Page 60 of Mountain Man Daddy

“Why are you here, Alex? And why did you do it?”

“How could you ask that, mouse? Obviously, I’m here to getyou. You’re my wife. I want to bring you home.” She noted that he’d completely neglected to answer the second part of her question. He took a step forward, and she tried to look nervous. Since she was brimming with anxiousness, it wasn’t a stretch.

“We split before you faked your own death. I’m not your wife.”

His patronizing chuckle made her jaw tighten, but his stepping closer eased it. “Aw, mouse. Until we’re divorced, you’re still my wife, and I’ve decided I’m not going to let you divorce me.” His voice held a note of threat.

“Don’t come any closer, Alex.” She lunged for the knife from the block and held it with trembling hands.

Alex laughed the kind of laugh that made his body tip back slightly. Then he wiped his hand across his smooth chin and gazed at her with open amusement and contempt.

She looked closely at his pretty boy face and her brow wrinkled. How had she ever found him attractive? He seemed so weak and snake-like. Mike was a bear, with his big beard and rugged, weathered face, muscles built of hard labor not gym equipment, and his expressive eyes that spoke nothing but the truth. He’d showed her everything he felt with those eyes.

Alex lied, cheated,andmanipulated. He deceived with his whole body. And now she’d pay him back in kind.

He took three more steps toward her. She kept her eyes off the mat so she wouldn’t tip him off, but it was hard. She wanted to make sure he was walking the right path. She pressed back as if cowering in fear and closed her eyes, willing tears to come. She thought of Rocky and then Mike still in danger, and they easily sprang to her lids.

“Please stop,” she whimpered. “I know you want the money. You can have it. I plan on living here, so I won’t need it anyway. Just don’t come any closer.”

His brows rose high and then fell, hovering low over his eyes.

“Here? With that Neanderthal?” He crossed his arms. “I heard he beats you. Why would you want that? I may have overspent and partied too much, but I never hurt you.”

“You hurt me more than anyone ever has, Alex. You used me, dismissed me, and pretended to love me. Mike takes care of me. He took care of me even when he didn’t want to—before he even knew me. And he doesn’t beat me. He would never lay a finger on me without my consent.” She almost giggled at the dumbfounded expression on his face. Oh, yes, she agreed alright. Let Alex make of that what he would.

“And you know what?” she continued with a smile. “It turns me on. A real man like him revs my engine like you never could. I’ve never been so wet for a man, nor so satisfied, Alex.”

Anger flashed in his eyes, and he pulled a gun out of his coat pocket, launching himself at her—just as she’d intended.

“You bitch—” And as the carpet gave way, and his eyes widened in shock, Avery gave him the finger. His arm hit the side of the hole on his way down, and the gun skittered across the kitchen floor and landed by her feet.

She slid across the floor on her knees, grabbed the door, yanked it up, and latched it. She broke into hysterical laughter that eventually turned to tears, before she finally crawled to the sofa, listening to Alex kick up a fuss locked in the cold dark cellar. She pulled the blanket over her head and waited.

* * *

“Baby, wake up.” Avery’s eyes fluttered open to see Mike’s furry face close to hers. “It worked. We got him. It’s finally over.” His face split into a wide grin and she sleepily wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her up into his arms and spun her before setting her on her feet.

“You, my brilliant little brat, saved the day. We got so many tips. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.”

He smile mimicked his then until she saw Riley.

“Where the hell were you last night?” Her snarl startled even her. She hadn’t realized how scared she’d been until then. Mike’s brow furrowed. A strum of warning thrummed in her belly.

“He left me alone last night!” She pointed at Riley, her hand shaking in anger. Alex chose this time to start hollering from the cellar. Mike looked to the floor, puzzled and then at Avery.

“I’ll explain in a minute. Just ignore it for now,” Avery said, gritting her teeth. Mike’s brows rose, but he nodded. Avery looked back at Riley.

“Where the hell were you?” She pointed to the cellar where Alex still shouted. “I had to deal with that shit all alone.”

“I’m so sorry, Avery. I was vigilant and walking the perimeter most of the night until I ran into some trouble.” He looked sheepish. “The kind of problem I didn’t expect.”

Her face contorted in confusion. “What kind of problem?”

Who else was left, who could want to harm them? She got Alex, the cougar got Eddie and Moe, and Mike took care of Prescott. Mike grabbed her hand and kissed it before linking their hands.

“Seems a bear chased him up a tree,” Mike answered for Riley and Avery’s eyes widened in alarm. She turned to look at Mike and saw a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

“A bear?” she repeated.

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