Page 51 of Property of Buck
"I know,” Hulk growled.
"You don't understand,” she started.
Hulk's gaze locked onto hers. "Then explain it to me." Leah swallowed hard as memories rose quickly.
"He doesn't hear the word no,” she whispered. Her voice sounded hollow even to her own ears. "He thinks people belong to him." Hulk's expression darkened. "He controlled everything that I did and said." She stared at the table, not able to look at Hulk again. “He told me what clothes to wear.” Her fingers twisted together. “He determined who I could be friends with, and how much money I had at my disposal. He wanted to make sure that I didn’t have enough money or friends to leave him.”
A dangerous silence filled the room. It was the kind that made the hairs on her neck stand up. When she finally looked up, Hulk's expression had changed, and something cold lived there now—something deadly.
“Did he hit you?” he asked.
Leah nodded, and the room felt smaller. It felt harder to take a breath. "He almost killed me." Hulk's chair scraped against the floor, and the sudden movement made her jump. Regretinstantly crossed his face, and that realization stunned her. Most men would've been offended, but Hulk looked angry with himself.
"I’m sorry,” he growled. The apology sounded rough but sincere, even though Hulk had nothing to apologize for.
Leah blinked. "It's okay."
"No.” His voice was quiet. "It isn't." The conviction in those three words nearly broke her. Nobody had ever reacted like that when she'd told them about her ex—not even when she'd explained. Most people looked uncomfortable, and some looked sympathetic—but others looked at her like she was making it all up. Hulk looked furious—not at her, but for her, and that distinction mattered more than she wanted it to.
He moved around the table, stopping beside her. He was close enough that she could feel the heat coming off him, and close enough that her pulse began acting strangely. Leah hated that—mostly because she liked it.
"Hulk,” she whispered his name. His eyes met hers, and she sucked in a breath. "If Derek comes here—” The words were calm and controlled even though she felt anything but those two things.
"If he comes anywhere near you—” Leah couldn't look away from him. "He won't touch you." The promise settled around her like armor. He made her that promise as if protecting her wasn't even a question—as if it was already decided, and that made something inside her chest squeeze painfully.
"You can't know that,” she whispered.
His expression never changed. "Yeah, I can." Leah stared at him. His confidence should have annoyed her. Instead, it made her feel safer than she had in years, and that was dangerous because safety led to trust, and trust led to heartbreak. She knew that better than anyone.
Before she could say anything else, laughter drifted into the room. Both of them turned to find Buck walking into the kitchen carrying a fresh cup of coffee. Ghost followed behind him, and the two men immediately stopped. Ghost's grin appeared first, followed by Buck's. Oh no—Leah knew that look.
"Huh," Ghost said.
Buck nodded. "Huh," Hulk growled—actually growled.
Leah nearly laughed. "What?" she asked.
Ghost looked between them and then back at Buck. "You knew, didn’t you?" he asked.
Buck smirked. "Everybody else figured it'd take longer."
Leah frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Ghost leaned against the counter. "Hulk's been making moon eyes at you for months." Leah slowly turned toward Hulk, and the massive enforcer looked ready to commit homicide. Buck took a sip of coffee as though he wasn’t intimidated at all.
"Honestly, we started taking bets,” Buck said.
Ghost nodded. "Thought it'd take another six months." Leah stared them down, trying to decide if she was angry or not, and for the first time since the package arrived, she laughed. The sound filled the kitchen, and Ghost grinned. Poor Hulk looked like he was deciding whether burying his brothers in the Manitoba wilderness would be worth the paperwork. For the first time all day, Leah felt something she hadn't felt in years—hope. And for some reason, every time she looked at Hulk, that feeling only grew stronger.
The next morning felt strangely normal, which was ridiculous. A stalker had found her. The man who'd nearly killed her knew where she was, and she was currently living in a biker clubhouse.Nothing about that should have felt normal. Yet somehow, sitting at the large kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a plate of pancakes almost made her forget the hell she was going through.
The smell of coffee filled the room while several club members moved in and out of the kitchen. The Kings of Anarchy clubhouse was already awake and busy. Leah tried not to think about the fact that she'd barely slept. Every time she'd closed her eyes, she'd seen the photographs and the note. They were reminders that Derek Beaumont was no longer a ghost from her past—he was here in Manitoba, and he was watching her.
The kitchen door opened, and the cold Manitoba air swept through the room. Leah glanced up and immediately wished she hadn't. Hulk walked inside with snow-dusted shoulders. His dark hair was damp from melted flakes, and his leather kutte stretched across a chest that looked entirely too broad for a normal human being. The man was unfairly attractive, especially for someone who spent his free time terrifying criminals.
Leah looked away quickly, but unfortunately, her eyes seemed to have other plans. By the time Hulk reached the coffee pot, she was staring again. His gaze met hers instantly as though he'd felt her watching him. Something warm flickered through his eyes before disappearing.
"Morning." His deep voice rolled through the room, and Leah smiled despite herself.
