Page 18

Chapter Eighteen

M ac

I nestled deeper into the couch, tucked under Rage’s arm with a half-empty container of Lo mein noodles balanced on my knee. On the TV screen, John Wick was systematically killing his way through dozens of bad guys, but I couldn’t focus on the carnage. My mind kept replaying the look on Jack’s face—the disgust, the disappointment, the absolute certainty that I was making the biggest mistake of my life.

“You’re not watching,” Rage murmured, his lips brushing against my temple.

I sighed, setting my barely touched dinner down on the coffee table. “Sorry. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“About your brother being an asshole?” He shifted, pulling me closer against his solid warmth.

“About all of it,” I admitted. “The things he said... about us. Maybe we’re rushing into things. Maybe we should have waited to?—”

“Stop.” Rage cut me off, his voice firm but his hands gentle as he turned me to face him. There was something dark swirling in his eyes. Something I’d never seen before when he looked at me and I shivered. “If you think for one second I’m going to let anything your brother says come between us, you haven’t been paying attention.” His eyes were hard as his thumb brushed across my cheek. “I love you. You love me. We’re not going backwards. End. Of. Fucking. Story.”

My heart was beating hard in my chest. I wasn’t afraid of Rage. No, I knew he’d lay down his life to keep me safe, but there something about the wild look in his eyes gave me pause. Was he… afraid?

I relaxed against him. “I love you too, baby,” I assured him.

Instantly, all the pent up tension coiled in his body loosened.

“And I’m sorry,” I whispered, trailing my fingers along the edge of his jawline. “I don’t want us to go backwards. I just…” Ugh. I didn’t know what had my head all screwed up.

His eyes softened as he turned his head to kiss my palm. “I know, baby. Your brother just got in your head.”

“That’s what he’s always done.” I tried to smile, but it felt hollow. “He’s been playing the protector role since our dad died. Sometimes I think he forgets that I’m a grown woman.” I nestled back against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my ear. “I’ve made my choice, Rage. And it’s you. No matter what my brother says.”

“Thank fuck.” His arms tightened around me.

We went back to watching the movie, though honestly I couldn’t have told you what happened in the second half. My thoughts were still a mess, but one thing had become crystal clear. I wouldn’t let my brother’s prejudice damage what I had with Rage. We were happy.

When the credits finally rolled, Rage shifted beneath me, his hand sliding under my chin to tilt my face up to his. “Better?”

I nodded, realizing that the anxiety from earlier had eased. “Much.”

“Good.” He leaned down to capture my lips in a kiss that started slow and sweet but quickly flared into something more intense. His tongue stroked against mine in a way that made heat pool low in my belly.

When he pulled back, his eyes were dark with desire. “Let me take you to bed.”

It wasn’t a question, but I answered him anyway. “Yes, please.”

He stood, scooping me into his arms like I weighed nothing. His strength never failed to thrill me, the way he could so effortlessly lift me, move me, position me exactly where he wanted me. It was hot.

As he carried me down the hall to our bedroom, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing kisses to the underside of his jaw. “You know what Jack doesn’t understand?”

“What’s that, sweetheart?” Rage kicked the bedroom door open with his foot.

“That you make me feel safer than anyone ever has.”

He paused, looking down at me with with so much love it stole my breath. “I’ll always keep you safe, Mac.”

Morning came far too soon.

I stretched, feeling pleasantly sore in all the right places from the way Rage had loved me so thoroughly, claiming me with his body again and again until I could barely remember my own name.

The space beside me was empty but still warm, which meant Rage hadn’t been up long. The smell of coffee wafted from the kitchen, making my stomach rumble in appreciation.

I reached for my phone to check the time and froze when I saw the screen.

Eight missed calls. Twelve text messages. All from Sarah.

My heart rate instantly kicked up as I unlocked my phone, scrolling through the messages with growing concern.

Mac, are you awake? I need to talk to you.

He thinks I’m texting you right now. He’s so angry.

Can we meet somewhere? I don’t want to be alone with him.

He broke my favorite vase. Said it was an accident but I know it wasn’t.

He finally passed out

The last message had come in around 3 AM. My hands were shaking as I hit the call button, swinging my legs out of bed.

It rang four times before Sarah’s answered, her voice sounding small and tired.“Hey.”

“Sarah, oh my God,” I rushed out, my heart in my throat. “Are you okay? What happened?”

There was a slight pause, then a shaky breath. “He... He got really drunk last night. Started going on about how everyone is trying to poison my mind against him, how everything was fine until you started telling me things.”

I could hear the fear in her voice, even though she was clearly trying to downplay it. “Where are you now? Is he still there?”

“No, he left early this morning. Said he had somewhere to be.” She hesitated. “I think you were right about him all along. The things he says when he’s drunk...”

My chest tightened. “Maybe you should come stay with us for a while.”

“I don’t know,” she wavered.

I closed my eyes, recognizing the classic pattern of abuse and the twisted hope that kept victims trapped. “Listen to me. He isn’t going to change. Things will only get worse.”

“I know,” she whispered, and her admission nearly broke my heart. “Can we... can we meet somewhere? To talk?”

“Of course,” I said without hesitation. “How about that little café by the park. The Coffee Press. Can you meet me there in an hour?”

“Yeah,” she agreed.

As we said our goodbyes and I hung up, I realized Rage was standing in the doorway, two mugs of coffee in hand. From the look on his face, he’d clearly heard enough to understand what was happening.

“Chad?” he asked, crossing the room to set my coffee on the nightstand.

I nodded, reaching for the steaming mug gratefully. “He’s escalating. Breaking things. Sarah sounded scared.”

His jaw tightened, that protective instinct I loved so much rising to the surface. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Me either,” I agreed, taking a sip of my coffee that he’d made perfectly. “I’m meeting her at The Coffee Press in an hour. I’m going to do my damndest to convince her to end things.”

Rage’s brow furrowed. “I should come with you.”

I considered it for a moment. Part of me wanted him there—my perpetual shield against anything unpleasant. But another part knew that Sarah wouldn’t open up with him there, listening in. Plus, he was supposed to be at work in less than a half an hour.

“It’s a public place,” I reasoned. “And I think Sarah might speak more freely if it’s just us girls.” When his frown deepened, I added, “I promise I’ll call you if anything feels off, okay?”

He didn’t look happy about it, but he thankfully he conceded. “Fine. But, baby... I don’t trust that mother fucker. I want texts. Understood?”

I couldn’t help but smile at his demands. “Yes, sir.”

“Don’t ’yes sir’ me when I’m trying to be serious,” he grumbled, though his lips twitched. “Just be careful, alright?” His hand came up to cup my face.

I leaned into his touch, warmth spreading through me. “I will be. I promise.”

His thumb brushed over my bottom lip. “Good girl.”

The simple praise sent a shiver through me, my body instantly responding to him like always. For a moment, I considered pulling him back to bed, but Sarah’s frightened voice echoed in my head.

“I should get ready,” I said reluctantly.

He pressed a quick kiss to my forehead before releasing me. “I’ll call you on my lunch break.”

Forty-five minutes later, showered and dressed in jeans and a simple blue blouse, I grabbed my purse and keys. Diesel whined from his spot on the couch, giving me his best don’t leave me mom eyes.

“Sorry, buddy,” I told him, scratching under his chin. “I’ll be back soon.”

The Coffee Press was about fifteen minutes from our house, a cute little café with mismatched furniture and the best cinnamon rolls in Jacksonville. When I arrived, Sarah was already there, hunched over a mug at a table near the back, her eyes darting to the door every few seconds.

My heart squeezed at the sight of her. She looked smaller somehow, her usual vibrant energy dimmed. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and she was wearing a long-sleeved tee despite the warm weather.

“Hey,” I said softly, sliding into the chair across from her.

She forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Thanks for coming.”

“Always.” I reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “You want to talk about what happened?”

Sarah took a shaky breath, her fingers trembling slightly around her mug. “It’s been getting worse since you moved out. At first, I thought he was just upset about your boyfriend and his friends embarrassing him, ya’ know? But then he started saying these things…” Her brows pulled in and she shook her head like she couldn’t believe whatever it was he’d said. “He talks about you a lot. About how you’ve never liked him, how you’re trying to turn me against him.”

It was my turn to shake my head. Her man was only on my radar because he was a douce who hurt her. “Sarah?—”

“I know it’s not true,” she rushed out. “I know now. The way he talks about you... God, Mac, it’s scary. How did I not see how obsessed he was? And then last night...“ She shifted in her seat, and I caught the wince of pain she tried to hide.

“Sarah,” I said carefully. “Did he put his hands on you?”

Her eyes filled with tears, and she pulled up her sleeve, revealing fingerprint bruises on her wrist. “He said it was an accident. That I shouldn’t have tried to walk away while he was talking to me.”

White-hot anger flared in my chest. “That’s bullshit and you know it.”

The tears she’d been trying to hold back since I sat down finally spilled. “I know. I think I’ve known for a while, but…” She wiped at her face. “I feel so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” I whispered fiercely, leaning forward. “This is not your fault.”

If I saw Chad again I was going to kick his ass myself for hurting my best friend. She didn’t deserve it. No woman deserved it.

For the next hour, we talked, really talked , about her relationship with Chad. She told me things she’d kept to herself. I admitted to all the things I noticed that felt like huge red flags to me. The controlling behavior, the isolation tactics, the way he’d slowly chipped away at her confidence.

“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted finally, her half-eaten muffin lying forgotten on the table between us. “I’m afraid if I try to leave?—”

“—You can stay with us,” I offered immediately. “Rage won’t mind.“ He’d told me himself to make the offer before I left the house.

Sarah looked hesitant. “I couldn’t impose like that.”

“It’s not imposing if I’m inviting you,” I insisted. “Just until you figure out what’s next.”

A glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes. “You sure you’re boyfriend is okay with it?”

“I know he will,” I assured her, already mentally rearranging the guest room that currently served as storage for boxes I hadn’t unpacked yet. “We can go to the apartment right now and grab some of your things.”

Sarah nodded slowly, looking slightly relieved. “Okay. But, let’s do it now, while he’s gone.”

We paid for our drinks and headed toward the exit, Sarah already rattling off what she needed to pack first.

As I pushed open the door, a strange prickling sensation crawled up my spine. The feeling of being watched was so intense that I actually stopped in my tracks and scanned the parking lot.

A young mom was buckling her toddler into a stroller. An elderly couple was strolling toward the café entrance. A man was sitting in a black sedan with a baseball cap pulled low.

That was a little odd but not completely out of place.

“Mac?” Sarah’s voice broke through my paranoia. “You okay?”

I shook my head to clear it. “Yeah, fine. Just got a weird feeling for a second there.”

She gave me a weak smile. “I’m sorry. It’s probably all of my stuff.”

I waved her off. It was probably nothing. Probably just my imagination working overtime after all the stress of the last couple of days.

Before I pulled out of the lot to follow Sarah to the apartment, I reached for my phone and sent Rage a quick text.

Going to Sarahs to get her things. Staying with us. explain everything later. I love U

His response was immediate.

K baby. Love U 2. Be safe

I set my phone down, taking a deep breath as I focused on the road ahead. Sarah needed me right now, and I would not let my paranoia distract me from helping my best friend.