Ruined 26

Ruin

The waiting was killing me. She was in there. And that son of a bitch was doing god knows what to her. Maybe not even just him.

He was charging for the privilege of hurting my woman. Charging them, it made my blood boil.

Waiting had never been something I was good at but Truth had been right. We couldn’t go in there all guns blazing. There was no way of knowing exactly how many men were in there or whether they were armed. I couldn’t save Avery with a bullet in my head.

I had to wait for Truths signal. How he had even managed to get inside was anyone’s guess. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to know. What I did want was Avery. Out of there and in my arms. 

“Wh….” I snapped my mouth shut as Wicked held up a hand, silencing me. His eyebrows pinched together in concentration.

“Shut up I’m trying to listen.”

Listen to what? Truth had said he would signal us but hadn’t gone into detail. Maybe that’s what Wicked was listening for. Some kind of signal.

“Now.” Wicked moved with more speed than I thought capable for such a big man, swinging open the van door he was already on the ground before I had scrambled to my feet.

***

She was face down on the table, Dean between her legs with his hand crushing her face to the wood. That was the first thing I noticed. The second was that she was in nothing but her underwear and the third…

The third was the one that sent my simmering anger bubbling up like a volcano. Her tear-streaked face.

She had been crying. 

“You might want to step away from her now.” Truths voice was silky smooth. If someone had heard him and not seen him, they would have thought he was having a casual conversation.

 I knew better. 

Truth might be the calm brother on the outside but inside he was just as dangerous as his hot-headed brother. Maybe more so. And when his voice got all silky smooth and quiet? That’s when you ran because it meant the psychopath was out to play. 

Skidding to a halt, I watched as he pressed the barrel of his gun firmly to the back of Deans head. It seemed to happen in slow motion.  Vaguely I was aware of shouting, of the metallic sound of guns being cocked. But I didn’t turn to see if it was my brothers or the scum that had paid money to hurt my woman who had drawn their weapons first. It didn’t matter, I only had eyes for Avery and the asshole who had stepped slowly from between her legs.

His jeans undone and gaping.

Had he touched her, forced himself on her? If I had been too late …..

“Slut deserves everything she got.” 

I didn’t see her move, one second she was face down on the table and the next blood gushed from Deans nose. 

Avery rubbed at her knuckles. “And you are a shrimp dick wannabe.” 

Her words were strong but even from my place across the room, I  could see the shaking in her hands. She was holding herself together but barely. 

“Avery.”

Slowly she turned her head as if she hadn’t expected me to come for her. “You came.” She swayed slightly. 

“Of course I did.” I went to her in a second, catching her just before she fell. “I told you I would come for you.” Gathering her up into my arms, I held her as close to me as I could. My hands searching over her skin for any injury. 

Her lip was split, and there was a nasty blue-purple bruise spreading down her temple from her hairline. But other than that she seemed unarmed. 

Thank god. 

“I told you I would always, always protect you.” Doubt slammed into me. Had he touched her? Had he forced himself on her? She might look unharmed but that didn’t mean she was ok. 

I couldn’t ask her though.  I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.

“Wicked?”

The big man lifted his head, his eyes trained firmly on me and not on the half-naked Avery. If he had glanced at her I would have ripped his eyes out. 

“Can you take Avery home?”

“Sure, are you sure you shouldn’t take Avery home?” His eyes darted to her and then back up to my face his own worried. “Go home with your woman and see that lad of yours?”

“No, I have a mess to clean up.” Gently I placed her back on her feet. Keeping my arm loose around her in case she needed to lean on me but loose enough that she could pull away if she didn’t want to be touched.

“We can deal with…”

I cut him off, “No, I need to do this. Avery, you will be ok with Wicked, won’t you? He will get you back to Parker.”

She froze in my arms. And for a second her chin wobbled. “Yes.” Her voice was tiny. 

Was I being an asshole? I didn’t want to crowd her. Or make her uncomfortable. “Yes, I’ll be fine with Wicked. I’ll just grab my…”

“Avery .” I caught her easily as she turned to walk away. “I’ll be home as soon as I can ok?” dipping my head I kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you.”

Something I couldn’t understand flickered across her face. Something unreadable. “Ok.”

***

”Is she ok?” I didn’t turn from rubbing the towel over my wet hair, I didn’t need to, I could see Wicked easy enough in the reflection of the mirror. 

“You haven’t gone to see her?” He straightened his giant frame. The puzzlement clear on his face. 

I shook my head, tossing the towel into the sink. “I needed to wash …” I almost said blood out but stopped myself at the last minute. Wicked was my oldest friend so I knew he wouldn’t judge me for doing what needed to be done but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. 

Truth was right on that point, the less said the better. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it anyway.

“She needs her rest.” I finished lamely. “What room is she in?” It had been bothering me not knowing exactly where she was. Not that I could go to her. Not after everything she had been through. Me climbing into bed with her in the middle of the night was the last thing she needed right now. 

Wicked smile vanished, “she’s in with Parker. I had one of the club girls check and they are both asleep…”

Sleep was good, she would need it to deal with what had gone down today. “I’m glad she’s ok.” I sounded lame.

“Ruin What is up with you? Go to her. She needs you, brother. So go and wake her up and talk to her. You both need it.”

What Avery needed was space. Space from me and most probably all men right now. “Why the sudden protectiveness?”

He shrugged, “I never had a problem with her. I had a problem with the games.” He levelled his eyes in me. “But you’re the one who is playing a dangerous game now Ruin, go to her before you lose her again.” 

Why would I lose her when for the first time in my miserable life I was doing the right thing. I was doing what was best for her.

“I can’t. Not tonight. It’s best she has some space. I’ll talk to her in the morning when she has had some sleep.” Catching his eye I frowned. Why was he looking at me like I had disappointed him?  Like I was being an asshole? 

“Not tonight, I can’t go to her tonight.”