Page 5 of Mac's Vow

His anger shot through the roof. “You’re worried about Cameron getting into trouble? He’s the one, isn’t he?”

Alyssa flinched and Mac felt about two inches tall. “Yes, Cameron did this to me. The Judge will cause problems, Mac. You don’t understand what Cameron’s father is capable of.”

Grady Mitchell, Cameron’s father—AKA: The Judge--made Mac clench his fists around the steering wheel so hard he was surprised he didn’t leave finger impressions. “He can’t protect Cameron this time, Alyssa. Judge or not.”

She shook her head so hard and Mac was afraid she’d cause herself more pain. “Cameron won’t spend a single day in jail and The Judge will come after Jimmy. Cameron all but told me that after…after he cooled off.”

Mac’s gaze darted her way. “He threatened to come after your brother?”

She nodded. “He said his dad will shut down Saint’s Investigations.”

“He’s spouting off. Even Grady Mitchell doesn’t have that kind of juice. Jimmy runs a respectable business, Alyssa.”

“Listen to me, damn it. You don’t know what he’s capable of, Mac. You don’t. Please, don’t tell Jimmy. Just take me home. I just want to go home.”

“Fuck!” Mac shouted before he could catch himself. He spared Alyssa a glance and noticed the way she clutched onto her purse. Shit, her knuckles were turning white. He reached over and placed his palm over her hands to calm her. “I’ll take you to your apartment,” he conceded, his voice softer now that he’d calmed down. “But we’re going to figure this out, Alyssa. It isn’t over. Cameron will pay for touching you. And I’m not making any promises where your brother is concerned.”

She released her death grip on her purse strap and turned her fingers to entwine with his. “Thank you, Mac.”

“Don’t thank me,” he grumbled, as he glanced her way again. Her pretty skin seemed to be turning black and blue right before his eyes. “This is fucked up. We should have a doctor examine you and you need to file a report.”

She relaxed against the seat and closed her eyes. “I’m tired, Mac. I’m just so tired.”

He squeezed her hand, then shifted his attention to the road. He hit the gas. The faster he got her home the sooner he could look her over. That fuckwad would pay for daring to lay a single finger on Alyssa.

Fifteen minutes later, Mac pulled into the parking lot of Alyssa’s apartment building. He knew where she lived, the corner apartment. The one with the pretty pink and purple flowers along the walk. He’d driven by her apartment countless times. Admittedly, Mac had a secret fascination with Alyssa ever since the night she’d let him take her virginity. Sure, he hadn’t actually made love to her, but it hadn’t mattered. He’d been the first guy to ever touch her and he’d felt all kinds of territorial towards her. He hadn’t been able to forget the sight of her, the sweet taste of her climax, those succulent perky breasts, and her neatly trimmed pussy that no guy had ever tasted.

Mac had kept his distance after that night. His friendship with Jimmy was too important to fuck with. They were like brothers. They’d opened Saint’s Investigations together and they’d made it a success. Mac was a respectable business owner now. Good. Great. Still, deep down Mac felt like that same street rat that didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as Alyssa Saint. He was still determined to keep his hands off her too. She deserved someone without all his fucked-up baggage. Someone who would be sweet and romantic. What the hell did he know about romance? He had one-night stands with women who knew the drill. It worked for him.

Except for those nights when he let down his walls.

When he was alone at night and couldn’t sleep, Mac would allow himself to remember that night in Alyssa’s living room. A horror flick playing on the television in the background while Alyssa quietly made her little confession. Mac had tasted heaven that night. For a single moment in time he’d been allowed to sample something so sweet, so beautiful. That memory stayed under lock and key though. Most of the time. Unless he wanted to torture himself. Sick bastard that he was.

He pulled into the parking spot where her car usually sat and turned off the engine. Alyssa jerked awake. Her eyes widened as she searched frantically around. “Easy,” he crooned. “We’re back at your place.”

Alyssa’s gaze landed on him and she visibly relaxed. “Oh.”

Mac vowed to destroy Cameron for putting that fear in Alyssa’s eyes. He yanked the keys out of the ignition and swung open his door. Within seconds he had Alyssa cradled in his arms. He got to the front door and peered down at her. “Key?”

She fished around in her purse until she found them. He leaned down so she could slip the key in the lock and open the door. He kicked it wide, then headed straight for the couch and placed her on one end. “Stay put,” he ordered, as he went back to the front door. Mac pulled Alyssa’s keys out of the lock, then slammed the door shut and locked it. He put her keys on a little entryway table. When he turned back toward her, Alyssa had her head against the back of the couch with her eyes closed. A pained expression on her face. Mac crossed the room and crouched in front of her. He put one hand on her knee to get her attention. Her eyelids fluttered open and she lifted her head to stare at him.

“I’m going to need to see what he did, Alyssa,” he explained, keeping his voice steady wasn’t easy. “All of it.”

Mac wanted to rage at the top of his lungs. She didn’t deserve to be treated like a fucking punching bag. A man who put his hands on a woman in anger was scum. He’d seen plenty of that shit from his stepdad. Hitting that asshole back had been the best day of his life.

She nodded, her cheeks turning a little red. She gripped the hem of her shirt in her hands and started to lift. She only managed a few inches before she stopped and bit her lip. “I can’t seem to lift my arms without it hurting,” she softly admitted. “I think maybe I’m just stiff and swollen because it didn’t hurt this much this morning.”

Mac had to force himself to remain calm. To not let the beast out. It was touch and go, considering all he wanted to do was find Cameron and beat the ever-loving shit out of the dirtbag. Payback was coming to that prick. He just didn’t know it yet.

“I got it, just relax,” he offered as he pried her fingers away from the shirt and replaced them with his own. He helped her pull her arms out of the sleeves first, then he lifted the material up over her head. Once he had it off, Mac worked on her white satin bra. Soon, her upper body was bare to him. He leaned back and looked her over. There were bruises along her right ribcage. A bruise on her collar bone. And…what the fuck was that on her right breast? A pair of dotted lines marred the creamy swell. He touched it with his fingertip.

“To answer your question, yes, he bit me,” she softly confessed, her lower lip quivering.

“Ah, hell, little baby,” Mac groaned, as he smoothed the reddened flesh with shaking fingers. “What did he do to you? What did he fucking do to you?”

A tear trickled down her cheek as she stared down at her lap. “The night before last, Cameron was drunk. The drinking was the reason we broke up a week ago. Anyway, I always knew to stay away whenever he got drunk, but this time he came over and I shouldn’t have but I opened the door. I was afraid he’d wake the neighbors because it was like two in the morning. As soon as I let him in he came at me. Accusing me of dumping him for some other guy. It wasn’t true, but he wouldn’t listen to reason. He spouted off about how pathetic I am. How he can get any woman he wants and I should feel lucky that he lovesme. I asked him to leave, but he pushed me and I fell against the coffee table. I tried to get to my feet, but he came down on top of me and…” she shook her head, the tears coming faster now.

“Did he rape you?” Fuck, please say no. No way would Cameron live to see another day.

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