“Sunshine, say something. Baby girl, you’re scaring me.”
He would never leave her alone. He was always going to try and hurt her. Punish her.
She took in a shuddering breath as tears leaked down her cheeks.
“Oh, baby girl.” West sat and pulled her up into his lap. “He’s gone. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
“He was looking for me that night. The night of the accident. I’d gotten mad about something. Something stupid. I ran
off. Got on my horse and rode away. He knew a storm was coming, he came after me. It was my fault.”
“It is not your fucking fault,” he said fiercely. “You didn’t cause that horse to shy. You didn’t cause him to fall off. It was a fucking accident. And he had no right to take it out on you. Blame you. Hurt you. That shit is whacked.”
She stared up at him. “You don’t think less of me?”
“You want a spanking right now?” he growled.
“Um, no.”
“Then stop saying fucked-up shit like that. Got me? I would never think less of you. Of him, yeah. Bastard was supposed to look after you. That’s what he was doing that night. But he failed to do it every night after. None of this is your fault.”
She buried her face in his chest. “He’s going to fight this. He has the money to win. He’s never going to leave me alone.”
“Sh,” he told her. “Everything will be all right. I promise. I’m not going to let him fuck with you anymore. Sh, baby. Come on. Calm down. Everything’s all right.” He took hold of her chin, tilting her face. “Trust me.”
“I do,” she told him.
“Then repeat after me. Everything will be all right.”
“Everything will be all right.”
“He can’t hurt me anymore,” he stated.
“He can’t hurt me anymore.”
“West is a god, in bed and out, and I am going to obey his every order without argument from now on.”
She rolled her eyes. “Your ego is out of control.”
He smiled.
She stared into his hazel eyes. “Did you really send some friends around to hurt Brian?”
“Baby girl, there’s a part of that question that should clue you into the answer.”
She frowned in confusion.
“I don’t have any friends.”
“Oh.” Relief filled her.
“I did send Butch to find him, though. Figured if he had a good life, Butch might teach him a lesson. Turns out the fucker is living in some shitty old camper in a RV park. Some bitch took him to the cleaners. He’s got nothing and no one. His life is a fucking misery.”
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. But then you reaped what you sowed, and he’d played her. Hurt her. She guessed karma was a bitch.
“I would have sent him to look into those corrupt cops as well, but Jake said he’d take care of them. But if he doesn’t hurry up, I’ll be paying them a visit. Nothing and no one hurts you, sunshine. Ever. I don’t care who it is or what happens. You’re mine. Nobody touches what’s mine. And, soon, you’re gonna be a Malone and nobody messes with the Malones.”
“Soon I’m going to be a Malone? Are you saying that you want to . . .”