But if I thought it was enough to deter him, I was wrong. A dark heat raged in his eyes as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled.
“I knew you MC bitches liked it rough.” He stalked toward me, and before I could move out of the way, he pushed me backwards so I lost my footing and fell onto the couch. Quicker than I could blink, he was on top of me. And he was hard. I could feel it against my thigh as he blanketed me. Pushing me around had turned him on.
“Get the fuck off me!” I demanded.
“Don’t be a tease, baby. You know you want it. You’ve been watching me with those fuck-me eyes for weeks now.” I struggled violently beneath him. “Yeah, baby. Keep struggling. I like a bitch with a bit of fight in her. It fucking makes me so damn hard.”
Just as I was about to knee him in the balls, his weight disappeared off me and a growl reverberated around the room. As I looked up, Ruger threw Peter up against the wall and held him there by his throat, his eyes wild with rage.
Peter tried to fight back, but he was no match for Ruger’s strength and struggled in his grasp. Blood flew in the air as Ruger smashed his fist repeatedly into his face.
Christ. He was going to murder him.
“Stop!” I yelled and Ruger’s fist paused mid-flight. I stumbled to my feet and went to his side. “You’ll kill him.”
Compared to Ruger, Peter was a skinny runt. He couldn’t take the type of pounding he was being given.
“He was forcing himself on you,” Ruger growled. “Someone needs to teach him a lesson.”
“And you have. But no more. Let him go. You’ll end up killing him, and he’s not worth the prison time.”
Ruger looked at Peter, who was barely coherent at this point, and smiled menacingly. “Can’t send me to prison if they can’t find the body.”
Peter looked terrified, even peed his pants, the stain spread across his light-colored chinos as Ruger held him pinned to the wall.
I placed my hand on Ruger’s arm. I needed to soothe the rage out of him. To calm the storm in those bright green eyes. “Let him go.”
He did as I asked and Peter dropped to the floor in a bloody, whimpering mess.
Ruger hauled him to his feet, his eyes blazing with rage. “Just so you know, I am going to kill you.”
Panicked, Peter took off out the front door but tripped on his way down the steps and fell into a heap on the grass. Scrambling to his feet, he scurried across the lawn to his car, where he gunned the engine and sped off into the night.
“Are you okay?” Ruger asked gently.
I nodded. I was rattled, but I was okay. “Thank you.”
His thumb tenderly caressed the swollen skin of my cheekbone. “Did he do this?”
When I nodded, his eyes darkened and his jaw tightened. He hissed in a deep breath. “Let me go after him and finish what I started.”
“Like I said, he isn’t worth it.”
Ruger didn’t think twice, he pulled me against his chest and wrapped his arms around me. The strong pounding of his heart against my cheek filled me with comfort and I softened against him. It felt good to be in his arms. Warm and comforting. It felt right.
He ran his hand threw my hair and kissed the top of my head, and it was the balm I needed.
“Just so you know,” I murmured against his chest. “I was totally about to kick his ass.”
I felt him chuckle, heard the throat rumble in his chest. I knew I should end the embrace and step away, but the gentleness in his touch was soothing and I wanted to stay this close to him for a little longer.
It was Ruger who pulled away.
“I have no doubt you would’ve handed him his ass.” His eyes sparkled as he looked down at me.
Something passed between us. Something warm and unmeasurable.
But in a heartbeat it was gone.
And as I looked him in the eyes, I began to wonder why I even went out with Peter in the first place.
When the man I was really interested in was right under my nose all along.
RUGER
In chapel the following day, Bull brought the club up to speed about Gimmel Martel. It wasn’t unusual for Bull to explore someone’s past as much as he had with Martel. Someone with his connections, wealth, and power had the potential to poison this town and in order to protect our interests, Bull made sure any new face, business, or corporation entering the county was fully vetted.
But it was hard to focus.
I was distracted by Chastity and how she had gone on a date.
And how that date had forced himself on her.