Chapter 22
My life was finally back on point or so it felt. I had eyes on the asshole in Nebraska making sure he wasn’t getting anywhere close to finding her. The Patti thing was basically behind me and I wouldn’t have to deal with her ever again in my life thank heavens. But most importantly I had found someone that was beyond my wildest imaginings. Not even when I first laid eyes on her and was so thrown that I acted like an ass did I once think we would turn out the way we have. It’s not just the amazing sex either it was the whole package. It’s as if she came into my life just when I needed to be needed, her vulnerability spoke to me in a way that nothing else would’ve; not in the place I’d been. Funny how I’m fighting so hard for her to overcome it, but I wanted her strong, wanted her free.
Our relationship seems to have taken on a life of its own since the first day I took her, like the dynamics shifted somehow. I felt even more possessive of her now than I had before. There’s no way to explain the burning sensation in my chest when I even think of her; the heated passion that rises up inside me at the thought of anyone or anything coming between us. I spend hours just looking at her sometimes, especially when she’s having fun with the girls or at night after we’ve made love. That’s when I feel like I’ve lost all control and might be in danger of going over the edge, when her special scent hits me and I feel like a wild beast who just wants to mount her over and over again until I can’t get my dick up any more. And the beauty of it all is that she’s right there with me.
I’ve watched her break out of her shell bit by bit and though there was still a ways to go, we’d made more progress than I’d expected. The only thing that bugged the hell out of me was that I had to let her go home sometimes. Her father wasn’t quite ready to let go of his little girl and she still needed him I guess, but I didn’t like having her away from me. Today she was over there helping him with the books or something while I tinkered around with one of my rides. I’d ordered her something that was supposed to help me with my anxiety when she was out of my sight but it was going to be a few more days before it was ready so for now I just had to be cool and know that she was okay for the few hours she wasn’t with me.
“Bro let’s go.” I felt Josh tug me from under the car and tried to kick him off. Probably just fucking with me because he had nothing better to do. “Get outta here, this is the first time I’ve been under my baby in months. “Matt it’s Kadyn, let’s go.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I was out from under the car and wiping the grease from my hands as I followed him to his car. I saw him tinkering with the bracelet on his wrist, which I knew contained the device that kept him up with Carrie’s tracker and got a strong wave of déjà vu. “What’s wrong with Kadyn?”
“Not sure but I know she’s in trouble.”
“Joshua what the fuck happened did he find her? Is something going on at the diner?”
“No I don’t think she’s at the diner and I don’t think it’s the asshole. Look Carrie got a call, she started acting all strange and shit so I got suspicious when she had to use the bathroom all of a sudden while on the phone. If she hadn’t called Kadyn’s name out loud when she first answered I wouldn’t have known who the fuck she was talking to. I couldn’t hear all that was said but from the tone I knew there was something wrong. When she came out and acted like there was nothing going on and she just needed to make a run I knew something was up so as soon as she left I came and got you.”
He checked his wrist again and frowned. “Where the fuck is she going?”
My heart was thumping in my chest and my mouth was dry. If Kadyn was in trouble why hadn’t she called me? what the hell was going on? Nothing can be wrong with her, not when I’d only just found her. Life couldn’t be that fucking cruel. I hated the feeling of helplessness that overcame me, the sick fear that was gnawing away at my gut that something had happened to her on my watch after I’d promised her that nothing ever would again. “Drive faster Joshua.” He just nodded as he pushed his foot down on the gas.
I saw Carrie pull up outside this ranch style house and someone or something dart out of the bushes and fly into her car. Josh blocked her car in before she could pull out. There were four very surprised eyes staring back at us as we hopped out of the car. Carrie mouthed the words ‘oh shit’ before turning off the ignition. There was movement at the front of the house but I didn’t turn to see as my focus was on my woman and the bruise that was forming on her cheek. “What the fuck happened to you?” I had her door open and was pulling her into my arms even as I heard Josh lighting into Carrie for running off without telling him.
“Dan…” that was as far as she got before I was passing her off to my brother and heading towards the house. There was a middle aged woman standing there looking like she didn’t know what the fuck. I didn’t spare her a glance as I pushed in the door and went on the hunt. I was aware that there were others in the house and I could hear people yelling at me to get out but I had tunnel vision at this point. I threw off arms as they reached out to stop me on my quest, my eyes and ears pricked for any sign of the coward who’d put hands on my girl.
I heard the sound of running feet coming from the back of the house and rushed in that direction in the midst of screams and threats. I caught the fucker trying to run out the backdoor and dragged him back in before punching him in the face exactly where he’d hit her. I knew that the methodical way I went after him, punching him in the exact same spot over and over was dangerous, that I had left my body and was going on pure animal instinct. But Dan had fucked up royally; the fact that I couldn’t get my hands on Bruno was a sore spot with me and now here was someone that I could take that shit out on with good reason.
Someone, I guess it was his brother tried pulling me off of him but he was no match for the rage that burned through me. A swift kick to the gut was all that was needed to get him the fuck out of the way. “You like hitting women you fuck? Well you chose the wrong one this time.” When it seemed like he had nothing left I collared him and spoke into his face so he’ll hear every word I had to say because the next time he won’t be getting off so easy. “Kadyn is mine; you hear me you fuck?” I shook the fucker and his head bobbed back and forth on his neck while blood poured from under his eye and his mouth where I’d split his lip. “You ever come near her again I’ll kill you.” I threw him into his father who Josh had been holding back against the wall. I would’ve loved to take my time fucking him up but I wanted her away from here.
Outside the girls were in the car where I guess Josh had told them to stay before following me inside. I needed to know what the fuck had gone on here today, why she was in another man’s house when I thought she was spending the day with her dad. But I knew my head was too hot to confront her just then. Instead I went over to her truck where Josh was bending over checking out her tires. “What happened?”
“The fucker punched her tire so she couldn’t get away. Ah ah ah ah no way slugger you’re not going back in there. I told Carrie to call a tow truck before I came in so they should be here soon. Let’s get the girls home and away from here and then we’ll decide what to do next.”
“What the fuck was she doing here Joshua? Why the fuck would she lie to me?”
“Not here bro, let’s chill until we reach the house.”
“Fine but if she betrayed me she’s fucked.”
“Don’t go there bro, remember my shit? remember telling me to get all the facts before I lose my head? I didn’t listen and almost lost my girl. Don’t make the same fucking mistake, you don’t have to be that much of a fucking Steele.” I knew he was trying to lighten the situation but I wasn’t feeling it. I’d been through too much already and was even now going through hell trying to bring her peace. What reason could she have for being here when she was supposed to be somewhere else? And if it were innocent why hadn’t she told me about it or called me when shit turned ugly? The questions in my head just served to feed my anger and as soon as the tow truck showed up and was taken care of I passed off Josh’s wife to him and pulled Kadyn up front with me.
“Matthew…”
“You don’t talk, don’t say shit to me until I’m not driving.” I drove her home in complete silence while she sat there stiff as a board staring out the window. I knew she was scared and she fucking well should be. Things were going so well and she had to go pull this shit; was my life destined to be fucked, what the fuck had she been doing with him? I’m sure she knew from my reaction whenever his name was even mentioned that I didn’t like this guy and she should’ve known without me saying it that I didn’t want her anywhere near his ass.
When we pulled into the garage Josh gave me the ‘be cool’ look as I led her inside. Mom started to say something as we walked in but I guess the air was thick with whatever the fuck I was feeling because she cut herself off in midsentence and just looked from one to the other of us before I pulled Kadyn up the stairs behind me. As soon as we were behind closed doors I turned to her.