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He gave her a grim smile but shook his head.
She looked down at the oversize t-shirt she’d bought today then back up at him. “So, if I’m not in the mood for sex. I should go in the other room.” She turned for the door.
“I didn’t say that, sweetheart. I said no clothes. All you have to do is say ‘No’. I will never force you into anything you don’t want. You can strip off and climb in then tell me no, and we’ll sleep. I can’t promise I won’t touch you in the night or hold you against me, but I won’t force you. I don’t do that.”
Celia turned back and stared at him a moment with a look that made him want to kill the asshat who left the bruises still marring her face and body. But he kept that thought off his face. She’d never strip that shirt off and climb in bed with him if he saw the rage that just thinking of the fucker sent through him.
“All right,” she said after a moment, then lifted the shirt over hear head, tossed it aside, came back to the bed and slid inside.
Over the next few days they settled into an easy routine. Bubba wasn’t quite ready to go back to the mechanic position he’d held at Mac’s, the shop next to the clubhouse owed by a couple of Souls, so he hung around the house, spent time with Celia. They did some shopping, filling out her wardrobe and replacing what she deemed the most important things she needed.
They’d been back in Tucson about four days and had taken the truck for groceries when Bubba pulled the truck up in front of the house. Before he stopped the truck, he saw the car sitting on the street, and suspected who it was. He glanced over at Celia where she sat in the passenger seat.
She didn’t seem to notice the car, or the man sitting behind the wheel. He parked the truck in the driveway, then pulled the pistol from the holster under his arm and gripping it by the barrel, held it out to Celia.
“You know how to use this, right?”
She stared at the weapon with wide eyes.
“I can but why are you giving that to me?”
“Look over my shoulder at that car and the man inside. Is that Troy?”
He watched as her eyes shifted to the vehicle on the street, then all color drained from her face.
“It’s him.” Her voice dropped to barely more than a whisper.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll take care of it. You stay here. If he gets through me and comes for you, use this.” He put the pistol in her hand.
“Are you sure?” Her eyes were wide as she turned back to him.
“I am. No matter what happens, I want you to wait in the truck, you got that?”
“I do.”
“I’m leaving you the keys. If you need to, slide over here, and take the truck back to the clubhouse.”
She nodded.
Without another word, Bubba got out of the truck, hitting the lock button on the door before closing it behind him. He’d only made it a few steps before the man got out of his car.
“I’m here to pick up Sissy. Dick sent me to pick her up,” Troy said as he approached Bubba and the truck.
“Celia isn’t going anywhere.”
“She’s mine. I’ll be taking her home where she belongs.” Troy looked Bubba up and down. “You think she’s going to stay with you? Dick ran you off once, he’ll do it again. You’re just a piece of trash from the wrong side of town. You’ll never be anything more.”
“I’ll admit I made the mistake of letting him run me off ten years ago. But you fucked up, boy. You hurt Celia until she called for help. She’s mine now and she’ll stay mine as long as she wants to be.” Bubba stopped a few steps from Troy. “What happens next is up to you. You can walk away now, leave, and never bother Celia again. Or you can continue to make an ass of yourself, and I’ll show you what happens to shit-head abusers around here.”
“Abusers? I don’t know what lies she’s been feeding you. But I’m going to take her home.” Troy went to move around Bubba to the truck where Celia sat.
Bubba stepped in front of Troy, blocking his way to Celia.
“Sissy is mine.”
“Celia is a grown woman who gets to choose who she’s with; if she’s with anyone. She’s not a prize to be taken, or given away by anyone, not even her father.” Bubba was running off at the mouth and he knew it. He was trying to get this fuckwad to throw the first punch. Bubba had spent more than a little time thinking about this moment. And so far, things were going just as he’d planned.
The third time Bubby stepped between Troy and where Celia still sat in the truck, Troy lost his temper and took a swing at Bubba. That’s all he’d been waiting for. Now that Troy had made the first move, Bubba was fully justified in defending himself.
