“They’ll take me into custody.” Sanchez glanced at the man on the floor. “I want this son of a bitch to pay for what he’s done. I can do that better if I stay incognito and wait until I’m in questioning before telling them who I am.”
“I owe you.” Rain dialed 911.
Sanchez stumbled and leaned against the wall, his arm dangling at his side. “We’re even.”
Rain whipped his head toward Sanchez. “What?”
“Crystal,” said Sanchez.
Rain opened his mouth, but the dispatcher came over the phone. He turned his attention to Tori and gave the appropriate information to the woman on the phone. Then he set the cell on the floor, leaving it on until responders arrived.
“Babe. Keep your eyes on me.” He shifted, putting her upper body on his thighs. “That’s it. You’re safe now. I’m here, and I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Rain?” She licked her lips. “Thirsty.”
“Yeah.” He swallowed down the worry. “Soon. I’m going to get you to the hospital first. They’ll fix you up.”
“Home.” She closed her eyes.
He squeezed his eyes shut to clear his vision. “Gotta get you taken care of, babe. Then I’m taking you home.”
“I’m not like … them.” Her forehead wrinkled. “I won’t hurt you.”
If Tori hadn’t been in his arms, barely hanging on, and if he had a gun in his hand, he’d put another bullet in the bastard who’d made her doubt herself after all he’d done to get her out of her head and forget the past. She didn’t deserve to have someone bullshitting her and believing she was a bad person.
“You’re everything good in life.” He stroked the hair off her face gently. “No one’s made me cookie dough but you. That’s the biggest thing anyone has done for me.”
He chuckled painfully. “You talk more than anyone I know, and keep me up late every night with stupid shit that I try to pretend not to care about, but I do. I want to hear everything if it has to do with you. I want you to continue testing desserts out on me, and welcoming the guys into the house, treating them like brothers, and serving lemonade in those girly glasses you made me buy. You know, it goes against the man law to drink out of pink plastic cups, but they do it for you. Because you’re you. The most giving person any of us know, and you’re mine, babe. You’re my woman.”
“Honey?” Her head turned, but her eyes remained closed.
He cleared his throat. “Yeah?”
“I heard you” — her throat muscles spasmed and she fought to swallow — “in my head. I know you said not to go there, but you were there, and that’s where I wanted to go. Always want to be with you.”
“You did perfect.” His voice broke. “If anything would’ve happened — ”
Sanchez groaned. “Sirens coming.”
“Hang in there, Sanchez. I’ll check with you after I get Tori to the hospital.” Rain shrugged off his jacket and laid it over his woman, who’d begun to shiver.
“No.” Sanchez pushed himself to his feet. “Better if we part ways. You take care of your woman, or I’ll find an excuse to come back and visit. Kick your ass.”
Rain reached out and shook Sanchez’s hand. “Thank you.”
“Didn’t do it for you.” Sanchez’s eyes softened as his gaze swept to Tori. “Take good care of her. She’s special to me.”
“Promise,” he whispered.
Sanchez slipped out the door and disappeared into the night. Rain leaned down and kissed Tori’s forehead. “Hang in there, baby. Help’s coming.”
A few minutes later, Corbin came inside with his pistol drawn, took in the situation, and headed straight to Ethan. Rain held on to Tori, not wanting to let her go but knowing she needed medical attention.
Next, Stellor knelt down beside Rain. “Injuries?”
“Look at her. He used her for a punching bag.” He stared Stellor down.
“Paramedics are outside. We’ll let them come in.” Stellor moved away.
A few minutes later, paramedics brought a stretcher into the motel room. Rain stayed on the floor, not wanting to jostle her. “We’re going to go on a ride, babe.”
Her lips moved, but he couldn’t hear her. He leaned down. “What?”
“Can I ride your motorcycle?” she whispered.
That was when the emotions he’d held inside him broke. He slid his hand behind her neck and whispered under his breath, “Damn me … ”
Chapter Forty
Three weeks later.
“I’m fine, honey.” Tori sat in Rain’s truck behind Cactus Cove after her visit to the doctor’s office.
“Needed another week at home,” he muttered.
She took off her seat belt and shifted toward him, removing the lollipop that she’d snatched off the nurses’ desk at the clinic from her mouth and sticking it in the ashtray. “The doctor said my ribs were healed and I could go back to normal activities. I want to open up the Coffee Shack before everyone finds a new place to buy coffee. I also told Pauline I’d make up for missing the last three columns. She’s been wonderful about what happened, and has run a special coupon in the weekly column’s place toward a buy one, get one free for next week at the Coffee Shack.”
“We should go home.”
“Please?” She leaned over and turned his face, kissing his lips. “Give me a couple hours to catch up with everyone. You’ve been spending all your time with me — aren’t there things you need to do at the bar?”
He gave her the no-argument look. “Two hours.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
Rain’s constant hovering annoyed her after the first week of getting out of the hospital. If she complained, he took her grumbles to mean he needed to do more for her. If she stopped and let him take control, he insisted she lie in bed and put up with his nursing care. She’d probably gained ten pounds from how much food he brought her from the bar.
Since she’d arrived home after Ethan abducted her, she hadn’t needed to slip into her head. Not when all her free time was spent thinking about her relationship with Rain. Everything seemed vibrantly clear lately.
She didn’t question if the feelings she had were real. She knew it. They were the feelings that had hovered out of her reach all her life and had waited to come out when Rain physically scooped her out of the Lagsturns’ arms and bossed her around.
Rain walked around the truck and opened her door. She let him help her out, even though she was perfectly capable of stepping down on her own. She knew he needed to take care of her, because Rain was that kind of man.
And, because it was important to him, it was important to her.
Rain unlocked the back door of the bar. She slipped under his arm and entered the hallway. He caught up with her and put his arm around her shoulder, leading her past his office. “Two hours, or I carry you out.”
She grinned. “Yes, honey.”
“Smart ass.” He chuckled.
The crowd in the bar broke out in cheers and stood. She stopped and wrapped her arm around Rain’s waist. Taken aback by everyone cheering for her, she studied the place that felt like her second home.
Streamers dangled from the ceiling. A poster board with the words,
Welcome back, Tori
hung over the counter of the bar. Torque stood by the pool table with his arm around Gladys, who dabbed at her eyes with the edge of her apron. Pete, Naomi, Renny, and Johnny stood on chairs behind the others, lifting their mugs toward her.
“What’s all this, you guys?” She waved to Slade, who leaned against the bar.
Taylor left Slade’s side, hurried over, and grabbed her hand, gently moving her away from Rain and through the crowd. “We’re so happy you’re okay, we wanted to give you a little welcome back party. We’ve all been watching the clock until you returned to normal. You gave us a real scare, girlfriend.”
“I’m okay.” She hugged Taylor. “See? No more bruises or broken ribs.”
“I’ve been keeping your coffee shack open in the morning. Rain made sure someone covered my shift at the bar, so your customers wouldn’t go without.” Taylor rubbed Tori’s arms. “Everyone is drinking double their usual amount, and making another drive through around ten o’clock, so you’ve brought in more money. I know they’re coming to check on you. They’ve missed you and your advice.”
“What?” She shook her head. “But, how did you — ”
“Rain. He made sure we’d all help out, including your business. I’ve deposited all the money in your bank account and given the books to Rain for when you feel well enough to go over them,” said Taylor.
“I hope you doubled your pay. You deserve it.”
Taylor shrugged. “Don’t need it. Rain kept paying me for my shift at the bar, even though I split that time between the Shack and Cactus Cove.”
“Seriously?” Her heart melted, and she glanced over her shoulder at Rain.
He watched her with careful eyes, and she knew it was hard on him to be even ten feet away. Most nights, she held his hand, assuring him she was there in bed with him. He still woke up in a cold sweat during the night, replaying the kidnapping and finding her missing from the house.
The aftereffects were worse for him than her. While she was lying underneath the table, she’d come to her own conclusions about how her life had turned out. She had too many things to look forward to, and she refused to let the past influence the way she spent the rest of her life.
“Come here, honey.” She held out her hand.
Rain’s shoulders relaxed, and in three strides, he was at her side, his arm around her back and his hand resting on the slope of her hip. She curled against him. “Thank you.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Go blow out your candles so we can get the hell out of here.”
“Rain.” She held her finger over his mouth. “They’ve worked hard to do this for me. You’ll hurt their feelings.”
He shook his head. “They’re bikers.”
“Sensitive ones.” She grinned.
He laughed, and she pulled him over to the table in the middle of the room. He knew more than anyone that she wouldn’t trade knowing the Bantorus members for anything. They accepted her, and she loved each one of them.
The white-frosted sheet cake had her name written across the surface. Someone had stuck at least ten lollipops on top along with the candles. She leaned over, blew the flames out, and plucked one of the suckers out of the cake. She turned to Rain and sucked the frosting off the end of the stick, smiling.
A cheer broke out, and she swallowed hard. When the claps stopped and the shouts simmered down, her smile quivered. Her vision blurred, and she dove for Rain’s chest, hiding her face. She’d almost lost this. This ragtag family, closer than anything she’d ever had before.
“Babe … ” Rain embraced her, stroking her back.
She inhaled deeply, wiping her face on the front of his T-shirt, and turned around. “Thank you, to each of you. Not just for the party and cake, but also for everything you’ve done. The flowers and cards. The food and pizzas delivered to the house. For the — ”
“Wrap it up, Tori. We’re leaving in an hour and a half,” said Rain.
She patted his chest. “I have a lot to say, honey.”
“Do it faster.”
She rolled her eyes. “Since I stopped in Pitnam, you all have given me a family. A place to call home. I want you to know how much that means to me. You’re all special, and if you ever need anything, anything at all, I’ll do anything — ”
“Babe.” He reached around her and picked up the knife used to cut the cake. “Let’s kick this party in gear.”
“Yes, honey.” She cut into the cake.
Rain left her side while she helped Taylor and Gladys pass out the dessert. She took bites of her own cake and made her way around the room, handing out hugs and hellos. Thankful for all the friendships and good wishes, she made sure to speak with everyone and let them know how much she appreciated the help.
After promising to have lunch with Pete and Naomi next week, Rain pulled her away. He led her to the side of the room. “Got something outside to show you.”
“What?”
He grinned, leading her to the door. “You’ll have to come out.”
On the sidewalk, she gazed at all the motorcycles lining the building. Warmth filled her. The brotherhood stayed together for life. She smiled and reached for Rain’s hand. The bikes reminded her how many people had her back. A lifetime of protection and love, because she was Rain’s woman.
“When I first pulled into the parking lot and decided to set up business, I thought it was weird why so many people rode motorcycles. Boy, has my view changed,” she said.
He let go of her hand, and stepped behind her, turning her toward the front of the parking lot, his arms around her chest. “Look at the Coffee Shack, babe.”
She raised her gaze and gasped. “Get. Out.”
Instead of the orange paint that had seen better days, the mobile shack stood bright and shiny with a new coat of pink paint and white trim around the door and window. Above the roof, a sign read
Tori’s Coffee Shack
. Underneath the name, in scrolling letters, it read
Free love advice with every cup.
She walked away from Rain, across the gravel parking lot, and stood in front of her business. Some people laughed, and others admired her guts for living the nomad life, but it had served its purpose in a time when she needed to run. She smiled, her chest warmed, and she dashed the tears from her cheeks.
On the sign was a woman riding a pink dirt bike, decked out in pale pink leather. She blinked the tears away. Behind the painting of her on the Pinkstar were ten big, bad biker dudes riding in her dust.
Rain joined her, and she curled against his side. She studied the mobile shack and gasped. The paint job and sign wasn’t the only change that had been made.
“You removed the wheels.”
“Yeah.” He kissed the curve of her neck. “No more running.”
“No more running.” She smiled.
He held her tighter. “I love you, babe.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I know.”
He sighed. “Can we get out of here now?”
She tilted her head. “Why are you in such a hurry? I’m feeling fine.”
“Yeah, but the doctor released you to regular activities.” He swept her up into his arms.
She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”
“Hell with it, we’re going home. It’s been almost a month since I made love to you.” He growled.