“You’re not still with him, are you?” he asked, staring at her lips, her chest. A tear fell. She couldn’t help it. She was so damn scared. This man killed people. For money or for fun.

  “Yes,” she lied.

  He narrowed his eyes at her.

  “You like getting smacked around, cheated on, used?” he asked, and more tears fell. That summed up her relationship with Cavanaugh.

  She closed her eyes.

  “Let me go please.” But then his lips pressed over hers. She knew not to fight, especially as the hold he had on her neck tightened. She gulped, and he released her lips.

  “You’re too good for him. Too sweet, too accepting to his control. If you weren’t his…” He didn’t finish his sentence. He shook his head and pulled back, releasing her.

  “Until next time, Amelia,” he said, looking her body over.

  She fixed her skirt and bent to grab her bag she’d dropped, and then hurried down the side street and back to the front of the building and her car. She got the hell out of there quickly and cried the whole way home.

  Her cell phone rang the second she pulled into the parking lot by the apartment building. She answered it.

  “Everything went smoothly?”

  “Yes, Cavanaugh. Herbano said he’s in on the next project, same payments.”

  “Good.”

  “I’m not doing that again. I’m done. I can’t take it. I can’t be around men like that.”

  “Do you realize that without me they would have pushed further? Would have made you spread your legs and give them what they wanted?”

  She was shocked. “Then why send me there if you knew what they would be like?”

  “Because you’re mine and they know it. You need to know it. To accept it and to tell me you want me back in your life, protecting you.”

  The tears flowed. He was manipulating her again, breaking her down, and so easily she could say yes. Then she wouldn’t have Dominga, or any other man, touching her, wanting her in his bed, but with the decision would come the abuse.

  “Think about tonight while you’re alone in bed, thoughts of those men taking what they want from you because we are not together and I can’t protect you. Think about that, Amelia.”

  He ended the call, and she gripped the steering wheel and cried some more. There was no one to help her, to protect her from this man, this mess. No one.

  Chapter Three

  “What do you want to do about it? One of us needs to head into town to the hardware store. Now who wants to go?” Watson asked.

  “Fuck, I’ll go. What the hell do you need exactly?” Fogerty asked Watson, who was lying under the kitchen sink fixing a bad leak.

  “Here. This type of piece needs to be replaced, and I need the washers, too, that go with the nut.”

  “Okay. I’ll be back.” Fogerty headed out of the house. It wasn’t a big deal to have to go. They had been sitting around all week basically twiddling their thumbs, recouping from the last job and working out, training.

  He drove to the hardware store, and when he pulled into the parking lot, he couldn’t help but notice the beat-up Subaru. He knew immediately it was Amelia’s. The excitement, as well as uneasiness, about seeing her again filled his body. She’d sort of blown them off after they helped her with her car. Mike had mentioned that she wasn’t dating anyone and had broken up with some bad boyfriend she had months ago. So maybe she was being cautious. He didn’t know, but Dell and Watson had brought her up several times, and both seemed a bit insulted by her response to them. Maybe she had something against soldiers.

  As he entered the hardware store, despite wanting to just get in there and get out quickly, he found himself walking around and looking for her. When he saw her standing on the bottom shelf and reaching way up to grab something on the top shelf, he stopped short. She wore a pair of short shorts, in navy blue, and a black tank top that right now lifted up and revealed the tanned skin on her waist and a perfectly round ass. He licked his lips at the sight of her appeal and then saw her teetering. He moved into action, quickly gripping her hips.

  “I don’t think you’re supposed to stand on this,” he said as she gasped and three boxes came down, landing on them. One hit his head, and she lowered her head against his chest as he lifted her and pulled her away before more boxes fell on them.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Oh God, you scared me. Are you okay?” she asked, reached up toward his head to check where the box had hit, but then she pulled back and sucked in her bottom lip.

  She looked cute. Her hair in a ponytail, her deep cleavage showing in the tank top, and what appeared to be a matching black lace bra, and her glossy pink lips.

  “I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about. What are you trying to reach?”

  “Oh, this stupid set to fix the thingy in the toilet under the cover that makes it flush. It broke.”

  He chuckled at her description. “Okay, you need some help?” he asked, now taking in the sight of her petite frame and how short she was, especially in tennis sneakers while he wore boots, jeans, and a T-shirt.

  She opened her mouth to speak and then squinted, looked past him and then back to him. “What are you doing here?” she asked suspiciously.

  “Looking for a thingy that goes under the sink and attaches to some other thingy with washers,” he said, surprised by his teasing and flirting he did so naturally with her.

  Jesus, if Dell and Watson or any of his friends heard him they would never let him live this down. She laughed though, and nothing else mattered.

  “Let me help you. I think I know what you need.” He bent down, and they picked up the boxes that had fallen, and he walked a little farther up the aisle and found what she needed.

  “Do you know how to replace and install one of these?”

  She looked at the back. “There have to be instructions, or I can go online maybe.”

  “I can help you if you want. Let me grab what I need because I’ll have to get this back to the house for Watson. He isn’t a patient man.” He winked. She looked a little scared once again, a response he and his brothers got out of her more often than not.

  He started walking, dismissing any opportunity for her to back out or make an excuse. He was going to find out more about her.

  She followed and as he looked for what he needed, she watched him.

  “I’m sure I can figure it out. I don’t want to upset Watson and make you late to get back to him.”

  “Upset him? Nah, he’ll be happy that we bumped into one another.” He didn’t wait to fully absorb her blush. Just knowing she felt the attraction gave him enough interest to pursue her. She was shy and sexy, and as they headed to the front, him going first, he watched the men that looked at her, and even the guy at the counter, who was older than Fogerty, flirted with her and asked if she needed help with this.

  “I got it,” Fogerty said, and she looked at him, and their eyes locked. He then paid for his stuff, and they walked outside.

  “You really don’t need to come over.”

  “No arguing, I’ll follow.” He walked toward his truck. She got into her car, and he quickly texted Watson and then followed her.

  * * * *

  Amelia couldn’t fight the feelings she had. She was so nervous and instantly aroused by Fogerty’s personality. When he’d teased her about the thingy, she couldn’t believe it. He was so damn serious, and to make a teasing joke like that had shocked her. Now he was following her to her place. When her cell phone rang, she thought it was going to be Cavanaugh, and thoughts of him had her panicking that he could find out about Fogerty coming to her apartment. Shit, but when she looked at the caller ID, she was surprised that it wasn’t Cavanaugh but instead Casey. She needed to take her mind off last night and her terrible lack of sleep.

  “Hey, Casey, what’s up?”

  “Hey, listen, I just found out about this self-defense training class through the sports club. I want to do it. I think it would be a great idea. You knew the therapist said I need to feel empowered, and it can help. My shoulder is just about fully healed. So what do you say, take the class with me?”

  Amelia was about to say no but then thought of last night. About Dominga, and about other men who just grabbed her and intimidated her. She had been up all night tossing and turning and thinking about ways to get out from under Cavanaugh’s control. Maybe a little self-defense could boost her confidence and also make him lose interest. He didn’t like women who knew how to fight and were aggressive. He liked her weak, submissive, and bowing before him.

  “When is it?”

  “Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at seven in the evening. Perfect for after work.”

  “Okay, why not?”

  “Great, we start tomorrow night.”

  She spoke to her about meeting at Corporal’s Friday, and she agreed. She ended the call never mentioning that Fogerty was following her to her place and instead decided to keep playing it cool like her life was normal and she just wasn’t interested in dating. She parked her car, and he parked the truck. They got out, and he followed her into the building and then to the upstairs fifth-floor apartment. She had a great view of the landscaping and was glad she hadn’t left the place a mess. She was a clean freak. That was something else that Cavanaugh insisted upon. She recalled getting smacked by him for the towel on the towel rack being crooked.

  She opened the door, and they entered.

  “Wow, this is a pretty big place.”

  “It’s a two bedroom corner unit.” She stood there and looked at him while she held the bag in her hand. He stared at her.

  “Would you like something to drink?” she asked.

  “No thank you. So where’s the problem toilet?” he asked, and she brought him down the hall and into the bedroom. Her nervousness moved up another notch. “Nice,” he said, eyeing over her king-sized bed and the way it was decorated with big fluffy pillows and decorative ones.

  “In here.” She motioned with her hand to the bathroom with double sinks and separate shower and bathtub, and she noticed her thong panties drying on the rack and her hot pink bra. She grabbed them, and he chuckled as she threw them into the cabinet.

  “So this is it.”

  He looked at the mess she’d made with the cover off and the plastic parts on a towel on the floor.

  “Okay, let’s see what we got.” He started to pull out the new things and remove the old ones.

  She stared at him, at the muscles in his forearms flexing, thinking about the way he made her feel claustrophobic in here because he was so big and muscular. He was straddling the seat but standing over it looking down and fixing the flusher. She watched.

  “See this piece right here? Just lift this and re-hook this with the new one.”

  “Oh, that’s easy enough.”

  “Yup, then do this next, and okay, let’s test it to make sure we put the thingy in right,” he teased, and she chuckled.

  He flushed it, and it worked. She smiled wide. “Yay!” she exclaimed and began picking everything up. He washed his hands, and then she did the same, and she pulled together the garbage and put it into the bag from the hardware store. When she stood up, he was right there, and she bumped into him. He placed his hand on her hip and stared down into her eyes.

  “Your eyes are so beautiful and such a bold blue color.” He brushed a hair from her cheek. She tightened up but couldn’t look away from him.

  “I want to kiss you, but you seem so scared of me, and of Watson and Dell, too. Why is that?” he asked, and she lowered her eyes and went to walk past him and into the bedroom.

  His tone was so deep and manly it did things to her body. Things she needed to resist. He took her hand and turned her toward him.

  “Why?” he pushed, and she felt the tears sting her eyes, but then he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his arms.

  He kissed her, and she was shocked at the instant desire she felt. She wanted him to kiss her. She was so attracted to him it burned her insides. She felt everything. The plunge of his tongue into her mouth, the feel of his palm squeezing her ass, and then him lifting her up and lowering her to the bed. They kissed one another fully, fighting for control, and then he was cupping her breast, crushing her to the bed, and she knew she needed to slow things down. What was she thinking?

  He must have sensed her need to put on the brakes because he released her lips and lifted up but kept his body pressed against her sensitive pussy. Her legs were against his hips, and he stared down into her eyes.

  “That was incredible,” he whispered.

  “A mistake though,” she said, voice cracking.

  He shook his head and caressed her hair, giving it a tug. “Not a mistake. Fucking perfect.”

  He then lowered to kiss her again. He was gentle this time, and his lips lingered over hers, making her lift to meet his every time he pulled away and came back. He was testing her to see if she wanted this. Oh boy, this wasn’t good at all. She could only pretend for so long that her life was normal and not controlled by Cavanaugh.

  She stared up into his dark blue eyes, at the scruff along his cheeks, and she was in awe of his handsomeness. He was so sexy, muscular, and macho. She couldn’t believe he kissed her like that and made her feel so much. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and then his cell phone was ringing. She panicked, but he didn’t.

  “No, not yet. I don’t know when the next time will be that you let down your guard and just feel.” He ran his pointer along her jaw to her lip.

  “Want to come back to my place and help Dell, Watson, and me fix the pipes under the sink?” he asked.

  She laughed. “That wouldn’t be too wise of me.”

  He lifted up and offered her his hand as his eyes absorbed her lying there on the bed.

  He pulled her close and kept a hand on her ass.

  “Sweetie, it could be perfect. Hell, we might all even get wet,” he said, making her mind fill with dirty, sexy thoughts, and she blushed, lowered her eyes, and he hugged her. “Sweet Jesus, you’re so fucking young and beautiful. I know you could get any man your age, and maybe it’s how old we are and experienced that holds you back, but shit, Amelia, it feels so good. You smell and feel incredible.” He inhaled against her hair and now lifted her up into his arms and kissed her again.

  She had her legs wrapped around his waist, and she kissed him back. Once again he lowered her to the bed, and she let go and just felt how incredible it was to be with Fogerty and to just feel his hands on her, his mouth on her.

  He pressed her hands above her head and held them with one hand at her wrists. Her breath hitched. He slid his palm down her arm to her throat and cupped her jaw as he ravished her mouth. She tilted her pelvis up, and then his palm moved lower to her breast. He cupped it, and she moaned into his mouth. He moaned, too, and then pinched her nipple and rolled it between his fingers, making her pussy cream. She thrust upward. Then he moved his palm lower and began to undo the button on her shorts. She wanted to feel his fingers thrust into her cunt. She did, she truly did, but they didn’t really know one another, and she pulled from his mouth.

  “Fogerty, slow down. Oh God, please, I hardly know you.” She gasped. He gripped her hip and then cupped her breast as he looked down into her eyes.

  “I want you. Want to explore every fucking inch of you, and so do Dell and Watson. You feel it with them.”

  “I don’t know any of you really. We just met. I’m not the kind of woman to sleep around.”

  “I get it. You’re young, and we’re experienced, older, but damn baby, I need and want more.” He pressed his mouth to hers.

  She couldn’t move because he had her restrained, and he was so much bigger and heavier, but it didn’t scare her. It aroused her further. “Oh God, Fogerty, this is crazy.”

  “It’s fucking real. That’s what it is.” He slid his palm under her top, pushed it up, and then pushed her bra away from her breast. He lowered down and suckled on her tit. He tugged and licked, and she moaned and came as he aroused her further. He sucked hard, and his whiskers burned her skin and intensified her arousal.

  “Fogerty, oh please. Please.” She felt her pussy spasm.

  “Come back to my place. Come spend some time with us. Get to know us so you’re not scared or intimidated. Come back now with me. Come on. Say yes.” He continued to kiss her. He kissed along her jaw down her neck and then suckled against a sensitive spot there.

  “Yes, oh God yes.”

  He released her wrists and kissed her then rolled to his side, taking her with him. She continued to roll so she was above him, and she reacted. To his size, his scent, the muscles, the manliness, and how sexy a man Fogerty was, and she kissed him. He ran his hands along her back and ass, squeezing and stroking down her crack, and she rocked her hips, plunged her tongue in deeply. When she released his lips, he gripped her hair tight and held her gaze.

  “I can call them. They’ll get here so fucking fast, and we can explore these feelings further.” She stared at him and debated about that, but then Cavanaugh popped into her head.

  “I should stay here.”

  “No, you agreed to come with me. Leave it at that and let’s see how things go, okay? Come with me now.”

  She stared at those deep blue eyes, and she stroked his jaw, and he licked his lips.

  “Okay, I’ll come with you.”

  * * * *

  “No! Noooo!!” Cavanaugh screamed as he watched Amelia make out with some fucking big guy. He was sucking on her breast, trying to undo her pants. He would fuck her, and here was Cavanaugh watching. He raged as he threw shit across the room and then paced when they stopped, and then the guy was lifting her up by her hand and walking her out of the bedroom. Fuck. Who the fuck was this guy? Who? He was a dead man walking. He was going to regret trying to fuck Amelia. Cavanaugh pulled out his cell phone.

  “I want to know who the fuck this guy is and when he’s vulnerable. Send him a message. Make it clear.” He ended the call. He yelled some more and then watched as they disappeared out of her apartment and out of the view of the cameras. Now all he could do was sit there and wait.