Page 5 of Mountain Man Daddy

“I’m staying,” he said, and he did it with such determination, Annie only nodded. He watched her work, placing an IV, oxygen mask, and some leads to monitor her. As Mike looked at the monitor beeping to life, fear gripped him. He didn’t know the girl, but he damn well wasn’t leaving her to die alone. He took her small hand in his, bent his head and prayed—something he hadn’t done in years.

* * *

“Why, Alex. Why?” Her voice cracked with emotion as the man she’d once loved more than anything stood in front of her holding the foreclosure papers she’d shoved at him. His face wasn’t cold or angry, just indifferent. He stood back and waved her into his apartment. How the hell could he afford an apartment? He’d bled her dry, so who was paying for it? She pushed the ridiculous jealousy down deep. Maybe he had a new woman to con.

“Because it’s who I am, mouse,” he said, using the nickname he had for her. He plowed a hand through the familiar dark swoop of his hair. After all the years of lies and betrayals, the swoop no longer appealed.

“Don’t call me that!” It came out angry but fizzled fast. “Who are you?” she mumbled in disbelief. “Who the hell are you?” She started to breathe too quickly, and her chest felt tight. “You’re a…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, and he sighed impatiently.

“A con artist. A hustler. I tricked you, Avery. You were a goddamned easy target, too.” He chuckled darkly. “Maybe this will be a lesson for you.” She thought there was regret in the sound, but she couldn’t be sure—she couldn’t trust herself anymore, could she? “Jesus, mouse, don’t fall for the smooth ones.” He shook his head and added, “We’re all bad news.”

“I was going to say asshole,” she stated dryly but hurt took over again. “The house? The cars? My t-trust!” She felt all-encompassing anguish at the smirk playing on his mouth.

“Trust or trust fund?” He huffed humorlessly. “Breaking your trust was a fucking gift.” His dark brown eyes hardened on hers, and he picked a glass filled with amber liquid off the coffee table and emptied it. “Maybe you won’t be so damned naive next time around. And as far as the trust fund, Av. It’s not like there isn’t more coming. In a fuckin’ year, you’ll be living high and mighty again. The bank knows that when you turn thirty, you’ll be getting over five million. You can save the house. But honestly, why would you want to?” He looked around, crossing his tanned arms over his chest. “Our house will only haunt you with memories.”

“You’re sick,” she spat. It was only ten in the morning, and Alex poured another two fingers of scotch into his glass. He never drank. She closed her eyes. But of course, she didn’t really know him—not the real him. When she opened them, her gaze fell on the gun tucked into the couch. Why did he have a gun?

“Perhaps, but I will say you’re the closest I’ve come to loving someone other than myself.” He touched her face a moment before she stumbled back a few steps. He shrugged indifferently. “You’ll be fine, mouse. Just keep your mouth shut about the money and have a good life.”

“I don’t get it,” she added, noting the dark circles under his eyes. Had he slept at all since she’d kicked him out a week ago?

“What don’t you get?”

“Why’d you ask me here? I kicked you out. It’s over. I’m done with your shit.”

He smiled, again without humor, shook his head and grabbed her hand. He took her into his bedroom and then his smile became genuine.

“One last time, mouse? For old time’s sake.” He had been her first—her only—the man she’d clung to after a loveless existence. But she’d be damned if he touched her again. It was over and the marriage had been nothing more than a fantasy.

She narrowed her eyes and he sighed in exasperation.

“I thought—”

A crash in the living room silenced them both. Alex grabbed her by the shoulders, startling her. His eyes were wild, and his chest heaved.

“Get in the closet and don’t make a sound,” he whispered frantically. The fear in his eyes made her gut twist, and her heart beat in a frenzy. He shoved her in amongst his clothes. “Please, mouse, no matter what happens, don’t come out.”

Hidden amongst his expensive clothes, some of which smelled like his cologne, curled with her knees to her chest, she looked up at him.

“I lied, mouse. I do love you. I did a bad thing. Shit, many bad things, but you were the one good thing. Remember that.” He shut the closet, and she saw him through the slats as he jumped onto his bed feigning sleep.

“Get up, dickbag.” A man in black leather kicked the end of the bed. “Get the fuck up. We gave you enough time. Now we’re gonna have some fun.” He turned his head to look over his shoulder at his partner. Avery saw his coal black eyes and yellow teeth, and as his lips spread into a cruel smile, a scar rippled along the side of his cheek. It was knitted tight and puckered. Shivers erupted through her body. Hair as dark as his eyes stuck out from under his ball cap and when his leather jacket opened, the black metal from the butt of a gun tucked in his belt pulled her eyes. She peeked at the other man and saw someone equally terrifying. A muscled Mr. Clean type with a little patch of ginger hair under his bottom lip, and a tattoo of a snake slithering up his thick bulging neck.

“Grab the rope from the truck, Moe.” He zeroed in on Alex again. “And the knives.” He placed his hands on his hips. “Better bring something to muffle his screams, too.” The chuckle that followed made her stomach roll.

“I’ll go to the cops, Eddie.” Alex grabbed his cell off the nightstand, and the leather-clad man took the floor lamp at his side and smashed Alex’s hand. There was a sickening crunch before his scream.

“You know he is the cops, right, dickhead?” Eddie pointed over his shoulder at Moe. “Who do you think they’ll believe, you or an undercover badge? Like I told ya before, give us our money or die. Plain and simple. You didn’t give us our money, so now you die.” He took a tiny metal box out of his pocket. Avery didn’t dare move to get a better look, but he put it to his mouth and smoke clouded around him. The sickly sweet smell told her it was a vaping cigarette.

“Please, just another week. I’ll get it. Damn it, Eddie. I promise!”

“Too late, Alex. Too late.” He walked around in a slow circle drawing on his e-cigarette.

“But if you kill me you’ll never get the money.”

“Yeah?” He paused and spun to look directly at Alex. “I think we will.” He took another pull of sweet vapor and chuckled. “As soon as we’re done with you, we’re heading to see your little woman. We’ll show her we mean business and we’ll get our money. We’ve been watching her. She’s a sweet piece of ass, Alex. I think my cock wants a taste of her.” Avery covered her mouth and locked the scream in her throat. “In fact, it wants that taste so bad I’m tired of talking to you.” He pulled out his gun…

Avery woke with a pounding heart but remained still. She didn’t want to alert anyone that she was awake. It took a moment for her eyes to focus on the burly, bearded lumberjack sleeping in the chair beside her bed, but she’d known he’d be there. He was always there, every time Avery opened her eyes. She had no concept of where she was or how long she’d been there, but the one constant was his presence.

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