Davenport Harbor (Six Degrees Book 3) (38 page)

“
Man—
”

“
GO!
”

Knowing he had a stubborn streak that rivaled Mike’s, I nodded and moved towards the bed. Anne
’
s eyes looked up to me. They were wider than usual as she looked down at my bloody hands. I took in the sight of her. Her body was covered in one of my white dress shirts, dirtied and slightly torn; her beautiful face was blotchy and red from crying; but her hair was what made me wonder what the fuck that asshole had done to her. It looked like it had literally been hacked off and it was slightly wet. I knelt in front of her.

My hands gently cupping her face, I looked at her. Her eyes didn’t move from mine.

“
Close your eyes, Kitten. No matter what, don
’
t open them. I
’
m getting you out of here, okay?
”
I told her and she nodded. She closed her eyes and I picked her up, her face burrowing into my chest and her grasp on my shirt strong. I could feel her body shaking underneath my touch, and I whispered reassurances into her hair as I got her out of that hellhole.

Matt Pierce ran to meet us in the street and helped me move Anne into the SUV. I held her close on my lap as Matt got in the driver
’
s seat and drove us away.

Anne

I held on to John for dear life, feeling weak, but I didn’t care. He felt too good and strong, I just wanted to attach myself to him.

“
Shh,
”
his soothing voice calmed my erratic heartbeat. His face in my shredded hair, he whispered,
“
It
’
s okay now.
”

“
Pat and his friend?
”

“
It
’
s going to be okay.
”

“
But
…”

“
I promise you, Kitten. It
’
s going to be okay.
”
I nodded at his reassurance.
“
I need to know if he
…
did he
…”

“
No,
”
I immediately answered, thanking whoever had been looking out for me from up above.
“
He cut my hair with
…
a knife...
”
His eyes looked over my hair and I kept talking,
“
He kissed me, but he was so high. He just yelled. Patrick and that guy were there before he could do anything.
”
I heard a sigh of relief escape from him and burrowed my face deeper into his chest, breathing in the scent of his skin and cologne.

“
Where
’
s Zoey?
”
I asked him.

“
At Mike and Sabrina
’
s.
”
Relief swept over me at knowing she was somewhere safe and was protected by people who cared about her. I hoped she was oblivious to her mom missing.

“
Good
…
How did you know where to
…”

“
When we get home, we
’
ll get you settled in, then we will talk, okay?
”
He pulled away and looked at me, scanning my face.

His hands moved to caress my face, but when we both looked at the state of his hand, bloodied and hurt, they stopped in midair. But I grabbed them with both of my hands and leaned my forehead to his.

“
He can never hurt you again. He can never hurt anyone again. Not you or Zoey.
”
His voice was steady and confident, almost like a vow, and I nodded, even though I thought he was telling himself more than he was me.

“
You
’
re staying with me,
”
he broke the silence, and a sob lodged itself in my throat. After it was all said and done, he still wanted me.

“
I know,
”
I told him as his eyes were searching for something in mine.

“
We
’
re getting married and we are all going to be Davenports, because I
’
m adopting Zoey.
”

“
Okay,
”
I whispered, tears rolling down my face.

“
I will keep you and Zoey safe. No one will ever
—
"

“
I know.
”
I unclenched his hands, letting our palms touch, somehow making that small touch feel very intimate. More intimate than anything before this.

“
And we
’
re having more kids.
”
I looked at him. I could see the worry in his eyes that I might reject the idea, and I smiled at him.

“
A hill full of them.
”
My nose was stinging and he looked at me. His rugged gruff exterior couldn’t hide the warmth and love that filtered through the dark pools of his eyes when he showed his soft side.

The soft side he
’
d shown Zoey and I since the night of the storm. The side of him he
’
d one day show our children.

John

I got Anne settled into bed after a steaming shower and headed down to get food from the kitchen and call Sabrina and Mike to double-check on Zoey. Sabrina told me she was okay, sleeping right now next to Nikki in her crib. She told me to tell Anne to rest and that we would see them in the morning. Mike on the other hand, was serious, and I could feel the worry wafting off of him over the phone.

“
What happened to Pat?
”

“
He
’
s fine. He
’
s in Cedars-Sinai.
”

“
I know. My dad called. Did he have something to do with Anne being taken?
”
There was an edge in his voice, one I hadn
’
t heard in a very long time.

“
No, man. He had something to do with getting her back.
”
My voice sounded defeated.

“
John
…”

“
I
’
ll tell you everything, I promise. But for now, just know that your brother, as much as he messed up in the past, today, he saved her.
”
My voice cracked, and I looked at the dark wood of my desk, closing my eyes, not wanting to because when I did, all I would see was Anne under that fucking bed, her eyes terrified. Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes and leaned my head back against my chair, trying to ignore the wetness in my eyes.

“
He saved her, Mike. He saved her,
”
I cracked, and silent tears ran down my face, but I couldn’t find it in me to care.
“
If it wasn
’
t for him finding out as quickly as he did with his friend Sloan
…
Mike, he used a knife to cut her hair off. All her fucking hair is shredded.
”

“
John
…”

“
She could have died, he could have ruined her
…”
The endless possibilities of what Blake Downey could have done to her were running rampant in my head.

“
You need to hold it together, man
…
for her.
”
His voice was calm and steady. I knew he was right.

“
I know.
”
I swallowed hard, trying to breathe, but somehow not fully able to take a complete breath.

“
If you want, I can come over, if you want to talk.
”

“
No...I got it.
”

“
She
’
s safe, John. No one can hurt her.
”

“
I
’
ll kill them before they do,
”
I vowed and I heard him sigh.
“
I
’
m going to marry her, Mike.
”
I was.
“
Tell Sabrina I hope she knows how to plan quickly. I
’
ll give her a month.
”
Decision made, I didn
’
t know how, but I
’
d talk Anne into it.

“
John. Look, I know you are scared, but the drama is over, you don
’
t have to rush.
”

“
I
’
m not. I
’
m forty-three Mike, I know what I want,
”
I told him.

“
Do you love her?
”
He asked and I froze.
Love. Fuck. Can I do love
?

“
Mike
…”
I did. It was a knee-jerk reaction to the question. I fucking loved her and Zoey, but Belle
’
s words repeated themselves in my head.
People like us can
’
t have weaknesses.
And growing up, watching my parents, love was a huge fucking weakness.

“
You love her. John, you need to tell her. Trust me, she
…
.
”
Usually, I could handle Mike
’
s advice, but maybe everything that had happened throughout the day had worn me thin, so I cut him off.

“
A month, Mike.
”
The line stayed silent, neither one of us saying anything else, and I knew he was going to give in when he sighed.

“
Okay, I
’
ll tell her. I
’
ll see you in the morning, okay?
”

“
Yeah
…
Mike?
”

“
Yeah?
”

“
You
’
ll be my best man, right?
”

“
Of course, man. Anything you need,
”
he answered like I knew he would before he hung up.

Anne

I felt him enter the room. His size took up substantial space even in a huge master bedroom. Whenever he entered any space I was in, he somehow changed the feel of the air around us. I was curled up in a ball in bed, hugging the pillow that smelled like John and home. The house was quiet and big, built in an era when craftsmanship had been taken seriously, but even then I had still heard what he
’
d said to Mike on the phone.

“
Kitten?
”
He whispered, probably checking if I was asleep, I just didn’t know what to say. Not after hearing his conversation.

“
I
’
m going to marry her, Mike.
”

The bed dipped and his body curled into mine. I let the relief hit me when our bodies curled into one another, loving the way we fit, like two perfect pieces of a puzzle.

“
I know you
’
re awake.
”
His voice vibrated in my hair.

“
I can
’
t sleep.
”

“
Hungry?
”

“
Not really. Are you? I can
…”

“
Shhh
…
I
’
m okay. I
’
ll eat with you.
”

“
Okay.
”
His hold on me tightened as we lay in silence. My mind was racing.
Does he love me?
Love both Zoey and I?

“
Thirsty?
”
He asked, and I looked back at him.

“
I
’
m okay,
”
I tried to reassure him. I
’
d also heard the way he
’
d broken down. He
’
d been scared, too.

“
Yeah,
”
his voice thickened as he made me fully turn around. My face was in his neck, and I loved the way he wrapped himself around me with his whole being; with his arms and legs, as if somehow he was anchoring me to him.

“
Zoey okay?
”

“
Yeah. She
’
s asleep with Nikki.
”

“
Good.
”

“
You heard me?
”

“
Yes,
”
I whispered against his bare chest, burrowing my face, breathing in his scent. There was something about the way John smelled that made me want to bask in the masculine scent he radiated.

“
Good,
”
he simply said, and I a bit away a smile.
“
A month okay?
”
He asked, and for a second I wasn’t sure if he was serious or joking. Pulling my face away to look at him, I could see with one look he was more than serious.

“
A month?
”

“
For us to get married. I
’
ll adopt Zoey.
”

“
John
…”

He sat us up, making the way he moved us look easy. Straddling him, his hand touching the tips of my still shorn hair, I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious.

“
Marry me, Kitten. Let me take care of you and Zoey. Let me be the one to make you laugh and want to fight with,
”
he asked, leaning his forehead against mine. My heart beat quickly, happily.

“
John, we don't have to rush this.
”

“
I know what I want,
”
he announced and I looked at him.

“
What do you want, John?
”

“
You and Zoey, here. My name a part of both of you...and
…”

“
And what?
”

“
Kids. Zoey needs a brother or sister or a couple of both, what do you think?
”