20. Kat

TWENTY

Kat

One minute, I was trying to get some asshole at the bar to leave me alone…

Then Gabe came out of nowhere looking like he'd walked straight out of hell.

He flung himself at the guy like a wild animal, getting him on the floor in an instant. Fists flew; I thought I heard something crunch. My heart raced as I stumbled back, my boots scuffing the wooden floorboards.

I couldn't move, couldn't scream, just watched in horror as Gabe transformed into someone unrecognizable.

"Please, stop! Please!" The guy's face was a mess, blood streaming from his nose, painting his features in red.

I remembered blood. Hands sticky with it, Sundance's reins slipping through my fingers.

Gabe's hands were relentless, his every strike fueled by something dark and furious. I knew he was protective, had that mountain-man toughness about him, but this—this was something else.

He didn't even seem to hear the pleas, his jaw set, eyes like flint.

"Stop!" I tried to say.

The words got caught in my throat.

Clay's boots thundered across the planks as he and Jake rushed over from the bar, their expressions grim. Clay grabbed Gabe's arm while Jake went for his shoulders, their combined strength barely enough to make him budge.

I joined in, even though touching Gabe right now made my skin crawl.

"Come on, man, that's enough!" Clay grunted.

"Let go, Gabe. This ain't you," Jake added, his usually easygoing voice strained with urgency.

It took all three of us, pushing and pulling at Gabe's solid frame, to drag him away from the guy on the floor. When we finally managed to pull Gabe off, he stumbled back, panting like a cornered animal.

"Kat," Gabe gasped, his eyes locking onto mine.

Those eyes, usually so warm, now held a storm of regret. I could see the man I knew clawing his way back through whatever madness had gripped him.

"Jesus, Gabe," I said, my voice faint. "What the hell were you thinking?"

I could see it hit him then, the weight of what he'd done, how close he'd come to crossing a line. His hand lifted, as if to reach out to me, but Jake stepped into his path.

"Out. Now," Jake ordered. "You need to cool down."

"Come on, man," Clay cut in. "Let's go."

Reluctantly, I followed them out, trailing behind Gabe's hulking frame. I didn't know what I wanted anymore—anger, worry, and disappointment churned in my gut. Just when Gabe had started to feel like a safe bet…

Outside, the night air hit us with a sobering chill. Clay turned to Gabe, his brows pinched with concern.

"Can you drive?"

"Yeah," Gabe said, his voice gruff. "I'm not drunk. Had one beer hours ago." He ran a hand through his hair, looking at me then away. "Can't believe I lost it like that…saw his hands on you and?—"

"Stop. Don't. Just don't."

His eyes searched mine, a plea forming on his lips. "Kat, I?—"

"Save it," I snapped. "You don't get to use me as your excuse. Your fists? That's all you."

"Kat, that's not what I meant. Let me just?—"

"Take me home, Gabe," I said. "Now."

We got into his truck without another word. The silence between us was like a dead zone, thick enough to choke on. He didn't try to talk, and neither did I. My gaze was locked on the darkened landscape rolling past the window, but all I could see was another time, another place—Ben in a hospital bed, his face a map of pain and bruises.

I could feel the echo of that old anger rising up again, mixing with the fear and the bitter taste of disappointment. Here I was, stuck in a car with a man who was supposed to be different, supposed to be better. But men like Gabe…they never change, do they?

"Are you going to say anything?" The words spilled out. I couldn't help it. The silence was killing me.

He kept his eyes on the road, knuckles white against the steering wheel. "What can I even say? I fucked up."

I turned away from him, biting down on my lip hard enough to taste blood. I wanted to scream. To let out this swirling storm inside me. It was terrifying to see that side of him again—the side that could erupt into violence without warning.

I remembered Ben's bruised face ten years ago and felt a shiver of fear.

I needed to talk to Gabe…to tell this man who had become my protector that we had to figure this out.

But before I could wrestle my thoughts into something coherent, the quiet was shattered by the roar of an engine. My eyes darted to the side mirror, catching the blinding glare of headlights bearing down on us. I winced, a hand flying up instinctively to shield my vision.

"Damn it," Gabe growled, squinting through the rear window. "What's with people not turning their damn brights off?"

The car surged closer. Its engine revved, a loud, aggressive grumble. I couldn't even see what kind of car it was, their lights were so bright.

"Seriously?" Gabe muttered, and hit the hazards—permission for them to pass. Instead, the other driver stuck to our bumper, relentless. The engine roared again, louder this time, and the car inched even closer.

"Go around!" Gabe snapped, voice laced with frustration as he tapped the brakes, signaling our unwelcome guest to take the hint.

But they didn't.

"Jesus, what's their deal?" I asked, my voice tight with anxiety as I glanced over at Gabe. His jaw was set, a muscle ticking in his cheek as he kept his gaze fixed on the rearview mirror.

"I don't know, but I don't fucking like it," he replied. "Make sure your seatbelt's on."

It was a good thing I'd already buckled up—because suddenly, with no signal, the car behind us swerved out from behind, accelerating rapidly alongside us.

"Look out!" I yelled, gripping the door handle as the car veered dangerously close.

"Son of a bitch!" Gabe swore under his breath, maneuvering our vehicle away, narrowly avoiding a collision.

But the other driver wasn't backing off.

"Are they trying to run us off the road?" I shouted over the roar of both engines.

"Looks like it."

"Who does that? Who just tries to—" My question died in my throat as the car jerked towards us again, its tires screeching.

"Hold on!" Gabe commanded. He floored the accelerator, the truck leaping forward.

I clung to my seat, heart racing, eyes glued to the glare of the other car's headlights as they weaved back and forth, trying to unnerve Gabe, to push us into making a mistake.

"Come on, you bastard, give up already," Gabe muttered.

But the car was relentless, mirroring our every move. The driver was unhinged, pushing their vehicle to its limits, and Gabe's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he tried to maintain control.

"Jesus," I whispered. "Can you lose them?"

"Trying," he grunted. I saw his eyes dart toward the mirror, watching. My hands shook. I couldn't do anything; I was just along for the ride.

Another swerve, this time more violent, and the truck skidded on the loose gravel at the edge of the roadway—the sound of it grating like nails on a chalkboard.

"Careful!" I couldn't keep the panic from my voice now.

"Doing my best, Kat!" Gabe shot back, frustration bleeding into his tone.

I could feel the tension radiating off him, the same intensity that had driven his fists earlier in the night now channeled into keeping us alive.

"Watch out!" I screamed as the other car made a sharp cut towards us, clipping the corner of the truck.

We wobbled…skidded.

The impact sent us fishtailing.

For a split second, we were pointed straight, a false promise of safety—then the world turned sideways.

"Shit!"

We veered off to the side and the truck rattled as we skidded over rough terrain. Miraculously, we didn't flip over. The airbags didn't deploy either, though I didn't know if that was because the accident was minor or because Gabe's truck was so run down it didn't have them. My heart pounded in my throat, stomach churning.

"Kat!" I heard Gabe's voice, distant over the ringing in my ears. "Kat, are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said. "Yeah…I think I'm okay."

But I didn't know how much longer that would last.

Because whoever had driven us off the road was still out there…and as far as I knew, they were about to come in for the kill.