Page 30 of Skid
“I’ll always save you, Grace. You’re mine.”
“Do . . . do you really mean that?” she asked, and I offered her my most reassuring smile.
“Forever won’t be long enough.” I don’t know where the sappy shit was coming from, but she needed soft and nurturing right now. Whatever Grace needed, I would provide, and if it meant being soft for her, I would be a marshmallow.
Eddie kept the three douches away from us with security standing guard over them as he watched me calming Grace. Security wasn’t to protect us. It was to protect them. And when I get my hands on them, they won’t ever be a problem for another woman.
The sirens were getting closer, and I kissed Grace on the head, asking her, “Will you be okay for a minute? I need to make a phone call.”
She nodded so I stood with her in my arms and placed her gently on the seat. Taking her hands into mine, I waited for her blue eyes to meet mine before placing a kiss on the backs of each hand. Lifting my chin to Eddie, I stepped into the corner, keeping Grace fully in my line of sight as I dialed the one man who could guarantee I wasn’t hauled off to jail tonight.
“Skid, what’s wrong?” he asked instead of the usual greeting, and I got straight to it.
“Some asshole tried to attack Grace tonight, and I beat the fuck out of him. Cops are on the way.”
“Is he dead?” he asked, and I could hear a door closing on his end.
“Negative, but he needs to be,” I replied, hearing the sirens outside the fence.
“I hear the locals have pulled up. Answer their questions, and I’ll make a few calls. As far as the asshole, he’ll be handled promptly.” Devlin’s voice was deep and filled with rage.
“I can’t go to jail and leave Grace alone, Devlin.”
“Let me handle it,” he replied and hung up.
I trusted Devlin with my life, as much as I trusted the Death Hounds, so I slid my phone into my cut and exhaled before walking back to Grace. She looked up at me, hurt and lost, as the police walked out into the area. Eddie pushed a few of the locals inside and returned to the assholes.
“Then he came out of nowhere and started hitting me. I didn’t do anything wrong,” the bloody asshole explained with a whine in his voice as he pressed a towel from the bar onto his bleeding nose.
The cops turned and appraised me with one look, making a snap decision on what happened before even talking to Grace or me. I was used to people judging me on my appearance. Tattoos and leather spell trouble for cops, but Grace didn’t deserve that. They put their hands on their weapons and started to approach when Eddie spoke.
“This whole area is under surveillance. Let’s watch the footage and get the real story since these assholes won’t tell the truth, and you seem to believe them over my niece and her boyfriend.”
One cop turned to Eddie and appraised him before responding, “I’ll look while they keep everyone apart out here.”
The younger cop stood with the three douches, and an older female came to stand with Grace and me. She looked at Grace, her shirt torn, her legs bruised, her hair matted, the blood clinging to her lower lip, and leaned in to ask, “Honey, do you need to go to the hospital?”
Grace brought her red-rimmed eyes to the officer and replied, “No, ma’am. I bit my lip when he pushed me onto the table.”
“He didn’t . . .?”
She shook her head and explained, “Dalton saved me.”
Her hand reached up and took mine, and I pulled up a chair next to her and wrapped my arm around her, wanting to get this over with so I could take her home. She was done for the night. Maybe forever. No way was I going to let her walk out here night after night, remembering how some fucker violated her peace and safety for his own selfish gains.
“Good man,” the officer said and turned her attention to the three assholes who were trying to backpedal from what they tried to do.
A few minutes later, Eddie and the officer returned, and Eddie was livid as he looked at the guys. His eyes softened and he walked to Grace, kneeling in front of her and asking, “Will you let Skid take you home and stay the night with you, or do you want to stay at my house?”
She looked from him to me before deciding. “I’ll let Dalton take me home, but he doesn’t have to stay.”
I knew she was embarrassed and probably afraid she would have another nightmare in front of me, but there was no way in fucking hell I was leaving her alone tonight. I kissed the back of her hand, and she met my gaze.
“I’ll sleep on the couch if that would be better, but I really don’t want you to be alone tonight. Please, Grace.”
“Okay,” she reasoned, and a commotion behind Eddie drew our attention.
“This is bullshit! Do you know who my father is?” the bloody asshole asked incredulously.
