Page 88 of Vicious Sabotage

She shot out her fist to punch his arm again, but he hooked his arm around her back, hauled her against him and slammed his mouth over hers.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she realized what could have happened tonight. How she could have lost the only thing that really mattered—Carver.

His fingers dug into her spine, yanking her closer. Angel let out a yowl of protest at being crushed between them.

He tore away, breathing hard, staring down at Livia. “You done fighting me?”

“Not even close. I almost lost you. I can’t lose you!” Her voice broke.

“Oh, darlin’. Come here.” He drew her into his arms, face buried in her hair.

“I actually…l-love…you! You big jerk!” Her dimple popped with every angry word she spat.

He pressed her up against the truck and kissed the hell out of her. She didn’t know if the heat from her burning house was washing over her or if Carver’s scorching body ramped up her temperature.

Breaking the kiss again, he knotted her hair around his fist. “You’re the most perfect goddamn soulmate a man could ask for. I know you tried to push me away because you feel it too. But I’m not leaving. I went after your cat for you, Livia. There are plenty of people I wished I’d saved. I’m not letting something else die on my watch, not when I know I can save it.”

Tears raced down her face. She hitched the cat to the other arm and wrapped her arm around his neck, dragging him close. How did he know so much about her when she’d only just realized these things about herself? He had so many chances to run away, and instead, he ran toward the things she loves…and to her.

He taught her that she could trust him not to leave her like everyone else. That she could maybe have that fairytale she dreamed of where they could work together toward a future they built.

He kissed her again, swiping his tongue across hers until she moaned with desire. The whole world could burn down and none of it mattered except what she had right here in her arms.

When his phone vibrated, she stepped back. Holding her stare, he answered the call. She could make out a male voice on the line but didn’t know which one of his men called. He spoke in monosyllables.

“We’ll be right there.”

He lowered his phone from his ear and met Livia’s stare. “They need us at the Gracey. There’s video footage we need to see.”

Chapter Twenty

Colton, Hunter and Ledger stood back, arms folded and legs braced.

“He’s all yours, Wolfe.” Hunter tilted his jaw toward the wimp of a man tied to the metal chair in the Graceys’ barn with the Graceys’ rope.

Carver studied the man who was behind all of the attacks on the family, who’d given the order to his thugs to torch three structures in one night.

When his team went on a manhunt, they got what they were looking for.

“Smythe.” He dragged the name out through his locked jaw.

The man looked about to piss his pants. In fact, Carver didn’t doubt his shorts were wet right now.

He bent over him. “You dirty motherfucker. You attack women. You burned our bunkhouse and my woman’s property. You’re going to fucking pay.”

Fear mingled with defiance on Smythe’s face.

Carver cocked his fist and drove it right into his teeth. The pain of hitting something hard didn’t affect him at all, but blood spurted from Smythe’s mouth and teeth shattered under the force of his fist.

The men didn’t move to stop Carver. They would let him deliver his justice without interference. After he made his way back from the hell of that camp where he’d been kept as a prisoner for weeks, tortured until he almost lost his mind, his SEAL team had rounded up his attackers and let him deliver justice to them too.

Somehow, he was getting more satisfaction out of scarring Smythe for life than putting bullets in every last one of his captors.

He reared his foot back and kicked him in the crotch.

Smythe folded in half, howling in pain and gasping from his smashed balls.

“I think that means he wants more.” Ledger’s drawl was the only sound in the room besides Smythe’s whimper.

---