Tough girl.
“Over there. I started walking that way, and that’s when…” she shudders, but then sits up a little straighter and faces me. “That’s when he grabbed me.”
“Recognize his voice?” I zero in on the details. “Anything about him?”
She shakes her head, while Noah stalks forward. “You’re gonna interrogate her now? Seriously? Can’t you see how messed up she is? Why aren’t we just taking her inside my house right now so she can rest?”
Taking a deep breath, I ignore him. Focus every bit of attention on Naima. Her caramel skin. Her thick, onyx hair. Her perfect, heart-shaped mouth. The bruise on her throat…
All of it, the entire gorgeous package, keeps me seated instead of lunging at her ex.
I nod, encouraging her to continue.
“No,” she admits. “I didn’t recognize anything about him. He whispered…” Her face turns a little green I reach down to take her hands in mine. Hers are ice-cold, and I start rubbing both of them with my own.
“Hospital?” The word sounds like I’ve been chewing on rocks.
Shaking her head fast, her eyes widen. “They’ll call the cops, Ace.”
I nod, slowly, taking in her panicked expression. “And you don’t want that?”
“Ace…he told me I needed to keep my mouth shut. Forget what we saw.” She drops her voice, but her friends still hear what she said.
“What did you guys see?” Bryn’s voice has gone shrill with fear.
Without looking their way, I keep my focus on Naima. “How’d you get the…bruise… I almost choke on the word. “On your neck?”
“He wrapped his arm around my throat.” Her voice is almost nonexistent, and it sounds like it hurts her to speak. “And made me promise…” Her eyes flick toward her friends.
I’ve had enough. Enough of her trying to talk, enough of hearing the pain in her voice. I’m about to explode; the rage bubbles up just beneath the surface, and it’s taking every single ounce of strength I have not to let that beast out.
I stand up and lift her into my arms, cradling her head against my chest while her feet dangle over my arm.
“What are you doing?” Bryn shrieks.
Noah takes a step toward me. His friend Jaxon—who I hadn’t noticed until now—sighs but steps up beside his partner.
Naima waves a hand at them. “Stop. I need to go with Ace. He’ll text you, Bryn, so you’ll have his number. I’m safe with him. Okay? Don’t worry.”
Because I can’t help it, I bend down and brush my mouth against her forehead. “Stop talking.”
She glances up at me with a half smile, a really gorgeous half-smile, and nods. She gives her friends a small wave, and I swear Noah growls. But he doesn’t make a move, and I’m glad because I didn’t want to have to put Naima down for any reason. Now that I have her in my arms, I need her to stay there.
I place her in the passenger seat of the truck and start to buckle her in when she grabs my hand to still me. I’ve been moving fast, too fast, and I’m acting like a damn robot. One movement at a time. Walk. Open the truck. Put Naima on the seat. Buckle her in. The mechanics of each task are helping me stay in control of my emotions. The ones trying to start a riot inside me.
“Hey.” Her soft, sultry voice, even raspy with pain, makes me stop, and an ache begins somewhere deep inside of me.
I keep my eyes glued to the seat belt.
“Ace. Look at me.”
Finally meeting her gaze, it’s like being slammed by a wrecking ball. The power she has over me is a force.
“I tried to stay away.” My voice is a rough whisper as I lean my forehead against hers and just breathe. “Thought you’d be safer that way.”
“This wasn’t your fault.”
My words chase a harsh laugh. “It’s all my fault. All of it. You should wish you’d never met me.”
There’s a snap in her voice that shows me just how pissed she is. “Well, I don’t. And these guys know who I am, so staying away from me is moot.”
Pulling back, I finish buckling her in and close the door. Walking around to the driver’s side of the truck, I stop and look up at the night sky. The clouds around the moon draw misty outlines, and the lights from uptown drown out the stars. There’s so much pressure building in my chest, I’m pretty sure I could howl right now and my body would change into something from a book or a movie.
After taking a few deep breaths, I climb up into the truck and glance over at her. She’s staring at me, reading my thoughts. She sees me so clearly, the way she has since that first night.
All I want is to keep her safe.
But I’m really afraid I won’t be able to do that.
Nineteen
ACE
Carson wanders over toward us, after throwing us curious glances for the past twenty minutes. He’s been playing therapist to a couple of regulars holding down seats at the other end of the bar from where Naima and I sit side-by-side.
“Hey.” Wiping his hands on his jeans, he holds out a hand to Naima and gives her a smile. “I’m Carson, Ace’s uncle. And you are the prettiest thing I’ve seen in here in awhile.”
Smiling at him, Naima gives him her hand. “Naima. Nice to meet you.”
He glances at me. “You two okay?”
I incline my head toward Naima, the fury rising inside me once again. “Hear her voice? It only sounds like that after a bastard’s arm has choked her out.”
Carson reads the rage all over me. His quick glance toward Naima’s neck sets his mouth into a thin line. “Damn.”
My back teeth grind together. “Yeah. Damn. She’s not leaving my sight, man. Not till this is over.”
Carson, glancing at Naima again, gives a curt nod before he
