Escape from Obsession (The American Soldier Collection 1)

“What are you talking about?”

“Something like this has happened to you before?” Wes asked.

Gunner loved her so much. She was an attractive, sexy woman, with long brown hair and big green eyes. She didn’t deserve to have men treat her like this. Something in her past made her feel that this was acceptable or could simply be ignored.

“Explain, Gia,” Wes added.

She took a deep breath and released it then stepped away from Garrett. She stood in front of them but a few feet away with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“This has nothing to do with Jeffrey. He’s an asshole, and he’s desperate now that he knows his life is over. He’s going to jail. It’s just coincidence that Jeffrey chose me to go after. I was in the right place at the wrong time. I handled it. But what you don’t know and what I was planning on explaining when the time was right is that I had a very scary and intense relationship with someone back in New York. He put the fear in me. He made me feel insecure and he controlled me. But ultimately, he betrayed my trust and my commitment to him.”

Gunny felt his gut clench. He knew that a woman as beautiful as Gia would have dated, but this sounded as though she loved someone or had been deeply involved. He wanted to know what happened, but his jealous, possessive side didn’t want to hear the details.

“Keep going,” Garrett said. He was glad that his brother took the initiative to speak. Gunny didn’t think he could right now. He was trying to calm down from the initial episode and phone call.

“There’s really not much to explain. I was involved with a man in New York. It wasn’t a healthy relationship and just as I realized he truly didn’t care about me, he—”

She lowered her head then sat down in the seat next to the desk.

“He what?” Wes asked.

“He offered me to his business partner.”

Gunny stood up straight and stared at her.

“He what?” he asked through clenched teeth. Gia looked at him as she clasped her hands on her lap and crossed her legs.

“Apparently his partner wanted to have sex with me and he was afraid of the man. Ultimately, the night they both tried to take what they wanted, a fight broke out at the party and the police showed up just as my boyfriend nearly beat a man to death.”

“Jesus, Gia.” Garrett ran his hand through his hair.

“No wonder you took off that night we tried to kiss you in here,” Wes said.

“You freaked out because two men tried to force you into having sex with them at once,” Gunny whispered, the words like poison leaving his lips.

“I was stupid to think that he loved me to begin with. I had nothing, no one, and was trying to make it in New York. Not that I’m trying to make excuses, because there aren’t any, but I learned my lesson. I knew I had a small window of opportunity to get out of New York and away from Antonio. Valdere took off before the cops got there and Antonio was arrested on the spot for assault. I packed my stuff and took the first plane out of New York I could get. I called Teddy and he helped me by getting my name changed and making sure that they couldn’t find me.”

“Your name changed? You mean your name isn’t Gia?” Garrett asked.

“Antonio and Valdere are the two fuckers’ names?” Gunny asked. He would remember those names and the fear they placed in Gia.

“It’s Gianna Marie. I didn’t want to lose my first name completely and Teddy thought it would be fine to keep Gia.”

“Where are these two assholes now?” Wes asked.

She shook her head as if not knowing.

They were quiet a few seconds.

“Any chance these men might come looking to take you back?” Garrett asked and Gia swallowed hard but didn’t answer.

Gunny walked over to Gia and pulled her up into his arms.

“They can’t have her back, because she’s ours.” He kissed her deeply and she straddled his waist as she kissed him back.

The knock on the door gave them pause as Gunner slowly set her feet back down onto the floor. Garrett opened the door.

Teddy entered along with John Luke, Jasper and Davie.