21. Gabe

TWENTY-ONE

Gabe

We were both safe.

We were both alive.

That, at least, was something.

"Stay low," I muttered, my eyes flicking to the rearview mirror. I could see the car's tail lights down the road; they were turning around.

So they planned on finishing the job.

Shit .

"Think we can pull out of here?" Kat's voice was tight.

"Yeah, but…"

I didn't have to finish my sentence. We both heard the crunch of tires on gravel as they pulled up on the shoulder behind us, blocking our exit.

"Fuck," she hissed. "You carry a gun in here?"

With everything going on, I should have. I had plenty of firearms back at my place, but I'd kept them away from the Martin house for Livy's safety.

Now, I was regretting that choice.

"No," I replied.

"Double fuck," she said. "Utility knife…anything?"

"Check the glovebox," I said, keeping my voice low.

She fumbled with the latch, her fingers shaking but efficient. In moments, she had a small utility knife in hand. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"Think they're here to kill us?" Her voice was a whisper, barely audible over the pounding of my heart.

"Wouldn't put it past them." I kept my eyes on the mirror. The door of their car swung open, and two figures stepped out, silhouetted against their headlights. They were just dark shapes, featureless and menacing.

"I'm gonna try to get the jump on them," I told Kat. "I won't let them hurt you."

"Your hero complex is really starting to?—"

"Save your life?" I interrupted, shooting her a quick glare. "We can argue about this later."

She opened her mouth to snipe back at me, but dim light coming from town interrupted us both. Maybe I wouldn't have to act after all—because headlights pierced the darkness, growing larger.

The two figures froze, glanced at each other, and then scrambled back into their car. The car engine roared, tires spat gravel, and then they were gone, speeding away from the approaching lights.

"Is it—?" Kat started to ask, but I put a finger to my lips.

"Wait."

The vehicle slowed, pulling over. My chest tightened as the police lights flipped on overhead, painting the night in red and blue.

"Police," I breathed. "Thank God."

The cruiser's door opened and a figure stepped out. With the lights from the car, I could see his face…and I recognized him. Relief flooded through me.

"Chris!" I called through the window, rolling it down as he approached.

"Shit…are you two okay?" Chris's voice was tight with concern as he peered into the car, his hand instinctively resting on his service weapon. "What the hell happened here?"

"We got run off the road," I said. "Some folks just ambushed us."

Chris's face lost color, his usual composure slipping. "Was it the car that just tore out of here?"

"Sure was," I said, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "But they're long gone now."

"Damn it." Chris shook his head. "I'll put out an APB, but if they've got a head start…were you able to make out any details on the car?"

"It was a sedan, but I couldn't see anything else," Kat said.

"Me either," I confirmed.

"Stay here. I need to call this in." Chris turned back to his cruiser, reaching for his radio.

I looked over at Kat, blowing out a long breath. I'd thought this night couldn't get any worse…but here we were, our lives threatened yet again. She stared back at me, the fight seemingly forgotten.

Then her eyes moved to my bloodied knuckles.

"I guess this is what we get for trying to take a night off," she muttered. "Any pings on the security system?"

I reached into my pocket and yanked out my phone, looking down at the screen. There were no alerts, but I pulled up the camera feeds anyway. Everything was quiet, Bandit snoozing on the couch.

"We're all good," I said. "But I don't think we should go out again until the police have found whoever's trying to hurt you."

" We ," she echoed with a bitter laugh. "How do you know I'm not going to kick you out after the shit you pulled tonight?"

I didn't know how to respond to that. Part of me wanted to give her a flat-out no; she needed me there to protect her and Livy, and there was no way I would abandon them. Another part of me wanted to beg for her forgiveness.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said quietly.

"Right," she said. "And I should trust the guy who clearly hasn't changed from when he beat my brother half-to-death?—"

"I went ahead and called it in." Both our heads snapped toward Chris, who'd reappeared in the driver's side window. "Y'all gonna be able to get out of here okay?"

I nodded. "Should be able to, but stick around for a second just in case we can't. I'll…"

I trailed off, seeing how Chris winced.

"Something the matter?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Look, Gabe—I was actually heading out to the Martin place to talk to you," he said. "Talked to about a dozen people down at the Spur who said you kicked some guy's ass."

I groaned, reaching up to pinch the bridge of my nose. "Damn it…is he pressing charges?"

"He actually dipped after everything went down, but Jake O'Hara wanted me to tell you he wants you off his premises until further notice," Chris said. "Sorry."

"As if I would show my face in there after what I did," I muttered. "Uh…tell Jake I'm sorry, okay? I mean it."

"Will do," Chris said. "And I'll let you know if the guy you hit shows up at the police station. You two want an escort back to the house?"

I looked over at Kat, who was clearly still rattled.

"Yeah," I said. "That would be great."

The drive back to the house was quiet, Kat looking out the window with her arms crossed over her chest. Chris's squad car stayed behind us all the way back to the ranch, and we parted ways at the driveway. The house was quiet, the lights glimmering in the distance as we pulled up and I parked next to Kat's SUV.

She wouldn't speak to me—not even as she slid out of the passenger side, grabbed her keys, and put them in the door. I could hear Bandit barking from inside the house.

And I…

Fuck. I was angry.

All I'd done was try to protect her. This whole time , I'd tried to protect her. I'd done a lot to change, I'd put in the effort, and she still couldn't see that?

How much longer would I have to pay my dues? The self-flagellation was killing me.

I would've driven off without her, back up toward the cabin, but my desire to protect her overwhelmed all of that. I cursed and shut off the car, pulled the keys out of the ignition, and stalked toward the house. Kat was already inside, but she'd left the door unlocked for me; she knew I wouldn't go.

I followed the sound of her footsteps down the hall, finding her standing at the bathroom mirror. She was taking off her makeup at the sink, her jaw set. She was holding something in, that was for sure—but I didn't know if I wanted to hear it.

"We should talk," I said.

She looked up at me, rolling her eyes. "About what?"

I crossed my arms, wanting to take her on. I couldn't stop thinking about her saying I hadn't changed, when I had changed . I'd taken care of her, worked here for free, rebuilt the barn.

And more than all of that…this was my home now. Kat and Livy and Bandit were like family.

I was in love with her and she thought I was a monster.

"I'm sorry about what happened at the Spur," I said. Kat brushed past me, moving toward her bedroom. Maybe it wasn't an invitation, but I followed; I couldn't avoid this talk any longer. "But honestly…he had it coming. He touched you like that even after you slapped him, it was going to get ugly?—"

She rounded on me. "There is a right way to do things and a wrong way," she said. "And you clearly haven't learned the right way."

"Kat—"

"I really was starting to think you'd changed…but you haven't." She put her hands on her hips. "You like hurting people."

My head swam, heart pounding. No…she couldn't think that about me, could she? I shook my head, then the words tumbled out. "No, Kat. I did my time in the Marines. I learned what it means to hurt people, to…to kill them. Paid my dues and left my blood, sweat, and tears in the desert. I know that violence has a time and a place, and I don't like doing it. Not like I did when we were kids. But I had to do that tonight."

She stiffened. "Why?"

I reached for her…and she let me. I gripped her arms, pulling her close. "Because I will do anything to protect you," I said quietly. "You're the one and only thing I can't lose, Kat. You ."

She stared at me, eyes wide.

Then we exploded.

She shoved me backwards against the wall, her fists curling in my t-shirt as she practically climbed up my body. Her lips found mine and I took hold of her, pulling her up on her tip-toes to reach, devouring her moans. She shoved my jacket off and I helped her along as it fell to the floor, as her fingertips found the hem of my shirt to roam over my abs.

Having her touch me…fuck, it was some kind of divine. I pulled away from her only to take my shirt off, then I kept kissing her and kissing her and kissing her. I couldn't stop, couldn't breathe, couldn't survive another second without having her. She nipped at my lower lip, took off that low-cut blouse as we parted for another agonizing second.

"You make me crazy," she groaned against me as we stumbled to the bed, shedding our clothes as we went. "Fuck…never felt anything like this."

"Nobody pisses me off like you, Kat Martin," I growled back. She fell back as her knees hit the bed and I went down to the floor, pulled off her boots, then her jeans. She was wearing lacy white underwear, soaked through with arousal. "But fighting with you, fucking you…it's all the same. Turns me the fuck on."

I gripped her thighs and buried my face between them, licking her through those lace panties. She keened and tugged on my hair, leaning back, arching into my mouth. I used one hand to pull those panties aside and found her clit, sucking on it.

"Jesus, Gabe…"

I wanted to talk to her, to tell her all I felt—but I wanted to pleasure her even more. She rocked against my hips as I traveled lower, plunged my tongue into her clenching heat.

"Watching you…" she gasped out. "Fuck…you were like…"

"Talk to me, baby," I crooned against her.

"Like a monster…it scared…it scared me…"

I almost stopped, listening.

"But you're my monster," she finished. "All—all mine?—"

She was coming against my lips, then, thrusting up toward me, begging me for more. Maybe I was a monster, sure, but there was one thing I was certain of.

I was hers, body and soul.

I crawled up her body, losing my pants along the way, finding her mouth and kissing her hard. We were half-way on the bed, messy, desperate. I loved it. Loved her. I pressed her into the rumpled blankets, looked down into those beautiful brown eyes, and slid my cock along her seam.

"Fuck!" she cried out. Her clit was still sensitive from when I'd licked her to climax. "Fuck me, Gabe, please?—"

I kept stroking my cock along her, through her panties. "Nah…not right away," I said. "I'm gonna make this night last, spitfire. Didn't get to play with you the first time…second time you took the lead. Now I'm in your bedroom, you're all mine for the night."

The words came out instinctively, but they sparked something deep and primal.

If I was hers, then she was mine.

Kat clawed at my back like she could force me to fuck her right now, so I snatched her wrists out of the air and pinned them above her head as I moved her further up the bed. She was still wearing a bra, and I used my free hand to yank out her gorgeous breasts…lowered my mouth to them as I continued sliding my cock between her thighs. I licked around her nipple, sucked it into my mouth, and she purred like a damn kitten.

"Always acting like you want to be in charge," I teased, even though every word was a struggle. "But you like being bossed around, don't you?"

"Damn you, Gabe—ah!"

I bit down on the peak of her breast and her hips jerked. She cried out in pain, but there was a thread of pleasure woven through that scream. I smiled against her flesh. "I could do this for hours."

"Fuck, Gabe…I don't know if I can handle this," she panted, her voice hoarse. "You're cruel, you know that?"

"I can be," I admitted, my voice rough. "Wanna keep you guessing…never knowing when I'll let go or let up. You want me to stop, baby?"

"Never stop," she whimpered. "Please…"

I raised my head and looked into her eyes, flicking my tongue out once again to play with her breasts. She stared at me, lashes fluttering every time I touched her, every time I slid my cock up and down her seam.

I let the head slip inside—just an inch.

She gasped, shaking.

I'd planned to tease her more, wanted to get her good and ready…but fuck, she was ready . Her pussy clenched like she was trying to drag me in, and I couldn't last another second without being inside her.

So I held her wrists, braced myself with my other elbow—and I slammed into her.

Every muscle in her body rippled as she cried out, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. Her eyes were wide with shock, but they sparkled with desire too. I relaxed my grip on her wrists, but she didn't try to move.

She just lay there, panting, as if she were trying to catch her breath.

I felt a moment of hesitation, worrying I'd hurt her. I was big, and we'd only been together twice. "I'll slow it down if you want."

She shook her head, her eyes locked with mine. "Don't stop."

I gripped her hips, adjusted my angle, and began to move, slowly at first, then a little faster. Kat moaned, her nails digging into the sheets as she tried to pull me deeper.

This was what she wanted, and I wasn't about to let her down. I increased my pace, driving into her harder, each stroke sending waves of pleasure through her body. She cried out, her voice ragged and needy, and I could see the desire in her eyes as she watched me take her.

Her nails dug into my back, and she arched her hips to meet each thrust. I felt her muscles clench around me, riding the edge of ecstasy. I knew she was close, and I couldn't wait to push her over.

"Fuck me, Gabe," she begged, her voice hoarse with need. "I need you. Please, don't stop."

I groaned, the words falling from her lips like sweet poison. I thrust harder, my cock sliding in and out of her hot, wet pussy. Kat's entire body trembled beneath me, her nails digging into my back as she screamed my name.

"Gabe," she groaned. "Yes…yes, you feel so good…"

Then she was coming—clenching around me—and I'd planned to fuck her through a few orgasms, but she worked some kind of magic on me. I tucked my face into her neck and breathed her in and out as I came inside her, brushing butterfly kisses to her neck, her nails digging into my back.

We lay like that for a long time…then I slowly pulled out, lifting my eyes to hers. She searched my gaze for something—I didn't know what—and then she raised herself up only to kiss me sweetly. Her eyes were still open when we pulled away.

"You scare me…but I don't want to stop," she said quietly.

"Me either," I breathed.

I didn't tell her I loved her. Didn't tell her she was everything.

I'd said it in fewer words earlier in the night. And that admission…it would come with time.