Unstoppable (Forehead Kisses #4) (13 page)

What was that supposed to mean?

“You’re defiant to your parents. They clearly disapprove your passion for art. Your resilience is…refreshing. You have your own mind and form your own beliefs. You’re independent and strong. And frankly, I’ve never seen a more beautiful woman. Call me shallow, but I want a gorgeous wife to have my children.”

“That
is
shallow.”

He shrugged. “Be that as it may. No guy in the history of civilization said I want a hideous wife.”

“No, but real men value other traits too.”

“I never said I didn’t.”

As fun as this argument was, I was sick of having it. “Let me save you some time. I’m not interested in dating you.”

“Why?”

“I’m seeing someone.” Wait…did I just say that? Scotty was just a friend… Well, I thought he was. The revelation hit me hard in the face. I had feelings for him. Damn it. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Your parents made it clear you were single.”

“I don’t tell my parents about my personal life.”

He didn’t seem convinced. “Give me a chance. Let me take you out to dinner on my yacht.”

“Yacht? I don’t even like boats.”

“Then my jet.”

“I like staying on the ground.”

“I have a condo here in San Diego.”

“Okay…a dinner would be just fine. But no, I’m not interested.”

He wasn’t backing down. “When I want something, I get it.” The threat was in his voice.

“Excuse me?” I was about to throw my drink in his face.

“I’ve laid my eyes on you and now I’ll have you.”

My body suddenly went cold. Those words made the adrenaline pump through my body by the gallon. This guy was dangerous and I needed to get away from him. “This dinner is over.” I grabbed my purse and marched out of the restaurant.

When I came outside, I realized I didn’t have a car.

Fuck.

He came out the door behind me. “Let me drive you home.”

Ha! You think I’m stupid?
“I’m good. Have a good night.” I kept my distance from him.

“Get in the car.” His eyes contained his rage.

This was getting scary.

I need to call my brother and have him get me.
Wait, he was sick. Fuck.

He stepped closer to me, making me panic.

Scotty. I could call him.

When a couple pulled up in their car, William backed off. I took advantage of the opportunity and pulled out my phone. I typed a message to Scotty
. Please come get me ASAP. I’m at L’ Michelle. I need help. Please come
.  I knew he had training right now but I was desperate.

The couple took their time walking inside, thankfully. William stared at me, ready to pounce once we were alone again. I dug my fingers into my purse, searching for my keys so I could stab him in the eye.

I inched toward the door, ready to slip inside when I got close enough.

William headed me off, cutting off my escape.

“Leave me alone.”

“Get in the car.”

“No.” My phone went off in my purse but I didn’t answer it. It was probably Scotty.

“You’re going to walk home?”

“I’d prefer it.”

“Let me take you home,” he insisted.

“No. Just leave.”

He kept his hands by his sides, but I knew they were going to lash out at me any moment. “You think I’m going to hurt you or something?”

“Or something.”

He relaxed. “I’m sorry for scaring you. I just want to take you home.”

“And I don’t want a ride.”

He was starting to get frustrated. “Why are you being so annoying?”

“Why are you being a dick?” I kept my keys in my hand. Why did my parents hate me? Why the hell would they set me up with this creep? Did they even know him? Or did they just care about all the money in his bank account? I was an independent woman who could take care of myself. If I really needed money that bad, I would just change my major and milk my parents for all they’re worth.

His face was turning red. “Get in the damn car!”

How did this escalate so quickly?
“No.”

“I’ll drag you inside if I have to.”

“And I’ll shove my keys in your throat, jackass.”

Our voices were raised but no one came out of the restaurant. I hoped another couple would pull up for their dinner reservations, giving him a reason to hold back. But I wasn’t so lucky.

“If you come any closer to me, I’m going to scream so loud your eardrums will pop.”

His eyes narrowed. “Then I’ll have to knock you out first.”

My hands became cold and clammy. This horrific blind date turned into a life or death situation. He clearly didn’t plan to kill me because my parents would know the last person I was with, but he had something dark on his mind.

He stepped toward me and I stepped away, my keys held at the ready.

A truck pulled up then slammed to a stop.

William stepped away slightly, realizing we weren’t alone.

The car door slammed and Scotty came out, wearing a t-shirt covered in sweat and running shorts. The crazed look in his eyes even scared me. His arms were by his sides but his shoulders were tensed. If I were alone with him down a dark alley, I’d be scared shitless.

Like a massive cloud that just cast a shadow across an entire state, he moved toward us, ominous and threatening. I’d never seen him angry before, but he looked livid right now. His eyes bore into William’s as he came closer, silently promising to end his life if he moved.

He stepped on the sidewalk then moved in front of me, blocking me with his massive size. In the past month, he’d gained so much muscle that he was a moving tree. All I could see was his back, but I could imagine his front.

I actually felt bad for William.

“We have a problem here?” His voice was low, darker than I’d ever heard it. It wasn’t his usual lighthearted voice, masculine but sweet at the same time. The venom was heavy. Even though he didn’t say much, he implied a lot more.

“No.” William’s voice sounded weak.

Scotty moved toward him, leaving me behind. When he stepped toward William, his arms flexed at his side. They bulged and tightened. William stepped back, clearly afraid of him.

Scotty stopped and stared him down.

Seconds passed and nothing happened.

I stepped to the side, unsure what was going to happen.

The seconds trailed until a few minutes passed.

The tension was killing me.

Quicker than the blink of an eye, Scotty grabbed him by the throat and shoved him into his Range Rover. He slammed so hard into the car that it made a dent. Then he fell to the ground, landing on his side.

Scotty stood in front of him, staring him down.

William didn’t get up. He stayed on the ground and breathed through the pain.

“Come near her again, and I’ll break your spine.” Scotty came closer, his shoe almost touching his hand. “You understand me?”

“Yes…”

He squatted then pressed his face close to his. His cheeks were red. Then he screamed. “DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”

William flinched. “Yes. Yes.”

I was even intimidated.

“Now get in your car and drive.” He stepped back and watched William slowly get to his feet.

William limped to the door then tried to open it. It wouldn’t budge because it was dented too far.

Scotty grasped the handle then yanked it off with no effort.

William watched him closely before he finally got inside and shut the door.

Scotty crossed his arms over his chest and stayed still, waiting for him to drive off. I thought William might run over Scotty, but I had a feeling Scotty’s immense size would demolish the vehicle.

William finally drove away, but Scotty watched his car until the tail lights were no longer visible. Then he finally turned around and came back to me. His defensive stance was dropped. The death threat in his eyes was gone, replaced by concern. When he reached me, he immediately wrapped his arms around me tightly, pulling me to him.

Then he pressed his lips to my forehead, kissing me.

My breath hitched in my throat and I suddenly felt dizzy. His scent came into my nose, and his chest was a concrete wall when it was pressed against me. Warmth radiated to the coldest places in my body. All the fear I had was gone, replaced by the safety of the steel cage he created with his arms.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

“I am now.”

His hand moved to my lower back and rested in the dip. His hand expanded across my entire back, making me feel small and tiny. He could crush me without trying. His fingers dug into my skin gently, making sure I couldn’t leave. His chest expanded against mine with every breath he took. For the first time, he showed his fear. During the entire confrontation, he didn’t blink an eye. The death threat was heavy in the air. But once I was in his arms, he became vulnerable.

“Did he hurt you?” The tone was in his voice. I knew what he would do if my answer was yes.

“No.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for calling me.”

“Thank you for coming.”

“I’ll always come.”

I rested my face against his chest and closed my eyes, treasuring the touch between us. I hadn’t felt an embrace like this…ever. I could stay like this forever. As much as I hated to admit it, William scared me. I’d already been through something that killed my soul, and I couldn’t handle another episode. Why did these horrible things happen to me? It was like they sought me out. But Scotty made me feel safe, made me feel calm. No one in the world ever made me feel that way besides my brother.

Scotty pulled away but kept his arms around me. “I’ll kill him if you want.” His eyes conveyed his seriousness.

“No, you did enough.”

“But I will kill him if he ever comes near you again. He got off easy.”

I knew he wasn’t bluffing.

His hands moved to my hips. “What happened?”

“My parents set me up. I didn’t realize what was going on until it was too late.”

He took a deep breath but kept his words back. I knew he wanted to snap and say my parents were the scum of the earth. But he didn’t. There was no need. I knew what he was thinking anyway.

“Then what?”

“He wanted me to come home with him, and when I said no, he threatened to throw me in his car. He said some other things…he was a creep.”

“Why would your parents set you up with a psychopath?”

Because they hate me
. “Probably because he’s rich.”

He clenched his jaw. “Money isn’t everything.”

“You’re preaching to the choir.”

He took another deep breath and his fingers dug into my hips for a second. Then he loosened his hold. When he dropped his hands from my body, I suddenly felt cold. I didn’t want him to stop touching me—ever. “Can I take you home?”

It was nice to be asked, not told. “Please.”

He walked to his truck then opened the door for me. He kept his eyes averted as I climbed inside. Then he shut the door and got into the seat beside me. The blue light from his radio shined in the car, illuminating both of our faces. I welcomed the silence as he drove. I was glad that horrific night was over.

“You shouldn’t talk to your parents anymore.” His hand clenched the steering wheel.

He was probably right.

“Does Ash know?”

“No. He’s sick.”

He pulled up to my house then killed the engine.

Together, we walked to my front door. His hands were in his pockets.

I stopped when we reached the last step.

He looked down at his shoes before he looked at me straight in the eye. “Good night, Livia.”

“Good night…”

He turned around and headed back to his truck.

I didn’t want to be alone tonight. As much as I hated to admit it, I was shaken up and scared. It was too similar to a horrific night I already experienced. I wouldn’t be able to sleep, to sit in this house all alone without being afraid. “Scotty?”

He stopped and turned around. “Yeah?”

“Do you…want to come inside?”

A distant light flashed in his eyes but then it disappeared. He slowly walked back to me, close enough to where we could whisper and hear each other clearly. “Sure.”

I unlocked the door then we walked inside.

Scotty immediately looked around, studying the way I decorated it. His eyes lingered on the paintings and photographs I had. When he saw a picture of me and my parents, he stared at it hard before he stepped away. “You have a lovely home.”

“Thanks.”

When we came to the living room, he noticed the large easel and newspapers on the ground. “This is where your masterpieces are created?”