His Hostage

“He’s sweet,” I agree, remembering how he helped me through my panic attack. He’s always trying to make me feel better and now he brought me to get new clothes.

“I love your hips,” Mags tells me as she reaches out and grabs them. I stand there, unsure what she’s doing. “They’re great for making babies and great for high-waisted pants.” A smirk forms on her full lips. “I’d know.” She taps her round belly, then she motions for me to follow her.

I follow her over to a rack and she starts pulling things off and dropping them into my arms. When my arms can’t hold any more, she finally stops.

“We’ll start here,” she says with a nod.

“This is a lot of clothes.”

“Women need options.” She motions with her hands. “That’s why I got myself a store.”

“Hey, I helped with the store,” Track says as he and Cooper come back into the room.

Cooper’s face is solemn and I drop the clothes down onto a chair, knowing something is wrong. Track doesn’t look so irritated anymore, but Cooper sure does.

“What?” I ask as my eyes lock with Cooper’s.

“Warren Humphries,” he says, and all the blood drains from my face. “He’s in town looking for his missing fiancée. A Julian Langley.”

Chapter Eight

Cooper

Her face turns white as a sheet and she staggers back. Just before she can stumble, I’m there and she’s in my arms. I can see the panic attack creeping up, but I’m here now and it’s going to be okay.

“Jules, look at me, baby. Breathe.” I hold her close and take a deep breath as I nod for her to do it with me. “You can do it, in and out.”

She locks eyes with me and does as I ask. I hear Mags behind me say she’s going to get something for her to drink in the back. It takes Jules a second, but she’s breathing with me and focusing so the panic doesn’t rise too far too fast.

“That’s it,” I encourage her as Mags comes back with a Coke.

“I think the sugar will help with the shock,” she says, and then I hear her whispering to Track.

I sit down on the oversized chair and pull Jules into my lap. I take the Coke and open it and then hold it up for her to take sips.

“You’ve got to tell me what’s going on,” I plead with her as she looks at me and after a moment she nods.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Track and Mags walk out of the room and give us some privacy. I know it might be better for Track to hear what’s going on, but I doubt he’s moving too far out of earshot and he’ll get all of the information one way or another.

“He’s my ex. I never agreed to marry him, but he’s telling everyone I’m his fiancée so that it makes him look like the good guy coming to the rescue. He’s abusive and has his hands in some powerful pockets. There’s nothing that will stop him from coming for me.” The terror in her eyes is real and I feel the chill go down her spine.

“You’re going to tell me everything.” I give her another sip of the Coke as I look into her eyes. “I’m going to protect you, Jules, but I need to know the whole story. Okay?”

“Okay,” she agrees as she takes another deep breath.

I hold her in my lap as she tells me about her past and this motherfucker Warren. I don’t know him, but the more she talks about him, the more I want to meet him just so I can kick his teeth in. Men who prey on innocent women like Jules are the absolute lowest human beings and deserve to have their dicks removed with a fork.

The stories she tells me have me clenching my fists so hard all my knuckles pop and turn white. At one point I feel her place her hand softly on top of one of them and it calms me, but only a little. Nothing, except eradicating Warren off the planet, will make me feel better.

Once she’s finished telling me everything, I watch her shoulders sag like she’s just unloaded a heavy burden. I have to remember that she has no one and she’s had to run from this on her own.

“You’ve been trying to protect yourself all this time,” I say, and she nods. “That’s over, starting now, Jules.”

She looks up at me and I see the tears in her eyes. I wipe them away with my thumb and rub a hand down her back.

“I’m here and I’m going to make sure this ends and you don’t ever have to worry about him again.” I lean in close and softly press my lips to hers. “On my life, I will always protect you.”