Chapter Two

Ink

I’ve bought and sold at least ten cabins up here on the mountain, but this is the first one that I’ve wanted to burn down.

I knew the flooring would need replacing, and everything from the kitchen to the bathrooms needed a face lift, but I didn’t expect the water heater to go up right after discovering mold on the drywall. That was a week after the fucking roof started leaking. It’s been a nightmare, and right now, the best option for all of this is a can of gasoline and a match.

“Shit, man. You’re headed back to the hardware store again?” My buddy Reaper stands in the driveway with his arms crossed over his chest.

“This place is a pain in the ass. Remind me to never do this again.”

He laughs. “You said this before too, then you bought this place. You’re a glutton for punishment.”

“I think I am. Yeah.” I toss some old drywall into the bed of the truck to dump on the way to the store. “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing big. I was on my way up to my buddy’s ranch. He’s had a few guys take off lately and I’m helping him out while he’s shorthanded. Thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing on my way. I can help with that drywall this weekend if you need a second pair of hands. Hell, I’d bet all the guys would do you a solid.”

“I know, but it’s my problem. I’ll fix it. Thanks, though.” Who am I kidding? I need the help, so I should take it. Unfortunately, I’ve had trouble with that for as long as I’ve been alive. I’m not sure if it’s pride or a fear of disappointment that keeps me from letting other people in. Either way, I don’t do it.

Reaper shakes his head and waves me off. “You know who to call if you need the help, man.” He laughs. “Maybe you just like running to that hardware store every night.” He walks down the driveway back toward his bike as he talks.

I climb up into my truck. He’s not wrong about the fact that I like going to the hardware store, though it’s not because I love browsing the aisles. For me, it’s about seeing Bunny, which is really fucking weird because I’m not that guy. I don’t go places to run into women. Hell, usually I don’t give a fuck if a woman is around me at all. In fact, I prefer the opposite. In the past, women have been one big disappointment after another. And at my age, I want peace.

It was a promise I made to myself after things dissolved with my ex a few years ago. That woman was a nightmare. We couldn’t see eye to eye on anything, and when she left, she took a whole bunch of my handmade furniture and a picture of my late grandma because she liked the frame. I think there’s a country song in there somewhere.

Someone grab me a pickup truck, a dog, a bottle of whiskey, and a guitar. I’m headed for the Grand Ole Opry!

I promised myself the day she finally left that I wouldn’t fuck around with anyone again. I’d rather be alone than unhappy.

That said, everything about that little bunny has me wanting to break all the rules I set for myself. She’s sweet and hardworking, and knowing she’s pregnant has me wanting to protect her from the world. Then again, maybe I wanted that before knowing. When she was throwing up in that hardware store all alone, I wanted to pick her up and take her home, snuggle her in a blanket, and feed her compliments until she fell asleep in my arms.

That’s why I wait until after three to head over there. I need my fix. I need to see her pretty little face and hear her tell me all the things that happened in school. Now, I need to know more about this pregnancy and the asshole ex that’s complicating her life.

When I arrive at the store, it’s nearly seven p.m. It’s later than I’d like to show up, but when I go this late, the store is quiet. Inside, there are a few folks browsing the feed aisle. They’re an older couple in their sixties or early seventies. I’ve seen them around town a lot.

“It’s you!” Bunny grins. “The guy who studies everyone when he walks in.” I hadn’t realized other people could notice.

“It’s a habit,” I laugh. “I’m always looking for somebody.”

“You on any active hunts? Any suspects on the loose?” She smiles and I swear to fuck it lights up the room.

“Some dude from Ohio is believed to be hiding out here. He has a bounty for grand larceny, but the police think he might be moving into building bombs. I’ve been on his trail for the last week.”

“Bombs?” She swallows hard and rubs her small hand over her slightly expanded stomach. “Like to detonate here… in Rugged Mountain? Who would want to blow up this mountain? Everyone is so sweet here!”

“No, not Rugged Mountain. I’d bet he builds them out here and takes them into the city somewhere. I doubt he could get enough supplies here to build a super destructive explosive, but with some fertilizer and propane, I’d bet he could do some damage.”

She narrows her gaze. “ Fertilizer and propane?”

“Yeah, why?”

“There was a guy in here the other night that bought that, right before you came in. He’s a short guy, bald… does that sound like the guy you’re looking for?” Her voice shakes when she talks.

I don’t blame her. Thinking about the depraved monsters of the world and all the damage they could do wears on a person. I know it’s had an impact on how I see things.

“Maybe. Do you have any security footage I can look at?”

She chews at her bottom lip and nods. “Yeah, it’s in the back. I think the last four weeks are on there. I’ll unlock the door for you.”

I follow her into the back room where a stack of cleaning supplies is shelved next to the electronics. I’ve looked over dozens of security footage tapes in my life as a bounty hunter, but this takes the cake for high tech. I need to tell Kane how impressed I am with this the next time I see him. Most of these shops barely have any security. If they do, it’s an old-style system that plays everything in some faded, fuzzy version of black and white that makes it really difficult to identify anyone. I personally don’t see the point in that. If you’re going to bother with security at all, it should be good security.

This system is full color with live footage, and I can scroll across the board to watch both live data and saved data from thirty days back.

The bell on the front door rings and Bunny glances toward me. “I gotta help with that. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” Her tone is light and soft, leaving my palms itching to reach out for her.

One kiss. One squeeze. One moment with her in my arms. It’s all I want.

Instead, I watch her round ass walk away, then go back to the footage, scrolling back thirty days to see what I find. I know Bunny said he was in yesterday, but I wonder if he’s been in before then, too.

As the video plays, I try to concentrate on the front door, but instead all my eyes want to look at is the girl at the counter. Her head is down. She’s correcting papers, pulling stickers out to place on the top, her hand weaving through her hair as she feathers it back and hums.

This footage quality is insane!

She looks content, marking the papers, working along, until a man walks inside.

I know on first glance he’s not the man I’m looking for, but this dude looks like an asshole none the less. He’s tall with a thin build and jet-black hair. His beard is scruffy, and he wears torn jeans and a black tee shirt. His focus is on Bunny.

My chest tightens. I wonder if this is the ex. I can tell by his body language that he knows her.

Bunny looks up. “What do you want, Dillon?”

“You owe me money,” the man grunts. What kind of fucking guy talks to a woman about owing him money?

Bunny rolls her head to the side. “You know I don’t have it, Dillon. I’m working with what I have. I barely have enough to eat right now.”

The guy laughs. “You look like you’re eating.”

Get fucked, you little piece of shit! He better calm down soon or he’s a dead man!

“Please leave,” Bunny says, brushing her hair back from her vision. “I’m exhausted. I can’t do this right now.”

The man walks around the counter and puts his hand on her wrists before backing her against the wall.

I kick back from the chair and stare at the screen with anger in my throat, my fists balled at my sides. Who the fuck does he think he is?

“Get me my fucking money, bitch, or else.” I haven’t found any information on the asshole I’m looking for… but fuck it. Some things take priority.

I swing open the door and storm toward the front counter. I have no idea what face I’m wearing as I round the aisle toward the scene. If I was to guess by Bunny’s expression when I come into view, it isn’t good. Her eyes are wide, and her shoulders are square. I need to calm down. I don’t want to scare her. I want to take care of her, though I’m not sure I’ve ever had to calm myself down on the spot like this before. Usually, I let the anger ride. It’s not ideal, but somewhere between red-hot rage and plain old frustration is a sweet spot for me. In that place of warm, wild, abandon is where I live. It’s what feels most comforting.

“What’s wrong? Did you find something?”

I close my eyes and suck in a breath, releasing the tension from my fists. “Where is he? Who’s Dillon?”

She swallows hard and looks away, then back again. Bunny straightens herself out a bit, looks at me calmly, and says, “Dillon is my ex.”

My skin heats. “And why the fuck was he here?”

“He’s here because he thinks I owe him money.” She sighs. “I’m sure you saw everything.”

“Why does he think you owe him money?” My tone is biting, and though I try to rein it in, nothing works. I’m upset. No one should be touching her. Not ever.

Her lips pinch together. “It’s complicated.”

I walk behind the counter and pull out a stool, continuing to relax myself. “I have time. Go for it.”

“You know this is none of your business, right? I mean, I get you come in here, we do the small talk thing, but you don’t actually know me.”

I can’t help but laugh. “I’m not letting this go, Bunny. Tell me now. What’s going on?”

She drags in a lungful of air and then lets out a spurt of shorter breaths that sound like a chugging train. “Dillon is an ass. I told you that. He’s controlling and abusive. I never should’ve gotten with him to begin with, but they all seem sweet at first, right? It’s a thing.”

“Abusive how?”

She swallows hard. “You saw the footage. He does stuff like that and more. Look, I don’t need you to rescue me. I rescued myself. I just… I’m moving on.”

“Is he the father of the baby?”

“Yup! Fun times, right? I haven’t told him, and I don’t plan to. That probably makes me a bad guy.”

“No. It makes you smart. Why does he think you owe him money?”

Tears stream down her face and her lip quivers. Why do I have an overwhelming urge to tuck her against my chest and make everything better?

“The cabin I’m fixing up, we bought it together. It was dumb. I shouldn’t have done it,” her gaze widens, “but we’d been together so long, I started to assume this was how all relationships were. So, he paid like three grand for the down payment. I put in another twelve. At the time, I thought it made sense because we were a couple, but it was all the money I had. Now, he wants me to sell the place or give him half of what it’s worth.” More tears fall. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t sell it because I need a place to live, and it was hard enough to find this.”

“Is his name on the deed?”

“No, but he said that doesn’t matter. He put money in and that means he owns it too.”

“If his name isn’t on the deed, he’s not entitled to anything. How long did he live there?”

She rolls her eyes. “Two months.”

“Yeah. He’s not getting shit. It’s like he paid rent for a bit and left.”

“Right,” she busies herself with sorting candy bars onto the front shelf, “except it’s not that easy.”

“So, we’ll hire you a lawyer.”

Her dark brown eyes roll. “I don’t have money for a lawyer. I barely have money for dinner tonight.”

“So, you’ll come to me for dinner, and I’ll hire you a lawyer. The MC keeps one on retainer. He’s good.”

A heavy sigh leaves her lips. “I can’t let you hire me a lawyer. This isn’t your problem.”

“I can’t let you go home and pretend this isn’t happening.”

She shakes her head and stares down at the box of chocolate, filling them in a row until the tears take over. The box falls to the ground and stacks of candy bars slide out with it. Her hands shake and she rocks in place as tears fall harder.

I round the counter, lift her into my arms, and carry her into the back. Thankfully, the store has emptied and there aren’t people to contend with.

I saw a fan in here earlier, so I start it up and aim it toward her, letting the fresh air blow into her face. I’ve seen this work for folks after stressful situations. She gulps down big breaths and stares up at me with tears falling from her eyes.

“What am I going to do when this baby comes? I’m a mess. Look at me. I work two jobs and I’m barely getting by. I have a cabin that’s falling apart, an ex who won’t leave me alone, and I’ve been trying to hold it together, but right now all I want to do is crawl into a hole and never come out again.”

“Which is why I’m taking you home with me tonight.”

She glances sideways. “No.”

“Sorry, that’s not an acceptable answer.”

She wipes her nose with the sleeve of her sweater. “Look, I know you’re trying to be nice, but I have a house.”

“Do you like that house?”

She blinks up at me through tears and breaks down again. “No. I hate it. I mean, I liked it when we got it. I thought it was going to be ours, like we’d be a family, but…” She cries harder. “I’m so dumb!”

I thumb away her tears and sit on the bench next to her, pulling her into my space. I’ve never done this in my life, holding a woman I barely know. Usually, this is a place it takes years to get to for me. And despite the fact that Bunny is telling me she doesn’t need my help, I know she does. I like that. I like feeling needed.

“Look,” I hold her small hand in mine, “I wanna help you, but you have to let me.”

She clears her throat, wipes her tears on her shirt, and stands. “I don’t need your help. I can figure this out. Besides, your cabin is falling apart too. That’s why you’re here. And now, you’re supposed to be chasing a bounty, but you’re fixated on my whining ass. Really, I’m fine. I’m sorry about all this. I’m hormonal. It’s a thing.”

I grip her arm and spin her back into me. The move is smooth and gentle, and when her gaze is on mine, everything feels right. I don’t know how it doesn’t for her. “You’re not going home tonight, and I’m going to help you lock up. We’ll grab a few things in town if you need them and you’re coming back to my place. Yes, it’s not perfect, but it will be soon. And everything Dillon related, I’ll take care of.”

“Jesus. You say it like you’re going to murder him.”

I laugh. “Well, I’m not going to not murder him.”

“See… this is why I can’t do this. You’re insane.”

“Insane… or highly productive? That man is a menace to you and the baby.”

She walks toward the door and locks it for the night, before heading back to the register to tuck the cash into a zippered pouch. I stay quiet while she counts and jots the number down, then paces back to the safe to tuck it away. When she comes back with her purse and flicks off the light, I do something I’ve never done before.

I lift a woman up in my arms, carry her straight out the back door, and set her into my truck.

“What are you doing? You’ve lost your mind!” She kicks and shouts, desperate to escape, but I don’t give in. Nothing I’m doing is right, but I don’t care. I can’t sleep tonight, knowing my little bunny is out there without help.

Like it or not, you’re getting the protection you deserve.