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He spun me around by the shoulders, then wrapped one hand around my throat brutally, cutting off half my airflow, as he slid the other down and gripped my bicep in a vice. When he leaned in it took everything in me to shove my head backward so his lips could not touch mine. That enraged him further.
“I’m your husband, not that asshole you have been running around with. You think you can just pull that shit and get away with it? My lips are the only ones your mouth needs to be on, you slut.”
He released me with both hands and the next blow to my face landed so hard, I saw stars. Once again tumbling back, my feet scrambling for purchase so I didn’t fall again, I managed to stay upright.
As he came at me, I let out a blood-curdling scream, and another blow rocked the side of my head, silencing me. He was on me again but this time, even with all the pain that sliced through every inch of my body, something inside me changed. The fear dissipated and anger took its place. So this time when he came for me I placed both my hands on his shoulders and watched his eyes go wide with shock at my touch, then I brought my knee up, plunging it into his groin with all my might.
When Thad dropped to his knees, I took the opportunity that I had given myself and kicked him in the head before I took off running. With no shoes, rocks pierced my bare feet, but I didn’t feel them and kept going.
“You’re dead!” Thad screamed, the sound of his footsteps pounding behind me.
Before he reached me, I burst into the clearing, and this time the sight before me had my heart racing for a whole other reason. A huge SUV flew up behind Thad’s car, gravel spitting in all directions and Kace was jumping out before it even stopped.
Racing toward me as I ran at him with all the energy I could muster up after everything I’d been through, we were almost to one another when I saw his eyes change from relieved to deadly in a split second. Whirling around to see what he was looking at, I stumbled and fell on my ass once again; Thad sprinted right at us. He was just a few feet away, gun in hand.
Not thinking, I bounced back up and threw myself into Kace’s arms and we both tumbled to the ground together this time. He flipped me over and covered my body with his, protecting me just as a series of shots rang out. I cried out, worried Kace had been hit. But then I felt him push up and look into my eyes, just as the sound of sirens and loud voices penetrated my ears.
He placed both hands softly on my cheeks and tears slipped down his face. “I got you, baby. He can’t hurt you anymore.” His fingers lightly brushed the swelling on my face and then his palms skimmed over me. “Where are you hurt?”
I couldn’t think, needing to know how he knew Thad couldn’t harm me again. “Thad?” I questioned. Kace’s eyes looked out over my head toward the cars, then he glanced back at me. Whatever he saw confirmed what he said next.
“He’s dead.”
Two words, that’s all I needed, and the breath swooshed out of my lungs. But I had to see for myself. When I tried pushing Kace off he moved, but said, “Easy, honey, you’re hurt.”
Turning on my stomach, it was Lyric whom I saw first. His own gun in hand, I knew what happened but I sat up and looked back toward where Thad had been. His body lay lifeless in the darkness of the night and I could finally breathe.
It was over.
ChapterThirty-Eight
TEAL
I hadn’t wantedto go to the hospital.
Everything after Thad was shot happened in a blur. A stream of cops, medics, andNo Surrendermen who’d come for me raced around as I was loaded into the ambulance.
What I wanted to do was go home to be with Denver.
But I let the doctors do their thing, all the while Kace stayed at my side, watching me as if I was going to disappear. I understood that it would be hard for both of us to come to grips with everything that had happened and that Thad couldn’t hurt me anymore, but it was the truth. I’d watched them take his body away.
I worried for a minute about what kind of person it made me when all I felt was relief that he was dead, but I couldn’t help it. Knowing it would take some time to process it all, I still knew deep down that I was free. Like Kace had said, Thad couldn’t hurt me any longer.
Finally, with some care for my wounds and a diagnosis of a slight concussion, I was able to go home if someone was there to watch me.
“I’m not going anywhere, I will be with her,” Kace told the doctor.
After signing off on my discharge papers, I was wheeled to the front doors to find Braxton, Gyth, and Lyric standing in wait outside. The beautiful red-headed nurse taking me out stopped short at the wall of muscle before her eyes. I knew how it must look. They were quite intimidating and there was a lot to take in. As Kace helped me up from the chair, I turned to say thank you and realized her eyes were trained on one person.
She was looking directly at Lyric. He was so focused on what was happening with me I didn’t think he’d noticed, but then when I glanced back at him his eyes had diverted to the remarkably pretty lady and interest shone in his eyes. But then he masked the look and looked back at me.
“Thank you,” I told the nurse, turning back her way.
“You’re welcome, honey, take care of yourself,” she said sweetly. I heard a small intake of breath as I heard her reply and was pretty sure who it had come from.
A smile lifted my face and Kace noticed. “Come on, matchmaker,” he said, leaning over and whispering in my ear so only I could hear him.
Walking me to the vehicle waiting just a few feet away, he settled me inside. After all the guys got in I couldn’t help but start shaking as the adrenaline started to fully wear off. But I glanced at each of the guys and tearfully thanked them for coming for me. Kace’s arm over my shoulder, he gently pulled me closer to his side.
