Chapter Twenty-Four
Shoving my phone into my pocket, my eyes lock with Austin’s across the table. My heart threatens to explode, pulse hammering so hard my hands start to shake.
I need to get to Indy.
I turn to Declan, already stepping back from the table. “I’ve got to go, I’m sorry.”
“Is everything good?” Austin asks, brows pulling together. “What’s wrong with Indy?”
I swallow around the lump in my throat and shake my head. “I don’t think so.”
Rounding the table, I stop behind Hailey, Declan’s girlfriend. “Thank you guys for dinner.” I press a quick, friendly kiss to her cheek and squeeze Declan’s shoulder before I’m racing through his yard, abandoning my half-eaten plate and the muddled sound of their voices behind me.
I barely remember ending the phone call with Indy, only registering that I needed to say goodbye and get to her as fast as possible.
She said he had a gun.
The conversation slams into me again as I jump into my truck, shoving the key into the ignition. The engine roars to life, and I call her back as I put my truck into reverse and tear out of Declan’s driveway.
She answers on the first ring.
“Hi,” she breathes, her voice broken and small. The sound guts me, igniting something angry and desperate within me—it’s nothing like the strong, sassy woman I love.
“I’m on my way, Trouble. I’ll be there soon.” I’m already pulling into traffic, just minutes away from getting on the freeway that connects Bridge Point to Ridgewood. “Stay on the phone with me.”
The need to touch her—to feel her skin, hear the gentle beat of her heart—pulsates through me.
I press harder on the gas pedal.
“Okay.” She’s crying softly, which is worse. I envision the quiet, shoulder-shaking sobs, like she’s trying to hold herself together—to be strong.
My grip tightens on the steering wheel, knuckles turning white as I weave around slower drivers. “Where are you right now? Are you with anybody?”
“Rosie. We’re sitting on the floor.”
A ghost of relief flickers through me, grateful she’s not alone. “Good. You’re safe, Indy. He’s gone.” I blow through a red light. “Can you take a deep breath for me?”
Air shudders through the phone.
“Good. That’s good, Trouble,” I murmur. “I’ll be there soon.”
“You’re an hour away,” she says with a watery laugh.
“I’ll be there in thirty,” I say with conviction. I don’t care what it takes, or if it’s dangerous or reckless. I should have trusted that feeling gnawing in my gut—the one that told me not to leave her tonight. The barbecue would have gone on just fine without me there.
Every mile feels like a knife digging deeper into my chest. Every minute passes too slowly.
I keep her talking about anything—insignificant things, like the weather. I tell her about how Austin was just trying to hit on Hailey’s sister even though she wasn’t there. Anything I can think of to keep her mind distracted.
When I finally speed into the parking lot, I leave the truck half on the curb and race inside, phone still pressed to my ear.
My gaze scans the bar until it lands on Zach—no, Cain, Rosie’s husband—standing near a doorway. His posture is rigid, attention fixed inside the room.
He lifts his head at the sound of my shoes pounding the floor.
“Where is she?” I demand, not slowing my pace.
He steps aside immediately, tipping his head toward the open door. “In here.”
I brush past him and find her sitting on a worn leather couch, knees pulled up to her chest, cheek resting against them while Rosie speaks quietly.
Indy’s phone’s still in her hand, our call illuminated on the screen.
I end it and shove my phone into my back pocket, then drop to my knees in front of her with a solid thud.
“Hey, Trouble,” I say gently, brushing my fingers through her hair.
She lifts her head, then launches herself into my arms. A sob rips through her the second she buries her head into my neck.
“I’m here. I’ve got you.” She wraps her body tight around me, and I rise with her in my arms.
I glance at Rosie. “Are you okay?”
She nods, flashing me a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah. We’re all good. Just shaken up.”
Over her shoulder, my eyes meet Cain’s. “I’m taking her.”
There’s no room for argument in my tone.
We’re leaving. Simple as that.
Cain nods, then crosses the room to sit with his wife, pulling her close.
I carry Indy out, her arms looped around my neck. Her breathing starts to even, the tension slowly draining as I hold her close.
Gently, I settle her onto the passenger seat, buckling her in. I keep my hand on her thigh, needing the contact to soothe my racing heart.
I lean in, kissing her softly. My grip on her thigh tightens, and she trembles beneath my touch.
“Where do you want to go?” I ask softly. “Home?”
She hesitates. “No. Not yet. Somewhere quiet. Away from people.”
I nod. “Okay. I know a spot.”
The drive to the overlook is guided by the sunset, hues of orange and pink fading into darkness. Both of us are quiet, but my hand never unwraps from Indy’s, my thumb brushing over her knuckles in a way I hope is soothing.
GPS leads us to an off-road trail, quiet and isolated, and at the top of the mountain is an overlook. I’d been here once or twice while in high school, usually when I needed a break from the noise of my life and ended up driving for longer than I’d planned.
At the top, I reverse into a spot near the edge and kill the engine, letting the night surround us. We sit in silence, listening to the wind as it whistles through the trees.
For the first time, I watch Indy exhale.
Hopping out, I round the truck and help her out, leading her to the tailgate where the city sparkles below us in twinkling lights. We both sit side by side, and she leans her head against my shoulder, still lingering in a state of shock.
“You’re safe,” I whisper into her hair, kissing her gently. My chest tightens, wishing I could carry the weight of everything she’s feeling.
“I know,” she answers, voice vacant. “But can I go back to the bar and not be on constant high alert? The drive-by. This.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know, but I love my job. The people. But… I thought the drive-by was a one-off. Now it just feels like ‘fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice…’” Her words trail off.
“I’ll never let anything happen to you, Indy.
If you want to keep working there, I’ll come with you every shift if it makes you feel safe.
If you want to quit your job, I’ll be there to support you until you find another that feels right.
Or don’t find a job—I’ll happily support you while you chase whatever dreams you want to fulfill. ”
She nods quietly, my words hanging heavy between us.
God, if there was something I could do to convince her to never step foot in that bar again, I would.
“I should have reached for the gun,” she mutters, gaze pinned on something in the distance.
“What?”
“The gun. We have one under the bar. I should have reached for it. I could have protected myself better. Protected Rosie. But I froze.”
“That’s a natural response. Don't blame yourself for not springing into action. You’re not a trained professional, Indy. How you reacted is exactly how most people would have.”
She exhales. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“We don’t have to.”
“I just want to forget.” Her fingers fist my shirt, pulling me closer. “Distract me, Gareth. Please.”
“Are you sure?” I ask gently.
She nods again, decision swirling in her eyes.
So I lean in and kiss her, slow at first—careful. Giving her time to change her mind. Letting her set the pace.
What she just went through was unimaginable, and I refuse to take advantage of her vulnerability.
Her lips part, breath hitching. She climbs into my lap, holding onto my shirt like it’s a lifeline—like it’s the only thing keeping her anchored in the moment.
My hands land on her hips, fingers brushing against her waist, trailing up her back. Heat ignites through me, my dick hardening in my jeans, but I continue to let her lead.
Indy starts to grind on me, deepening the kiss while she quickens her pace. She uses this moment as an escape, the frantic need to feel something other than fear.
Every whimper she makes sends a ripple through me. I can’t stop running my hands over her body, relief flooding through me now that I’ve had a moment to settle—to process.
Indy’s here. In my arms. Alive. She’s okay.
Her fingers bite into my skin, clawing at me like she can’t get me close enough. Like she’s terrified I’ll disappear right in front of her eyes.
I give her the closeness she’s craving—my hands firm as I hold her to me, dragging my lips over her skin possessively.
She whimpers when I slide my hand up her shirt, beneath her bra. I cup her breast, rolling my thumb over her nipple.
“I need you to fuck me,” she moans. “I need you inside me.” Reaching down, she palms my dick over my pants, then starts undoing my jeans.
Our movements are clumsy and rushed.
Pushing onto her knees, she pulls down her fishnets and panties, her skirt pushed up and hanging loosely around her waist.
I untuck myself, lifting my hips as much as I can without knocking her off me to pull them down. My dick springs free, hard and weeping for her, tip engorged.
She wraps her cool fingers around it, and I groan at the contact, thrusting into her hand involuntarily.
I’ll never not see stars the second this woman touches me.
Her moves turn desperate, fumbling as she tries to align our bodies, but her fishnets make it hard. I yank them down as far as I can, about to ask if she wants to take them off, but the desire in her eyes tells me she has no interest in stopping to remove them completely.
When she finally sinks down onto me, she hisses a sharp moan, tilting her head back in pleasure.
I let her take what she wants—what she needs.
She uses my body, bouncing up and down like my dick is the cure to erasing her memories. “Shit,” I groan, getting lost in the moment with her.
My hands move to her breasts, and I pull her top down along with her bra. Leaning forward, I suck her pebbled nipple into my mouth, swirling my tongue around the peaked bud, drawing a moan from her lips.
“Harder,” she commands, quickening her pace as much as she can, her movements restricted from being perched on the edge of a tailgate, both of us half-clothed. “Gareth, I need you to fuck me harder.”
There’s a wild look in her eyes as she grips the back of my neck, using it for leverage.
I drive my hips upward, bracing one hand against the edge of the truck to further my momentum.
“Harder,” she repeats, and something inside of me snaps.
I lift her off of me, sliding down from the tailgate with her in my arms, then set her on the spot I just left behind..
“Get on all fours, Trouble,” my voice comes out in a low growl, leaving no room for negotiation.
She nods, pupils blown wide, then turns onto her knees and crawls further into the bed of the truck.
My hand wraps around my shaft, pumping it slowly as I admire the view. Messy hair, fishnets, and a black lace thong still hooked around her knees. Palms and knees pressing into the ridges of my truck, and her bright blue eyes staring back at me from over her shoulder.
A familiar heat crawls up my spine.
Goddamn, she looks good like this.
I climb onto the tailgate, not bothering to fully remove my pants, just shoving them further down my legs once I’m positioned right behind her.
Slowly, I drag my dick along her slit, coating myself in her wetness.
Indy moans, her head falling down between her shoulders. Her body starts to tremble—anticipation coiling—and I plant one hand beside hers, leaning over her back.
“Hey, Trouble,” I growl, still tracing my tip along her entrance.
“Yes, Golden Boy?” she breathes, shuddering against me.
“You know I respect the hell out of you, right? That you’re everything to me? And that I love you?”
I push into her—just an inch.
She hums with pleasure, instinctively pressing back. “Yes, I know.”
My lips brush against her hair. “Good,” I murmur. “Because I’m about to fuck you like I hate you.”
“Oh thank G—”
I slam into her in one hard thrust.
Her cries pierce the air as I bottom out, my groan exploding from my chest with hers.
Then I give her exactly what she asked for.
My fingers bite into her bare skin, just above her waist, hips snapping forward. I straighten, taking control of the rhythm, and drag her back against me with every relentless thrust.
I slam into her with a force I’m not used to—a new, unrestrained, carnal part of myself unleashed to satisfy her needs.
She asked for this—begged.
And I’ll always give her everything she asks for.
“Fuck, you’re so tight. You like being fucked hard, Indy?”
“Yes,” she moans. “God, yes. I love this.”
“I love you.” Our bodies crash together, my hands gripping tight enough to leave marks.
The restrictiveness from the fabric around her knees makes her feel tighter around me.
She’s soaked, drenching and wrapping around me like a vise.
“Fuck, Gareth. Yes. This. This is what I need.”
“I’ve got you, Trouble.”
Indy’s moans and whimpers mix with my rough breaths, the relentless slap of our skin cutting through the quiet night and drowning out the wind in the trees.
Sweat beads across my brow, my vision straining as my release quickly starts to build.
Reaching around her hips, I slide my fingers between her legs, spreading her and finding the spot that makes her gasp. I rub her clit exactly how I know she likes, keeping the same relentless pace of my hips, never allowing myself to slow.
“Fuck!” she hisses through her teeth. “Yes. Keep going.”
I’m about to lose it—right on the edge. My balls draw up, black spots dancing across my vision.
“Come on my dick, Trouble. You’re safe in my arms. Unravel for me. Now.”
She does.
Crying my name into the night, Indy’s whole body shakes as she falls apart in my arms. Heat floods her core, drenching my dick and sending me over. My release tears through powerfully, my forehead dropping against her back as I come inside her.
She braces against the truck, chanting my name until it dissolves into a soft murmur of breathless whimpers as she collapses forward.
She’s putty in my hands as I ease her down, turning her onto her back. A satiated smile tugs at her lips, her chest rising and falling in a relaxed pattern as she smiles up at me.
For the first time all night, it feels like I can breathe. I kiss her forehead. “Let me find us something to clean up with, then I’ll take you home.”
“You’ll stay with me, right?” she asks, the fear and sadness erased from her voice, replaced with sex-hazed happiness.
“Forever, Trouble.” I kiss her forehead again. “I’ll stay with you forever.”