She rose from the couch, her gaze going to the pistol in his hand before lifting back to him. “Did you find anything?” Her voice was small and vulnerable.

  It made him want to fight every asshole who’d threatened her. “Your place is empty. The culprit of the balcony noise was your tree.”

  “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry! I freaked myself out. Of course it was Evergreen. She’s a dwarf but still tall.” She shook her head. “I feel dumb. I should go.”

  She started to leave, but he touched her arm. “Bonnie…stay here tonight.”

  The flare of her eyes hinted that she wanted to. But then her brows wrinkled. “Are you sure?”

  “I only have one bed, but—”

  “I can sleep on the couch.”

  He almost laughed. “No. You take the bed. I’ll take the couch.”

  “It’s a two-person couch. It would basically fit your legs.”

  “I’ll survive.”

  She shook her head. “Absolutely not. Either I take the couch or I’m not staying.”

  But even as she said the last part, he heard the tremor in her voice. She didn’t want to go any more than he wanted her to. “Fine. We’ll share my bed. It’s plenty big enough.”

  Her mouth opened in an O, and yeah, it was a dangerous idea. But he didn’t want her alone. And now that she was here, he didn’t want her out of his sight.

  “Are you sure—”

  “Yes,” he interrupted.

  Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Okay.”

  He set a hand on the small of her back, letting the heat unravel anything cool beneath his skin, and led her into the bedroom. “Get comfortable. I’ll be back in ten.”

  She stepped into the room. “Zane…”

  He turned, getting damn lost in the dark specks in her hazel eyes. “Yeah, Bon?”

  “Thank you.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  One small smile and she headed to the bed. He turned and went back down the hall to the kitchen, where he took out a shot glass and a bottle of whiskey. He shot it back, the alcohol burning his throat, then his gut.

  It wasn’t enough. But then, would anything be? Would anything help him get through the torture that would be sharing a bed with Bonnie when he wasn’t allowed to touch her?

  Bonnie slipped between the silk sheets. God, the bed smelled like Zane. Earthy and masculine and a bit like pine. Somehow the bed was also warm.

  She sighed as she closed her eyes. She shouldn’t be here. She knew she shouldn’t be here. She should be strong and brave enough to be in her own apartment. But somehow, even though she hadn’t known Zane for long, he’d become this safe person for her. Maybe because he was just down the hall. Maybe because he’d already protected her more than once.

  Whatever it was, she was grateful. And it made her care a little less that she was somewhere she shouldn’t be.

  She thought sleep would come to her. It didn’t. Which was annoying because she was so tired. She’d barely slept the previous night, and if she didn’t sleep tonight that would be two nights in a row of basically no sleep.

  How was she supposed to function at work tomorrow?

  She rolled to her left side. A few minutes passed and she rolled to her right.

  Nope. Nothing.

  The creak of a floorboard sounded behind her from the hall. She nibbled her bottom lip, suddenly nervous. Nervous for Zane to be so close. When he’d answered the door, he’d only worn briefs. Was he going to sleep like that?

  The mattress dipped behind her. And if she’d thought the bed smelled like Zane before, that was nothing compared to now. His scent surrounded her, so strong that all she breathed was him.

  Go to sleep, Bonnie. Rest.

  She closed her eyes again, but the second she did, she felt that hand yanking her hair again. The stranger’s breath against her cheek. And those words snarled into her ear.

  Her skin pricked with fear, and some of that warmth left her body.

  She wasn’t sure if her breathing changed or if she’d made some kind of sound, but the mattress suddenly moved behind her, then a warm body pressed to her back.

  A silent gasp escaped her throat at the warm hand on her hip. A breath suddenly whispered against her cheek, so different from the one that had just been in her head. Softer. Warmer.

  Then four words whispered into her ear. Kind words. Safe words.

  “Sleep, Bonnie. You’re safe.”

  And just like that, her muscles relaxed, and she leaned back into Zane’s strength. He surrounded her, held her, allowing her to feel secure enough to sleep.

  CHAPTER 11

  Zane’s feet pounded the hard concrete path as he ran, the cold air slapping him in the face. But even the morning chill did nothing to cool his body.

  His skin burned. Hell, not just his skin. His blood. His bones. Heat from her. From sleeping an entire night with her hot little body pressed against him.

  He pushed himself to move faster, arms pumping at his sides.

  All night he’d held Bonnie. And fuck, he’d slept well. But then waking with her ass pushed into his cock…it had taken everything, every damn speck of strength he possessed, to not kiss her shoulder. Not roll her over and see if she tasted as good in the morning as she had that night in his gym.

  He rounded a corner, passing an elderly couple on the sidewalk.

  He felt like a fucking creep. She’d come to him for safety, and all he’d been able to think about was what he wanted to do to her.

  So what had he done? He’d gotten his ass out of bed at the crack of dawn and left. Run to the gym like a coward because it was the only way to stop himself from doing something he shouldn’t.

  He was nearing his gym when his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket to see his friend’s name on the screen. “Ethan, you got what I need?”

  “No.” There was an edge to Ethan’s voice.

  Zane stopped. “What’s wrong?”

  “He’s dead.”

  “Who’s dead?”

  “My source inside the prison. Cause of death has been declared a fucking suicide. It’s bullshit.”

  Zane scrubbed a hand over his face. This was the last thing they needed. “You think Monty found out he was leaking information?”

  “Yes. And had him killed.”

  Shit. “This is bad. It means whatever he’s planning—”

  “Is worth killing over.”

  Immediately, Zane scanned the street. There was no way Monty was here right now. But that didn’t mean Zane was safe.

  “I’m working on another way of making sure I stay up-to-date on any new information,” Ethan said, voice thin and frustrated. “Until I do, keep your head down.”

  “Always do.”

  He hung up, mind still on Monty. The guy was his fucking cousin. He’d helped Zane. He was the reason Zane had gotten out of the military and into the UFC. He hadn’t expected Monty to do what he’d done. But then, he’d obviously never really known him.

  He rounded a corner and The Pit came into view. But that wasn’t the only thing he saw.

  Noah. The guy stood beside his truck, arms crossed and expression unreadable.

  “Noah.” Zane stopped in front of him. “You’re here early.”

  Noah pushed off his truck. “I just dropped Bonnie at work.”

  Zane wanted to ask how she was, not just physically but in every way. The only reason he’d been able to leave her alone in his apartment this morning was because he’d known that Noah was taking her to work.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “Look, it’s not my place to say anything, and she’d probably kill me for being here, but with what the town’s putting her through and the fact that she stayed at your place last night, I need to ask you something.”

  Why the hell did a pit suddenly form in his gut. “What?”

  “I need you to assure me that you’re a good guy. That there’s nothing you’re hiding that might hurt my sister.”

  The pit widened, hollowing him out. “I’m a good guy.” He didn’t answer the second part of the question, and by the frown on Noah’s face, he knew that.

  Was he going to push? Demand Zane tell him the deepest, darkest parts of his past?

  “I like you. And more importantly, she likes you. Don’t do anything to screw that up.”

  Noah tapped his shoulder before straightening and heading to his car.

  Zane bit back a curse as he stepped into the gym. He didn’t want to tell Bonnie about his past. She had enough to deal with. But by not, he was keeping a huge part of himself from her.

  Stetson frowned at him as he stepped into the gym. “Everything okay?”

  “It’s fine.” A damn lie. “I’m going to shower, then you can take a break.”

  “Gotcha, boss.”

  In the bathroom, Zane stripped down and stepped into the shower, anger still beating at his chest. Anger at himself for having a past even though it wasn’t his damn fault. Fury at the asshole who’d hurt Bonnie outside her apartment. And pure fucking rage that Monty had killed Ethan’s guy in prison. That he was planning something. And Zane was still looking over his shoulder.

  He hung his head, letting the heat of the water hit the back of his neck.

  Ten minutes later, he stepped out of the shower, threw on clothes, and left the bathroom. He was halfway to his office when a quick scan of the gym had him stopping.

  The fuck was he doing here?

  The thin hold Zane had on his patience snapped. He dropped his bag, stormed across the gym, and grabbed Carlos by the back of the shirt, yanking him away from the bag. “Get out.”

  Carlos’s brows rose. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. Get the fuck out of my gym, now.”

  Stetson rushed over. “Zane, this is my uncle. He asked if he could hit a bag this morning, and he paid…”

  Zane laughed. “Why the hell would you want to come here?” Then it hit him. “It’s because of Bonnie, isn’t it? You want to go where she goes so she doesn’t feel welcome.”

  “This is my town.” Carlos scowled. “And if I want to go to my local gym, I will.”

  “My gym. And I choose who can and can’t come here—and you can’t.”

  This time Carlos laughed. The fucker actually laughed. “You’re serious? You’re throwing me out because of her?”

  The words had barely left the asshole’s mouth when Zane grabbed him by the arm and pulled him toward the door.

  Carlos tried to shake him off. “Hey! Get your hands off me!”

  Zane didn’t stop or pause. He kept dragging the guy, not caring that Stetson and everyone working out had all stopped to stare at him. When he reached the door, he threw Carlos out, watching him stumble.

  “You try to come in here again, and things will get a lot less friendly.” Zane slammed the door.

  “If he brought a bag, throw it out with him,” he said to an open-mouthed Stetson. “And don’t ever let him in here again.”

  Bonnie grinned as she read the participation feedback forms from the self-defense session. They were good. Better than any other program she’d run.

  I didn’t know I could feel strong again.

  I felt so empowered.

  And Sarah’s—I felt like I could breathe again.

  Bonnie closed her eyes and just let the words sit inside her for a moment. This was why she did what she did. To help. To empower. To bring safety back to women’s lives.

  She’d intentionally ended her day with these forms because all she’d thought about for hours was the fact that she had to return to her empty apartment tonight.

  It was fine. She’d be fine. Yes, she’d been attacked outside her building, and no they hadn’t caught the perpetrator, but that didn’t mean she had to be scared to sleep alone.

  The memory of Zane’s arms around her last night made heat slip through her belly.

  Of course, when she’d woken up, he’d been gone. Which was kind of disappointing. Okay, not kind of. Very.

  Sure, he’d left a note telling her he’d had to get to work early, but that had done nothing to dull the disappointment. She’d wanted to wake up in his arms. To see his day-old stubble and feel the warmth of his body around her.

  Gah.

  She needed to stop. She was lucky he let her sleep in his bed last night.

  She logged off her computer and grabbed the box of sports clothing from the storage cabinet. There were leggings and bras and tops and socks. It was amazing what some companies were willing to donate if you asked.

  She also lifted a small bag, then moved to the shelter living room. About ten women filled the space. Some in front of the TV, some in the kitchen.

  “Hi, everyone. Can I have your attention for a moment?”

  They all stopped at her words. Even Chett and another child paused from playing with blocks.

  “I have a box of donated workout clothes. Feel free to come and see if anything’s your size. I thought these pieces would come in handy for our next session at The Pit.”

  Smiles curved the women’s faces, and they moved toward the box. All but one. Sarah stood to the side of the room, frowning at her. But before Bonnie could go to her, a small hand tugged at her sweatshirt.

  She crouched by Chett’s side. “Hey, buddy.”

  “Are there any kids’ clothes?”

  Bonnie’s smile widened. “Well, I actually have this special bag here.” She brought it forward and handed it to him. “This is for you and the other kids, and I think you might find a few things in your size. Do you want to go through it and see what you like?”

  His little eyes lit up, and he nodded before taking the bag over to the girl he was playing with.

  Bonnie rose as Sarah stopped beside her. The other woman touched her arm and lowered her voice. “Are you okay?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Sarah leaned closer. “I can see the bruise on your temple.”

  Crap. She’d thought she’d covered it well with makeup. “I’m okay. The incident’s been…taken care of.” Ha. That was a lie if ever she’d told one. But she wasn’t about to share what had happened with any of the women at the shelter.

  “So he’s been charged?” Sarah asked.

  Well, she was hoping that Jesse called her with good news about Carlos cracking and admitting he was the culprit. But that was probably wishful thinking. “You don’t need to worry about me, Sarah.”

  “You worry about all of us.”

  “That’s my job.”

  Sarah paused for a moment. “Hang on. I’ve got something.”

  Bonnie frowned as Sarah disappeared up the stairs. When she returned, she had a small bottle of something in her hand.

  “Pepper spray.” Sarah held out her hand.

  “Oh, I don’t need—”

  “I have plenty.” Sarah pushed it at her.

  Bonnie sighed, still wanting to say no but not wanting to offend the other woman. “Thank you. How are you doing?”

  Sarah smiled. It was the first real smile Bonnie had seen from her. “Really good. The counseling’s still helping. I’ve made some friends and I’m not hovering over Chett as much.”

  Bonnie squeezed her arm. “I love that, Sarah.”

  When the women were done grabbing everything they wanted, Bonnie took the almost empty box back to her office and grabbed her purse.

  “Bonnie.”

  She jumped at Shelley’s voice suddenly behind her. “Hi.”

  “Did you take a one-and-a-half-hour lunch break today?”

  “Yes, I did. My brother took me to buy a car, which I did. Buy, I mean. But I’ve stayed later to make up for the time.” Which had always been fine at her last job, but by the look on Shelley’s face, possibly wasn’t at this one.

  Shelley’s brows pinched. “We don’t do that here. Please don’t do it again.”

  Then she left.

  Well, goodbye to you too.

  What was frustrating was, she’d put in so many extra hours. Taking a slightly longer lunch break and staying late to make up for it shouldn’t be problem. Well, it wasn’t in Bonnie’s eyes anyway.

  She turned off the lights in her office and left.

  The second she stepped outside, though, her hands twitched to reach into her bag and touch the pepper spray Sarah had just given her.

  She hurried to her new Honda. It was actually secondhand but new to her. And she’d gotten such a good deal. She wasn’t sure if Noah had negotiated the price down before they’d gotten there, but it was a steal.

  Thank God for Noah. After the first time trying to buy a car, she’d been nervous to try again. With him by her side though, the nerves had trickled away.

  As she lowered into her car, her phone vibrated with a text.

  Indie: Hey. Just checking in on how you’re doing today.

  Bonnie’s heart kicked at her ribs. It felt so surreal to have Indie back in her life, but in the best way.

  Bonnie: I’m good. Work was fine and Noah took me to buy a car at lunch.

  Indie: Is it a good car?

  Bonnie: It was a bargain, that’s for sure.

  Indie: Noah must have gotten you a deal.

  Bonnie: Thank God for big brothers.

  Indie: Let me know if you need anything.

  Bonnie started writing a response, but her phone rang mid-text, Jesse’s name on the screen. This was the call she’d been waiting for all day. So why did she suddenly feel so nervous?

  One deep breath and she answered the call. “Hi, Jesse.”

  “Hey, Bon. How are you doing?”

  “I’m good.” Sort of. “Did you talk to Carlos?” She ran her fingers over the wheel, hoping he said yes. That Carlos had admitted to assaulting her. That he’d been charged.

  But she also knew that the chances of that happening were slim to none.

  “We did speak to him,” Jesse said slowly, and just by the tone of his voice, Bonnie knew she wouldn’t like what was coming next. “He has an alibi. He was with his brother at the time you were assaulted.”

  She frowned, not sure what to make of that. “The brother could be lying though, couldn’t he?”

 

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