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Jeremy opened it just enough so he could see Sam, but Sam couldn’t see all the way inside Becca’s house. His blood simmered. This was Sam, the bastard who’d struck her face in anger, who’d humiliated her and shamed her for her desires. It took everything he had not to plant a fist in the guy’s face. “Can I help you?”
Sam looked startled. “Who are you? Where’s Rebeccah?”
“I’m a friend of hers.” Before he could say anything else, Becca stepped up beside him. Jeremy would bet she didn’t know she’d done it, but as she stood next to him, she leaned into him. He put his hand on her back for support.
“What do you want, Sam?”
“To talk with you. Alone.”
Becca shook her head. “No. Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of him.”
Sam’s mouth thinned. “You’re alone in a house with a man who isn’t your husband. That’s not the way a proper Jewish woman acts, Rebeccah.”
Christ, was this guy for real? And then Jeremy felt his eyes pop wide. He’d been right, and this was why Becca had blanched when he’d teased her about being a nice Jewish girl.
She went rigid under his hand, but outwardly, she remained calm. “You know what? I don’t care how you think a proper Jewish woman should act. You no longer get any say in what I do. What do you want, Sam? Jeremy and I are busy.”
Jeremy hid his grin. His kitten had claws and he liked it, a lot. Turned him on, truth be told, to see her standing up for herself. Not that he was surprised. He knew she wasn’t the doormat she said she never wanted to be. He’d never thought that of her.
Sam frowned. “Jeremy? That cop you always ride with on your mitzvah? I never should’ve allowed that.”
There was more than a hint of anger in Sam’s voice and Jeremy heard it. He doubted the guy would be stupid enough to pull anything, but he wasn’t taking chances with Becca’s life. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close. He didn’t care how it looked.
She sighed, ignoring the jibe. “Just tell me why you’re here, Sam.”
“This.” He held an envelope out at her. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“It’s yours. I don’t want your money, I don’t want your house. Why is it so hard to understand I want a fresh start? I’ve moved on. You need to do the same.”
To Jeremy’s shock, she moved even closer to him. Close enough his hand slid from her waist to her hip, a movement Sam didn’t miss.
“You’re making a big mistake, Rebeccah.” He tossed out another few words in a different language, leveled a glare at Jeremy, and then he was gone.
Jeremy blew out a breath and turned to Becca, who was still leaning up against him. She looked disgusted and relieved at the same time. He tucked some hair behind her ear. “You okay, kitten?”
“He didn’t approve of you being here.”
“Too fucking bad.” He locked the door and drew her to the sofa, pulling her onto his lap. “What did he say to you in, what, Hebrew?”
“No, Yiddish. And you don’t want to know, trust me. It’s not very nice.” She sighed and leaned into him. “I don’t care, though. He doesn’t have the power to hurt me anymore.”
He wrapped his arms around her and sat back against the sofa, just holding her. “You’re something else, you know that, kitten?”
“You’re not so bad yourself, Officer Kohler. Thanks for standing guard. And for letting me say what I needed to say.” She rubbed her face against his shirt, right over his heart. “I don’t know why I ever thought you were like him.”
His heart stuttered. “You don’t believe that anymore?”
* * *
Becca pushed back and stared at Jeremy. It took her a moment to realize that, for all his emotional strength, her words had hurt him. “I don’t think I ever really did. I was scared, yes, of the words you used. But no, I don’t believe you’re like him. If I did, I couldn’t do this.” She slid from his lap to the floor, resting on her knees. “I wouldn’t do this.”
Shock painted itself across his face, followed by the charming, sexy grin she’d grown to love. “You’re coming home with me tonight.”
She smiled up at him. “Okay.”
In one quick movement he stood, pulling her to her feet. “Get what you need for the next few days.” He swatted her on the ass and pointed her toward the bedroom. “Go.”
She went as ordered, but glanced back over her shoulder. “What are you looking for?”
