Page 15 of Nauti Kisses (Nauti 6)

“Hey, John. ” The sound of Rowdy Mackay’s voice calling out had him pausing, his jaw clenching before he turned back to the other man before stepping from the dock to the parking lot.

Rowdy loped from the entrance of the marina to the parking area, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses but John knew the other man was likely processing every telltale emotion John couldn’t keep from his face.

“Hey, man, you were out early this morning,” Rowdy stated as he pulled up to him.

“I was,” John agreed as he continued to the S

UV.

“Dawg said he saw your rig out at Hickley’s, meeting an unscheduled landing. You have problems?”

There it was. The Mackays weren’t just notoriously nosy, but also notoriously protective of their friends. And they considered John and his sister Rogue, friends.

It wouldn’t do any good to keep the truth from the other man; John knew him. Dawg was likely already running the Lear’s call numbers, ownership, and flight plan.

Stepping to the SUV, he leaned against it wearily and gave the other man the information he knew Rowdy would come up with eventually.

Besides, letting the Mackay cousins in on the truth would provide Sierra with an added layer of protection.

As he explained the situation, Rowdy drew the sunglasses from his eyes, his gaze narrowing, lips thinning as tiny sparks of anger filled his sea green eyes.

The information would hit too close to home for Rowdy. His wife had suffered at the hands of a stalker, a man they had trusted. One who had nearly raped Kelly while Rowdy was in the Marines.

John knew the other man still blamed himself for being away, for not protecting her.

Just as John blamed himself now because he hadn’t been there to protect Sierra.

What the fuck was happening to the world, he wondered. A woman wasn’t safe, no matter where she went, no matter what she did. There were simply too many men determined to prey upon them.

“How close did the bastard come to raping her?” Rowdy’s voice edged with latent violence.

“Her roommate frightened him off before he actually raped her. Her thighs, breasts, and neck are bruised extensively. I can see her neck . . . ” He turned away, his jaw tightening as the guilt threatened to eat him alive. “Hell, Rowdy, I shouldn’t have left. God her neck . . . ” He swallowed tightly. “That bastard nearly killed her. ”

“Hindsight, bro,” Rowdy sighed. “That guilt will always follow you. You have to find a way to cover it, to bury it, or you’ll never live with it. And make damned sure it never happens again. ”

Livid pain gleamed in Rowdy’s deep green eyes as John turned back to him.

“Kelly doesn’t sleep well if I’m not there with her, at least in the house at night,” he stated, his voice rough. “I never forget how close I came to losing her, and I never forget how important her and our child are to me. ”

“Dad did his best to ensure no one knows where she is,” he informed the other man. “We’re hoping that gives him the time to figure out who attacked her. But like Dad, I have this feeling . . . ”

And it was in his gut. The first time he had ever had the feeling his father described. The sensation of a phantom blade across his gut.

John stared out over the marina, his gaze moving instinctively to the houseboat where Sierra was awaiting him.

“She’s still in danger, then. ” Rowdy nodded. “You have it bad man, if you can sense that. The only woman that ever triggered that response in me was Kelly. She keeps me breathing. Be damned careful, because if she leaves you, I don’t imagine breathing would be easy. ”

No, it wouldn’t be. He didn’t have to wait to know that. He could already sense it. He’d already experienced the feeling a year before when he’d left town, walked out of her life. Now that he was back, he realized exactly how hard breathing had been without her.

He’d always known, in part, how important she was to him, but until that hazy night a year before, until she ran from him, he hadn’t realized how deep that importance ran.

“Let’s get this luggage to the Dreams,” the other man finally stated. “I’d say you can expect the family to descend on her soon, so save time somewhere, somehow while you’re convincing her to stay. ” The snicker in Rowdy’s voice assured John that the fact that John was dying to touch her wasn’t lost on him.

Sierra hadn’t packed much. There were two suitcases, the briefcase, and a small box that he knew held all the family pictures she owned.

Sierra didn’t own much; since her father’s bankruptcy and death, there hadn’t been much for her to own. Getting back on her feet had been hard, and Sierra was a saver rather than a spender.

The small amount of furniture she owned was in storage, overseen by John’s father. The rest of her belongings had been packed and sent to her, as though John Sr. knew his son wasn’t going to allow her to leave easily.

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