I nod. “I hope that’s okay. I wanted to make sure you were safe, and Hawk knows a lot of people.”
I half expect her to challenge my decision, but instead she glances toward Hawk with wide eyes. “What do you mean he’s not an ad exec? He always wore suits, and he had this expensive watch that he wore every time we were together. Is he higher up or something?”
Hawk laughs nervously and adjusts the gun on his shoulder. “No ma’am. Mark Thompson is a psychopath. I’m talking a massive assault record and he’s been in and out of the psych ward up in the Springs numerous times over the past ten years. His longest stint was a three-year stay in 2018.”
I wasn’t expecting the news to be this dramatic. I thought maybe we’d get the kind of record that we could use to get a restraining order. This is something else.
Ashley grips my arm tighter. “Do you have a picture? How do you know you found the right Mark Thompson?”
Hawk pulls out his cell phone and points it toward Ash. Looking back is the wide grinned smile of a man in his late forties with salt and pepper hair and a bird beak nose. I’m not sure what a woman like Ash would ever see in him.
“That’s him,” she whispers, leaning her weight onto my frame. “What the hell is going on? How could he lie to me like that? I believed him. He showed me his portfolios with ad designs and—”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Hawk gathers. “I’ve seen it a dozen times. I’d bet a part of him believes that’s who he is… but there’s more.”
Ashley stiffens. “How could there be more?”
Hawk sighs and twists the phone toward her. “He posted this on social media a few hours ago.”
On the screen is a video of Ashley stripping. He’s taggedThe Haircutteryand the local diner. Everyone who likes those pages will see her naked body.
With teary eyes, she looks up at me. “This can’t be happening. Why would he do this?”
My blood boils and every inch of my skin crawls with rage.I’m going to kill him. I’m going to fucking kill this man.
Ashley is crying uncontrollably now. “Everyone in town is going to talk about me. Everyone. I was already worried they were judging me. Now this…”
“I have his address,” Hawk adds, turning away from us. “I’ll go down there myself and dema—”
“No. I’m going. You stay here with Ashley. Call me if anything happens.” I stalk down the hall to grab jeans and a t-shirt from the dresser, then slide on my boots by the front door. Ashley follows behind, rattling off reasons for me to stay, but there’s no way in hell that’s happening.
I turn toward her, my hand cupping the side of her face. “What did you just call me a few minutes ago?”
Her cheeks pink like the sweet little princess she is.“Daddy?”
“Right. Well, I’m not taking a name like that because I’m some kinky bastard, princess. I want to protect you, love you, and give you and that baby everything you need. Tonight, you need me to fuck Mark up, and I’m going to do it.”
She stares toward me. “Please! If he’s crazy, you don’t know what he’s capable of. He could do anything. What if he has a gun?”
I tuck my pistol into my jeans and kiss her soft lips. “Then I’ve got one too.”
Chapter Seven
Ash
It’s been four hours and I haven’t shut my eyes, even for a second. Instead, I’m lying in bed at Dodge’s request. Hawk is sitting outside the door, protecting me and the cabin from the psychopath I was dumb enough to sleep with.What’s wrong with me?That should be the title of my memoir. A depressing story about a girl who wanted a family to love. But instead, she did everything to mess that up.
I roll onto my side as a tight band begins to squeeze at my stomach. It’s a cross between being stuck in a vice and having my back crushed in some terrible accident. Sweat drips from my forehead and I grip the sheets, trying to work through the pain without making much noise. I don’t want to alarm Hawk. I’m still two weeks from delivery. I can’t be in labor yet. Well, I suppose I could be in labor, but it’s highly unlikely. My last doctor visit was Monday, and I hadn’t dilated at all. The doctor thought I may even go past my due date. This is probably Braxton Hicks or maybe just normal aches and pains.
As I’m thinking over this scenario, the pain subsides, and the tension releases. See, I’m fine. Fake labor, exactly like I thought.
I suck in a deep breath and let it out slowly, relaxing my mind as best I can, but all that’s coming into frame is Mark. I can’t believe I trusted him, or that I’m so naïve that I didn’t see who he really was.God, how many times have I done that?How many times have I looked at a man and believed something that wasn’t real?I’m not fit to be a mother. I’m barely fit to take care of myself. Truthfully, what are the chances Dodge even wants this long term? Maybe I’m delusional about that too. I mean, we were both pretty turned up hormonally, and we had all those left over feelings from before. What if he comes back and realizes I’m not worth the trouble?
God, I’m a mess.
I roll onto my side and stare at the clock. It’s been exactly three minutes since the pain went away when it starts again. This time, it’s more intense. It’s a symphony of twisting, pulling, and squeezing. Every bit of agony is worse than the bit before.
I try to hold back a scream, but my body releases an ache that echoes through the cabin like it was yelled through a megaphone.
