The Summer He Came Home (Bad Boys of Crystal Lake 1)

But then Maggie was there, her soft touch on his arm, her voice urgent in his ear. “He’s not worth it, Cain. Please stop, you’ll kill him.”

The red haze inside his brain cracked a bit, and he stepped back, watching dispassionately as the man who’d touched his woman spat blood onto the floor.

“He’s not worth it,” she whispered again.

Cain stepped back, and it took a few moments for him to calm down. He glanced at Maggie and swore when he saw the swelling on the side of her face.

“I’ll kill him.”

“No, you won’t.” Jake’s rough voice was at his back. “Take Maggie and get her out of here. Mac and I will watch this asshole until Taggart arrives. Luke called the police, so he should be here soon.” Jake glanced to Maggie. “I’m assuming you’re going to want to press charges against this piece of shit.”

“I did nothing to you, bitch.” Dante leaned on the bed, his eye already swelling, with blood still dripping from his mouth. He pointed to Cain. “He attacked me.”

Mac piped up. “You’re in Crystal Lake, dickhead, and we don’t take kindly to men beating up our women.”

Mackenzie leaned down. “It’s the holiday weekend too. I’m guessing your ass will be in lockup until Tuesday.” He shrugged. “Could be Wednesday.”

“You can’t do that…”

“I suggest you shut your hole, or Mac and I will finish what Cain started.” Jake glared at Dante and squared his shoulders. “Go on…give us a reason.”

Cain folded Maggie into his arms and led her back toward her living room.

“Oh God.” Maggie’s voice quivered.

He grabbed her close once more, held her until the trembles lessened and then eventually went away. The absolute heaviness of what had just transpired hit him, and Cain gently lifted Maggie’s chin.

“Are you…” He swallowed, so filled with emotion and the need to protect that he couldn’t speak. “I’m so sorry I left you alone to deal with him.” His fingers grazed the bruised flesh on her cheek. “Maggie, I…”

“It’s over.” She rested her head on his chest, and a long, shuddering breath escaped. “Oh my God! Michael.” She pushed against him. “Where’s Michael?”

“Shh, it’s okay. He’s with Luke, next door.”

“Thank you,” she said haltingly, “for…”

“For loving your son?” Cain murmured.

“For loving us both enough to come back.” Maggie squirmed until she was able to look up at him. Her hands reached for him, and Cain’s insides liquefied, then ran hot, at the look in her eyes. She stood up on her toes, and when her lips were inches from his, she whispered, “You asked me last night to think about us and where I stand.”

This was it. The moment that would change his life. He knew this as surely as he knew her soon-to-be ex-husband would most likely rot in a Crystal Lake jail cell until Thursday. At the earliest.

“And?” he asked.

She swept her lips across his. “I love you.”

He groaned and claimed her mouth in a kiss that had his senses reeling. It was both gentle, and urgent and caressing and sexy. She tasted like everything he’d ever wanted, and as he stood with Maggie in his arms, with the absolute knowledge that she belonged to him on every level that existed, he was grateful.

And for the first time since arriving back in Crystal Lake, he felt like he’d truly come home.

Chapter 36

Later that night…

The sun had disappeared over an hour ago, leaving behind the moon and stars. Overhead they shone like a blanket of crystals strewn across the velvet sky. The air was still warm, and anticipation ran rampant.

Maggie hugged Michael as they stood in front of the stage and watched one of the technicians—or road crew, as Cain called them—fiddle with some of the wires. Cain would be on in a few minutes, and she was nervous, which was silly.

The day had been wonderful and awful and amazing and terrifying. Dante was sitting in a jail cell, locked up, and from what she’d been told, his arraignment would be several days away. It had been his bad luck to come after her on a long weekend.