Nowhere to Run (Nowhere #2)

One | Jo

One

Jo

“You need to get the fuck out of here,” I growled, standing in front of my ex-husband’s best friend.

“What the fuck is going on?” Axel demanded, leaving Charlie’s side to stand beside me. While I appreciated his support, I didn’t need him to rescue me. I had no problem standing up to Dom.

Keith stood on my other side, staring at Dom with a heat I never wanted to be on the receiving end of.

One thing that was for certain was that I had a loyal support team standing beside me.

I didn’t have to look back to know that Lainy and Ashley were prepared if needed.

That was the thing about living in Nowhere, Colorado—we always protected our own.

“Leave. Now.” I pointed to the door as my body flushed with heat from the anger churning inside of me.

“I can’t do that,” Dom said with a shake of his head.

“Then I guess I’m going to have to make you,” I threatened. “You can tell Tray all about how you got your ass kicked by a woman when you go back to that little hellhole he calls his club.”

“Tray doesn’t know I’m here. He’s still looking for you, Jo. He has an army of men looking for you, and they’re getting close.”

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my reaction hidden.

Dom had been there from the day I first met Tray.

He knew some of what I endured at the hands of my ex-husband, and that the only reason Tray ever signed the divorce papers was because my uncle held a gun to his head until he did.

I kept a lot of what happened with Tray a secret, so I couldn’t really use it against Dom that he hadn’t stepped in.

Not only that, Tray was dangerous and powerful, which meant no one in their right mind would stand up against him.

While my uncle was an asshole, I would forever be grateful for him getting me out of my marriage when I called him for help.

My uncle raised me after my dad died, until I left when I was seventeen.

I never looked back until I realized I had no other choice if I wanted to survive my husband.

I asked my uncle for a favor knowing that I would never truly be free from him after that.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, feeling Keith’s hand as it slid protectively around my waist.

I knew that Keith wasn’t the kind of person to try to stake their claim, so this wasn’t him trying to show Dom that I was taken.

No, Keith knew me well enough that his hand on my waist was to calm me and remind me who the fuck I was.

I wasn’t some girl who let her emotions get the better of her and appear weak.

I was ruthless and did whatever it took to survive.

“Because he’s going to kill you, Jo. I can’t sit back and let that happen.”

“What’s in it for you?” Keith asked, stepping into the conversation.

“I care about her. I always have.”

“Then where were you when he tried to kill me?” I demanded, feeling my control waver.

I hadn’t talked about what happened with Tray to anyone, so hearing the words come out of my mouth created an emotional response I wasn’t prepared for.

“Where were you when he put a gun in my mouth and played Russian Roulette each time he pulled the trigger? Where were you when he beat me until I was unconscious and then tried to rape me? Where the fuck were you, Dom?”

My body shook as tears ran down my face. I clenched my fists at my sides as Keith remained next to me but removed his hand from my waist. I glanced at him, giving him a silent thank you. He nodded subtly and returned his attention to Dom.

“If you weren’t there for me then, then you sure as fuck don’t get to be here now.

Tray can come for me. He can send as many men as he wants.

I’ll enjoy killing every single one of them.

Pass that message on to your best friend and get the fuck out of my town, you asshole.

” I pointed toward the door and sucked in a shaky breath, hating that he was seeing me like this.

The last thing I needed was for him to go back and tell Tray that I had gotten weak since I left.

Dom lowered his head and nodded.

“I don’t talk to Tray anymore. I left a while ago.

I’ve been trying to find you for months and got lucky when I saw you at your uncle’s compound.

I followed you, knowing you were too caught up in what happened to notice me.

I gave it a few weeks because I knew you would react this way, but I’m not here to hurt you, Jo.

Maybe I should have come sooner, I don’t know.

The point is that I’m here now, and I want to help. ”

“Yeah, well, you’re a little too late,” I bit out. “Get the fuck out of here. I don’t want to ever see you again.”

I turned around and started to head to the kitchen when his words stopped me.

“I fucked up not fighting for you before, Jo, but that won’t happen again.

I don’t care whether you want me here or not because I will fucking put my life on the line to save yours.

You can keep that attitude because we’re going to need it when they get here, but you better get used to having me around because I’m not going anywhere. ”

He folded his arms over his chest and leveled me with a look I hadn’t seen before. Something shifted between us, and I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. Trusting Dom could be dangerous because how was I supposed to believe that he walked away from his best friend and was trying to save me?

“You better hope you’re not fucking playing me, Dom. I swear to God, if—”

“You have my word, Jo. I’m here to protect you the way I should have all those years ago. I fucked up, but I’m here to fix that.”

“What makes you think I need you to protect me? I’ve kept myself alive this long, so I would say I’m doing just fine.”

He took a few steps, crossing the space between us. He towered a few inches above me, lifting my chin with his finger so I would have to look at him.

“Tray isn’t the same guy you walked away from before, Jo.

You might be a tough-ass chick who can handle herself against most guys, but not him.

He is determined to find you so he can make you pay for leaving.

Do you really think you stand a chance against someone hell-bent on killing you?

He won’t stop until you’re dead, Jo. I don’t know how to make it any clearer that you’re in serious danger right now.

So, please, stop fighting me and let me help you. ”

“Jo doesn’t need your help,” Axel said firmly. “She has an entire town that will protect her.”

“I respect that,” Dom replied. “However, I have inside information on him and what he’s planning. I feel that I would be an asset in keeping her safe. I’m not trying to come in and undermine anyone in this town. I just want to keep Jo alive.”

“Then it looks like we’re working together,” Axel confirmed as I whipped my head back to look at him.

“I won’t risk losing you, Jo,” Axel said. “I don’t have to trust him or like him. If he has information that can help us protect you, then I’m going to use it.”

“Same,” Keith said, turning to me. “Your life is at risk, so you can’t blame any of us for doing whatever we need to do to keep you safe.”

“So, that’s it? He comes in acting like he’s going to save the day, and you guys just accept him?” I threw my hands up in disbelief.

“I’m not trying to save anything but you,” he replied, locking eyes and holding my gaze. “Everything I do is going to be for you.”