Page 74 of Nowhere To Hide
Axel grinned like a fool as he pulled me closer.
“I’m just waiting for you to be healed and ready.”
I smiled up at him, noting the love that shone in his eyes every time he talked about our family and how much he wanted more babies in the future.
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We put the crib piecesback in the box and cleaned up before heading downstairs to check on Molly.It was quiet in the bar, which immediately made my body tense as I prepared for whatever danger was waiting for us.Axel seemed to pick up on it as well because he slowed down and put himself in front of me as he walked into the bar.
“You need to get the fuck out of here,” Jo growled, standing in front of a man I hadn’t seen before.
“What the fuck is going on?”Axel demanded, letting go of my hand as he stalked over to where Jo was standing.
Keith stood on the other side of Jo, staring down the man as well.I glanced across the room to where Ashley was holding Molly against her chest, tucked into the corner behind the bar, while Lainy stood beside her with Axel’s baseball bat sitting on the bar in front of her.
“Leave.Now.”Jo pointed to the door, and I could feel the anger radiating off of her.
“I can’t do that,” the guy said with a shake of his head.
“Then I guess I’m going to have to make you,” Jo threatened.“You can tell Tray all about how you got your ass kicked by a woman when you go back to that little hellhole he calls his club.”
“Tray doesn’t know I’m here.He’s still looking for you, Jo.He has an army of men looking for you, and they’re getting close.”
Fuck.This was about her ex-husband.She had told me about him a few times, but never went into great detail about what she endured at his hands.
“Why are you telling me this?”Jo asked, her voice wavering slightly as Keith put a protective hand around her waist.
“Because he’s going to kill you, Jo.I can’t sit back and let that happen.”
“What’s in it for you?”Keith asked, stepping into the conversation.
“I care about her.I always have.”
“Then where were you when he tried to kill me?”Jo demanded.“Where were you when he put a gun in my mouth and played Russian Roulette each time he pulled the trigger?Where were you when he beat me until I was unconscious and then tried to rape me?Where the fuck were you, Dom?”
Jo shook as tears ran down her face, clenching her fists at her sides as Keith stood next to her.
“If you weren’t there for me then, then you sure as fuck don’t get to be here now.Tray can come for me.He can send as many men as he wants.I’ll enjoy killing every single one of them.Pass that message on to your best friend and get the fuck out of my town, you asshole.”
Dom lowered his head and nodded.
“I don’t talk to Tray anymore.I left a while ago.I’ve been trying to find you for months and got lucky when I saw you at your uncle’s compound.I followed you, knowing you were too caught up in what happened to notice me.I gave it a few weeks because I knew you would react this way, but I’m not here to hurt you, Jo.Maybe I should have come sooner, I don’t know.The point is that I’m here now, and I want to help.”
“Yeah, well, you’re a little too late,” Jo bit out.“Get the fuck out of here.I don’t want to ever see you again.”
Jo stepped away from Keith and started toward the kitchen when he spoke again.
“I fucked up not fighting for you before, Jo, but that won’t happen again.I don’t care whether you want me here or not because I will fucking put my life on the line to save yours.You can keep that attitude because we’re going to need it when they get here, but you better get used to having me around because I’m not going anywhere.”
He folded his arms over his chest and leveled her with a look that made her stop.
“You better hope you’re not fucking playing me, Dom.I swear to God, if—”
“You have my word, Jo.I’m here to protect you the way I should have all those years ago.I fucked up, but I’m here to fix that.”
“What makes you think I need you to protect me?I’ve kept myself alive this long, so I would say I’m doing just fine.”
He took a few steps, crossing the space between them.He towered a few inches above her, lifting her chin with his finger so she would have to look at him.
