She forced back the hurt feelings of his uncaring attitude. They’d had sex more times than she could remember before he had married Diamond. Her loyalty to the men had been unquestionable—it was the women they had chosen that she couldn’t accept. She would have died rather than betray any of The Last Riders, yet Knox was standing there as if he couldn’t have cared less that Stark would have made her life a living hell.
The hurt feelings were useless and weak. She wasn’t the same woman the Devil’s Rejects had kept under their control. It was time Stark realized she wasn’t going to be his victim any longer.
“I want him arrested.”
“What for?”
“Attempted kidnapping.”
Knox motioned to his deputy to come and take Stark. When the deputy had placed the biker in the back of Knox’s squad car, he turned back to her.
“I already planned on arresting him, but the charge isn’t going to hold long. When it goes to court, both of us know what’s going to come out of his mouth. It’s going to be your word against his. Did he threaten you and Ginny in front of her or Drake?”
“No,” Bliss reluctantly admitted.
Drake placed a supportive arm around her shoulder.
“Come to my office in the morning and get a restraining order. You’ll stand a better chance of that succeeding.”
“Okay.”
Knox took her and Drake’s statements. Ginny came back and described what had taken place, learning the details of what had happened after she had left.
“I’m so angry at myself. I shouldn’t have opened the door. I know better than that. I could have been responsible for you being kidnapped.”
Bliss shook her head, not wanting Ginny to feel responsible. “If you hadn’t let him in, he would have caught me when I was leaving or just broken in after we were both asleep. You called Drake and the police. You saved me, Ginny.” Bliss gave her hand a grateful squeeze.
Knox didn’t take long to finish his report. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night.” Bliss had started to close the door behind him as Ginny went into the kitchen to make coffee when Knox turned back around.
“You know a restraining order isn’t going to stop him. It’s going to make him angrier,” he warned. “I want you to get the order, don’t get me wrong, but a smart woman would make damn sure she knew what she was going to do if Stark decides he wants to break it. Buy yourself a gun or borrow Drake’s. Hell, move in with Drake. Do what you have to do to keep yourself safe.”
“I’ll be gone before he makes bail.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” Drake wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back against him. “’Night, Knox.”
“’Night, Bliss, Drake.”
Bliss couldn’t bring herself to face Drake, standing still in his arms as he leaned forward to shut the door. She was ashamed that he’d found out she had once been involved with Stark.
“You okay?”
“Hold me tighter.”
His arms tightened around her waist, surrounding her in his warmth.
Neither turned when Ginny came back in the room.
“I set your coffee cups on the side table. I’ll leave you alone to talk.”
“Thank you again, Ginny.”
Her soft “You’re welcome” floated down the stairs.
“You’re not leaving town,” Drake declared.
Bliss stared sightlessly at the door. She wasn’t about to let her past destroy a man she had begun to care about. Not only could Drake get hurt, but Stark was dirty enough not to care who else was harmed in the process. Jace, Cal, and Ginny would mean nothing to Stark. He wouldn’t hesitate to use them to keep Drake in line.
“I can’t stay. I couldn’t bear it if you were hurt. You’re not capable of dealing with Stark and his club. The Devil’s Rejects aren’t like The Last Riders. They’re evil, and I’m certainly not worth getting someone killed over.”
“Don’t say that!”
“It’s the truth.” Bliss gave a bitter laugh. “I’m a club whore. I’ve fucked every member of the Devil’s Rejects and The Last Riders. There hasn’t been anything or anyone I haven’t done. Is that the kind of woman you want in your life? Around your son?”
Drake buried his mouth in her nape. “Jace cares about you, Bliss. I do, too.”
Bliss reinforced the guards she had placed on her heart years before. “There’s no pussy worth dying for. I’m good, but I’m not that good.”
“Stop before I spank your ass for talking about yourself like that! Stark won’t hurt you or anyone else. I’ll make sure of that.”
“Stark doesn’t play fair. He thinks I’m his. My mother was a club whore Stark used to control me. He raped me when I was fifteen and was sharing me by the time I was seventeen. I can’t have children because they used me so hard one night that I spent a week in the hospital. I couldn’t press charges or leave, because my mom refused to go with me, and I wasn’t going to leave her behind.