“The only ones around here that are sick are you and the rest of you useless, corrupt, pigs with badges. You think that it’s okay to try and rape a woman you found on the road with a flat tire? Outside your fucking patrol area,” I add because they always do shit like that. Write tickets claiming they chased us from city limits so it’s legal. “You think I’m going to just let you attempt to rapemywoman and walk away unscathed? Only a fucking moron wouldn’t realize she’s atleastunder my protection when I’m in the diner every day that she works, and yet you still put your dirty, nasty hands on her!” I seethe, and the one with the choker on somehow thinks it’s a good idea to try and run. All that does is put him on his ass as he chokes, until I release the pressure a hint. I toss him his baton, watching him debate about trying to use it on me, but he stays still when I pull the trigger on the cattle prod, showing him just how powerful it is.
“What the fuck do you want? You can’t kill us with that thing,” the other one yells, and I just let out that dark chuckle again.
“I’ve got both your guns, a machete, and my favorite blade. I can kill you with any of them in an instant, but that’s too quick of a way out for the two of you. No, right now, your buddy there,” I say nodding towards the one in the choker, “is going to take that baton, and show you what it’s like to be raped.”
“No fucking way…not fucking happening,” they both shout, and I give the one standing a zap to the leg with the cattle prod.
“You’ll do it, or I’m using this right on your fucking balls, until you pass out again, then I’ll switch to the metal one and stab it right through your dick bringing you back awake,” I threaten, and when he doesn’t begin to move, I pull on the choker hard, making him stumble then lay the cattle prod right up against his scrotum. “Now motherfucker…”
His partner’s eyes are furious and shocked when he moves, and the screams that come when the idiot finally gets the baton in his ass soothes a bit of my fury for what they attempted to do to my girl, but not all of it. “Harder, the way you would if you were using it on those prostitutes that you beat up and leave for dead,” I warn him, and anytime he lets up, I give him a zap with the cattle prod, using it on the other bastard whenever he’s screaming loudest already, not letting up until there’s blood dripping from both of them.
I jerk even harder on the chain, making the spikes dig fully into his neck and move him aside, landing my boot hard and fast against the end of the baton that’s still shoved up the ass of bastard that put a bruise on my girl. His scream cuts off as he jerks forward, and I grab hold of the chain above him, giving it enough counter momentum to snap his neck. Blood drips from his mouth as he hangs there, hunched forward, and I turn towards the bastard still breathing.
“You thought you could bring that baton down onto my girl’s head. Let’s see how you like this then,” I chuckle, taking the metal prod and jam it down into the side of his head as I hold him still with my foot, while pulling even harder on the chain. It goes in just behind his eye and he stops moving as the chain rips into his neck. I don’t let up until I know he’s dead, then leave the two the way they are to get to my girl. Get her home—preferably with me—to take care of her entirely. Let the rest of the cops in this town try to come for me. I’ll give any of them the same treatment if they try to put their filthy hands on my girl, or take her away from me, any day.
Chapter 2
Everly
Ashiver runs through me at the sound of a scream. It’s coming from the direction Tate forced the bastards that attacked me, but for some reason, I don’t feel bad about whatever it is that’s causing it. Well, whatever it is that Tate’s doing to them to cause that sort of scream that is. I never imagined I’d be happy to know someone’s being hurt, let alone knowing that someone’s being killed. Always swore if I saw or heard it happen, or knew it was going to happen, I’d report it. That was before I realized just how awful the cops in our town really are, how disgusting they can be, and how little they truly help.
When I saw the cop car pull up behind mine while I was trying to get the stuff out of my trunk to change the tire, nothing but dread flowed through me. I hate the cops that come into the diner, especially the ones that try to slip their hands up under my skirt to grab my ass. They never try it whenever Tate’s there, and it’s originally why I enjoyed him coming in so much.
Then it was because of it, plus how much he’d sneak me in tips, so I didn’t have to share them. Then it was because both of those things plus the fact that when he was there I could look at him, talk to him, and daydream about him being outside one night when I was headed home, pulling me onto his bike with him, taking me far away from my shitty life.
Well, my shitty job and even shittier home that is, because I definitely don’t want to leave the town if he’s here. At one time my dream was to simply get out of here, as far from here as I can, but since I met Tate, that’s not even close to what I’ve wanted.
So, when he was standing there, his normally light blue gaze dark and hard, fury radiating off his huge body, all I felt was relief. The terror that I’d felt since those two cops grabbed me, forcing me into the back of the car even though I told them I didn’t need any help, or need them to stay, faded, and I wanted to be in his arms. I swear, I thought I was dreaming, creating some fantasy in my head to get through being assaulted by those two cops, until he kissed me. I’ve never been able to imagine a kiss that good before, and I knew it was real. Tate was here, protecting me, promising to keep me safe, and I wasn’t about to run.
His deep voice when he told me to be a good girl and stay with his bike woke parts of me that only showed when I was at home, in my bed, thinking of him while touching myself, and now, I just want him back here. If another patrol car comes by, sees me here with his bike…I don’t know what I’ll do. The cops don’t care about anyone in town, don’t protect anyone, but even more than that, they despise the Steel Reapers. If they knew that Tate was out there, ‘taking care of’ two of them, I’d be dead in a heartbeat.
Another scream comes, sending another shiver through me, but it’s not from fright. I don’t know exactly how to describe what I’m feeling, but it’s not fear. It’s not even relief. It’s almost like…pleasure, which in itself, is frightening.
I can’t believe this is my reaction now. It was pure terror earlier with those cops, but now…it’s anything but, and I can’t wait for Tate to get back to me.
The sound of crunching reaches me before my eyes can make out Tate’s huge form, and I slip up from where I’ve been half-sitting, half-leaning against his bike so I can make out his face when he stops just in front of me. His eyes gleam when they slide over me, but a hint of a scowl forms and my eyes drop down my front, heat filling my cheeks seeing how much of my chest is on display now.
“Come here, baby girl,” he says, pulling his long-sleeve shirt off over his head before dropping it over mine, covering me down past my hips. It’s almost longer than the uniform I’m still wearing. Most nights I don’t bother changing until I’m home unless I need to go run errands, and since I was stuck with the afternoon to evening shift tonight, there wasn’t a need for it. Not until I got the flat at least.
“Thank you, Tate,” I manage to get out without stuttering, but my heart does when he pulls me into his hold, his hands running up and down my back, warming every bit of me, while making parts of me ridiculously wet. Even wetter than I’d gotten knowing he was killing those bastards for what they did, and were going to do, to me when I heard their screams.
“Let’s get you home and in something more comfortable,” he says, and my heart stutters again, hating the idea of going back to the trailer with my mother and her latest asshole boyfriend.
Each one is worse and worse. This latest one just sits on his ass drinking more beer that his beer belly doesn’t need, while stealing my money whenever he finds it. That’s why I’ve started hiding it in the lining of my bag. There’s a hole in the side pocket that’s just big enough to fit folded up cash through, but not so big that my pack of gum falls into the lining, which helps to keep it hidden.
“What about my car?” I ask, hoping that maybe he’ll offer to help change the tire so I can spend a few more minutes with him. I want thousands more of them with him—a lifetime with him, but that’s not likely to happen. I don’t know many of the men from his club, but most of them don’t seem like the always and forever hearts type. I wouldn’t care if Tate was completely against marriage, although I’ve sworn to myself I’d never be with someone who wouldn’t want me forever, want me enough to marry me. I’d give Tate anything as long as he promised to keep me as his and just his—his only.
“I’ll send my guys out to get it, drop it off wherever you want to go tonight,” he adds and my brows furl, not understanding what he’s saying. “I’ll take you to your place if you want, baby girl, but if I do, I’m camping out wherever I need to in order to see that you’re safe tonight. It can be on your floor, on the couch, or wherever you want me, but I’ll be staying close—to make sure no cops coming asking questions and that you don’t have any bad dreams. Or else, we can go to mine and tomorrow, we’ll get your stuff from your place. Either way, it’s the same outcome come tomorrow night and that’s you under my roof, Everly.”
“Why? Because I know what you did here tonight?” I ask, holding onto his gaze, needing the answer to get my head on straight here and my body under control.
“Because you’re mine, baby,” he replies, making my heart stutter again and that shit can’t be healthy, but I love hearing those words from him. “I stayed away to keep you safe, from bringing you into this world, but now that you’ve been pulled into it without my consent, the only thing that’s going to be keeping you safe is me.”
“You think I was just pulled into this crap tonight?” I ask with a humorless laugh. “Yeah, what those cops tried to do is pretty fucking horrific, but my life hasn’t ever been all sunshine and roses, Tate.”
“How? Who’s hurt you?” he demands to know, his hands sliding up my back as he pulls me flush against him. The hard protrusion against my belly can only be one thing, and it makes me want him more than I ever have. The look on his face is fierce but his hold is gentle, his eyes as they roam over my face makes me think of a big grumpy bear that can turn rabid if threatened but just wants to be hugged by the right person and I want to be that person.
“Let’s see, how about we start with all of the shitty boyfriends my mom’s had in my life. At least the latest hasn’t tried to hit me every time I come home like the one before him, and he hasn’t tried to come into the bathroom when I’m showering like the one before that one did. This one just sits around drinking beer and stealing my money unless I hide it,” I admit, and my core floods with wetness at the dark look that crosses his face.