Page 6 of Mac's Vow

“No. He tried to get my pants down, but he was so drunk and just fumbling around. He had his fly undone and told me to… to use my mouth on him. But I refused.”

His pride for her shot up a thousand notches. “Of course you did because you’re Alyssa Saint and you’re a fighter.”

She shook her head. “I was so scared, Mac. Cameron was really angry when I told him no. And he couldn’t…perform. Which only served to make him even angrier. That’s when he bit me, right through my shirt. He clamped down so hard. If the shirt hadn’t been in his way he would’ve had me bleeding.”

Mac was grateful Cameron hadn’t managed to get Alyssa’s clothes off. They’d be having a very different discussion if that were the case. “What happened after that?” he asked, knowing he needed all of it out in the open. It hurt to hear what she’d gone through, but Alyssa seemed to need to talk and he would damn well let her.

She released a breath and swiped at the tears on her face. “I got out from under him. Don’t ask how because I’m still not sure. I ran to the bedroom and locked myself in. I didn’t come out until the next morning. He was gone by then.”

Mac slid his hands up and down her thighs, soothing her the only way he could. “When did he threaten Jimmy?”

“He called me and left me a voicemail apologizing.” She rolled her eyes. “Jesus, he was crying. Like I would actually forgive him?” She shook her head, anger replacing the sadness. “When I didn’t call him back, he left another one. This time he was in a rage and screaming at me to keep my mouth shut. Told me The Judge would come after Jimmy and you if I didn’t. He swore that his dad would destroy your business, Mac.”

“Why didn’t you call Jimmy the night all this happened?”

“When I ran out of the living room I left my purse by the front door. My phone was inside. I didn’t dare go back out there to get it. Then when I finally did manage to reach my phone, he’d already left those awful voicemail messages and I just, I didn’t know what to do.”

“You were worried he’d follow through on his threat,” Mac surmised.

She stiffened and her eyes widened. “He will, Mac. It isn’t a threat. He’s told me stories about other women who tried to go up against Grady. He ruined them. I think his father has hurt women too.”

“Like father, like son,” Mac gritted out.

She nodded. “You see why we can’t go to the hospital or the police,” she replied, her eyes wide with panic. “They will ruin you and Jimmy. You guys have worked so hard, Mac. I couldn’t live with myself if they came after your business.”

He put a finger to her lips. “Easy now,” he murmured as he stood up and held out a hand to her. “Come on, you need a hot bath. It’ll help the swelling.”

Her gaze narrowed and she looked like she wanted to argue, but in the end she placed her hand in his and let him lead her into the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and waited for the water to hit the right temperature, then he plugged up the tub and glanced around the room. “Do you have some bubbles or something?”

She reached into a cabinet next to the tub and pulled out a brown, glass bottle. She unscrewed the lid and handed it to him. “It’s bath oil,” she said, clearly noticing his confusion. “I use it sometimes when I’ve had a hard workout at the gym.”

He arched a brow at her. “You work out?”

She nodded as she crossed her arms over her chest. “It destresses me.”

Mac tried not to stare at her body, considering her state of mind, but from what he’d seen out in the living room, Alyssa’s curves were sexy as hell. She’d been pretty as a teenager, but the grown-up version was fucking beautiful.Not the time, asshat.

Mac turned away from her to dump a good portion of the oil in the water, then he screwed the top back on and set the bottle on the counter. He crouched down, then reached for her jeans and started on the button. Alyssa stepped back. “I can do it, Mac, really.”

He frowned up at her. She quickly glanced away. “You hiding something, Alyssa?”

She shrugged. “You’ll get angry.”

Mac bit back a curse. There were more injuries that she didn’t want him to see. “Have I yet?”

“No,” she mumbled as she chewed on her bottom lip.

He put his hands on the fly of her jeans. “May I?”

She closed her eyes tight. “Of course, Mac. I’m just, I’m not myself tonight.”

His heart broke for her. She was trying so hard to be strong. “Shh, I know, but I won’t let anything happen to you. Never again, okay?”

Her eyes opened. “Okay,” she replied, as she licked her lips, her tongue tenderly probing the cut. He made a mental note to find something to put on that after her bath. He’d find something for her bruises too, and maybe see about some pain medication.

First things first, Mac went back to his task. He unbuttoned her jeans, then slid the zipper down before gently tugging on them to get them past her hips. Apparently she still hated wearing panties because she was bare under the jeans. When they pooled at her ankles, Mac instructed her to lift one foot then the other. He shoved them out of the way, then eyed her from head to toe. She had a large, ugly bruise on one side of her hip. “The coffee table?” he asked, as he stared up at her from his crouched position. She shrugged, not meeting his gaze. He frowned. “Turn around so I can see the rest of you,” he told her. She slowly did as he asked, putting her ass inches from his face. His gaze zeroed in on the angry lines across her buttocks. At least five by his count. He recognized what they were instantly. He’d sported similar lines courtesy of his stepdad. “He took the belt to you?”

“He was angry when I wouldn’t go down on him,” she replied, her voice so quiet Mac barely heard her.

---