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Panic sliced through me, the kind that told me I’d finally met a decent guy. Sure, he was involved in some seedy stuff, but was anyone perfect? I could overlook that stuff if he treated me like his princess and protected me.
All the crazy thoughts weren’t helping, so I scanned the room and lunged for the lamp on the side table. Gabbing it, I wrenched it out of the socket and darted across the room. Maybe it was bravery or stupidity, but I threw all my weight behind me, smashing the ceramic lamp base across the back of his head. Then I recoiled fast, my hands shaking, even my teeth chattering with shock at what I’d done.
The guy groaned, then flopped down on top of Brick, who shoved him over, then laid into him, making sure he wasn’t getting back up. When the guy was finally lying limp, Brick collected his weapon, then tied him up with a rope he kept in the nearby drawers of the coffee table.
Finally, it stopped, and all I heard was the sound of Brick’s rapid breath. Nothing else, just Brick’s panting.
“Brick?” I gasped, looking up at him in horror. “Is he...”
I couldn’t say it.
He took his pulse and shook his head. “He’s still alive, but not for long. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this.” Standing, Brick grabbed his coat, slid on his snow boots, and pulled his gloves out of his pocket. “Are you okay in here for a bit?”
I blinked at him, feeling like I’d suddenly stepped into a mafia movie.
“I-I’m fine,” I said, completely lying because, on the inside, I was still freaking out and startled. My face was throbbing, and my heart pounded in my chest.
“I couldn’t have done that without your help, babe.” Brick blew me a kiss, and my knees melted, my stomach bursting with butterflies.
Was something wrong with me that a man with blood still on his knuckles from his enemy made me hot and horny?
Unsure of what I was feeling, I knew with certainty that seeing Brick fight had turned me on and made me want him to keep protecting me.
He closed the distance between us, lowering his forehead to touch mine. “Are you hurt at all?” The heartfelt emotions behind his eyes touched me in ways I never expected. It was nice to have someone who actually cared about me.
“Just a headache from where he’d hit me in the head, but I’m okay.”
His breaths were deep and long, his eyes scanning me all over.
“Don’t overthink what happened here, okay? It was him or us, and there was no way I would have let him lay another finger on you. I will always protect you, Amelia. Remember that.” He kissed me quickly, then moved over to grab the guy’s legs and dragged him down the hallway, past his dead friend. Brick made quick work of getting them both out of the house and out of my sight.
I wanted to freak out, I was so on the verge, but Brick was right. We did what we had to do in order to survive.
It made me wonder if Jason would have protected me if we’d had a home invasion, if he would have fought for me in such a way. I somehow doubted it.
I couldn’t go back to bed, so I made coffee, my hands still shaky. It wasn’t hard to find Brick. He was at the edge of the property, opposite where my car still leaned against the tree, hacking at the frozen ground with a pickaxe for both the bodies.
“I brought you coffee,” I called out from the porch.
“You shouldn’t be out here in this cold,” he chided but took the coffee gratefully. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, I swear,” I reassured him and leaned against his body. “I might need therapy for life, but I’m fine for now,” I joked.
“I never wanted you to experience or see any of that crap.” He wrapped his free arm around me, kissing the top of my head, covered with a knit cap he had in the house. “I am so sorry you had to go through that because of me. I will need an eternity to make it up to you.”
I loved his words, but then I glanced down at the bodies rolled up in blankets, feeling slightly queasy, Brick was disposing of the two attackers out here. I wasn’t sure how I felt about them being on his property and staying at the cabin with them here. “You’ll have dead people in your yard,” I gasped.
“Hey,” he whispered, taking my hand. “Don’t look at them. Focus on me, alright? I’m burying them here temporarily. My team will come and collect them after the storm and they’ll be taken far away from here.”
I nodded, meeting his warming gaze.
“You were savage in there, and it’s stupid, but I liked you protecting me and my…” My words faltered as my hand dropped to my stomach.
When I glanced back up, Bricks’ eyes were huge orbs, and his face was suddenly pale as the axe slipped from his grip.
“You’re pregnant?” he gasped.
I swallowed hard, unsure if it was a smart idea to tell him. Once the storm cleared, I had no idea what I was going to do or where we’d end up, so he didn’t need to know. Yet something inside me wanted to tell him, to hold no secrets from him, for him to know me just as I was learning more about him.
