Beast Untamed: Beasts of Bodmin Moor, Book 3 Page 17
She swallowed down the ever-growing lump in her throat. “Then…why are you here?”
“Why am I here?” He laughed again, settling back against the sofa. But there was pure malice in his expression. “I’ve come for my dog.”
Every fear she’d been battling came to the surface as Erin searched frantically for any sign of Willa. “Where is she? What have you done with her?”
“I haven’t done anything with her.”
The word he left unspoken rang like vicious bells in her head.
Yet.
“I swear to you, Justin. If you touch her, if you hurt her again…”
“Now that’s up to you, isn’t it?”
Erin took a step toward him, pressing a hand to her temple to ease the tension that moved in so fast, she could hardly move her head. “What do you mean? What do you want?”
Justin uncrossed his legs and slowly eased himself off the sofa. “I think what I want is more than apparent.”
Cold terror gripped her. “I won’t let you touch me again.”
He grabbed her chin and held it roughly between his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll touch you,” he grated inches from her mouth. “I’ll do whatever the fuck I like to you. And to that mongrel you’re so fond of.”
Erin slapped at his hold. “You touch me, or you touch Willa, and I’ll—”
“She’s my dog, in case that fact has slipped your mind. Legally, she’s my possession. I can do whatever the hell I like.”
“You’re a bloody monster. I should have called the police. Had you up on charges.”
“You do that,” he taunted. “And good luck with proving you’ve got any claim to that dog.” He gripped her arm and yanked her up close. “They’ll see a man who provided his fiancée with everything her heart desired. A beautiful home, designer clothes, first-class trips abroad. He even bought her a cute little puppy to make her happy.”
It made her sick to her stomach to know that he was right. On the surface, he’d given her everything. She would never be able to prove her claims against him, which was one of the reasons she’d chosen to run rather than stick around and place those charges against him.
Erin shoved at his chest. “Just give me Willa,” she pleaded, hating herself for the victim-mode she was again forced to adopt. “Please, Justin. Don’t hurt her again.”
“Like I said, that’s up to you.” He strolled to the doorway, straightening his suit jacket as he went. “You’ve got until five tonight. You’re either ready to leave with me, or I’ll make sure you never get to see your precious dog again. And if you run? I’ll find you once more. And next time I won’t give you the chance to make things right, because there’ll be nothing left to bargain with.”
His threat screamed loud and clear. She could have interpreted his words as meaning he’d give Willa away, as he’d threatened to do once before. But the darkness in his tone, the malicious gleam in his eye indicated more than that.
Nausea swam in her stomach and edged up toward her throat. She grabbed his arm. “Where is she?” Her demand was rewarded with an imperious look as Justin glanced down at her hold. “For pity’s sake, Justin. Tell me where she is.”
He laughed. A hollow, sadistic sound that brought back memories she had allowed to begin to fade. Here in Bodmin, with Nathan, they had started to diminish beneath the brief respite she had enjoyed.
“Until five,” he reminded her. “Or I’ll do a whole lot more than tie up that mutt in the backyard.”
He’d barely finished his sentence when Erin was through the kitchen and yanking open the door to the yard.
Willa sat forlornly by the back wall, muzzled, and tied with an old piece of rope to a post.
“It’s okay,” Erin soothed, unfastening the knot around Willa’s neck, her fingers clumsy and trembling. “It’s okay now, baby.” She tore off the plastic muzzle and threw it aside.
She dropped to her knees, wrapped her arms around Willa and simply clung. When Willa started to lick her and wiggle free, Erin released her. She stood on unsteady legs, her heart hammering and blood thundering hard through her veins.
The bastard wasn’t going to touch either her or Willa. Not again. This time she’d really disappear. Despite what he’d threatened, he would never find her. She’d live the life of a hermit if she had to. Justin wouldn’t find her again.
She brought Willa inside, uttered more soothing words, gave her a couple of biscuits and then hurried upstairs. Knowing she had just over two hours before Justin would be back, she slammed clothes into her suitcase and gathered her toiletries together. She had to get away before he came for her, for Willa. She had no way of knowing if he’d be watching the cottage, expecting her to flee again. But she couldn’t worry about that now. She had to at least try. Going back to Justin was unthinkable. These last few weeks in Bodmin had given her an indication of what life could be like, what it should be like, and no way could she ever contemplate returning to her old life.
Her suitcase packed, Erin went from room to room tidying as best she could. It had been so kind of Kay’s aunt to loan her the cottage, the least she could do was leave it the way she had found it.
In the kitchen, she emptied the fridge of perishables, wiped it clean and then packed up Willa’s things.
She jerked at the knock on the door, her whole body cold at the thought Justin had come back earlier than he’d warned. A glance at the clock told her she had well over an hour before his deadline, but she wouldn’t put it past him to play those mind games with her that he loved so well.
She glanced at the back door. There was a rear entrance to the cottage, but it went along a lane at the back and came out in the main road where Justin would be waiting. Besides which, she had to get to her car, which was in full view of the front door.
With nothing left but to face Justin, Erin marched to the door determined to make him keep to his original timescale. She would say she wasn’t yet packed and had things to do. All she hoped was that he wouldn’t insist on waiting inside while she took care of those things.
She didn’t bother to glance through the sitting room window but swung open the door, prepared to do battle.
Her intake of breath came a moment before her heart started hammering and her pulse kicked up. How was it, no matter what the circumstances, Nathan could take her breath away and rock her to the very core?
“We need to talk.”
Right then, Erin didn’t think she could utter a word, even if her whole world hadn’t already been tumbling down around her feet. He looked even more rugged and handsome right then, even with a seriously pissed-off expression and a hard-edged look in his eyes. His whole demeanor seemed in direct contrast to the bunch of cornflowers he held at his hip.
Erin had the urge to throw herself into his arms and hope that just being in them would make everything else go away. The yearning inside her, the need and desire, was almost overwhelming, and she ached so badly for him that she wondered if she could stand it.
“I… I can’t talk right now,” she managed, keeping him on the threshold and staring at his chest so he didn’t see the longing in her eyes. “Maybe another time.”
“This can’t wait.”
He looked over her shoulder, and his gaze narrowed. Erin went cold, realizing that she had left the suitcase and packed bags at the end of the hallway.
“What’s going on?”
There was no point hedging around the situation. She couldn’t meet his eyes and felt blood heat her cheeks. “I’m leaving.”
There was a long silence and Erin looked up as he said, “You weren’t going to tell me? You didn’t think you owed me an explanation?”
She hiked her chin. She was so damned tired of men making demands of her, expecting her to dance to their tune. “I don’t owe you anything. My life is my business. I don’t have to explain my actions, and I don’t
have to answer to you or to anyone.” God. Her heart was beating so fast she feared it would explode from her chest. “What gives you the right to come here and spout off your demands? We had sex, Nathan. It lasted longer than we both expected, but it’s time to move on. You made it clear you felt that way the other night. So why don’t you just—”
“What the fuck’s going on, Erin?”
His voice was low, his tone resolute. Erin stared at his chest again. At the deep gray shirt beneath the dark leather jacket. She had that urge to throw herself at him again, or grab hold of his shirt and just yank him to her. She wanted him surrounding her, swamping her. She wanted to lose herself in everything he was.
“Like I said, I’m moving on. It happened faster than I anticipated, but something came up.”
She prayed he’d just accept what was done was done, cut his losses—maybe even welcome them—and leave.
“What came up?”
Damn. Why couldn’t he just go?
She hesitated, not knowing what to say, how to explain. She couldn’t tell him the truth of course. She had a feeling he’d do the macho male thing and confront Justin. That would only make things far worse than they already were.
“You need to talk to me, Erin. I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on.”
Which meant he’d still be here when Justin arrived. Stubborn, infuriating male.
Some part of her loved him for it, but a bigger part was terrified. She didn’t know what his meeting Justin would unleash. Her only path was to try and convince him that their brief relationship had run its course, that she didn’t want him anymore and was moving on to greener pastures where she could start putting down roots and build her career.
Then he would leave.
Her heart squeezed at the thought, but she stepped back and held open the door.
In the kitchen, Willa greeted Nathan like a long-lost friend, and after dumping the flowers on the counter, he hunkered down and administered the proverbial belly rub.
Warmth trickled through Erin’s chilled bones as she watched the two loves of her life enjoying a rekindling of their unexpected friendship. It was everything Erin had dreamed of but something she’d never dared hope for, and the impossibility of its survival made her ache so badly, she wanted to drop to her knees and wail.
Afraid her legs wouldn’t hold her steady, she leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms.
Nathan straightened up, his jaw tight and his nostrils flaring. “Are you leaving because of me? Because of us?”
His direct question floored her, and for a moment, she didn’t have an answer. While she’d been planning to leave Bodmin earlier than she’d originally anticipated because of her feelings for Nathan, technically she was leaving right this moment because of Justin. What did she say?
“It was a consideration,” she said after a moment. “But not the whole reason.”
He folded his arms across his chest, mirroring her. “And you’re not about to tell me the whole reason.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. You just have to understand that I need to leave.”
“You’re not leaving, Erin. You’re running. There’s a difference.”
He planted his feet, a silent signal that he was settling in for the duration, and he wasn’t budging until she talked. She could feel an anger buzzing off him, a rage that seemed to surround him like an aura.
Oh hell. What was she to do? The clock was ticking, and there didn’t seem any way she could get Nathan to leave. There were no explanations her muddled brain could come up with that would make him accept she had to go.
She raised her hands, closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temples. It felt like the walls were closing in on her.
She jerked when Nathan’s hands came gently around her wrists. He drew her hands down, and she opened her eyes.
“Talk to me,” he said softly. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She shook her head, uncertain how much longer she could hold it together.
“Are you in trouble, Erin? Is someone after you?”
Her breath hitched, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Is it that guy?” Nathan’s tone sharpened. “The one you ended it with?”
Oh God. She couldn’t open her eyes. She couldn’t bear to see the look on Nathan’s face. But she had to deal with this. She needed to make Nathan realize that it was her problem to solve and she didn’t want him involved in her troubles.
She willed the strength from somewhere and looked at him. “This is nothing to do with you, Nathan. It’s for me to deal with, for me to resolve.”
“You expect me to stand back and watch you suffer at the hands of this asshole? You think I’m going to let him intimidate you, make you run?”
“You don’t understand.”
“Damn right I don’t.” He held her chin when she went to turn away. “You don’t have to run, sweetheart. What you have to do is tell me everything, then let me help you. I care for you, Erin. I—”
The sound of the front door slamming jerked Erin from Nathan’s hold. Panic washed through her, moments before Justin stormed into the kitchen.
Nathan turned and stepped in front of Erin, effectively blocking her view of the doorway and Justin. “Who the fuck are you?” Nathan demanded, his words like knives hurtling through the air. “How did you get in here?”
“I could ask who the fuck you are?” Justin said. “But seeing as I can already guess, I warn you to get the hell away from my fiancée.”
Erin tried to step around Nathan, but he held out his arm, blocking her. “She isn’t your fiancée, dickhead. And if you don’t get the hell out of this house and out of Erin’s life, I’ll make sure you don’t get to be anyone else’s.”
“Your threats don’t work with me,” Justin said, but from her viewpoint around Nathan’s shoulder, Erin noticed that he hadn’t moved an inch.
She tried again to sidestep Nathan, intending to defuse the rapidly escalating tension in the room and the threats that she knew would intensify if one of them didn’t stand down. From her experience with both men, she wouldn’t put bets on either of them backing off first.
Willa crept to Nathan’s other side and pressed close to his leg, watching Justin as intently as Erin was doing.
“Why don’t you do yourself a favor, asshole,” Nathan said. “Nobody around here wants you, so back off.”
“She’s coming with me,” Justin said. He hesitated briefly and caught Erin’s gaze. “Tell him.”
With her hand on Nathan’s arm, she stepped to his side. “No, Justin. I’m not.”
Whether it was Nathan’s reassuring presence or the fact that she’d just about had enough of Justin’s intimidation, Erin knew then that she had reached her breaking point.
“I was going to run,” she told Justin firmly. “But now I’m not. I’m staying here. In Bodmin. You’re not taking Willa away from me. She might be legally yours, but I doubt the authorities would look kindly on what you did to her. They might not believe me, and I’m sure you’ve got a point when you say that I’d find it hard to prove. But I’ve got the vet’s report for one, and the fact that Willa recoils from you every time you’re within spitting distance of her. I’ll get animal welfare involved, and…I’ll get the police involved.”
Surprise flashed in his eyes, but Erin knew she’d hit the target. They both knew what she was talking about. The police didn’t take assault charges lightly, and while they might be difficult to prove, they stuck. It didn’t matter what a man’s relationship was to a woman, he didn’t get to force her to have sex with him.
“Just what the fuck has this prick done?” Nathan demanded, taking a step toward Justin. It was only Erin’s firm grip on his arm that held him back.
“Nathan, please just leave this to me.”
“Fuck that. What�
��s he done?” He shrugged off Erin’s hold, and at the door, Justin took a step back, his face paling a little. “I swear to God, if you’ve hurt her…”
“It wasn’t like that,” Erin said, reaching for Nathan again, and this time managing to get in front of him.
Nathan glared at Justin, and Erin noticed a flicker of that gold she’d seen before rim around his irises. Beneath her restraining hand, she felt the tension in his big body, the muscles ripple and harden. She tightened her hold until he looked at her.
“Justin’s leaving now,” she told Nathan, hoping to heaven Justin knew what was good for him. She had the distinct impression that, given the chance and the motive, Nathan was capable of tearing Justin limb from limb.
She shuddered at the thought and pressed her fingers into Nathan’s tense muscles.
“You’ll fucking regret this,” Justin said. “Both of you.”
“Yeah, well. If anyone’s going to regret anything, it’ll be you setting foot in Bodmin, creep.” Nathan raised a hand and stabbed a finger at Justin. “It’ll be you watching over your shoulder for me coming for you when you least expect it.”
“Nathan, please.”
Erin knew that Justin was on the verge of leaving, and she didn’t want Nathan poking at him any more in case Justin decided to stay and retaliate.
“You haven’t heard the last of this.”
“Believe me, pal,” Nathan said with ominous intent, “neither have you.”
Erin kept her attention on Nathan and closed her eyes briefly when, moments later, the front door slammed. It was only then that she realized she’d been holding her breath, and she exhaled deeply.
She released her grip on Nathan’s arm and reached for the edge of the counter. She had the awful feeling she was about to collapse.
Nathan grabbed her waist and led her to the nearest chair. He poured water and brought it to her, then hunkered down. “Drink it. And breathe, sweetheart.”
She did as he said, soothed more by his term of endearment than the cool water slipping down her throat and the life-affirming oxygen at which she grabbed.
Nathan waited, stroking his hand reassuringly along her thigh.