Tuck's Wrath (4 page)

Chapter Five

She was crying. He could hear her, but Tuck didn’t go to Jana. She needed this time to speak with Bobbie and her son, and although he didn’t blame her for wanting to stay away until she healed, he also knew that this was hell on her. He paced the living room, and although he shouldn’t have brought her back to his place, because hell, he was already in deep shit with the club when they’d find out he’d just up and left, he couldn’t take her anywhere else. He didn’t want to.

“I just can’t let him see me right now, Bobbie,” Jana said.

He hated listening to her conversation, but he also wasn’t going to leave her. He wasn’t ever going to leave her again.

“Please don’t cry,” she said softer this time, then chuckled. “I’ll try not to cry if you try.” There was a moment of silence. “Yeah, put him on the phone, please.” Jana sniffed, cleared her throat, then after a few seconds she started speaking again. “Hey, buddy.” She cried harder. “No, no, Mommy’s okay. I’m just going to be away for a little longer. Then I’ll come and see you. We’ll have all sorts of fun, okay?” There was a longer stretch of silence, and Tuck assumed Braden was speaking.

He ran a hand over his face, scratched at his beard, and went over to the cupboard to grab two glasses and some booze. Maybe she wouldn’t want some, but he sure as hell needed a drink, and he had a feeling she might as well. Bracing his hands on the counter he hung his head. He needed to get cleaned up, because he looked a damn mess.

The last few days had been hell, and he didn’t know if she’d ever realize that to him she’d be his. Hell, she was probably traumatized, scared out of her mind, and he wouldn’t stop hunting down the man that had taken and hurt her. Fucking motherfucker William. He didn’t know him, but he’d searched him up from the information Bobbie gave him. It would be easy enough with M’s help. Damn, M had really come through this time with getting him the location of a possible spot Jana could have been taken to. It had been a surprise and relief when he’d actually seen her standing there.

The bedroom door opened and closed, and she walked out. He was already looking at her, had been when he’d first heard that doorknob turn.

“Everything’s good?” he asked, knowing it was a stupid question because of course things weren’t good. But she nodded, and he turned toward the bottle of booze again. He poured them each a glass, figuring if she didn’t want it he’d guzzle the hell out of it.

When he faced her again he saw her standing only a few steps from him. She was filthy, had blood covering her clothes, but she’d washed her face. He hated seeing the black, swollen eyes she had and the split lip. She also had bruises and welts on her arms, and he knew that she’d have them all over her body.

“You thirsty?” he asked and held out one of the glasses of liquor.

“Yeah.” She took it and drank the whole thing in one shot. “Another,” she gasped out, and he couldn’t help but smirk. She was a tough fucking girl.

He refilled her glass, chugged his down, and poured more vodka into his cup. He wasn’t a big vodka drinker, but he hadn’t actually stayed at his place in a long time, and this was the only thing in the cupboard. After they’d each had three drinks, he took her cup and set everything on the counter. “You probably want to clean up?”

She looked down at herself, picked at her bloodstained and filth covered shirt, and sighed. “I’m sure I look like a wreck.” She lifted her gaze slowly, and he was caught up in the way her bright blue eyes seemed so vulnerable as they pierced right into his soul.

“You look like a fighter,” he grumbled out, looked away, and knew that he shouldn’t,
couldn’t
, be thinking about her in any way that wasn’t about making her whole and healed. “Come on, I’ll show you where everything is.”

Once he tended to her, got her set up and took care of her, he’d let the club know what was going on. Lucien and the boys wouldn’t be happy, but that was how things would roll. Then he’d hunt down the motherfucker that hurt her.

He showed her to the bathroom, grabbed a fresh towel and a pair of his sweats and a t-shirt for her, then started the bath as she looked at herself in the mirror.

“I can do that,” she said softly and turned her head toward him.

“No trouble.” He didn’t look at her, just grabbed the most expensive shampoo he had, which after looking at it appeared to be as old as the fucking house. “Shit.” He grabbed a fresh Irish Spring bar of soap. “I’m sorry, this is all I have, unless you want some old ass shit.” He lifted the bottle and turned it around. “I can’t even read the label it’s so damn faded.”

She started chuckling, and the sound was so damn feminine, so sweet and soft that he wanted to just wrap her in his arms and not let go. Damn, he was getting all soft for this woman, but he couldn’t deny that it felt damn good to actually feel something for a female that wasn’t just about a piece of ass for a few hours.

“Anything and everything is better than nothing, Tuck.”

He left her alone though, didn’t touch her, and didn’t even speak, because he honestly didn’t know what to say. Instead he headed out, pulled his cell out of his pocket, and started to dial the club’s number. The club would sure as fuck have questions. He wouldn’t tell them anything over the phone, but he would in person, because he wasn’t a weak coward that did shit on the line. He wanted to look them in the face so that they knew this was important to him, how important
she
was to him.

****

Jana slipped out of the tub, feeling her muscles and bones protest, but actually having the sensation that everything would be okay. For the last few days, which now that she reflected on it all felt like it had taken a huge chunk out of her life, she had never felt so safe then she did right now with Tuck. She’d spoken to Bobbie and even little Braden, hated that she was away from her friend and son, but right now she couldn’t stand to have him look at her and see the abuse she’d suffered at the hands of his father.

Stopping at the sink, but not looking at her reflection just yet, she took a deep breath and thanked whoever was listening that they’d looked after her and that things had worked out, even if they had been in this twisted, screwed up way. She may have had the strength to finally leave William, and her actions may have caused her to be in this situation right now, but she’d made it out alive, and Braden was okay. Tuck had been there, not even knowing her, but helping her and putting his life on the line. How could she ever repay him for his kindness?

She wiped her hand over the mirror, watched as the fog dissipated and condensation took its place. Looking into the glass she stared at her reflection. Her hair was even darker now that it was wet, and she smoothed a hand over it, and along the ends that curled slightly. One of her eyes was swollen almost all the way shut, and her other one was bloodshot, the blueness of her iris barely registering. She had bruises and cuts all over her face and neck, and William’s handprint marked in black and blue on her throat from when he’d held her down that first night she’d been there.

Letting the towel drop to the floor she stared down at her body. Nasty, ugly welts in shades of red, black, blue and purple covered her thighs and belly. Her arms had fingerprint sized marks on them as well, and for a minute she was about to break down, just let the past few days consume her. But no, she couldn’t. She needed to stay strong and heal, because the sooner she did that the sooner she could go to her son. Would she leave River Run after this? She honestly didn’t know. Jana didn’t want to, because the truth was she felt safe with the club, with this town, and Tuck most of all.

After she got dressed in his clothes, she lifted the bottom of his shirt and brought it to her nose. Inhaling deeply she closed her eyes and pictured her life much differently. Tuck might be in a biker club, be hard, violent, and have killed people right in front of her, but he’d come for her. She didn’t know how or why, but she’d find out soon enough. She owed him her life, and she’d never forget that.

Leaving the bathroom she made her way into the living room when she heard his deep voice. The house was dark aside from the porch light on, and she saw him standing outside, the cell to his ear, and his voice hard and angry.

“I did what I had to do, and I’ll do it again in a fucking heartbeat.”

There was a moment of silence, and she stepped closer, knowing she shouldn’t be listening to his personal conversation.

“I know he’ll be pissed, and I know what I did will have blowback, but I couldn’t just stand there and wait for something to fall in our damn laps, Pierce.” He ran a hand over his hair. “I don’t fucking care what in the hell happens to me, or the repercussions. This is what I had to do to bring Jana back.”

She covered her mouth with her hand and turned to leave to go back to the room, but the sound of the door opening stopped her. She turned around and saw Tuck watching her. He closed his phone.

“You heard all of that?”

She dropped her hand to her side and shook her head. “Just a minute or so.” She spoke softly.

He moved over to the kitchen, grabbed the bottle of vodka again and two glasses, and walked over to the lone couch in the living room. Aside from the TV, which was probably the most expensive thing in the home, his home was pretty sparse. He sat on the couch, gestured for her to come forward, and she did just that.

Jana moved closer, sat on the edge of the couch, and turned to face him. “Tuck—”

He shook his head. “Wait, Jana. I have a lot to say, and I want to make sure you know it all before you say anything.”

She swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”

He poured her some vodka, handed her the glass, and when she took it he poured himself a nearly overflowing glass of the clear liquor. He set the bottle on the ground, sucked down half of the alcohol in one gulp, and breathed out when he’d swallowed it all.

“I’m not a good man,” he said without looking at her. He finished off his glass, and set it on the ground beside the bottle. “I’ve killed people, beat them to the point of death, and done things I will never be proud of.” He looked at her then. “I’m not a good man,” he repeated, “but when I found out you were gone there was something in me that snapped. I felt like this monster was let loose, one I thought I buried years ago.”

She was confused by what he said. He’d been worse than what he was saying he was now? That was a little frightening, but either way he’d saved her, and she couldn’t deny the attraction she had for him, this connection that drew her in.

“Listen, Jana.” He breathed out and turned to stare at her fully. “In order to find you I had to do something that put me in a bad spot with the club.”

“What do you mean?” She didn’t want him in trouble, but she also couldn’t deny that he’d saved her, so she was happy he’d done what he did. “Will they hurt you?” She didn’t want Tuck getting her because of her, even if she was thankful he’d come for her.

He stared at her with these piercing eyes, and she wanted so desperately for him to pull her into his lap and hold her, just let her know everything was okay. Maybe it was a weak thing for her to want, but the truth was she felt so fragile right now, so off balanced.

“Jana…” He said her name as if pained, and when she thought he would reach out to her, because he seemed like he wanted her, and God, did she want him, he leaned back on the couch again and looked defeated. “I went to a man that I knew from a former life, a life where I was addicted to heroin, didn’t care about anyone or anything, and only worried about when my next high was. It was two decades ago, a lifetime away anymore, but I still went to him because he has connections.”

Her heart was in her throat, and she wanted to reach out to him … and that’s just what she did. She placed her hand on his much bigger one, felt him tense beneath her, and saw the way he looked at her. “I’m sorry you had to go down that route, but you saved me, Tuck. Surely that means something, because I know it means everything to me.” She started crying, felt the tears slide down her cheeks, stinging her open wounds, but making her feel alive. Jana wiped the wetness away, wincing slightly as her hand moved across her fresh bruises and the cut right under her eye.

“Please don’t cry.”

Here was this man, gruff, hard around the edges, and so very dangerous, acting concerned, caring, and not wanting her to cry. It made Jana cry harder.

“Please, Jana, please don’t. It pains me to see you like this.” He lifted a hand, went to touch her face, but at the last second curled his fingers into his palm and stopped. She reached out, grabbed his wrist, and brought his hand to her. She made him touch the side of her face, made his palm cover her cheek, and then she leaned into it, closing her eyes as his warmth seeped into her, past the pain and anger she held inside.

“You make me feel safe,” she whispered, her eyes still closed, but a smile covering her lips. “You make me feel like nothing can ever hurt me again, that no one will get me or Braden.”

He breathed in and out evenly. “No one will ever hurt you again, Jana,” he said just as softly, but with his voice being so deep it made tingles move through her. “No one will ever make you feel afraid.” He was closer now, and when she opened her eyes she saw his face was right beside hers. “Fuck, I hate that you’re in pain, that some motherfucker did this to you.”

She heard him clench his teeth, felt his anger as if it were her own.