Chapter 12
Serena
My whole body is trembling.
If you would have told me twenty-four hours ago that I would be riding in a car with a man I barely even know, covered in blood that isn’t mine, after bashing my boyfriends’ brains in, I would have told you that you’re out of your mind.
But here I am.
Sitting in the passenger seat of my car with Isaac driving, and Belle in the back seat. He was going to put her in the trunk, but I convinced him not to. It just didn’t feel right.
Seeing him carrying her in his arms, wrapped in my favorite blanket, broke me all over again. We were just cuddled together sharing pretzels in that same blanket not too long ago. Now she’s gone and her lifeless body is wrapped inside.
Belle was my baby. She helped me get through moving to a new city, knowing nobody but my parents. Having her around helped the loneliness. But more than that, she helped me feel safe.
Whenever the nightmares came, she was always there.
Every panic attack, every sleepless night, she was right there by my side.
Her beautiful golden eyes were so full of love every time she looked at me.
And the thundering of her paws coming down the hall to greet me when I got home was music to my ears.
I will never hear that again. Never again get to look into those soulful eyes.
It never mattered to her that I was in a bad mood, she never failed to be my best friend.
My eyes are swollen from all the crying I’ve done, and I know I look like a fucking mess. Not that it matters, I’m not trying to impress anyone. In fact, I am this close to swearing off men all together.
I have no idea what happened to Tyler. The last time I saw him, he was bleeding out on my floor. At first, I thought Isaac was just trying to make me feel better when he said that he wasn’t in the kitchen. But then I saw it with my own eyes.
I never heard him leave. I thought I killed the bastard.
Tyler wasn’t boyfriend of the year, but I never wanted to kill him. And what did he mean when he said he was going to give me to his boss? What kind of fucked up shit was he involved with, and what does it have to do with me?
The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get.
You know what? I don’t care. I’m just thankful to be alive right now. He’s not worth my time or energy anymore, and whatever he wants to do in his free time is no longer my concern.
I look over at Isaac who has one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the gear shifter. I’m not exactly sure why I called him. But I knew he would come. Logically, it makes absolutely no sense.
That, and I was terrified to call the cops. Pretty sure bashing someone’s head in with a hot frying pan is frowned upon. Granted it was self defense, but it’s still manslaughter. The last thing I want is to wind up in prison for the rest of my life for trying to defend myself from a monster.
Unfortunately, while the justice system can help, it is also majorly flawed. They would see the dead guy on my floor, and I would instantly be seen as the killer and not the victim. I know from experience.
It’s always well what were you doing to provoke him? And did you see what she was wearing? She was practically asking for it.
Isaac glances over at me and smirks. “Admiring the view?”
I snort. “Get over yourself.” Looking down at my hands, I whisper. “What if Tyler comes after me again? If he’s not dead, that means he can come back to finish me off.”
Isaac sighs and grabs my left hand and I flinch. “I won’t let that happen.”
“But how? You can’t know that for sure.”
“Well for starters, you’re going to stay at my place for the time being.” His face tells me it’s not up for discussion.
“Why can’t I stay with Jules?” At least I know her.
“Because Jules’ place isn’t safe, he knows where she lives.” His voice flat. “That makes her a liability.” I swallow.
“He has no idea you’re with me, or who I am for that matter.” His grip around the steering wheel tightens. A pause stretches between us before he speaks again, quiet and lethal. “And I’ll make sure he never has a chance to.”
His jaw ticks as he stares out the windshield. A cold knot tightens in my stomach. I’m not going to bother asking what he meant by that last part, because something tells me that I already know.
That equally terrifies and comforts me at the same time.
If I had to choose between Tyler finding me, and doing God knows what, and staying at the house of a stranger that just saved me? I’m choosing the stranger. Even if he did just threaten to kill my ex-boyfriend, in not so many words.
Isaac turns on the radio and places his hand on my knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. The trembling finally stops when he does, so I don’t move it. Frankly, I like it there.
It feels… right.
Looking out the window, I watch two drops of water race to the bottom and let out a deep sigh. My eyes close and the events of this afternoon replay in my mind before I drift off to sleep.
The sound of tires going over gravel wakes me up. Trees surround us in every direction, blocking out any remaining light left from the day.
Isaac continues to drive up the long gravel driveway until we reach the end. Holy shit. His house looks like it came straight from an HGTV program.
It’s a two-story house and on the bottom floor, the corner is made up entirely of floor to ceiling glass.
A giant front porch with six steps leads up to the front door, framed by large pillars on either side.
The front door is a grand double door with frosted glass.
Stones of varied sizes and colors make up the area around the garage, creating a stunning contrast from the dark wood and black steel trim.
How does a bartender afford a home like this?
Isaac puts the car in park and exits. He leaves Belle in the back as he grabs the bag and circles around the car to my door. Opening the door, he leans down and offers his hand to me.
“Are you ready?” He asks.
I swallow and reply, “I think so.” Placing my hand in his, he tightens his grip and helps me out of the car, placing his other hand on the small of my back. Goosebumps spread across my skin and my face heats.
He guides me up the front steps and towards the door. Disarming the alarm with his phone, he opens the door and gently nudges me inside.
As I expected, the inside is just as gorgeous and modern as the outside.
The foyer is massive, and in the middle sits a giant staircase that splits in the middle and leads to a loft. I’m assuming on either side are the different rooms.
To the left of me is the living room that has floor to ceiling windows all around and a beautiful modern fireplace with a flat screen mounted above it on the only solid wall I can see.
On the right, appears to be the kitchen, but I’m not given any time to find out before Isaac is leading me to the staircase.
“Let me show you to your room. There’s an en-suite bathroom, so you’ll be able to take a shower and clean yourself up.” A shower sounds like heaven right now.
“You must be absolutely exhausted.” He says, and I’m suddenly all too aware of his hand placement on the small of my back.
Nerves creep through my body with each step as we get closer and closer to the top of the stairs.
He takes my hand when we reach the top and takes me to the bedroom at the end of the hallway on the right.
Sitting inside, is a massive king-sized bed adorned with silk sheets and a down comforter that I instantly want to curl up and get lost in.
Setting my bag on the cushioned bench at the end of the bed, he wipes his hands on his jeans and gives me a sheepish grin.
“So, the bathroom is right in there. You’ll find everything that you need. Soaps, loofah, etcetera. If you need anything, I will be in my room at the opposite end of the hall.” He exits back through where we came from, closing the door behind him.
I enter the marble tiled bathroom and twist the hand of the shower, the pipes softly groaning in protest as hot water sprays from the nozzle above. It’s a decently sized walk-in shower for a guest bathroom and could easily fit two people with some room to spare. Bigger than mine, that’s for sure.
Not that I'm surprised. Everything about Isaac feels… massive.
I try to lift my shirt above my head but stop when a sharp pain shoots up my arm from my wrist. I should probably have it looked at first thing tomorrow.
The clinic is not an option. Shame and embarrassment surge through me at the thought of facing my coworkers.
How can I face everyone there and explain the cuts and bruises?
Hell, I don’t even want to face Jules right now. I can already see that I told you so look she’s going to give me when she finds out what happened with Tyler.
Coming to the conclusion that I’m not going to be able to undress myself, I swallow my pride and call out to Isaac. A few moments later, I hear him enter the bedroom and knock on the bathroom door.
“Come in,” I answer.
“Is everything okay?” He opens the door and peeks inside.
“Yeah… everything is fine. I just…” My cheeks flush as I try to get out the words.
He opens the door all the way and steps inside. “Yeah?” He asks.
“I think my wrist is broken, and I am having a hard time undressing and need your help.” I rush out.
He raises an eyebrow and smirks. His warm chocolate brown eyes twinkle with amusement while he crosses his arms and leans against the doorframe. “Do you need help washing too?”
My mouth falls open and I stare at him.
He steps into me and lifts my chin, closing my mouth and running his thumb along my bottom lip.
“Your mouth open like that is giving me some ideas Serena.” His voice lowers.
“I’ve been able to restrain myself this far but keep that up and I’ll have to show you what that pretty little mouth of yours can do. ”
My pussy tightens at his words. I’ve never had a cock inside my mouth before, so I have no idea if I would even be good at it. Tyler didn’t like to get adventurous during sex, so we never explored anything but missionary and me on top.
Reality hits me and I snap out of my daze, clearing my throat. “This isn’t a joke, Isaac. I’m already embarrassed that I have to ask you to begin with. Can you please just help me so I can shower?”
He chuckles and releases my chin. “I wasn’t joking either, Little Firecracker.” Stepping back, he swirls his finger in front of him. “Turn around and lift your arms.”
I do as he says and look at him in the mirror while he grabs the bottom of my shirt, lifting it slowly. Inch by inch, his fingers graze my sides, sending shivers across my body and between my legs. When I meet his gaze in the mirror, I’m met with an undeniable hunger in his.
Like a predator who has finally caught his prey who’s been starving and finally caught something worth devouring.
Wetness pools between my legs and I clench my thighs together. My shirt goes over my head and arms, and he tosses it to the side. Without even thinking, my arms move to my center, covering my soft stomach.
He is so fucking hot, and I am, well… mediocre at best.
Steam from the hot water running fills the room, clinging to the mirror and blurring the edges of our surroundings. Isaac glides his arms back down my side, stopping at the waistband of my sweats. He hooks his fingers on either side and slowly slides them down, making sure to take his time.
Every tortuous centimeter setting my skin on fire.
And by the wicked grin on his face right now, he clearly knows what he is doing. He gets to the floor, and I step my feet out, bracing myself on his shoulders.
All that remains are my bra and panties. My very wet panties. Standing, he brushes my hair off my back and drapes it over my right shoulder.
Kissing my left shoulder, he murmurs. “I will undo your bra and then I’ll step out and let you take it off yourself.”
I’m surprised when his words leave me disappointed.
The touch of his fingers on my back when he grasps the hooks on my bra makes my breath hitch as a tremor ripples through me. In one quick movement, he unhooks my bra and I feel the straps release and loosen on my shoulders.
He looks at me in the mirror and then his eyes drop to my arms. Instantly, I feel my face warm. Without a word, he steps in front of me, towering and closing the space between us. Isaac grabs each of my arms, careful not to grab my injured wrist, and moves them to my side.
I can’t bring myself to look at him and focus on a speck on the floor in front of me.
His hand cups my chin and forces me to look up at him. I don’t know if it is the heat from the steam, or the heat from my face, but I feel flushed either way.
“Serena,” he says softly, “You should never feel ashamed of your body. Every single inch of you is fucking perfect.” He looks down at me with admiration in his eyes.
“I need to run an errand while you shower. The house has a security system, and you are safe here. My phone will be on so if you need anything, anything at all, call me. I will drop everything and be here in an instant.” He kisses me on the forehead and leaves the bathroom.
My heart flutters watching him walk out the door, and my eyes may or may not have lingered on his ass. Using my good hand, I pull the strap off my opposite shoulder and shrug out of the other one. I manage to slink out of my panties and kick them aside before stepping under the water.
Images of Isaac run through my mind as the water beats down on me and soothes my aching bones. I have never had a man talk to me the way he does. So, demanding, yet…caring. And I think I like it.
Maybe I should have taken him up on his offer. Washing myself is proving to be quite difficult and I wouldn’t mind having his soapy hands roaming my body right about now.
Fatigue crashes into me and I feel like I could sleep for three days straight. Turning the shower off, I grab the towel on the hook right outside the glass door and wrap it around me. Before getting into bed, I take an oversized tee, and boy shorts out of my bag and throw them on.
Thoughts of Isaac laying in the bed next to me are the last things I remember before drifting off to sleep.