then winced, as if she’d forgotten it was busted, “I know. I just… I need to know. Craig… or his body… what will happen to him now?”

Remy sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “He’ll disappear.”

“Oh…”

“Rach…” He started cautiously but she shook her head.

“No. It’s okay. I mean, I knew that was going to be the answer I just… I don’t know. I guess in my head I was thinking I’d have to deal with like, funeral arrangements or something.” Her hand came up to her neck and she winced, “He’s really dead, isn’t he?”

His heart squeezed again and Remy moved towards her in the small space, pulling her hand away from the bruises and kissing her lightly, “Yeah, Rach. He is.”

Her hand trembled slightly, “He can’t ever hurt me again.”

“No, baby. He can’t.” His voice trembled too. “He can’t ever hurt anyone I love ever again.”

“Oh, Remy…” Rachel threw herself into his arms and buried her face in his chest, “Thank you. Thank you. Oh, God, if you hadn’t showed up when you did… I… He would have… you…”

“I know.” He wrapped her up and squeezed her tight.

“I was so scared you were going to be the one to find my body. I didn’t want that.”

“Oh, baby… no, you can’t think about that anymore.” He smoothed her wet hair back and kissed her temple.

“You didn’t want me to go in the first place and…”

“Shhh, it’s okay.” It was his turn to soothe this time as the dam broke and he felt tears run down his chest as she shook in his arms again, “Don’t go there. You’re okay. I’m okay. We’re going to be okay. I promise.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Rach.”

He held her against him until the water turned cold and they both screeched and jumped out of the shower. In silence, they dried off together. They exchanged touches here and there, kissing softly as they went, and when they were dry Remy took her hand and led her towards the bedroom. He pulled out an old t-shirt and helped her put it on and then put her in bed and tucked her in, kissing her forehead softly before pulling away.

“I’ve got to go take out the trash with our clothes in it. Make sure the keys are in that car. One of the boys is picking it up and getting rid of it. Stay here and I’ll be back in just as soon as I can.”

Rachel nodded slightly so he kissed her again and then retreated before he gave in to the urge to crawl into the bed beside her and never let her go.

He grabbed a clean pair of boxers and jeans and retreated to the bathroom to pull them on. A glance around the small space made his stomach turn again. The bloody clothes in the trash can were one thing but the pink stains in the bottom of the old tub were worse. He grabbed the Clorox from under the counter and quickly sprayed it down. When he was done, he twisted up the trash bag and tied it off as well.

By the time he was done cleaning up the bathroom, he heard the sound of a car engine outside and headed for the front door. He slid on a pair of boots and a jacket and stepped outside as the lights on the vehicle in his driveway cut out. He stared at the SUV that he didn’t recognize and wished for a moment that he’d thought to stay inside until he verified it was one of his cousins.

When the door opened, and Bentley stepped out of the passenger side he breathed a sigh of relief. His younger cousin looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, which he supposed wasn’t all that unlikely. Lincoln and Ford had been adamant about keeping their younger brothers out of things tonight if they could help it but apparently it could no longer be helped.

Bentley’s hair was mussed and sticking up on one side and his jaw was covered with stubble. His usual smile was gone and he looked downright tired. He flashed his teeth but his dimples didn’t appear when he stalked forward, his boots kicking up dust as he dragged his feet.

“Remy.”

“Bent.” He nodded his head towards the car, “Who you with?”

“Oh…” Bentley looked surprised by the question and then snorted, a real smile finally peeking out, “That’s just Royce.”

“Royce? Really?” Remy frowned as the car shifted into reverse and started to back away, “Guess he can’t be bothered to say hello?”

“What can I say, my twin ain’t as personable as me.” Bentley shrugged and pointed to the old car at his side, “Keys in this one?”

Remy frowned, disliking the change in subject from Royce. Everyone seemed to be doing that these days. He was the one cousin Remy hadn’t seen since he came home months ago. He’d been thrown back into things with Lincoln and Ford and Bentley but Royce was suspiciously MIA. Considering he’d even run across all of the Bible Bomars excluding the ones currently in lock-up, Remy found that odd. Now his cousin couldn’t even be bothered to get out of the car and say hello and he made a mental note to find out just what the hell was going on with Royce after this mess was handled.

“Yeah.”

“Good. I’ll get rid of it.” Bentley nodded.

“Be careful driving through town. I’d hate for you to get stopped in it. There’s blood on the wheel and God only knows where else.”

“Trebly’s on the take. He won’t give us any trouble.”

“Maybe Sherriff Trebly won’t but Deputy Trebly isn’t exactly our biggest fan.”

Bentley’s dimples were in full force when he winked, “Oh, I think I can handle the big, bad Law.”

Since Remy had no idea whether that was a joke or not, he remained silent. He hoped it wasn’t a joke. That if Bentley got stopped by the younger Trebly that he could talk himself out of trouble. God knew the kid could talk himself out of just about anything. But Lawson Trebly seemed to enjoy sticking it to the Bomars so he wasn’t so sure charm would be enough if Bentley ran into the officer.

“I’m not taking it back into town but Lawson’s not on duty tonight anyway.” Bentley shrugged, as if Remy shouldn’t even question how or why he knew the deputy’s schedule, “Link wants it burned so we’ll head inland on the Bomar property. Get rid of it out there where nobody can see the flames.”

“Oh, yeah, good idea.” Remy decided to drop the issue of Lawson Trebly completely and walked closer, “Here are mine and Rachel’s clothes from tonight. You can burn those too.”

“Sure thing.” Bentley took the bag and tossed them inside. “How is she?”

“Shaken up but she’ll be okay.”

“I’m glad she’s okay. Ford told me some of what happened and it sucks. She’s a good girl. I’m glad she’s okay.”

“Thanks.”

Remy appreciated that Bentley cared about Rachel. As much as he hadn’t wanted to get mixed up in the same old family bullshit when he came home, as much as he’d hoped to protect Rachel from this dangerous life, he couldn’t say that it didn’t warm his heart that his family seemed to love Rachel just as much as he did.

“What’s the word on the scene at the trailer?”

“You don’t know?” Bentley frowned again.

“I told Link to give us some time but you said you talked to Ford so…”

“Yeah, well, there’s going to be a freak fire over there too. You just can’t trust those old trailers. The wiring is always going out.”

Remy snorted, “So I hear.”

“I hope there wasn’t anything in that trailer that Rachel wanted because it’s probably up in flames by now.”

“Shit. I should have asked her.” He scrubbed his face.

Rachel’s entire life was going up in flames tonight. He’d killed her brother in front of her. After Craig had tried to kill her, but still. She’d lost the last of her blood family and now she was going to lose everything she owned. Damn it, he should have thought about what Ford meant about cleaning up the scene before they left and asked if there was anything she wanted to keep.

“She’ll be okay.”

“Yeah.” He nodded distractedly when Bentley tried to reassure him.

“Go on back inside and take care of your girl. We’ll take care of everything else.”

“Thanks Bent.”

“And if she needs anything, anything at all, you let me know and I’ll get it for her.” Bentley smiled, dimples flashing again as he gave a sheepish laugh, “Well, I mean, if she needs like feminine stuff, maybe call Jemma or Skylar but… you get what I mean.”

“Yeah, I get it.” Remy managed a smile for his cousin, “And I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” Bentley winked, “Better get going before big brother starts wondering what’s taking so long. Call if you need anything.”

Remy watched as Bentley climbed behind the wheel of the old junker and waved as he pulled away. Only once the taillights disappeared down the drive did he turn and go back inside. He didn’t know what he was wishing for when he finally pushed the door open to the bedroom. If Rachel was asleep, he could put off this conversation until tomorrow. If she was asleep, he wouldn’t be able to kiss her and touch her and remind himself that she was his.

It didn’t matter what else he wished for, all he wanted was her.

He leaned against the doorway and watched her for a long moment. Moonlight was coming in through the slats of the blinds, painting her in shadows. Her dark hair was spread over the pillow. The blankets were pulled up to her chin. She looked so young, so small and fragile. The bruises on her face were visible even from this distance and he fought the urge to rush to her and wrap her up in an effort to keep her safe.

She didn’t need to be coddled. She’d more than proven that today. Despite all the reasons he’d told her he didn’t want her to go to Lincoln, she’d still done it. Because she was strong and capable of making her own decisions. She knew what she wanted and she went for it. She loved with her whole heart. She saw the best in people. And she’d done everything she could to protect him and his family tonight, including putting herself in harm’s way.

He’d almost lost her. He hadn’t known Craig managed to sneak past them but he’d had a feeling. Some sick feeling in the pit of his stomach had told him something was wrong. The hair on the back of his neck had gone up and he’d all but told Colt to back the hell off and gotten out of the car to go and check on her. He’d only heard her screaming when he was ten steps from the door to the trailer and he’d known right then that everything had gone wrong.

The only reason he’d even had the gun was because Colt brought it to give back to him. It had been Rachel’s. The one she left in Skylar’s salon that his brother had taken from her for safekeeping. Colt had brought it with them for some reason and Remy had tucked it into his jeans. He’d had it but he hadn’t thought he would need it… until he did.

What would have happened if he hadn’t? If he hadn’t gotten that bad feeling and gone to check on her? If he hadn’t been close enough to hear her screaming? If he had hesitated for even a moment, she might be the one dead and he never would have recovered from it.

God, he loved her so damn much.

“Remy?”

He pushed back up to his full height as Rachel sat up in the bed. The blankets fell to her waist and as he moved closer he could see the outline of her breasts through the old white shirt he’d given her to wear. He pulled his gaze back up and focused on her bruised face, that was sure to kill his libido.

She was bruised because he hadn’t gotten to her fast enough.

“Hey, baby.”

“Everything okay?”

He sighed as he sat down beside her on the bed and cupped her unbruised cheek gently, “No.”

“What is it?”

“Rach, I almost lost you tonight.” He shook his head when she opened her mouth to say something, “No. I almost lost you. I came so close. If even one thing had gone differently, you wouldn’t be here with me and I can’t… I wouldn’t have known how to go on without you.”

“Don’t say that.” Rachel cupped his hand with her own, “Please don’t say that.”

“It’s true. I can’t imagine my life without you. I don’t want to.”

“You don’t have to. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Don’t ever put yourself in danger like that again, okay? I know I said I’d support you but…” He struggled past the knot in his throat, “I can’t lose you. Not when I just found you.”

“Oh, Remy…” Rachel wrapped her arms around him and managed to crawl into his lap, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” He stroked her hair and held her close.

“Craig’s gone. He can’t hurt me anymore. That’s because of you. Thank you.”

“Rach, baby, I killed your brother right in front of you. I shot him and he died… on top of you. He bled out while you watched. I never wanted that. I…”

“You saved me. You saved me, Remy.” She cut him off, “I may have nightmares about it but they’re not about you. He was going to kill me. I knew it the moment I saw his eyes. He was high and angry and out of his mind. He would’ve killed me if you hadn’t stopped him.”

“But still, he was your brother.”

“He wasn’t my brother. Not anymore. He was a monster.” She bit her lip and then winced again and he stroked his thumb over the cut she’d reopened, dabbing at the blood, “I can cling to my memories of him, of those good days when he saved me, but that isn’t who he was at the end.”

“Rach…”

“I’m okay with what happened tonight.” She sighed and shook her head, “Or, not okay, but I’ll deal with it. We’ll deal with it. Together. As long as I have you, I can deal with everything else.”

“You have me, love. You’ll always have me.” He sighed, “But there’s something else you need to know.”

“What?” She pulled back and studied his face.

“Ford had to set the trailer on fire to cover up the scene. I’m so sorry. I didn’t ask if there was anything you wanted out of there before we left and now it’s all gone. Everything. All of yours clothes and books and pictures… I’m so sorry.”

Rachel’s bottom lip quivered but she blinked back tears, “It’s okay. It’s just stuff. I don’t need any of it.”

“But it was yours.”

“You’re mine and I told you, you’re all I need.” Rachel gave a shaky nod.

“But if you want…”

“You know what I want?” She cut him off with a sniffle.

“What? Tell me. Tell me and I’ll do whatever I can to make it yours baby. Anything.”

“I want a clean slate.”  A tear escaped the corner of her eye and he gently wiped it away as it streaked over the bruises there, “I want to start over. I don’t want to be that scared girl anymore because I don’t have to be. I just want to start all over and be me. I want to be yours. I want to be happy.”

His heart broke in his chest. It shattered. Because it was such a simple request but nobody else could have understood it quite like he did.

It was the same thing he’d wanted when he came home. He’d wanted to start over. Forget about the last ten years. Forget about the two even before he left. He’d wanted to just be Remy. Not a Bomar. Not the brother that ran away. Not the one that had been abused. He’d wanted to start over and just be himself and be there for the people he loved.

Being with Rachel, that was what had helped him accept that he was a better man than he’d been back then. She made him better. And if she wanted to start over, he’d do everything in his power to help her find the same happiness that he had found thanks to her.

“Clean slate.” He nodded, stroking her back reassuringly. “Done.”

“What about everything that happened tonight? What if the cops come knocking? They will, right? My home was torched. My brother is… missing.” She cringed at the word, “They’re going to ask questions.”

“Lincoln will handle what he can but yes, they’ll come asking questions.”

“What are we going to tell them?”

“Nothing.”

She rolled her eyes, “We can’t tell them nothing.”

“Yes, we can. The Bomars have been doing it for years. Trust me, Lincoln knows what he’s doing. There’s no way this will come back on you or on me.”

“But the bruises…”

“They can’t prove anything. At worst, they might imply that I did it.”

“Oh my god.” She looked horrified and he chuckled.

“It’s okay.”

“No! It’s not!”

“Rach, you and I know the truth. Colt, Sky, Cash, Jem, Lincoln and Ford and Bent and the other boys… everyone in the family will know the truth. That’s what matters. I don’t care what anyone else thinks about me just so long as you’re okay.”

“Remy, you can’t let them think you did this to me.”

He loved her so much for defending him, for refusing to allow that kind of assumption. He was a Bomar. His girlfriend had bruises. It wasn’t a stretch to think that everyone in this town would assume he was an abuser. But he didn’t care about what those people thought of him, not anymore.

As long as he had Rachel and his family, he would be fine.

“How about we deal with it tomorrow, baby? It’s been a long day. Tomorrow is bound to be another one. Tonight, I just want to hold you and remind myself that you’re here and you’re mine and I didn’t lose you.”

Rachel stroked his cheek and then leaned down and kissed him softly, “Okay.”

“Okay.” He smiled and kissed her back just as softly.

With a little maneuvering, he twisted them down onto the bed and pulled the blankets back up over them. Rachel scooted back, pressing her curves against him and he groaned and pulled her closer. Having her in his arms, she fit there so well because she was made for him, made his cock stir but he steadfastly ignored it and simply held her.

Rachel shimmied her hips a little, “Um… Remy.”

“Hush.” He chuckled against her hair. “Ignore it.”

“I could uh… help you with that.”

“Not tonight. We have plenty of time for that later.”

“Like, the rest of our lives?”

He smiled because he could hear the grin in her voice. He pulled her even tighter and kissed the top of her head. God, he loved this woman.

“Yeah love. We have the rest of our lives. Now, sleep.”

Chapter Twenty

Rachel stared at her reflection in the small bathroom mirror and told herself that she wasn’t going to cry. Not again. Not anymore. There was nothing left to cry about. It was over. Craig was gone. Remy had saved her. They were starting over and this time around she wasn’t going to be a scared crybaby that hid behind everyone else.

She tilted her chin up and blew out a rough breath.

Her bad night was written all over her face.  Her busted lip had scabbed over but still ached whenever she moved her mouth. She dabbed at it with her tongue as she willed the tears that wanted to form back. Her left cheek was one giant bruise. The blue and purple discoloration ran from her eye all the way to her chin. The colors were stark against her red and swollen eyes.  It looked even worse than it felt and it didn’t exactly feel good.

She sniffled slightly as the memories came back and dropped her gaze to where her hands white-knuckled the sink. Deep breath in and then deep breath out. Count it out. Remy had taught her that last night in bed when she’d woken screaming from the bad dream that was actually a memory. He’d held her close and told her she was safe until the worst of the shivers stopped and then he’d told her how he dealt with his own bad memories. The memories of Chrissy and Decker and all the friends he’d lost overseas in combat. The memories of the men he’d killed. He’d said the memories never really went away but he’d learned to deal with them, to cope with them, and she could to. As long as they had each other to hold onto, they would make it through this.

Rachel got her breathing back under control and then focused on the only thing she could. The present. She couldn’t spend any more time looking backwards. Couldn’t wonder about the what ifs or the could have beens. Not anymore. Her old life was over and there was no going back. She didn’t want to go back. But she couldn’t focus on the future yet either. There were too many questions there too. Too many problems, too many unknowns, because she wasn’t naïve enough to think there wouldn’t be repercussions for what had happened last night.

Even if she didn’t question whatever lengths the Bomars had gone to in order to protect Remy, and her, she knew the cops would have questions.

They would be by and soon. It wasn’t exactly a secret in town that she’d been staying with Remy lately. They went everywhere together. The cops would figure out where she was and they would come out here to talk to her, and to Remy, about the fire at the trailer. He’d told her not to worry about it but she couldn’t help it.

She went through the motions. She brushed her teeth. She combed her hair. She twisted it up into a messy top-knot and refused to think about how many things she would have to buy to replace what had gone up in flames in the trailer. She’d left almost everything behind when she went to Remy’s but she’d always thought if she needed something, she could pick it up when Craig wasn’t around. Now all of her belongings were a smoldering pile of ash. Even little stuff like her headbands and scrunchies, not to mention her makeup were all gone.

Rachel stared at her reflection again and winced at the reminder that she had no makeup to cover up her face. She’d never worn a lot of makeup anyway but she’d had concealer since the day Craig moved in with her. She’d needed it to cover the bruises because even if he’d tried to put them where nobody would see, he’d lost it more than once and smacked her across the face. She touched her cheek lightly and swallowed hard. This was the last bruise Craig would ever put on her body. He could never hurt her again. He could never hurt anyone ever again thanks to Remy.

“Babe?”

She smiled softly when she heard his voice from the other side of the bathroom door. She’d been in here for a while. He must have gotten worried. She slid the door open and leaned against it. Her heart swelled in her chest at the sight of Remy’s broad frame taking up the entirety of the small doorway. His eyes were dark and his mouth was twisted into a grim line. He hadn’t shaved this morning and the dark stubble on his handsome face made his rough edges even rougher. He opened his arms and she went into them instantly.

He held her tight and some of her fears slipped away. They were going to be okay. They were going to get through this. Together.

“Easy, baby.” He cupped the back of her head and pulled her back just enough he could look down into her eyes, “You okay?”

She nodded.

The furrow between Remy’s brows only deepened and he stroked his thumb over her jaw, one of the only places he could touch that wasn’t bruised, “I don’t know how that could be true but I promise you… you will be.”

“I know.” She cuddled into his touch.

She loved this man so much. There was no hesitation in the way he touched her. He made her promises as if he would never let her down. And he hadn’t. Not once. From the moment she met him, he’d done nothing but be there for her. Be her friend. Be her shoulder. Be her strength. Now it was her turn to stand tall and be strong for him.

“I’m okay. I am, or I will be. I told you, I only need you.”

“You’ve got me, baby.” He kissed her forehead, “And you’ve got a lot more than just me.”

She pulled back to look up at him again, “Huh?”

Remy smiled, a sheepish thing full of white teeth and dimples, “My entire family wants to see you. They want to hug you and hold you and see that you’re safe. They love you, Rachel. Just like I do.”

She felt tears well behind her eyes again, “Everyone?”

“Everyone.” He nodded, catching a stray tear that escaped from the corner of her eye before it could fall, “Colt told Sky what happened last night, as least as much as he knows. She’s been texting me all morning to see if she can come over. She must’ve told Jemma too because Mama Bear has left a half dozen messages.”

“Oh… I… I should probably call them back.”

“I wasn’t done.” Remy smirked, “Bentley said if you need anything, to call him and he’ll get it for you. Ford called, he actually called instead of sending a text. My cousin that never says ten words if he can help it actually called to check on you and wanted you to know he packed a small bag with a couple of things he thought you might want before he burned the trailer. And Lincoln…”

A loud banging noise interrupted Remy and Rachel jumped a foot off the ground. He winced and pulled her close and she blushed immediately when she recognized the loud noise for what it was. Not a gunshot. Not a threat. Someone was knocking on the door of the trailer, that was all.

All of Remy’s kind words that had been wrapping around her heart, were forgotten. She forgot how amazing it felt to know that she had family that cared about her. Not just Remy. Not even just Skylar and Jemma. She had Colt and Cash. Bentley was her friend and Ford was… well, she thought he just might be the big brother figure she’d always wanted and never gotten in Craig. She had family, but that knock on the door was a threat that could take it all away.

“The cops?” She felt her bottom lip tremble.

“If it is, we’ll get through it.” Remy kissed her forehead when the knocking came again, “Just tell them what we discussed. Nothing more. Short one word answers are best.” He managed a small smile for her, “You’re quiet and shy, remember?”

She rolled her eyes and he chuckled. His joke helped to lighten the mood just a little, just enough that she could breathe. He gave her a questioning look but she nodded that she was ready and let him take her hand. They walked, together, to the front of the trailer as the banging came again.

“Coming.” Remy called before covering the last few steps and unlocking the door. It swung outward and morning light spilled in along with a cold breeze. Rachel shivered but Remy didn’t move out of the way to allow whoever was outside in. His lips turned down into a scowl and he shook his head, “I told you to give us some time.”

“I did. I gave you all night. Now move aside and let me in. It’s cold out here, Remington.”

Even if she hadn’t recognized the voice, she would have known from the condescending tone who was on the other side of the door. There was only one person that called Remy by his full name. It wasn’t the cops. It was someone far more intimidating. Lincoln Bomar was here.

Remy had been about to tell her something about Lincoln, and now here he was. Had he been worried about her too? Like his brothers? Or was he here to cover his bases and make sure the untrustworthy new girl kept her mouth shut about what she’d seen last night? She figured it was probably the latter but she still nodded when Remy shot her a questioning look. Whatever Lincoln wanted, they couldn’t just send him away. Dealing with him now would be the first step to putting the events from last night behind her.

“Fine, but you better be nice.” Remy growled as he moved aside to let his cousin inside.

“I’m always nice.” Lincoln snorted but when he stepped inside, he wasn’t smiling.

Rachel steeled her spine when he immediately turned to face her. Lincoln looked like hell. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all. His short hair stuck up in every direction. There were dark circles under his beautiful eyes. Stubble covered his jawline and he was still wearing the same clothes he’d had on when she’d seen him last night. He looked rumpled and tired but that wasn’t what made her stomach clench. It was the worry that was clear in his bold gaze as he looked her over, top to bottom.

His jaw clenched as he took in her bruises and then he was moving. Lincoln was in front of her in three long strides before Remy could even think to step in front of his cousin. She didn’t back up. She didn’t even flinch when he raised his big hands and cupped her face. She wasn’t scared of this man, she realized. Not anymore. She knew he wasn’t here to hurt her.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered and his voice was rough, “I’m so sorry, Rachel.”

“It’s… it wasn’t your fault.”

Lincoln’s eyes latched onto the bruise on her neck, “Ford told me what happened, as much as he knew anyway since he let that bastard trick him and wasn’t there to protect you. He should have been there. He should have been there and that fucker never should’ve touched you.”

She swallowed hard at the anger in his voice, “It wasn’t his fault. Please, don’t blame Ford.”

“I have to blame someone, sweetheart.” Lincoln’s grip on her face tightened a fraction of an inch and then he seemed to catch himself and he released her completely and stepped back, “If that fucker were still alive, I’d gut him for daring to touch you. Nobody messes with my family and gets away with it. Nobody.”

Rachel raised her eyebrows but kept her mouth shut. Yesterday, Lincoln had stood in almost the exact same place and called her a liar and a traitor. He’d accused her of only being with Remy to protect herself. Today, she was one of them. She was family. Which reminded her of what it took to truly be considered a Bomar. She had to protect them, just as they would protect her. She’d earned her place.

“He’s already dead, Link.” Remy spoke up, “And it wasn’t Ford’s fault he got past us. Ford saw something and went to check it out. It’s more than Colt or I saw. He was a sneaky, rat bastard and he got what was coming to him. It’s over.”

“You’re right.” Lincoln cleared his throat and turned to face Remy for the first time since he walked into the trailer, “He’s dead and it is over, at least for you two.”

“What?” Rachel squeaked as she glanced between the two men. “Wh-what does that mean?”

“Bug wasn’t working alone. I’ve still got the rest of the Santos Peridos crew to deal with. That’s on me. Not you.” Lincoln shook his head, “It means, you two have done your part to protect the family and now we’re going to protect you by getting you out of the family business.”

“Wh-what?”

“Out?” Remy’s brows knit together. “What are you talkin’ about Link?”

“You’re out. Done. Free. As clean as your little brothers from this day forward. I hereby baptize you from the Bomar curse.” Lincoln made the sign of the cross and then shrugged when nobody laughed at his joke, “You did your part for the family. You killed our traitor and your girl nearly lost her life helping us. I figure that entitles you to one request and we both know that’s going to be your freedom.”

Rachel gaped at the offer Lincoln was making. In Lincoln’s eyes, Remy had done something for the family last night. He’d handled their traitor problem. He had blood on his hands and in the Bomar family that meant he was owed something in return. Lincoln was offering him the one thing that he knew Remy wanted most.

No more fighting in the cage for the family. No more looking over his shoulder. No more wondering if saving Colt had truly been worth it. No more worrying how much would be enough to earn his own freedom.

It was as close to a declaration of love as Lincoln had probably ever come. The man took loyalty seriously. He protected his family at any and all costs. He was their leader for a reason, because he put them first. He was putting Remy first now.

She glanced at the man she loved and saw his features twisted into disbelief. Her heart squeezed tight in her chest when his eyes narrowed on his cousin. That was her Remy. She could practically see his mind racing, trying to find the loophole, trying to discern what the trick was behind Lincoln’s words. He didn’t trust his cousin or an offer that seemed too good to be true.

“Out?” Remy repeated, his head cocked suspiciously.

“Yes. Out, Remington. You’re out.”

“No more fighting?”

“Nope.”

“You’re just letting me out of the deal we made for Colt?”

“Yes.”

“And it’s not gonna come back on my brother if I don’t keep my end of the deal?”

“You’re keeping your end. I’m not keeping mine. You’re out.” Lincoln growled.

“Why?”

“I fuckin’ told you why.” Lincoln narrowed his eyes in return, “I’m giving you something you want. I expected a thank you, not the third degree.”

“I’m not going to thank you for having a shred of decency left in you.”

Lincoln tossed his hands in the air, “I don’t know why I even fuckin’ bother with you. I really don’t.”

“Guys…” Rachel inserted herself between them when she felt the air shift and crackle with tension.

“I fucked up! Is that what you want to hear, Remington? I fucked up with you and I fucked up with Colt. I thought keeping you close the same way I do the other boys was the answer to your problems but it wasn’t. It isn’t. So if you want out, want to be free of this life and this family, fuckin’ go. We don’t need you. I don’t need you. So you’re out. Change your last name if you fuckin’ hate us all that much but I’m done trying to do right by you.”

Rachel winced when Lincoln exploded. If it had just been anger, she might have moved away from him. She might have put herself in front of Remy. But Lincoln wasn’t just angry. He was hurt. She may not know him well and he would most likely deny it if she said so but Remy’s refusal to accept his help or his offer hurt Lincoln. He was hurt and he was lashing out just like every other man she’d ever known.

Except for Remy.

She moved towards her boyfriend and put a hand on his chest, “Remy, please…”

“No.” Remy growled at her, “I know you see the good in people, Rach, but he’s not one of the good guys. He’s not doing this out of the goodness of his heart. There’s something in it for him. There must be.”

“Fuck you, Remington.” Lincoln scoffed. “You’d rather keep climbing in the cage? Fine, but that’s on you. You don’t get to keep blaming me for your shitty life just because you’re too scared to walk away.”

“I’m not walking away from my responsibilities again!” Remy snapped.

“Remy, stop. Please.” Rachel begged.

“We ain’t your responsibility.” Lincoln talked over her, “The boys, the family, they’re my responsibility.”

“Cash and Colt…” Remy started but Lincoln scoffed again.

“Aren’t your responsibility anymore either. They’re grown men. They’re out. They’re clean. They have their own lives.”

“No thanks to you.”

Lincoln’s jaw clenched but his voice became deadly calm, “You’re right. They have their own family now and that doesn’t have shit to do with me. I love those two like they’re my own brothers but they are better off without me in their life so I’ve stepped back and let them go. I’m willing to do the same for you.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.” Lincoln shrugged though he looked no less tense, “You put yourself on the line for us. Your girl put herself on the line for us and she ended up hurt. She could’ve ended up dead. I don’t want that on my conscience. It’s dirty enough as it is.”

Rachel winced at what she hoped had been at attempt at levity, “Nice.”

“No, sweetheart, I’m not.” Lincoln shook his head at her and then looked back up at his cousin, “But I do care about my family. The fighting? The lying? The constant danger? You weren’t made for it Remy. Neither were the twins. So get out while I’m still offering and take care of your girl.”

Remy was quiet as he stared at his cousin and Rachel held her breath, wondering if he would take the offer. Accept Lincoln’s apology for all that he’d done wrong in the past. Admit that he did want out and that this was a kind gesture. Anything. But when he remained quiet and didn’t move, she saw the same realization cross Lincoln’s handsome face and it hardened even further, turning cold and distant as he accepted that he couldn’t get through to his cousin.

“Fine.” He snorted. “Fuck you too, Remy. You won’t accept my generosity then the original deal stands. We’ll see you for fight night next week. One of the boys will deliver the details. You won’t have to talk to me again because I’m done trying.”

He turned to leave and Rachel spun on her boyfriend. She wasn’t letting this happen. Maybe Remy and Lincoln could never go back to being friends after everything that had happened. Maybe that was asking too much. But Remy had told her that he trusted Lincoln more than anyone once. Lincoln had broken that trust but he was here and he was offering an olive branch and she wasn’t letting Remy throw it back in his face.

“Damn it Remy, he’s trying to do a nice thing! Just accept it and let’s move on with our life.” She shoved against his chest and he took a step back, “You want out. He’s giving it to you and you’re throwing it back in his face.”

“Because he’s not…”

“No! It’s my turn to talk!” She raised her voice, “He’s your family. I know right now you might not want to hear that but he is.  You’re a Bomar and he’s your family. I don’t have any family left! They’re all gone. Every one of them! I don’t have anyone and you’re not going to take this one that I just found away from me!”

“Rach, that’s not what I’m doing.” Remy winced and reached for her but she smacked his hand away.

“It is.”

“It’s not. You have me. You have the twins and the girls and…”

“And you’re just going to turn your back on the rest of your family because they’re not who you want them to be? You’re better than that Remy. You’re better than your father.”

He winced and she knew her words had finally hit home. Hating Lincoln for who he was even when he was trying to do the right thing was something Decker would do. Not Remy. He was a good man. He was just so used to seeing the bad in Lincoln he refused to accept this offer for what it was.

“I love you but you you’re making a mistake.” She reached up and cupped his face, “You told me that your family was my family now. Remember?”

“Baby…”

“Remember?” She raised her voice.

“Yeah, I remember.” Remy sighed.

“So Lincoln, he just offered you the chance to stop fighting and live your own life your own way and you’re going to accept his kind gesture because you don’t get to think the worst of my family.”

Remy’s eyes softened for the first time since Lincoln had come into the trailer and she breathed out a sigh of relief. She’d finally gotten through to him. Somehow, something she’d said had gotten through to him. The tension in his shoulders deflated and the resolve she’d seen on his handsome face faltered.

“Okay, baby.”

She searched his face, “Okay?”

“If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.” Remy blew out a rough breath, “Clean slate, right?”

“Clean slate.” She nodded hopefully.

Remy looked over her head, “Clean slate?”

There was a loud, scoffing sound behind her and she turned back to face Lincoln. She’d honestly thought he would keep walking. Her outburst must have stopped him in his tracks because when she met his gaze he was standing just inside the open door of the trailer.

When their eyes met, she nodded and she hoped and prayed that he understood what she wanted. She didn’t want him to walk out of Remy’s life. She wanted them to fix whatever it was they’d broken. All of the trust and love that they’d shared as kids, Remy had told her about how close they’d been. She didn’t know if they could ever get it back but seeing how much Lincoln still cared about her cousin, feeling his anger for her when he’d seen her face, knowing he hated that he hadn’t been able to protect her and wanted to do something to make up for it, all of that told her that there had to be a chance.

She’d lost her brother. She’d lost him a long time before Remy had pulled that trigger. Lost him even before the first time he raised his hand to her. The boy that had helped hide her from their drunk father. The boy that had threatened those girls on the playground. The boy that had stopped her from being raped. He’d been long gone before he lost his life and she’d known there was no getting him back.

Remy and Lincoln, they still had a chance to come back from all of the hurt. If they could set aside their pride, they could start to repair their relationship. Not as the leader and the follower, the crime lord and the fighter, but as cousins, as family. She’d never questioned that they both loved Cash and Colt. They shared them as brothers even if nobody had ever bothered with a DNA test. Because blood was blood to the Bomars. They were all family. These two that were so different and yet so much alike, just needed to remember that.

“Clean slate.” Lincoln gave a tight nod.

“I’m out.” Remy shuddered out a breath, as if he’d never expected to say the words. “No more fights for the family?”

“You’re out. No more fighting.”

“What about Abel? He can’t be happy about that?”

“Abel is my problem. Not yours.”

“Who will you get to replace me? I don’t want someone else forced into it like I was just because you’re letting me out of my deal.”

“Again, not your problem, Remington.”

“Link…”

“Maybe I’ll take the fight next week, work out some of my aggression since I didn’t get to kill that fucker.” Lincoln flashed his teeth and Remy snorted.

“And risk your pretty face? Not a chance.”

That earned him an actual chuckle and the tension in the room finally began to deescalate, “Take care of your girl. That’s your only worry now. You’re out, for good.”

“I’m not out of the family, though.” Remy tipped his chin up, “I’m still a Bomar. That shit about changing my last name? You know I’d never do that. We’re still family.”

“Family.” Lincoln gave a brief nod and then looked at her again, “Welcome to the most dysfunctional family on the face of the planet, sweetheart.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. The Manson’s probably have you beat there.” She smiled and he laughed.

“Well, we can’t have that. I’ll have to see about knocking them off their pedestal.” Lincoln sobered as he turned for the door, “Oh, Rachel, the cops are going to be by to talk to you about last night. You don’t have much to worry about since it’ll be the Treblys but you should tell them you were home with Remy all night.”

“Okay.” She nodded but Remy’s hands tightened on her.

“Sherriff Trebly won’t ask questions but Lawson…”

“Deputy Trebly is being handled. He’s not a problem anymore.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that Lawson isn’t a problem anymore and that’s as much as you need to know, Remington.  You’re out. Remember?” Lincoln pinned him with a steady gaze.

“Yeah. Out.” Remy ground out.

“Good. I’ll check in on ya later. Take care of each other.”

He turned to leave but Rachel darted towards him and wrapped him in a hug. It took a moment but the big man finally sighed and wrapped his arms around her. He didn’t try to pull her close. There was nothing taunting or flirtatious in his touch this time. It was just a calm and reassuring hug and when she stepped back, he smiled at her softly.

“Thank you, Rachel.”

She nodded and watched him go. She had a feeling he hadn’t been thanking her for the hug. He’d been thanking her for standing up for him to Remy, for trying to help them repair their relationship. And it made her want to hug him all over again. Because Lincoln Bomar might be a cold-blooded, son-of-a-bitch, but he wasn’t the devil he’d been made out to be. Maybe Remy was right, maybe she did always try to see the good in people, because she did see good in Lincoln, even if he’d claim it wasn’t there.

“Baby?”

“Mmm?” She leaned back into Remy when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I’m sorry for all the drama. I wanted a quiet day at home with you to recover and it turned into a fight with Lincoln just like it always does when the two of us are in a room together.” He kissed the top of her head, “He just… He annoys the shit out of me with that condescending attitude and he’s never…”

“Hey.” She turned in his arms and covered his mouth with her hand, “Clean slate, remember?”

Remy rolled his eyes but kissed her hand before pulling it away, “I know. I’ll try to give him a chance. For you. Even if he doesn’t deserve it.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you for smacking some sense into me.”

She smiled up at him, “Anytime.”

“I can’t believe he really let me out of that deal.”

“I can.” She snuggled close to his chest, “He’s not as bad as he seems.”

“No. He’s much, much worse.”

She snorted and pulled out of Remy’s arms, “How long do you think we have until everyone else shows up to check on us?”

“Mmm, a couple of hours maybe?”

“Then I’m going back to bed…” She headed down the hallway and then paused and looked over her shoulder, “Join me?”

Remy’s smile was the biggest she’d seen on him in days, “Always.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“My God, woman… you’ve got skills.”

Rachel blushed furiously as Bentley shot that mega-watt, playboy smile at her through the mirror in the salon. She’d just finished giving him a haircut. Her first time giving anyone a haircut and Bentley had been brave enough to trust her with the clippers even after the last debacle.

As it turned out, he was right. He could totally pull off any hairstyle. He’d been growing it long the past few months, always winking and smiling when Skylar asked about it and telling her he was waiting for his favorite stylist to cut it. Finally, Rachel had given in to his request and taken matters into her own hand, cutting his hair and earning a friend and a client in the process.

It helped that he was family.

“Stop it, you’re making her blush again.” Skylar teased.

“That’s kind of my thing.” Bentley blew the blonde a kiss in the mirror as he fluffed the front of his new haircut, “All seriousness though? You did a damn good job, Rach. I knew you would.”

“Thank you for trusting me.” She tried not to duck her chin.

“It’s just hair.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean.” He winked.

“Bentley!” A loud, gruff voice yelled from the doorway, making them all jump.

“Jesus Christ!” Bentley yelled right back, grabbing his chest and feigning terror, “Give a man a heart attack.”

“Keep flirting with my girlfriend and I’ll give you a black eye too.” Remy smirked as he strolled into the salon, “Breaks over. Get your ass back to the studio. Colt needs you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going.” Bentley sighed, “Thanks again Rach.”

“You’re welcome.”

Bentley muttered something about Colt being the worst boss ever as he stalked out of the salon. He’d been picking up shifts next door at Fine Lines for weeks and complained about his new boss every chance he had. But despite what Colt said about his cousin being a royal, pain-in-the-ass who would probably quit as soon as he realized he actually had to work and not goof around all day, Bentley kept going back.

Remy said he was really talented too. Far more talented than Remy was. Bentley actually had a shot at becoming an artist whereas Remy mostly ran errands, ordered supplies and balanced the books for Colt. He liked the office work, the numbers and figures, making it all add up, almost as much as he liked spending the day with his brother.

“Keep muttering and I’ll tell Colt to make you do the boring as hell bank and post office runs.” He teased his cousin as Bentley flipped him off and left.

Rachel couldn’t help but smile as her boyfriend headed towards her. He was so sexy. She’d always thought so. But in the past few months, as their lives had settled in and they’d found a natural rhythm to their days, he’d begun to smile more and the sight of it still managed to make her heart race. She thought it probably always would.

Things had been tense in the weeks after Remy killed Craig. There was no denying it. Those had been dark days for her, despite what she’d told him about being okay with what he’d done. Even knowing that he’d had to shoot Craig to save her life, she’d been in a bad place.

She’d felt sad. She’d felt guilty. She’d felt angry. She’d cried and then screamed and then cried some more.

When the cops had come by to talk to her, she’d done her best to sound surprised to learn her trailer was a pile of smoldering ash. When they’d asked her about the last time she saw her brother, she’d told them she couldn’t remember. She wasn’t his keeper. Sheriff Trebly had frowned at her bruises and told her that if she heard from her brother to call. His son, Lawson, the deputy, had all but accused Remy of hurting her, even going so far as to pull her aside and tell her if she needed help that he could get her away from him. She’d told him to mind his own damn business and she supposed Remy had been right. Since they thought he did it, they hadn’t gone looking for Craig. She hadn’t heard from any of the law enforcement officers since.

She’d dug through the rubble of her trailer but hadn’t found anything salvageable. It had all been gone, just like Remy said, but she’d been surprisingly okay with that considering Ford had saved her that bag of stuff. A few pictures and books, her diaries and some jewelry that she’d managed to hide from Craig to keep him from pawning. She would be eternally grateful to Ford for that bag but she also would have been okay with losing everything. She’d said she wanted to start over, with a clean slate, and she’d meant it.

Had it been easy replacing her entire wardrobe? No. But she’d had Skylar and Jemma to help with that. And, amazingly enough, Skylar’s other best friend, Billie, was about the same size as her so she’d given her a ton of second-hand stuff she never would have bought for herself. The outgoing bartender preferred her clothes short, tight and black so Rachel’s shy, awkward, hiding behind her oversized shirts persona had died right along with her wardrobe.

These days, she was much more comfortable with herself. Whether that was thanks to her new clothes, to the fact that she was finally happy and that Remy told her daily how sexy and beautiful she was, or just the knowledge that her brother wasn’t lurking over her shoulder, waiting to hurt her or insult her, she didn’t know.

It was probably a little bit of all of those things.

Mostly though, she knew it was because of Remy. He made her happy. He made her feel sexy. He made her feel safe. She’d never known that she could be so content with her life and it showed in everything she did these days.

“Hey baby.” Remy smirked as he pulled her into his arms.

Rachel smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, “Hey yourself.”

That made his smile wider and she couldn’t help but grin up at him. He loved it when she didn’t shy away from him in public. It was still a little strange for her, the public displays of affection. She was so used to hiding but she didn’t want to hide what she felt for Remy… so she didn’t.

She tiptoed up and brushed her mouth against his. He kissed her back lightly and then scraped her bottom lip between his teeth. She hummed with pleasure as every nerve ending in her body lit up. She pressed closer to him because she always needed closer to him, always, but Skylar’s voice broke the moment before it could get too hot and heavy.

“If you’re gonna strip her naked, at least have the decency to take the girl home first, Remy.”

“Damn good idea, Sky.” He nipped her lips again and she could feel his grin as he pulled away, “Get your stuff, love. Time to head home for the night.”

“Give me just a minute to clean up.”

Skylar shook her head, “Don’t worry about it. I’m staying late because Colt is still doing those interviews. I’ll handle it.”

“You’re not really going to go over and keep an eye on him, are you?” Remy teased her.

“Of course not. I trust him. I’m going to go over and keep an eye on those skanky tattoo artists that want to get in his pants. He isn’t hiring some hot young thing that wants to get him naked unless I’m there to threaten her within an inch of her life.”

Rachel and Remy both laughed as Skylar smiled sweetly and made threats like that. She’d been railing about Colt hiring some hot young thing ever since he said he wanted to expand the shop. So far, he’d interviewed a sixty year old man that drove a Harley and smoked like a chimney and a pimply-faced teenager that had aspirations of being the next Kat Von D. There had been exactly zero hot young things vying for Colt’s affections and even if there were, he had eyes only for Skylar. Everyone knew that. But she was just as possessive of him as he was her and so they all laughed about it and let them roll with their particular brand of crazy.

“You’re not that threatening, just for the record.” Remy laughed.

“Tell that to Lincoln.” Skylar shot back.

“Touche.” He winked.

Skylar waved them off, “Rachel, go get your stuff. I’ll clean up.”

Normally, she might have argued with her boss. It wasn’t Skylar’s job to clean up at night. It was hers. Considering she’d been the one to cut Bentley’s hair, it was definitely her job to clean up the mess. But with Remy looking at her that way, she couldn’t wait to get home so she simply smiled and accepted the gift.

“Thanks Sky.”

She hurried to the back of the salon and opened her locker. She’d never replaced her emergency bag. She hadn’t needed to. There was one set of spare clothes, just in case, but otherwise, even her locker showed the turnaround in her life. There were photos pinned up there now. A couple of candid shots someone had caught of her and Skylar and Jemma at the wedding. Another that Skylar had snapped of Rachel and Remy. She touched her finger to that one and couldn’t help but smile.

They looked madly in love with each other in that picture and she adored it. Neither of them were looking at the camera. They hadn’t even known Skylar was there or that she’d taken it. They’d been having lunch and Remy had pulled her into his lap, as he so often did. Their heads were close together and they were smiling at each other, as if they shared a secret no one else knew.

“Mmm, baby.” A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and she giggled as he nuzzled her neck, “You need to hurry.”

“I was.”

“No. You weren’t.” He whispered as he slid his hands up and cupped her breasts, “But you should be.”

“Ahh, Remy…” She moaned when he nipped at her neck, “Not here.”

“I missed you today.”

She laughed, “You always miss me.”

“I do.”

“You saw me at lunch.”

“But I didn’t get to put my mouth on you at lunch…” He trailed his tongue up to her ear, “And you’re what I wanted to eat.”

She groaned as a shiver worked its way up her spine. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to this Remy either. So open and affectionate, so needy. He wanted her and he had no qualms about telling her, or about taking her.

She loved him so much.

They may have settled into a routine the past few weeks. Living together, eating together, working side by side, and riding to and from together. They were almost always together. But after a day of work, Remy always said he’d missed her, couldn’t wait to get her home, and made love her like a man denied for ages instead of hours.

“Home.” She whispered and then cleared her throat, “We need to get home.”

He chuckled near her ear and then nipped her with his teeth, “Move that cute little ass faster then.”

He released her with a smack on her ass and she giggled as she hurriedly stowed her apron and grabbed her coat. She shrugged into it and then let him take her hand. He kissed her again, a little bit longer than he had in the front room, and then he groaned and dragged her towards the door. Skylar laughed at them, as she always did, but simply waved goodbye as they flew out the door.

Remy’s Challenger was waiting at the curb, already running, which she was immensely grateful for. He was so thoughtful. The weather had turned from chilly to outright cold recently and Remy always started the car and turned the heater on before he picked her up from work. She slid into the passenger seat and smiled when he got in on his side and pointed the vents at her.

“I love you.”

He grinned, flashing dimples, “Love you too.”

“I missed you today too, you know.” She settled into her seat, turning to face him as he got them on the road.

“Did you?”

“Uh huh.”

“I love it when you tell me stuff like that.” He smiled and slid his hand from the shifter over to her thigh to squeeze her leg.

“I know.”

He slid his hand back to the shifter, “Tell me something else.”

“Like what?”

“Like… what’re you wearing under that pretty little dress you’ve got on today?”

She felt the blush color her cheeks and heat her up. Her first instinct was still to pull at the dress she was wearing, to attempt to cover herself up more. But that wasn’t what Remy wanted and it wasn’t what she wanted either.

She’d worn the dress that Billie gave her despite how short it was because she’d been able to wear tights with it. She never would have worn it otherwise. It barely grazed the bottom of her ass but with the colorful tights and boots, it looked cute instead of sexy.

To everyone but Remy apparently.

“Why don’t you find out?” She teased.

Remy groaned and chuckled, “I intend to.”

“When we get home?”

“Uh huh.” He licked his lips and shot her a glance out of the corner of his eye, “Take the tights off.”

“Wh-what?”

“You heard me. Don’t play coy. Take the tights off, Rachel. I want to touch you and I don’t want anything in the way.”

She shifted in her seat as heat flooded her core, “Now?”

“Now.”

Instead of arguing, she slipped off the booties she’d been wearing. Remy shot her a look as she shrugged out of her coat and tossed it in the backseat. He grinned and she bit her lip as she wiggled, her hands going up beneath the skirt of her dress. She tugged the tights down little by little until her skin was bare and then she tossed them in the backseat too.

“Damn.” Remy groaned, shifting in his seat, and that feeling of power filled her veins like it always did when he reacted to her. “I love it when you follow orders.”

She did this to him. Made him needy. Made him hard. Made him desperate for her. And she did it just by breathing, by being herself, by not hiding who she was or what she wanted.

She slid her hand across the gearshift and over his lap, making his hips buck as she found him hard and straining in the confines of his jeans. He hissed out a breath and his eyes started to close. He caught himself and forced them back open, cursing aloud but never once removing his hands from the wheel or telling her to stop.

“Remy…”

“God, yes, baby…” He groaned when she squeezed him.

“I want you.”

“Almost home.”

“No. I want you here. Now. Pull the car over.”

His head whipped to face her and she grinned at the dark look in his eyes, “What?”

“Remember when you said you’d take me in the backseat of this car someday? I think it’s someday.”

Remy stared at her for a long moment and she was thankful they’d already pulled onto the abandoned gravel road that led to the trailer. If there was traffic around, she was certain they would’ve wrecked. A big grin worked its way up Remy’s face and the next thing she knew they were sliding off the road and into the ditch.

He had his seatbelt off as soon as he threw the car into park and was already reaching for her, “I love it when you can’t wait for me even more. You need me now, baby?”

“Yes.” She moaned as he slid his hand under her skirt.

“Can’t wait?”

“Don’t want to.” She opened her legs wider. “Remy, please.”

“Goddamn you’re beautiful when you need me this bad. Take the dress of and get in the backseat, Rach. Now. I’m about to make your fantasy come true.”

Remy had never seen anything more beautiful in his life than Rachel laid out across the backseat of his car. In all honesty, it didn’t matter when, where or how he took Rachel, it was always the most beautiful experience of his life. Every. Damn. Time. But this, having her here and now, because she wanted it, demanded it, was enough to make his heart swell just as his cock did.

The last few months hadn’t always been easy. Rachel had been hurt. She’d had to heal. She’d had to find ways to get over the knowledge of what had happened at her trailer that night. The truth of what had happened to Craig was a closely guarded family secret and in public they had to act as if he’d simply disappeared and could come back at any moment. But he wasn’t coming back and once Rachel had accepted that, she’d grown so much.

This woman, the woman spread out over the backseat of his car, smiling shyly up at him from under her dark lashes, biting her bottom lip in that way that drove him crazy, she was so much more than just the scared girl that had run to him for protection. She was strong now. Stronger than she’d ever been before.

She was the reason he’d been able to accept Lincoln and the others back into his life as more than just enemies. She’d forced him to accept Lincoln’s offer and helped get him out of the family business. She was the reason he was finally free of all the danger that came with his last name.

She believed in herself, in her own mind and her own body. She took pride in who she was, didn’t shy away from the things she wanted anymore and had no problem asking for them. Or demanding them as the case may be.

A part of him, a small, terrified part of him, had worried that once Craig was out of the picture and she knew she was safe that she would realize she didn’t need him anymore. She could take care of herself. She could do whatever she wanted. Be whoever she wanted. She could have whoever she wanted. She wasn’t stuck with some dirty Bomar boy and she would realize she could do so much better and leave him.

But she hadn’t… and she wouldn’t. He knew that now. Because what they had was so much bigger than what they’d started out as.

The attraction was there. It had always been there. But it was more than simple chemistry. They understood one another in ways nobody else could have. Their pasts, their histories, they weren’t the same but they were similar enough in their pain and hurts for them to recognize each other’s scars. And they wanted the same things for the future. A family to love and support and protect them just as they would protect each other. All of the love and friendship that they’d been denied in their younger years. They wanted a place to belong and they’d found it in one another.

They were perfect together.

Remy wasn’t a big believer in supreme power or fate or any of that bullshit but he did believe that he’d been in the exact right place at the exact right time that day on the street when he met Rachel. It wasn’t fate that had brought him back to Old Settlers. That had been Colt’s doing, and, in a way, Jemma’s. He’d come back for his brothers and he’d been on the street that day because Lincoln was just asshole enough to force Colt to give Remy a job even when he didn’t want to. They’d all had a hand in how he’d come to be there and he figured that was fitting, because it was his family he’d come back for and Rachel was his family now.

She was his everything.

He loved living with her. Making a life with her. Loved waking up with her in his arms. Loved that she cooked for him and teased him about not burning down their home. Loved that she said things like ours and home. They weren’t just surviving anymore. They were living. The both of them, together, and maybe separately they could have found a way to do that too but he didn’t think either of them would have been nearly as happy apart as they were together.

“Remy…” Rachel’s lips curled and she crooked a finger at him, “Are you just gonna stare at me?”

“Maybe.” He squeezed his big body between the seats to crawl into the backseat of the car with her. “Why? Did you want me to do something else?”

“Touch me.”

“Mmm…” He traced a finger over her full breasts and down her belly, leaving goosebumps in his wake, “Touch yourself first. Show me how you want me to touch you.”

Rachel’s big, gray eyes widened slightly and her breathing kicked into an unsteady rhythm. He tried and failed not to smirk. He still loved surprising her. They’d done so many things together since she gave him her virginity but she was still so young and innocent. They might never exhaust his list of things he wanted to do with her, places he wanted to take her, because inevitably, when he had her like this, open and wanting, he forgot all about his plans and ended up giving her what she wanted, usually quick and fast and hard.

She bit into her bottom lip again and traced one finger over her breasts and down, circling her belly button, “Like this?”

“Keep going.”

She did as she was told and slid her hand down. She traced the edge of her little black panties, teasing him, and he groaned and desperately tried to get out of his own clothes. He needed to get his cock free before his jeans cut off circulation. That was why he’d told her to touch herself. But faced with the vision of a flushed and moaning Rachel, her hand in her own panties, spread out before him, he could barely think to unbutton and unzip without risking bodily injury.

“Remy…” She gasped his name, her eyes sliding shut as she touched herself.

“How’s it feel, baby?”

“Good.”

“Just good?” He chuckled as he watched her fingers flex and her hips curl up wantonly.

“It’s better when it’s your hand.” Rachel forced her eyes open and met his gaze, “Remy, please…”

He groaned, because what could he possibly say to that? His woman wanted him. She needed him. And he was helpless to do anything but give her what she wanted.

“I’m here, love.” He dragged her panties down her legs and tossed them aside. “God, you’re beautiful. I’m never going to get used to seeing you like this. Open and needy and wanting me… Wanted it for so long. Feels like forever. Tell me you’re mine, Rach.”

“I’m yours.” She smiled softly, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I’m all yours.”

Remy leaned down and kissed the words from her lips. He would never tire of hearing those words. Sometimes he needed the reminder, to hear her say it. He needed her to love him so badly he ached for her whenever they were apart. Back in the salon, she’d teased him for missing her when he’d seen her at lunch just five hours ago, but the truth was he missed her the moment she was out of his sight.

It might not be healthy but after he’d come so close to losing her, he hated letting her out of his sight. Hated that he couldn’t be with her all the time. He knew she didn’t need him to hover over her, to protect her anymore, but he still wanted to be there, with her, because she meant so much to him and he couldn’t imagine losing her.

He poured his love into his kiss and Rachel met him, stroke for stroke. Their tongues tangled and the sweet kiss quickly spiraled out of control. Teeth and lips and panting breaths, they kissed as if they were starved for each other. Remy slid his hand down between her thighs and groaned when he found her soft, wet folds. Rachel moaned against his lips and pressed up into his hand. He had to break the kiss to keep any coherent thoughts.

“Fuck, you’re soaked, Rach.” He circled her clit and watched her mouth fall open on a moan, “You’re dripping for me, baby. Gonna get my leather all wet and it’s gonna smell like you in here for days.”

“Remy!”

“I’m gonna get hard every time I get in this car now.”

Her muscles squeezed around him and he groaned. He knew she liked dirty talk. It was one of the many things he’d learned about his girl early on. She got off on hearing how much he wanted her just as much as he got off on telling her. They were a perfect match in every way.

“Rach, look at me.” He ordered and waited until her hazy eyes focused on him before he slid his fingers out of her. She whimpered as he raised his hand to his mouth and licked her juices off of him. “So sweet.”

“Oh God, Remy… I’m close.”

He knew that already. Had learned the signs. Her cheeks and chest were flushed. Her breasts bounced she was panting so hard. Her hips rolled even when he wasn’t touching her and she was biting her lip again.

“You want me to lick you up or you want me buried deep inside you when you come, baby. Your fantasy. Your choice.”

“Inside me. Get inside me. Now.” Rachel ordered and he couldn’t help but smirk at that.

If only he’d known that she would be like this when she was naked he would have… No. He wouldn’t have pushed her any faster. He knew that. He would have liked to have had her that first day, in the salon when she’d sat beside him, her small, bleeding hand in his, and looked up at him like he hung the stars just for her. But the fact that they’d taken their time and gotten to know each other, forged a friendship first, that he’d earned her trust first… he wouldn’t change that for anything.

“Up.” He ordered right back.

“Wh-what?”

He smacked her thigh when she stuttered, even though he knew it was simply the pleasure clouding her brain now, “Up. There’s not enough room back here for me to lay you out and you said you wanted me deep. Up, Rach. Now.”

She reached out for him and he helped her into a sitting position. It was a little awkward in the small confines of the car. He bumped his head into the roof. She slammed her elbow into his ribs. They both nearly fell into the floorboard as he turned her around and they ended up laughing when he got twisted up in his pants and cursed violently.

“Hurry up before someone comes along and catches us.” Rachel giggled.

“This was your idea, remember?” He smacked her ass again as he positioned her on her knees facing the back windshield, “We have a nice, comfortable bed a half a mile away but you just couldn’t wait.”

He slipped between her legs and guided her back against his chest, wrapping one arm around her and stroking her clit with his free hand. The back of the front seats were the only thing keeping him from falling over backwards but when he pushed forward, driving deep inside Rachel’s tight little body and pressing her against the back seat, it was more than worth it. The position let him get deep, just like they both needed, and once he was buried to the hilt inside her tight, wet heat he held himself still and simply enjoyed the feel of her body welcoming him home.

“Oh, yes, yes!” Rachel threw her head back on his shoulder, “That’s it.”

“That what you needed, baby?” He teasingly bit her ear.

“Yes! More. I’m gonna come.”

“Not yet, you’re not.” He let up on her clit and gripped her hips between his hands.

He set a brutally fast rhythm but it was exactly what they both needed. When he shoved deep, Rachel pushed back, meeting him. She bounced on his lap and he watched her breasts jiggle from over her shoulder. Her head tipped back, her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth open, his name pouring out of her. It was sexy as hell.

“Remy, please.” She begged when her body began to squeeze him tight again and he let off the pace to keep her from going over the edge.

“No begging. Just ask. You know the rules.”

“Let me come. I need to come. Please, Remy.”

Denying her was impossible and he was too close to stop it anyway. Someday he might be able to tease her to the edge and then let off again and again. Might be able to spend hours and hours in bed, playing and petting but not quite letting either them peak. But he thought that possibility was years, maybe decades away, because so far, whenever he got inside her, he barely lasted longer than a teenage boy with his first girl.

He just needed her too much. Needed to bind them together. Make her a part of him. Make him a part of her. The caveman inside of him wanted nothing more than to spill his seed deep inside her, mark her and claim her and fill her with her with his child.

Someday he would. He’d put a baby in her and watch her grow big and round and even more beautiful with the child their love had made. He would give her the family she’d always wanted, the one he’d always longed for, and they’d give their child all of the things they’d both been denied. Love and patience, understanding and acceptance.

But not today. Not yet. They had so much they still wanted to do. A baby was just going to have to wait because he wasn’t ready to share her attention with anyone else quite yet.

“You need to come?” He ground out as his hips thrust and her body squeezed him.

“Yes. Please.”

“Say it. Say it and I’ll let you come.”

“I love you. I love you. I love you, Remy Bomar.” She screamed his name as he put pressure on her clit again and the climax hit her hard, “I’m yours. All yours. Oh, God, I love you so much.”

He groaned as the words did what they always did and set him free. He grabbed her hard, probably too hard, and dragged her down on him again and again as the pressure inside of him built to fever pitch. His. All his. She was his. She’d always been made for him, been waiting for him. Nobody else had ever touched her like this, had her like this, made her feel like this. He gasped as his own orgasm slid down his spine and his hips bucked as he forced his seed deep inside of her.

“Fuck, Rach. Fuck.” He groaned as his hips pumped uncontrollably, “Love. You. Babe.”

He collapsed against her, pinning her to the back of the seat. They were both sweaty and spent. The windows of the car were fogged over from their breaths despite the fact he’d left it running. Their skin was hot and slid against one another as they sucked in the overheated air but neither of them made any move to pull away.

“Mmm…” Rachel moaned after a long minute and shivered beneath him, “I think I need a nap now.”

He chuckled as he pulled out and began the process of cleaning up and righting their clothes. He used her panties to wipe them off and then tossed them aside. They were almost home and she most certainly wouldn’t need them there. He tucked himself back inside his jeans and gently zipped up.

Rachel didn’t move so he pulled her back against his chest and pushed her sweaty hair aside. He kissed her neck, down along her shoulder and then sucked on the soft skin he found there. She moaned and arched against him, her arms coming up around his head to hold him close.

“I almost thought you’d forgotten about marking me up, caveman.” She murmured sleepily when he released the love bite.

“Until you agree to get that Property of Remington Bomar tattoo… you can get used to the hickies.” He chuckled.

He could practically hear her roll her eyes and smiled as he counted the number of small purple bruises he’d sucked into her skin. They faded. They always faded. But he couldn’t seem to help himself. He was as bad as a damn dog, marking his territory, but she didn’t honestly seem to mind and he’d caught her fingering the marks that had replaced those other horrible bruises weeks ago and smiling to herself so he figured he wasn’t the only one that got off on possessing her.

“I’m not getting a tattoo. Those things hurt.”

He chuckled at the same silly argument they’d had for weeks. He didn’t really want her to get a tattoo. He liked that her skin was as fresh and innocent as she was. Unmarked. They both might carry scars but she hadn’t marred her skin with any additional adornments it didn’t need. He just liked to tease her about it because she’d gone on and on about how sweet it was when Colt and Skylar got matching tattoos.

“How would you know if you’ve never had one?” He winked as he grabbed her dress from the floor and handed it back to her.

“Because I can hear Skylar screaming whenever she goes next door to get one.”

“Um, babe, I’m pretty sure those screams aren’t from the pain.” He wagged his eyebrows and then grunted when she smacked him in the stomach. “If they hurt her at all, Colt would never have put one on Skylar’s precious skin in the first place.”

“True.” She gave a dreamy little sigh and he fought the urge to curse his little brothers.

They were good men. Good to their women. They doted and adored. But they gave other men, their older brother in particular, a helluva high bar to live up to. Rachel being best friends with his brothers’ women only made him have to try harder to impress her. He’d give her the world, and he thought she knew that, but it didn’t mean he didn’t sometimes want to tell Cash and Colt to cool it with the romantic gestures.

A phone buzzed somewhere in the car and he groaned, “Sexy fantasy over. Back to the real world, baby.”

“Mmm, it was a good fantasy though.” Rachel smiled and kissed him quickly, “One you can feel free to repeat anytime.”

“Like I said, I’m gonna get hard every time I get in this damn car now.” He laughed as he forced his way through the small space between the seats again and climbed back into the driver’s seat.

“You get hard when the wind blows.” Rachel teased.

“Only if its carrying your scent, love.”

“Such a sweet talker.” Rachel giggled as he helped her climb back over the seat and into the passenger side again. “Was that your phone or mine?”

“Mine, I think.” He grabbed it from the center console and quickly read the text message before turning it off and setting it aside.

He buckled his seatbelt, gave Rachel a pointed look that made her do the same and then put the car in drive. He got them back onto the road and used the wipers to get rid of some of the condensation on the windshield. They barely made it a hundred feet before Rachel asked the question he’d known was coming.

“Who was that?”

“Huh?” He played dumb.

“The text message?” Her brows knit together.

“Just Jemma reminding me about dinner tomorrow.” He shrugged and admitted as much of the truth as he could.

“Oh… weird.” Rachel pulled her phone out and frowned, “She didn’t text me.”

“Of course she didn’t.” He winked, “She’s knows I’m the one that always makes you late or convinces you to stay in bed instead of going out with her and the girls.”

“True.” Rachel laughed and, luckily, let the conversation drop as they topped the hill to home.

Remy smiled to himself as he thought about the little white lie he’d just told. It had been Jemma texting him and she had reminded him not to be late for family dinner tomorrow. It was a new thing she’d implemented after the scares with Colt and then Rachel. The six of them got together once a week and nobody ever complained because their tight little family unit was exactly what they all needed. But that hadn’t been the only thing Jemma had text him.

She’d also been texting to let him know that the box he ordered had arrived. He’d had it shipped to Jemma and Cash’s apartment because he’d known there would be no way to keep it a secret if he had it sent to the trailer. Rachel usually opened their mail and a box from a jeweler wasn’t about to go unnoticed. Sending it to Skylar had been out of the question as well since that girl couldn’t keep a secret from her beloved surrogate sister to save her life. So, Jemma had gotten the honor of being the first and only person in the family to know he’d purchased a ring and according to his sister-in-law, it was here.

He was going to propose to Rachel.

No more waiting. No more backing off. No more being scared about losing her or her being afraid of losing him. She was his and he intended to put a ring on her finger and claim her for all the world to see. Forget tattoos. He wanted vows. He wanted forever and he wanted it with this woman that he loved more than he’d ever known was possible.

He and Rachel had both had enough bad days to last a lifetime. It was time they got to be happy. It was time for their happily ever after.

About the Author

Jess Bryant has always been a writer. As a little girl she spent hours in her room putting pen to paper and creating stories. She’s been reading and writing romance novels since she first stole a book from her aunt’s Harlequin collection when she was thirteen years old. She earned a degree in Public Relations from the University of Oklahoma. When she’s not writing, Jess can usually be found curled up with a glass of wine and a good book or yelling at the television during sporting events with friends and family. For more information on Jess and upcoming releases, contact her at JessBryantBooks@gmail.com or find her on Twitter @Jess_Bry.

Also Available From Jess Bryant

The West Brothers Series

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Something To Talk About

Too Good To Be True

Merry Little Christmas (A West Brothers Novella)

Bomar Boys Series

No Regrets

No Apologies

No Fear

Stand-Alone

It Had To Be You

Coming Soon:

The Hardens

Hard To Love

Continue the Bomar Boys Series with the “Auto” Bomars in Book 4 – Details Coming Soon

No Regrets –

Book 1 in the Bomar Boys Series

Every small town has that one family that’s more savage than civilized. The ones that are more myth and legend than man. In Old Settlers, Oklahoma that’s the Bomar boys. Wild, reckless and vicious, they skirt the line of criminal and trip over it more often than not. They are their own punchline: white trash but proud beyond compare. Dirty and dangerously sexy, it’s best to steer clear of them or else risk your life… and your heart. These are their stories.

Jemma Buxton was running scared. She’s running home. But she had no idea she was running straight into his arms.

Fleeing an abusive relationship, she left everything behind. Her life. Her hopes. Her dreams. But not her heart. She wants to move on, start over and love again, but can she trust the first boy she ever loved with her bruised heart when he’s already broken it once?

Cash Bomar never thought he would see her again. Never thought she would come back to their tiny, backwoods town. Not after he cruelly and purposefully broke her heart and all but sent her away five years ago.

Seeing her again is the surprise of a lifetime and the fact that she needs his help is the second chance he never expected to make things right. All his life he’s been told he was nothing but bad, worthless and white trash, but she makes him want to be better. Can he convince the only girl he’s ever let close, ever loved, that she was always meant to be his?

They both have pasts they wish they could change. A history together they’ll have to overcome. Can they build a future together without a lifetime of regrets?

*No Regrets is the first book in the Bomar Boys series but can be read as a stand-alone. Each book features one couple and a HEA but will build on each other so they are best read in order.

**Warning** - This book contains explicit language, sexual scenes and violence. Though not depicted, mentions of domestic violence are key to the story and can be a trigger for some.

Available Now on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

No Apologies –

Book 2 in the Bomar Boys Series

Every small town has that one family that’s more savage than civilized. The ones that are more myth and legend than man. In Old Settlers, Oklahoma that’s the Bomar boys. Wild, reckless and vicious, they skirt the line of criminal and trip over it more often than not. They are their own punchline: white trash but proud beyond compare. Dirty and dangerously sexy, it’s best to steer clear of them or else risk your life… and your heart. These are their stories.

Colt Bomar is a bastard. A dirty, violent piece of white trash, he makes no apologies for who and what he is. He’s never cared what anyone thinks of him and he cares even less about trying to be a better kind of man… until her.

She’s everything he’s not. Good, sweet, gentle, she’s an angel that brightens his dark existence. But he’s seen the kind of destruction a man like him can wreak and he intends to protect her from that, from him, if it’s the only good thing he ever does.

Skylar Holland is no angel. Angels don’t lust after the bad-tempered boy next door when they’re involved with another man. They don’t dream about having the rough hands and sinful mouth of a guy that snaps and snarls at them all over their body. And that’s what she’s wanted from Colt since the moment the troubled Bomar boy said they were nothing but friends.

Friends? With the man that makes her blood boil and her heart melt? No, she wants more. She wants everything. And she’s not about to apologize for going after what she knows they both want. Forever.

Can he overcome his past to give her the future he knows she deserves? Or is he doomed to repeat the sins of his father by dragging her down into the darkness with him? And if she treads into the shadows to win him will she even still be the woman he wants when they come out the other side?

*No Apologies is the second book in the Bomar Boys series but can be read as a stand-alone. Each book features one couple and a HEA but will build on each other so they are best read in order.

**Warning** - This book contains explicit language, sexual scenes and violence. Though not depicted, mentions of abuse are key to the story and can be a trigger for some.

Available Now on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited