As she hesitated to walk closer, he stood up and met her in the middle of the room.
He took her hand, and she thought of pulling away, but she didn’t. Truth was, she liked the way she felt when Kenny, Quinn, or Blake touched her. There was something about this town, this ranch, and the people.
“You look tired, Lena,” he whispered then reached up to touch her cheek. His eyes narrowed as he gently lifted her chin to look at the side of her neck.
“You have a scratch there. It looks new, how did you get it?”
She cringed a moment. Of course the deputy had to be the one to visit her after being attacked outside of the club. Obviously, he wasn’t called.
“I was working in the yard today. Maybe I scratched it then. I really don’t remember, Kenny, but it doesn’t matter. I’m exhausted. Can you please just let me go to bed?” she whispered, not even wanting to fight with him. She felt bad for lying, but she wasn’t in the mood for another one of his speeches about how unsafe Rocky’s was and how she needed to quit. She’d worked at lots of unsafe places. She didn’t come from money or have a family to support her. It was only her.
He caressed her cheek and moved closer. She felt his arm go around her waist, and then his hand caressed the back of her head. A moment later her cheek was plastered to his massive chest, and he was hugging her to him.
He didn’t try to touch her or take advantage of her. He merely held her against his chest and caressed her back.
“You feel so good in my arms, Lena. I worry about you. I can’t help it. It’s just out of my control.” His warm breath caressed the top of her head from way above her. She was even shorter standing in front of him with no shoes on, and he was dressed in full uniform.
She hugged him back then pushed away, putting some distance between them.
She couldn’t look at him. His facial expression showed disappointment and concern. It made her have funny feelings inside that she just wasn’t used to. Trust was not something she ever gave away easily.
She had trusted Ariel and look what could have happened. Flashes of Ariel lying naked with the men around her, touching her, having sex with her, entered Lena’s mind. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Triumph was going to rape her then offer her to his gang. She shook a moment. Then Kenny reached for her, and she stepped back.
“What’s wrong? What were you just thinking about?”
“You need to go, Kenny. I need sleep. I’m overtired, and I just don’t have the strength right now for this.”
He took a deep breath and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
He held her gaze, looking authoritative and in charge, making her belly quiver and other parts come alive. He was gorgeous just like his brothers. Then he smiled softly.
“Go get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She followed him, closing then locking the door behind him as he left.
She turned off the lights and felt the loss of his presence. As she snuggled under the covers, she wondered how it would feel to be kissed by someone who truly cared for her or maybe even loved her instead of by someone who used force. The moment she closed her eyes she saw the men from Rocky’s and then images of Triumph.
Would she ever truly feel safe? In Kenny’s embrace she did, and that was what she focused on as she drifted off into a deep sleep.
* * * *
It had seemed as though she had only just fallen asleep when she heard someone yelling outside. She debated about going to see, her body struggling to get out of the warm bed when she was achy and also comfortable. The yelling continued along with strikes of lightning that illuminated her room followed by rolls of fierce thunder. Maybe she was just dreaming that she heard yelling as she listened closer between Mother Nature’s violent sounds.
She couldn’t make out the words, and she worried that perhaps the men from Rocky’s had found out where she lived. She got out of bed and walked slowly toward the front window, deciding it was better to leave the lights off.
She peeked through the curtains and saw the flashes of lightning then the image of a half-naked man in the darkness.
“Fuck you! Take me now, will you? Just take me fucking now!”
It was Bryant, Doc’s son. He had a bottle of something in his hand and stumbled around in the rain. She saw him limping. She saw his naked upper body, filled with dips of muscle upon muscle. He had tattoos on his arm and shoulder that led to his back. His hair looked dark from where she stood, and as the lightning struck again, illuminating the yard, she saw his face.
She placed her hand over her heart. She felt the ache to her chest and the tears hit her eyes.
That poor man was suffering something terrible. He yelled some more then threw the bottle into the air causing it to crash and break against a boulder near the front yard.
He punched the column that stood on either side of the steps to the front porch then kicked the door before he pulled it open and slammed the door shut.
She stood there a few more seconds, wondering what had caused such anger and pain? She remembered the conversation with Doc, his brothers, and Abigail. They were desperate. They had every right to feel concerned, and Lena wondered what she should do.
She walked back to bed, feeling tired but also as if something changed within her. She was used to verbal abuse and neglect. She had learned how to tune it out to some extent. She wouldn’t back down from the soldier’s drunkenness. She would do the job Doc was paying her for and clean his son’s house, make him meals and all while conveniently living next door.