Ruthless Bastard (Dangerous Love 3)

Rhett stared at those marks on her cheek. “He pressed your cheek to the wall?”

She nodded, another tear sliding down that injured cheek. “That’s when I saw the tattoo.”

Rhett wiped the tear away, careful not to touch her scrapes, and she drew in a shuddering breath. “The same tattoo I showed you?”

“Yeah,” she said with a nod, her dark hair blanketing the pillow. “He said I was stupid to ignore that first warning and keep the bar open. That the next warning wasn’t in the best interests of my baby.”

Rhett’s chest hollowed. He placed his hand on her belly, just beneath the strap and monitors there. “He threatened our child’s life?”

Her voice broke. “Considering he said it with his hand cutting off all my air supply, I got the feeling he meant me too.”

Rhett shut his eyes and breathed deep, struggling not to explode. He called in every ounce of training the military had instilled in him.

He let a beat pass.

Then Hank said behind him, “I’ve got every unit on the streets looking for someone who matches this sonovabitch’s description. But I’ve got no doubt he kn

ew how to get in and out of town quickly.”

“He most definitely had a plan,” Boone added. “The move was ballsy. He attacked in broad daylight.”

Rhett slowly opened his eyes, feeling near breathless at the tightness in his chest. They would catch this fucker; Rhett wouldn’t stop until he did. Right now, he thought of Kinsley and their child. “Are you warm now?” he asked her, stroking her cheek again with his thumb.

“Yeah.”

He examined the monitor, not knowing what he was looking at. “The baby?”

“Strong,” she said.

He glanced back at Kinsley, squeezing her hand tight. “You must have been very scared.”

Her breath hitched, voice wavered. “Really scared.”

Not caring about anything or anyone but her, he gathered her in his arms. She held him tight, and he felt the tension rolling through her. Until suddenly she went limp and her soft sobs filled the room. Rhett didn’t move. Not a goddamn inch.

He vaguely heard Hank kick everyone out of the room and shut the door behind them. And still, Rhett didn’t let go. He held her through every single one of her tears, feeling her pain rip into him the same. He’d fought wars. He’d protected lives. But these two lives in his arms right now, Kinsley’s and his unborn child’s, were beginning to mean more to him than anything he thought once mattered. Including himself.

When she drew quiet and the tears were gone, she leaned back, and he cupped her face again. She didn’t need him to say a word; he saw everything on her face. He gave her what she needed, and for once in his life, he felt like he was getting things right. Finally. He dropped his mouth to hers and kissed her with all the warmth she brought to his life.

“Thank you,” she said when he broke the kiss. She released a deep sigh, her eyes red-rimmed. “I think I needed a good cry.”

“Of course you did,” he said, taking her hand again, stroking her uninjured cheek with his knuckles. “What else do you need from me?”

The pain and the fear no longer lived in her gaze; something else burned there. “Find that fucker and get him behind bars.”

Rhett let the raw intensity fill him. He slowly grinned, a smile he knew looked deadly. “Now that, Kinsley, is my absolute pleasure.”

Chapter 12

It took longer than anyone had expected for the doctor to discharge Kinsley, but some of that was also because Asher took her statement there at the hospital. The attack is fresh on your mind, he had said. Yeah, it was fresh, and so was the fear. There, lingering right in her chest, just above her baby. She was curled up on Boone and Peyton’s couch by the crackling fire when she slid her hand under the warm blanket to rest on her belly. She’d never been that scared before. A fear that felt all consuming. From the attack, yes, but also from not knowing who wanted her to close the bar or why. She lived in Stoney Creek, a small town of quiet people. She had no enemies that came to mind. No matter how she looked at this, nothing made any sense.

It had started snowing again the moment they left the hospital, and Kinsley watched the snowflakes flutter down from the living room window of the lake house that had ivy climbing along its left side. Peyton had bought the place when she moved to Stoney Creek, furnishing it with antiques, and what once was in desperate need of repairs now looked brand new again with a fresh coat of cream-colored paint on the walls. The entire house screamed French country cottage. Kinsley had to squint to see the snow-covered frozen river past the big shade trees, with their branches dipping under the weight of the fallen snow.

“Hot chocolate makes everything better,” Remy said.

Kinsley glanced away from the window to find Remy offering her a mug. “Thanks.” Her hands hugged the steaming cup. “You even added little marshmallows. Pulling out the big guns, huh?”

“Of course,” Remy said with a gentle smile. “After the day you’ve had, you deserve all the marshmallows and chocolate out there.” She took a seat next to Kinsley on the couch, tucking herself under the blanket too.