Badass (28 page)

Ajax couldn’t hide from Isaac. He knew the places to look and when he found him in a bar on the outskirts of town – he backed him out the door before he could rally his cronies. “How dare you touch a member of my family?” Isaac picked him up and slammed him bodily against the side of the building. “And what you did to Harper has nothing to do with how a Dom is supposed to handle himself. You’re a sick fuck. And you’ve abused your last woman, asshole.” Ajax didn’t have his whip, so he had to take Isaac on in a fair fight – which wasn’t fair - to Ajax. And when Isaac got through with him, he walked away leaving Ajax spitting blood and hatred through his teeth.

Isaac didn’t know where to go. His fists hurt and his heart hurt and all he wanted to do was go home. But – right now – he didn’t know where home was.

****

The week passed in a swirl of upset and frustration. Isaac was nowhere to be found. Levi was running the bar and Doris swore that she hadn’t heard from her boss. The McCoys were torn between hunting Isaac, tending to Noah – running their ranch and getting ready for a wedding. Feelings were worn on sleeves and tempers ran hot. Avery moved back home, there was nothing else she could do. Even when Isaac came back, she wasn’t so sure he was going to want her. Self-doubt ate away at her. She had been so sure that he had begun to care about her. Every time they touched, she had convinced herself that she could feel his love. Perhaps, it had been wishful thinking on her part. Tricia hadn’t asked too many questions, perceiving that Avery was beyond hurt. Space was what she needed and her partner gave her that.

The bouquets she created made her cry. The charity meetings made her cry. It was odd, she had expected to be ostracized by the city and the town’s elite, but it was not the case. One woman even asked for her autograph, saying she had read some of her work – how she came by the pen name, Avery didn’t ask. She was just grateful that rocks weren’t being thrown at her at the Post Office.

After three days without hearing from Isaac, Avery had backed her ears and called her father and told him the wedding was off and she didn’t want to hear any argument from him. He had started to preach at her, but she had told him that she adored him and her mother – but the days of browbeating her to do his will was over. Shock was the only word she could label his quick agreement. In fact, their conversation had progressed by him telling her how proud he was of all her hard work and writing. When he had said writing – she had almost bit her tongue off. Without her asking, he volunteered that one of the deacons had come forward with this bit of ‘damming’ information on her, but the church had been much more horrified to learn he had been visiting a hooker than the revelation that she wrote racy romances. Before she hung up, she had promised him that she would visit for Thanksgiving and bring his favorite ooey-gooey pumpkin butter cake. But despite her work, her writing, and an unexpected peace with her father – Avery was desperately unhappy. Without Isaac life had no meaning.

Chapter Eight

“We’ve got to do something. Hell, I don’t know where else to look or who else to call. It’s like he’s dropped off the face of the earth. Kane did say that there was talk he had been in a bar fight the night he left.” Jacob poured a cup of stout coffee. He had so much to be thankful for – a beautiful wife, a sweet baby on the way, his home was taking shape – but knowing his brother was somewhere alone and unhappy ate at his gut.

“I’m not surprised – his tearing up a bar is par for the course.” Noah was healing. Cady had helped and stiffness and soreness were going to be the only ill effects that would stay with him any length of time.

With a steady hand, Jacob set the coffee cup down. It wasn’t often that he lost his temper, but he had all he could stomach. “Noah, I love you. You’re my brother and I wouldn’t trade you for anything – but I am going to tear you a new one if you don’t let up on Isaac. Not everybody is as tight assed as you are. I’m not into heavy kink, but if I thought Jessie would enjoy a light spanking – hell, why not? More than once, I’ve tied her to the bed and it only makes the excitement rise, if you know what I mean. Your brother is a damn good man. He may walk to the beat of a different drummer – but so do you. And I hate to tell you this, but I much prefer his cadence to yours.”

Noah could tell his brother was displeased. And for a minute, he felt anger. But this was the brother who had held him at night when he had been broken hearted over the loss of their mother. This was the brother who had stayed up late with him to make sure he had memorized all the state capitals – and it was Jacob who had encouraged him to study business when Aron had been pushing for a Law degree or at least an Ag degree. Jacob had seen where Noah’s strengths lay and knew that the family would only benefit by letting him follow his heart. “Jacob, I . . .”

“No, let me finish. I don’t often speak my peace – and this has got to be said. I love you and I have forgiven you, but I can’t completely forget that your reluctance to accept Jessie almost cost her life – and me my world. You push too hard, Noah. You’re too unyielding. You think you have all the answers and like black and white are the only two colors in the rainbow. Even you have to admit – you were wrong about Jessie, as wrong as wrong can be. And you’re wrong about Isaac and Avery. After Jessie was kidnapped, it was Isaac who stuck with me through thick and thin. He never left my side. I don’t discount what you did – you fixed up the nursery for her and you were the first on the scene and were wounded so that she could be saved. But – and this is a big but – it wouldn’t have happened at all, not like it did, if you hadn’t interfered and said things that made her believe I didn’t love her. Now, you’ve pushed Isaac away and he, in turn, has pushed Avery aside. What if they’re supposed to be together and what if your unyielding spirit and narrow-minded bullshit tears Isaac from our lives and destroys their happiness? How would you feel then?”

Noah just stood there in deep conviction. His brother was right. He was wrong. “What can I do? Let’s go find him. We can call Roscoe if we have to.”

Jacob patted him on the back – “that’s my boy.”

****

That evening, the brothers sat with Kane and Zane at Hardbodies. Their hope had been that Isaac would show up or at least they could get a word of encouragement from Doris. Because if he was going to call anybody – it would be her – she was like a second mother to him. But – she was adamant, he hadn’t called and she was as worried as they were. “He beat the hell out of Ajax. And the word is that Ajax deserved every blow. The owner of the dive didn’t press charges. He considered that Isaac did him a favor. Still and all, as Mama would say, I don’t trust that man. He’s trouble – he and all his friends are trouble.”

“Do we know who he hangs with?” Joseph asked.

“Some of them, but I intend to talk to Levi – he might know more than I do. He’s a Dom too, you know.”

“No shit!” Aron exclaimed. “You know, there are more people into that stuff than I ever figured. I caught Libby reading an erotic romance novel called, “Master, May I?” and I read some of that stuff – and well, all I can say is that a good time was had by all.” He got tickled at his own joke and laughed. Sobering, he looked at his friends and family one by one. “We’ve got to make this right. Until we find Isaac, we can’t do much on that end, but we can see about Avery. I want to make sure she’s at the wedding. Zane,” he turned to Kane’s twin. “Would you mind checking on her and – if you don’t already have a date to the wedding, maybe you’d consider asking her to accompany you?”

Zane leaned back in his chair and smiled. “I can see your reasoning. She’ll probably refrain from whacking me with a broom – seeing, as I’m blind and all. The rest of you might not be as safe.”

He almost hadn’t answered the phone. It was Harper - again. She had called a dozen times since his run-in with Ajax. “I don’t see as how we have much to say to each other.” Lord, he was being a hard-ass again. Jacob’s speech came back to haunt him. “What can I do for you? Do you need anything?”

“No, my parents have let me move back home. But, I heard Isaac is gone and I want to talk to you about him. I don’t want to do it over the phone. Is it all right if I come over?”

It went against the grain – but if he was going to turn over a new leaf, this was a good place to start. “Sure, I’ll be waiting.”

He didn’t have to wait long. Apparently, she was parked at the end of the driveway. The slight tap at the door alerted him that she had arrived. Since his ordeal, he hadn’t ventured out of the house – too many people would ask questions. He hated other folks knowing his business – guess that was how Isaac felt. Shit! When he opened the door, he was shocked at how thin and pale she was. There were still some red marks near her face where the whip had wrapped around her neck. He fought down the attraction. Hell, would it always be there? “Harper, come in.”

She looked at the floor, clearly embarrassed. “Thank you, Noah. I appreciate you seeing me. I won’t keep you. Don’t be mad at him, but I ran into Joseph and he told me everything.”

“He had no right,” Noah began, but stopped. “Joseph is family.” If he could only remember that truth – they wouldn’t be in the mess they were in now.

“I should never have involved you in this. I’m trying to get my head on straight.”

Noah felt his heart stir. But, what about Skye? Dammit, he was confused. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, and I’m glad you called me. That’s what friends are for.”

“I wish we were more than friends,” she whispered. Shaking her head, she got to her point. “Someone beat Ajax up and he’s mouthing off, talking about getting revenge. And he says it was Isaac.”

“Damn, he did it for me.”

“Yes, when I heard that you had gone back to confront him – I nearly died. I never intended for you to be hurt – any of you. Now, I hear Isaac is gone and I presume it’s over what we have in common.”

“It came as a shock.” Understatement.

“Well, see – that’s the thing – we’re not alike at all. What I’m into is nothing like Isaac. He’s a good Dom, he’s into caring and pleasure and protecting. When I went to him and asked him to do a scene with me, he turned me down. He was nice and concerned, mainly for you – but he begged me to let go of my pain fetish and get into something that would be good for me. I didn’t listen. I thought he was too tame for my tastes. Although, he is the powerful one in the community – Isaac McCoy is well respected and admired. He polices the clubs in his own way. That’s why Ajax has it in for him. Isaac got him expelled and banned - - for - - doing things to others like he did to me.”

The more Noah heard, the deeper the hole in the pit of his stomach felt. God, Jacob was right. He had done it again - needlessly hurt someone he loved – just because he thought he was so perfect. “Harper, I’m sorry – about a lot of things.” He wasn’t ready to start dating her again, but he didn’t want to lose touch with her, either. “Can I call you?”

“Oh, yes. Please do.” Her face brightened, completely changed and he realized she thought he meant for a date.

“Just friends – for now, Harper. I want to take it slow, this time.” That still sounded more hopeful than he intended, but that was how it came out. It felt right.

“Friends is more than I ever expected. Thank you.” She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek and it was deja vu all over again – that old black magick was back at work.

****

“Someone get the damn phone,” Aron yelled from the living room. “I’m trying to memorize my wedding vows!”

Libby rolled her eyes at Jessie. “My beloved bellows.” She skipped over to the landline and picked up the receiver. “Tebow Ranch, may I help you please?”

“Yes, you can. I was hoping you’d answer.”

“Isaac, are you all right? Where are you? If you don’t come to my wedding, I’ll never let you live it down,” all of that was said in a rushed, exasperated breath.

“Oh, yes you do, Isaac. Everything is all right – come home. Avery told us how the cow at the cabbage. You should have seen her. She defended you - took on the whole lot of us.”

“I don’t know why I’m going; it’s just going to hurt.” Avery talked to Tricia as she dressed for Libby and Aron’s wedding.
“That lawyer you’re going with is sex on a stick. At least you can look at him,” she held out the dark red, velvet dress that Avery had bought special. “I can’t wait to see you in this, put it on.”

“Zane just asked me because Aron told him to. He admitted as much. He said he was protecting me till Isaac got home.” She pulled the dress over her head and covered up the decadent underwear she had talked herself into wearing. It was part of her bordello wardrobe, as she called it. “I don’t know why I’m dressing up; poor Zane can’t even see me.”