Page 78 of Mastered By Desire

He pulls out a gun, but I grab his wrist, bend it back until the gun clatters to the floor. I kick it away, under the counter and out of reach.

“Fucking asshole.” I take a swing. He blocks it. I swing with the other arm.

He goes down.

With her foot, Leah shoves him away from her. He rolls limply to the side. I think I knocked him out.

That seems to be all four guys, down.

Everyone’s moving around, talking at once. The assholes who kidnapped Leah are swearing—the ones who are conscious, anyway. Ironwood guys are tying their wrists.

My knuckles are bleeding. My jaw aches.

“Leah, baby,” I go to her.

She backs up at first. When she realizes it’s me, she throws herself at my chest.

I murmur nonsense as I work at the duct tape binding her wrists. As soon as her hands are free, she brings them up to the tape on her mouth. She tugs at the corner, and her eyes water.

“We can ease it off with some oil or—” I start to say.

She rips at it.

Her skin is red and raw, her eyes watering. She buries her face against my chest and takes in big gasps of air, half breathing, half sobbing.

“I got you, I got you,” I repeat.

Gage approaches and Leah lets me go. He doesn’t immediately pull her into his arms. First he takes her face gently in his hands, examines the red marks. It isn’t just over her mouth that’s red and swollen. Two big, angry bruises take up her left cheek and jaw. Those assholeshither.

Anger spikes, making me feel reckless.

“Some ibuprofen,” Gage says, “and some ice. You’re coming home with me, little girl.”

“Yes,” Leah says.

In my head, I’m screamingno.

But it isn’t up to me. It’s up to her.

At least she’ll be with someone who cares about her.

He can’t care for her half as much as I do.

I watch, my insides twisting, as Gage says a few words to the detective, takes Leah under his arm, and walks her out of the room.

Leah

Gage and I make a stop at my hotel room to get my things. I move on autopilot. I find my phone and he helps me stuff clothing into my bags.

There’s a message from Danica.AoG night at my place tomorrow. All the roommates are gone. Please?

I can’t say no. She doesn’t know what happened to me, and right now, I can’t get into that. I’ll tell her tomorrow night.Sure. I’ll be there.

She sends back about two dozen emoji ranging from pints of beer to ghosts and vampires.

When Gage and I get outside, I’m surprised that it’s afternoon. I feel like I’ve gone through three days, not a few hours. We get into his car and he speeds us through downtown San Esteban. He’s taking the turns faster than I would, but his fancy car can handle it. Still, I grip the edges of my seat.

He reaches over and threads his fingers with mine. “Leah. You’re safe now.”

---