Page 17 of Deserving Lara
There was only one man she could actually see in that role…but she wasn’t ready for anything like that. And Lara had no idea if he’d ever want a relationship, especially with her. She’d never be like the old Lara, the romantic who always saw the best in people and was a bit naïve, but she realized that ifshewas all right with that…maybe Owl would be too.
* * *
Carter Grant winced as his head throbbed—again. Ever since that bitch had gouged his fucking eye out with her thumb, he’d had migraines from hell. He hated the eye patch. It itched, and the phantom pain from the trauma of his eye being injured was no joke.
Nothing was going the way he wanted. He knew for certain now that he couldn’t get within twenty miles of The Refuge. He knew all the former special forces owners would remain on high alert. Knew the place had security their guests had no clue about, including cameras everywhere. And with the patch over his eye, he was way too recognizable anyway.
As long as his property—and Lara Osler was definitelyhis—was hiding out there, he couldn’t get to her.
So he needed to get her away from The Refuge. But how? That was the question. He still had more research to do. There had to be a way to get his revenge on the assholes who thought they were untouchable, while also getting Lara back in his bed.
She was perfect in every way. He loved seeing his marks on her creamy skin. The thought that the bruises he’d inflicted were probably long gone made his teeth clench in anger.
Getting off wasn’t half as enjoyable—or easy—since she’d been stolen right out from under his nose…and he’d tried damn hard to find a substitute. He’d hired a few prostitutes, but they were far too jaded. They were downright bored when he wanted to jack off on them.
Without their fear, he couldn’t get hard.
It wasn’t until he tied them to his bed, gagged them, and brought out a knife that their terror ramped up anywherenearenough for his dick to get with the program. But seeing his jizz on their skin wasn’t the same. They weren’t Lara. They had scars and bruises from someone else, and their tits and bodies were too well-used. Killing the bitches held no appeal. And the fact that the police had gotten close to finding him in Albuquerque only pissed him off more. It meant he’d had to relocate, farther away from what washis.
He needed to come up with a plan. Pronto.
He had plenty of money, thanks to Ridge Michaels. He’d been siphoning cash from him and his rich parents from the day he’d been hired, so funds weren’t an issue. It was access, and staying under the FBI’s radar.
Somehow, he’d figure out how to get Lara back and take out the assholes from The Refuge in the process. If he could ruin their business, all the better. He’d learned more than a few things while in the military. The government liked to train their elite soldiers in all sorts of subjects.
He wasn’t the best hacker in the world, but he knew enough that he could maybe find a string to follow…one that would lead him to his prize.
CHAPTERFIVE
Three days after Lara had last spoken with Henley, the therapist’s words still echoed in Owl’s head.
You didn’t ask to be violated.
You didn’t do anything to deserve to be in that situation.
She’d been talking to Lara, but the words had seeped into his consciousness. At no time, in all the years since he’d been a POW, had anyone said those words to him. Not one therapist. They hadn’t come out and said it was his fault he’d crashed either, and yet, that’s the guilt that had consumed him for years.
Thinking back now, he and Stone had done everything in their power to keep from going down…to no avail. And just because they’d crashed, that didn’t give the men who’d dragged them from their helicopter the right to torture them.
As much as the words seemed to lift a weight offhisshoulders, they’d also done the same for Lara. She’d encouraged him to help Tonka expand the corral this morning…a task that would take hours. In the past…hell, not even two weeks ago, she would’ve panicked knowing he’d be out of the cabin for so long. But this morning when he’d brought up the project, she’d seemed completely genuine when she told him that she’d be okay while he was gone.
Owl had promised he’d come back to check on her every hour, and she’d insisted that wasn’t necessary. That Cora was going to hang out for a while, then they’d go to her cabin and spend time with some of the other women who lived and worked at The Refuge.
He hadn’t been sure what to say to that. On one hand, he was more proud than he could express at how well Lara was doing. But another part of him was a little sad that she didn’t need him as much anymore. That as she healed, the time when she’d leave crawled ever closer.
It was a horrible thing to think, making him feel like a selfish asshole.
“What are you thinking about so hard over there?” Tonka asked as he stopped to wipe sweat off his brow. Summer was around the corner, but for now they were having a colder-than-average spring, so the weather wasn’t as warm as usual, but with them digging postholes and wrestling with the new fencing, it felt almost balmy.
“Lara.” Owl didn’t bother to lie. This was Tonka. He trusted him with his life. Besides, the man had been through hell. A different kind of hell than he or Stone had experienced, but hell all the same.
“She seems to be doing better.”
“Yeah.”
“She going back to DC?” Tonka asked.
“I don’t know what her plans are,” Owl admitted. “But I’d say yeah…eventually.”
