Page 126 of The Love Penalty

“Come on.” Baxter tips his head toward the entryway. “Let’s take you to the station. I’ll drive you.”

“You sure?” I glance up, thrown by the offer. It is Baxter I’m talking to, after all.

A small smile curves his lips. “I’ve got you, Lani. Can’t let this kind of shit stand with the Hockey House girls. We’ve got to look after you guys.”

His wink and shy smile are so unexpected, I blink, then cast a surprised look at Rachel.

She’s grinning up at Baxter like she knew all along that he was made of shortbread and not sauerkraut.

With a shaky laugh, I force my body off the couch, walking to the door on slightly wobbly legs. But if I found the strength to face off with my rapist, I can find the strength to head to the police station and get this done right.

I can do this.

I can stop Harvey from hurting anyone else.

Unless Asher kills him before he can be arrested.

CHAPTER 56

ASHER

I threw Harvey into my car and am now driving him back to Denver. His mom wanted him home for dinner, well, she can fucking have him!

He hasn’t said a word, and he must have been kind of shocked by my show of strength and anger, because after a very short scuffle in the driveway—which ended with my fist in his nose—he slumped into the passenger seat of my truck. He’s been using his jacket sleeve to stanch the bleeding from his left nostril, but he hasn’t said a damn thing. He hasn’t even argued about leaving his car at Hockey House, and he hasn’t tried to open the door and roll out either.

The farther we go, the thicker the tension in the car gets.

He keeps sniffing, then opening his mouth as if to talk before clenching his jaw again.

Little fucker probably doesn’t even know what to say, and I’m too pissed off to even rant at him.

To be honest, I don’t really know what I’m doing. As much as I want to haul this asshole straight to the police station, I’m not sure it’ll do any good yet. I kind of want the cops to come and arrest him somewhere public because he deserves that humiliation. So instead, I’m dropping this douchenugget off to his parents, and they can figure out what to do with him.

Knowing them, they’ll back him up, but this will be my chance to tell it to them straight.

They can’t keep covering for him. I don’t care who their lawyers are. They may be the best in Denver, but my parents have the best lawyers in New York. And all I can hope is that they’ll back me and my girl when it comes down to it.

My insides are aching and swelling with this toxic feeling that makes me want to throw up, but I push a little harder on the gas and make it to the Carmichaels’ home in record time.

It hurts to pull into the driveway. I used to love this place. Every time I drove in here, it felt like I was coming home.

But not anymore.

That sensation has evaporated now, and I’m left with a cold fury… and a sick dread.

This is it.

I’m about to lose Hockey House. I’m about to lose my Denver family. I’m about to make a mess for the people I care about most.

But the woman I love needs me to do this.

And I want to.

For her.

And for all the other women who’ve been affected by this shitgibbon.

“Let’s go,” I spit, shouldering my door open.

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