Colt felt his chest depress from the inside and he reached toward the lamp when his phone started ringing.
He ignored it, turned on the lamp and looked at Feb. She was on her knees but her ass had dropped to her calves and her face was white as a sheet.
“Talk to me,” he said to Reece, not tearing his eyes from Feb.
“Bastard got away.”
“God dammit!” Colt snarled.
“I’m in fuckin’ Texas. Asshole tailed me, broke into my goddamned hotel room.”
“You okay?”
“Did I not mention the forty fuckin’ stitches?”
“Other than that, you okay?”
“I was on the move when he delivered the blow, thank fuck, or I’d not have a goddamned arm, but, yeah, other than that, I’m okay.”
Colt’s phone had stopped ringing but instantly it rang again and he looked at Feb, pointed to the phone and then held his palm out, telling her he wanted her to give it to him.
“The police with you?” he asked Reece as he watched Feb crawl over his body and then across the bed on her hands and knees to get his phone.
“Yeah, they’re here. One just got off the phone which is why I ‘spect your phone’s ringing.”
Feb had come back and put his phone in his hand and he looked at the display. Sully.
He let his phone go to voicemail and asked Reece, “What happened?”
“Didn’t hear him workin’ the lock but there’s a streetlight just outside. It shone in bright when he got in the door, woke me up, thank Christ. I hauled ass outta bed and he came at me swinging. That’s when he nailed me. I got a few licks in while yellin’ blue bloody murder. Fucker’s not a fighter, he’s not wieldin’ a hatchet, he’s got nothin’. I got the hatchet away from him and he turned tail and ran. I went after him but he nearly ran me over with his goddamned car. Didn’t think to grab my keys, seein’ as some fuckwit was after me with a hatchet and I was bleedin’ like piss.”
“You call the cops?” Colt asked.
“Yeah, I called the cops,” Reece answered like Colt had a screw loose.
“Cops go after him?”
“Got to the scene in less than ten minutes. Set up roadblocks, nothin’. He’s vanished.”
“Jesus Christ,” Colt clipped.
“Feds want me in protective custody until they get him. I need to talk to Feb.”
Colt looked at Feb to see she was deep breathing again, her eyes locked on him unblinking.
“Give me a second,” Colt told Reece.
“What’s your name?” Reece asked suddenly.
“Colton,” Colt replied automatically.
Reece’s voice changed from hacked off to soft. “All right, Colton, break it to her gentle.”
Colt took the phone from his ear and put his palm over it.
“Baby, come closer.” She immediately slid forward on her knees until those knees were pressed to his hip, her eyes still unblinking and fixed on him. Colt leaned into her and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck. “He’s okay but Denny got to Reece tonight. Reece’s got some stitches but he’s okay. Denny got away.”
He watched as she closed her eyes tight and turned her face away. She allowed herself about a half a second to have this reaction before she opened her eyes and looked at him again, lifting her hand, palm up, for the phone.
He handed it to her and she put it to her ear, her eyes dropping to the bed.
“Reece?” she waited. “Yeah,” She paused and listened. “You okay?” She closed her eyes again and shook her head then opened them but didn’t lift them. “I’m so sorry.” Another pause and then quickly, “I know I don’t have to –” She was obviously cut off and she waited a moment before she said, “Okay. Yeah. You can’t check in?” She nodded, listened then said, “That makes sense. You’ll call when this is done?” She listened again, more nodding then she whispered, “Okay, honey.”
Colt fucking hated hearing her call another man “honey”. She’d done it the night before too, he didn’t like it then and he didn’t like it now.
Then again, five minutes ago she had her mouth around his cock and he had his finger inside her and she was currently on her knees in his bed while wearing his t-shirt while Reece was in Texas, didn’t have a prayer in the world with Feb and Colt doubted she’d ever given Reece something like “Landslide”. If she had, the bastard would never in a million years watch her walk away so Colt decided he had nothing to complain about.
“Stay safe, okay?” she asked, was quiet a moment and then her eyes moved to Colt before they went back to the bed. “Yeah, I’ll be okay.” She bit her lip before saying, “He’s a cop, Reece. He knows what he’s doin’.” She went silent and then she smiled. “Yeah, a cop.” She gave a soft laugh, listened then whispered, “He’s a good man, honey, he’ll take care of me.”
Colt’s fingers pressed into her neck and she looked at him.
“What?” she said into the phone then those dents came to the insides of her brows and her face went unfocused. “Um… okay, he’s right here.” She waited. “Yeah. You too. Later, honey.” Then she held out the phone to Colt and said, “He wants a word.”
Colt took the phone, gave her another squeeze with his fingers before he took his hand away.
“Yeah?” he said when he put the phone to his ear.
“Goes without sayin’, cop or not, this motherfucker even breathes in her space, I’m holdin’ you responsible.”
“I can understand that,” Colt said to him.
“That’s good we understand each other.”
“We do.”
“You know what you got?” Reece asked and Colt’s eyes went to Feb on her knees, in his bed, in his t-shirt.
Shit yeah, he knew what he had.
“Yeah,” he told Reece.
“Take care of it,” Reece said then Colt heard the disconnect.
He flipped her phone closed and tossed it on the nightstand while Feb asked, “Everything all right?”
Colt looked at her. “He’s worried about you.”
“Well, I didn’t have Denny Lowe and his hatchet in my bedroom tonight.”
Thank Christ for that.