“What the fuck?” someone said from the door.
Tessa looked up to find Logan running inside. Hunter was right behind him. She tugged the remnants of her blouse around her again, but it hardly mattered. The brothers were far too busy peeling a resistant Zy off Cash and shoving him back.
“Stop,” Hunter growled. “He’s down.”
“He tried to rape her. He intended to punch her.” Zy surged for Cash’s prone body again.
“Is that true?” the colonel said as he entered, his stepson, Joaquin, right behind him.
They were all looking to her for answers.
Tessa felt herself shaking all over. Everything had happened so fast… She swallowed and tried to collect herself. Finally, she managed to nod. “Y-yes.”
“He threatened her, so she called me. I came.” Zy struggled against the brothers holding him.
The colonel shook his head. “The police?”
“They told me they couldn’t help. The officer I talked to didn’t want to be fired for messing with Cash.”
She hated the catch of anger and fear in her voice, but everything that could have happened—was still happening—was melting her composure.
“Fuck,” the colonel muttered.
Zy continued to struggle against Hunter’s and Logan’s grips. “Goddamn it, let me go!”
“You’re not beating him again,” Hunter insisted.
Logan nodded. “As it is, we’ll have to perform one hell of a tap dance to keep you out of jail.”
“That’s not what I give a shit about!” Zy exploded.
He looked right at her. At once, everyone seemed to realize his concern, and they released him. Instantly, Zy charged for her, and she went running into his sheltering embrace.
He wrapped his arms around her, breathing hard and holding her so tight she could scarcely breathe. She finally felt safe. “You okay?”
“Better now. Thank you. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m glad you called me.” His restless grip roamed through her hair and sent searching touches down her back before he cupped her face and forced her to look at him. “Always call me.”
The eldest Edgington cleared his throat. “Especially if the police refused to help. Chief Broussard and I go way back. He’s going to hear from me about that shit. Is the baby all right?”
Tessa managed to nod, though she hated leaving the safety of Zy’s embrace. “She’s in her room.”
“Go see to her,” Joaquin suggested, kneeling beside Cash. “We’re going to have to call the police and the paramedics. He’s out cold.”
Oh, God…
But Tessa merely nodded, then looked back at Zy. His glance reassured her, even as he reluctantly released her.
Luckily, she found Hallie more asleep than awake in her crib. In the dark room, she smoothed her shaking hand over her baby’s back and tried to stop the tears from falling. Right now, they were stupid and useless and wouldn’t solve anything. She had to put Zy first—the way he’d done for her.
Within ten minutes, her little duplex was full of police, including the chief himself. After he bickered with the colonel for a few minutes, they finally agreed not to arrest Zy—proving the good old boys’ network still operated in this small town—and the chief promised he’d be calling Cash’s bigwig uncle to ream him a new asshole. The paramedics took Cash to the hospital for stitches and an evaluation. A detective asked her some questions and she managed to locate Cash’s knife, which shifted the conversation even more in Zy’s favor.
Two hours later, the police and EMTs were gone. Hunter, Logan, and Joaquin insisted she call if they needed anything else, then departed, too, leaving her alone with the colonel and Zy.
“What are you going to do?” her former boss asked.
Physically, she was exhausted. She wanted a shower. She wanted sleep. She wanted to forget. But mentally, fear still wired her, and she doubted she’d relax enough for any of those things tonight.
“She shouldn’t be alone,” Zy supplied. “I’ll stay with her.”
The colonel turned to him. “And what will happen if you do?”
They would wind up in bed. Zy looked like a man itching to claim her now that he’d saved her. And she was so desperate for his touch and his comfort that she would probably let him, consequences be damned. She would regret it tomorrow when she was unemployed—and the colonel knew it.
Tessa swallowed. “Do you have any other ideas?”
Edgington hesitated. “Let me make some calls. I’ll get something temporary arranged.” Then he turned to Zy. “Garrett, go home.”
Zy looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Colonel… Sir, don’t do this to me.”
“I’m not doing it to you. I’m doing it for her. She’ll be protected. I promise you that. You can call her all you want. You just can’t stay here alone with her.”
She would appreciate him—tomorrow. Tonight, she wished she could have Zy, but that was her desperation talking. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” the colonel said softly as he pulled his phone from his pocket and gestured Zy to the door. “You did good playing the hero. Now you need to go.”