Page 51 of Rugged

Johnny looked back at me. Pain etched his expression. Haunted his eyes. “You don’t meanhome-home, do you?”

Oh God. I remembered how he’d been kicked out after he’d rescued his sister. Did he think I wanted to leave him? To break up with him?

And wow, was I already considering this a relationship that could be broken up?

Yeah, I guessed I was. Sometime in the last twenty-four hours, we had crossed over fromflingtoforever.

Voices were still raised behind us. I wanted to get out of here before anything more happened. We needed to de-escalate things. Calm Johnny down. Get him to see I was fine. That it was a stupid, drunk guy being stupid. Nothing more.

“I mean home to Wolf Ranch. With you,” I clarified, trying to sound earnest, so he knew it was the truth. After all the fibs, I said the one thing I believed down to my… heart. “I want to be with you.”

He stood there, frozen as the raised voices drew closer. His breath came out in an exhale. His face crumpled, pain etching harsh lines into his skin. “You do?”

I nodded.

His gaze raked over me, but not in the heated way it had earlier. “You’re okay? I mean…not from what he did, but…”

Willow and Rob were putting their bodies between ours and the drunk guy’s friends.

“Let’s get in the truck, Johnny,” I urged.

He blinked, seeming to realize what was happening behind him. “Yeah. Okay.” He opened my door and lifted me inside, taking the time to fasten my seatbelt.

I braced for trouble as he shut my door to go around the truck, but he didn’t even spare the rabble rousers a glance. I watched in the rearview mirror as he walkedaround, his brows down, his gaze lowered like he was thinking hard.

He shut his door and started the truck. When we were out on the single-lane highway, he started “Are you okay with what…you saw? With me?”

I reached for his hand and curved my fingers around his, setting them on my thigh. “I’m not scared of you,” I answered.

He frowned at the road in front of us, still troubled. “I could’ve gone too far again tonight. Fuck!” He smacked his hand down on the dashboard.

I jumped but remained calm. He wouldn’t hurt me. “You didn’t, though. Everything is okay.”

He shot a glance at me then looked back at the road. “You’re not…done with me?” His voice broke a little on the worddone.

“I’m not done.” My voice was low and quiet. Like a solemn swearing. I found his hand again and squeezed his fingers, so he could be reminded of our connection. I couldn’t climb into his lap and reassure him while he was driving, so this was all I could do.

Johnny blinked rapidly, and his chest filled abruptly with air, which he held a moment before letting it slowly out. “Fuck, Lyssa. I’m sorry I ruined our night.”

Was it wrong that I didn’t think it was ruined? I didn’t want to praise or thank him for getting violent becausehe definitely did seem to have a problem, but I wouldn’t give up this moment for anything.

This closeness. The raw exposure of one heart to another.

I had to ask. “Johnny, when you said you went too far last time…”

An oncoming car’s headlights cast harsh light over his face, and I could see that the quick glance he gave me held alarm again. Oh crap.

He hurt the person who attacked his sister. The way he was eyeing me, probably even worse.

My heart sank. It was as bad as I suspected. Could I live with that? A guy who didn’t know his own strength when he was protecting someone he loved?

Yeah, I could.

Because of his regret. Because he showed the capacity to change and the desire to heal.

“Did he die?” I brought myself to ask. Because maybe it would help if the trauma was just aired out. Not crouching behind the door like a monster.

“Yeah.” Johnny’s voice was rough. “He almost raped my sister. Attacked her. Ripped off her clothes before I got to her. I didn’t mean to kill him, but he fought hard, and he didn’t hold back. I wasn’t just going to let him go for what he did to her, but it turned into a kill or be killed situation.”

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