door.
“I’ll get you for this, you bastard,” Tim yelled. “You may think you’ve won, but this isn’t over.” He swiped at the blood on his lip with his shirtsleeve. “I’ll make you wish you never met her.”
Marisa tore the engagement ring off her finger and threw it at him before slamming the door. She set the lock with trembling fingers and flattened her back against the door. She slid down to the floor, shaking uncontrollably.
Luc sat down beside her, drawing her into his arms. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
She dropped her head against his chest and cried until the only noise in the room was the sound of her shuddering breaths. “How could I have been so wrong about him? I’ve known him all my life. I really thought he was one of the good guys.” She started to cry again and he drew her against him, kissing the top of her head.
“I know, baby. He just snapped.”
She looked up at him. “Do you think this is my fault? Maybe if I hadn’t...”
He dried her tears with the back of his hand. “Don’t even think that, honey. There’s no excuse for the way he acted tonight.”
She knew Luc was right. Tim had a right to be angry, but he had no right to put his hands on her. “If you hadn’t come in when you did, he would have r...” She started crying again when she thought about what he’d almost done to her.
“I know, baby.” Luc held her in his arms as he stroked her hair. His cell phone rang. He continued to hold her as he reached for the phone in his pocket. He checked the call display. “It’s Trey.”
Marisa shook her head. She didn’t want her brother or anyone else to know what a fool she’d been to trust that man. “Don’t answer it,” she pleaded, trying to reach for the phone.
“Honey, he’s worried about you. He’s gonna keep calling until we answer the phone. Either that, or he’s gonna come over here and...”
“Okay, okay, fine. Answer the phone.” She raked her hands through her hair, resting her head on her raised knees. ”Tell him what happened. He’s gonna find out sooner or later anyways.”
Luc hit the connect button and stood up. “Hello.” Luc paused. “No, she’s not okay, man. Mitchell lost it.” He stalked the room as he rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna stay with her tonight.” He paused and looked at Marisa. “He tried to, but I kicked him outta here before he had the chance to hurt her.” Holding the phone away from his ear, he grimaced.
Marisa could hear her brother’s bellowing from where she sat, across the room.
“Trey, don’t do that,” Luc warned. He sighed. “That’s not gonna do any good.” He rolled his eyes. “I know how you feel, but if you go after him, it’s gonna be in all the tabloids by morning. You’ve got a wife and baby girl to think about, Turner.”
Marisa stood up and reached for the phone.
Luc reluctantly handed it to her.
“Trey, promise me you won’t do anything stupid. I’d feel terrible if you...”
“Marisa, honey, do you need me to come over? Are you all right?”
She started crying in earnest when she heard the concern in her brother’s voice. Luc gently took the phone out of her hand when she was crying too hard to speak.
“Trey, do me a favor. Just stay put, okay? I’ll either stay here with her or take her back her to my place.
Either way, I promise she’ll be safe, okay? Yeah, I’ll call you in the morning. Okay, you got it. No thanks necessary, buddy.” He disconnected the call and slipped the phone back in his pocket. “The next time your brother sees that guy, it’s gonna be ugly.”
She leaned into him, needing to feel his arms around her. “Hold me, please, just hold me, Luc.”
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. “It’s gonna be okay, baby. I promise.”
She looked up at him. “You still had a key?”
He smiled. “You didn’t ask for it back, so I didn’t offer.”
“Thank God.” She shuddered
“I’ll get you for this, you bastard,” Tim yelled. “You may think you’ve won, but this isn’t over.” He swiped at the blood on his lip with his shirtsleeve. “I’ll make you wish you never met her.”
Marisa tore the engagement ring off her finger and threw it at him before slamming the door. She set the lock with trembling fingers and flattened her back against the door. She slid down to the floor, shaking uncontrollably.
Luc sat down beside her, drawing her into his arms. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
She dropped her head against his chest and cried until the only noise in the room was the sound of her shuddering breaths. “How could I have been so wrong about him? I’ve known him all my life. I really thought he was one of the good guys.” She started to cry again and he drew her against him, kissing the top of her head.
“I know, baby. He just snapped.”
She looked up at him. “Do you think this is my fault? Maybe if I hadn’t...”
He dried her tears with the back of his hand. “Don’t even think that, honey. There’s no excuse for the way he acted tonight.”
She knew Luc was right. Tim had a right to be angry, but he had no right to put his hands on her. “If you hadn’t come in when you did, he would have r...” She started crying again when she thought about what he’d almost done to her.
“I know, baby.” Luc held her in his arms as he stroked her hair. His cell phone rang. He continued to hold her as he reached for the phone in his pocket. He checked the call display. “It’s Trey.”
Marisa shook her head. She didn’t want her brother or anyone else to know what a fool she’d been to trust that man. “Don’t answer it,” she pleaded, trying to reach for the phone.
“Honey, he’s worried about you. He’s gonna keep calling until we answer the phone. Either that, or he’s gonna come over here and...”
“Okay, okay, fine. Answer the phone.” She raked her hands through her hair, resting her head on her raised knees. ”Tell him what happened. He’s gonna find out sooner or later anyways.”
Luc hit the connect button and stood up. “Hello.” Luc paused. “No, she’s not okay, man. Mitchell lost it.” He stalked the room as he rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna stay with her tonight.” He paused and looked at Marisa. “He tried to, but I kicked him outta here before he had the chance to hurt her.” Holding the phone away from his ear, he grimaced.
Marisa could hear her brother’s bellowing from where she sat, across the room.
“Trey, don’t do that,” Luc warned. He sighed. “That’s not gonna do any good.” He rolled his eyes. “I know how you feel, but if you go after him, it’s gonna be in all the tabloids by morning. You’ve got a wife and baby girl to think about, Turner.”
Marisa stood up and reached for the phone.
Luc reluctantly handed it to her.
“Trey, promise me you won’t do anything stupid. I’d feel terrible if you...”
“Marisa, honey, do you need me to come over? Are you all right?”
She started crying in earnest when she heard the concern in her brother’s voice. Luc gently took the phone out of her hand when she was crying too hard to speak.
“Trey, do me a favor. Just stay put, okay? I’ll either stay here with her or take her back her to my place.
Either way, I promise she’ll be safe, okay? Yeah, I’ll call you in the morning. Okay, you got it. No thanks necessary, buddy.” He disconnected the call and slipped the phone back in his pocket. “The next time your brother sees that guy, it’s gonna be ugly.”
She leaned into him, needing to feel his arms around her. “Hold me, please, just hold me, Luc.”
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. “It’s gonna be okay, baby. I promise.”
She looked up at him. “You still had a key?”
He smiled. “You didn’t ask for it back, so I didn’t offer.”
“Thank God.” She shuddered
Similar Books
