Claim & Protect Page 2

  The crowd’s rumble and the bass from some new alternative rock song on the sound system faded as he strolled down the back hall. A woman leaned against the far wall with arms crossed waiting on whoever was hogging the bathroom, but otherwise the space was deserted. Maybe Jace was right and he was jumping to conclusions. Although, how the hell he could misread her palming that damned device all night he couldn’t fathom.

  Slowly, he eased the door latch open. The employee parking lot’s lights buzzed overhead and the thick humidity walloped hard before he’d so much as put one boot heel on the asphalt.

  Natalie’s voice cut from the shadows on the far side of the lot. “I know you’re scared, but you can’t call the cops.”

  Stepping free of the door, Trevor found her perched on one of the more private picnic table benches his employees used for smoke breaks. Her back was to the entrance and she fisted a good chunk of her mink-colored hair on top of her head like she might pull it out in another half a second.

  Oddly, seeing her so tense knocked his plans for a come-to-Jesus talk down a notch and made him want to find out what was wrong and fix it instead.

  “Mom, if you call the cops, he’s just going to haul us back to court. I can’t afford any more attorney fees.” She paused and sat up straighter, letting her dark hair fall free around her shoulders. “I know he’s the one not following the rules, but it won’t matter with the kind of friends he’s got. Just keep the lights off, keep Levi quiet, and don’t answer. I’ll be home after the bar closes.”

  His instincts bristled, the potent fear in her voice and the fact that anyone would have to hide in their own home putting all his senses on high alert.

  She glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes popped wide. Her voice dropped, but not enough to cover her words. “I gotta go, Mom. You’ll be fine. Wyatt’s an idiot, but not enough to break down the door.”

  Break the door down? Who was this asshole and, more importantly, what the fuck was he doing harassing Natalie?

  She clicked off the phone and stood, slipping the device in her back pocket with the same practiced ease she’d shown all night.

  Trevor forced his fingers to release their death grip and let the door swing shut. “There a problem?”

  “Nope. All good.” Striding his direction, she pasted a fake smile on her face and motioned toward the picnic tables. “Just needed a quick break to settle something at home.”

  A lie. Not one her body language indicated she was comfortable giving him, but a lie all the same. Keeping his place in front of the door, he crossed his arms and cocked his head. There were two ways his could play this—call her on what he’d overheard, or see if she’d pony up the info on her own. Considering he hated anyone poking into his own business, he opted for door number two. “Pretty sure we talked about my policy on phones during work.”

  She stopped just out of reach and squared her shoulders. Despite her proud stance, her gaze didn’t quite reach his, focusing on his collarbone instead. “Yes, sir.”

  “So are you going to tell me why you’d risk your new job breaking that policy?”

  “I’d rather not.” The same gumption she’d shown the day she’d interviewed fired bright behind her eyes, but there was something else there tonight. A worry she couldn’t quite hide beneath her sass.

  He didn’t know this woman. Not really. Not her backstory or what was going on at home, but everything in him fought to scoop her up, tuck her and whoever was on the phone someplace safe and make her spill everything so he could fix whatever was wrong. Though, given the stubborn look on her face right now, that probably wasn’t the most efficient path forward. Better to tackle it from a more professional angle to start. “Not gonna lie to you, Nat. You’re good with the customers. Reliable. Fast. Friendly. I have a hard time finding one of those qualities in a waitress, let alone all three. I’d rather not have to cast my net for a replacement, but you’re not giving me much help.”

  She swallowed big and pinched her lips together like it was all she could do not to rip him a new one. “My son’s seven, and my mom’s scared to death of my ex. I keep my phone with me so they can reach me if they need to. I promise you, I’m not letting it interfere with my service, but if that’s a deal breaker for you, then I understand. I can either finish out the night, or cut bait now.”

  Oh, yeah. Total attitude and sass wrapped up with the kind of lingo he could appreciate. And she’d given him exactly the in he’d needed to dig deeper. “Your mom got a reason to be afraid of this guy?”

  She held her tongue, but her face blanched a shade or two.

  “Not asking for you to tell me the sordid details,” Trevor said. Though calling Knox and getting every scrap available had shot to the top of his to-do list about three minutes ago. “I’m asking so I can gauge if I’m gonna have a rowdy asshole show up at my bar. I also need to know if this is going to be something you juggle on a daily basis.”

  She huffed out a tired exhale and her shoulders slumped. “I’d say her fears aren’t unfounded, but it’s not something you’d have to deal with here. Wyatt saves his tantrums for smaller audiences.”

  Reflexes born at a young age flared hard and fast. Trevor knew exactly the type of tantrum she meant. Had lived under his father’s tyrannical fists for seven years before fate and his mother’s death had turned his whole world upside down. “Get your stuff and get home.”

  “You’re firing me?”

  “No, I’m telling you to quit jacking around here and get home to your son.” He forced himself to take a solid breath and unclench his fists. “From here on, if you need to keep the phone with you, that’s fine, but use it in private. I don’t need other employees claiming I play favorites. And next time, don’t try to handle two issues at once. Tell me or whoever’s managing the club you’ve got an issue then get your butt home and deal with it right.”

  For the first time since he’d met her, the careful mask she kept in place slipped. A stunning smile replaced it, so beautiful and potent it whispered through him with an almost divine absolution.

  “Thank you,” she said. It was barely more than a whisper, but thick with enough emotion it almost knocked him over. She reached out as though to touch his arm, but tucked her elbow back against her side just as fast. “I promise. You won’t regret this.”

  Before he could respond, she slipped around him, yanked opened the door, and hurried down the dark hall.

  He caught the door in one hand before it could close and stared after her, dangerous ideas he had zero intent of halting taking root in his head. Not only was making a concession for Natalie where phones were concerned a foregone conclusion, her ex had just stepped front and center into Trevor’s crosshairs.

  Chapter Two

  No human being should be allowed to drive on a cocktail of frayed nerves, fear, and adrenaline. Especially not a mother trying to get home to her kid before her narcissistic ex scared him to death banging on the door.

  Barely slowing to check oncoming traffic, Natalie whipped a right-on-red and gunned her Lexus SUV the last block to her apartment complex. Thank God her new boss was a decent human being. She’d been panicked reading her mother’s texts all night, but had been equally terrified of losing her job. Once upon a time, her salary as even a starting RN would have made being the sole provider for her mom and Levi a doable proposition, but that was years and a bad decision ago, and processing health insurance claims didn’t rake in the big bucks. Her tips working one of Dallas’s trendiest bars definitely helped take the edge off.

  Bypassing the main parking lot, she paralleled farther down the street and killed the engine. Trying to hide the gleaming white and chrome vehicle from Wyatt was probably a wasted effort. It stood out almost as strong as a neon sign on a clear night, but it was less than a year old, reliable, and paid for. Aside from the clothes she and Levi had managed to pack,
it was the only asset she’d asked for in the divorce. Plus, it made for one heck of a reminder. A reflection of how much of herself she’d given up before Wyatt had literally knocked her back to her senses.

  The car’s locks engaged with a subtle click, but the automatic headlights stayed illuminated, painting a bold path between her and the staircase across the parking lot. Not exactly the stealthiest approach, but definitely safer in this part of town. Besides, if Wyatt was waiting for her, there’d be no getting around a confrontation.

  Halfway up the staircase, she scanned the cars below. No lights glowed other than the old street lamp and no movement registered, but her heart hammered as though the hounds of hell were queued to pop out of the shadows at any moment. Fucking Wyatt. Just once she’d like to feel safe again. To actually believe she could call the cops and expect some kind of help.

  She worked the old but solid dead bolt until it clunked open and forced the door open with her shoulder. Soft, white light glowed from the galley kitchen’s stove, just enough to let her mom and Levi get around the two-bedroom apartment if they needed to, but not enough to clue Wyatt in to anyone being home. Her mom lay stretched out on the couch with Levi tucked up in the crook of her arm. His dirty-blond hair was tousled and had grown so long it nearly reached his eyes, but cutting it wasn’t a battle she was ready to fight yet. For Levi, a haircut meant looking more like his dad than he already did, which meant he’d fight tooth and nail to avoid it.

  She placed her purse onto the end table, eased to her knees beside him, and whispered, “Hey, sweetheart.”

  Her mom jolted awake, simultaneously squeezing Levi closer and shifting to protect him. Only when she realized it was Natalie crouched beside them, did she let out a shaky breath and relax into the cushions. Once upon a time her hair had been a lustrous dark brown, but now it was nearly all gray. While she never went out of the house without minimal makeup and her simple bob styled just so, tonight it was frazzled. She pressed the heel of her hand against her heart. “Warn an old woman next time, would you?”

  “Sorry. I was in a hurry.” Natalie picked up Levi’s hand and squeezed it, loving the warmth and comfort the simple contact provided. One touch and her heart settled. At the first hint of his little boy scent, her lungs drew their first decent breath in hours.

  Careful not to jar Levi, her mom pushed upright and squinted toward the cable box perched on top of the old box television set. In neon blue, 9:08 p.m. beamed back at them. “I thought you wouldn’t be home until after close?”

  “Yeah, well it turns out my new boss isn’t just hot enough to seduce half of Texas’s female population, but has a heart of gold, too.” When she’d first walked into Trevor’s office for her interview, his looks had literally knocked her for a loop, leaving her as coordinated as a drunken sailor wearing clown shoes. Thick blond hair tied back in a ponytail, sigh-worthy blue eyes, and a square jaw that made her think of Vikings—he was 100 percent, Grade-A visual goodness.

  Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who thought so. Every woman who walked in the bar rubbernecked the laid-back cowboy in blatant appreciation. For that reason alone, she’d vowed never to ogle him or his jean-clad ass again, even if it meant keeping her gaze locked on his chin through all their conversations.

  She smoothed Levi’s bangs off his forehead. “How long’s he been out?”

  “Since Wyatt quit banging on the door about forty-five minutes ago.” Her mom frowned and double-checked to make sure Levi wasn’t feigning sleep. “He’s terrified of him, Nat. It took a full hour after Wyatt started knocking for him to believe me when I said I wouldn’t let Wyatt have him.”

  And her mom wouldn’t either. Maureen Dubois might be petite and almost seventy, but she’d protect Levi with her last breath. The same way she’d tried to protect Natalie by begging her not to marry a highfalutin plastic surgeon. “You know Wyatt. He only wants what he can’t have. Sooner or later, he’s bound to get tired and find something shiny and new.”

  At least that was what she hoped happened. It was a heck of a better plan than following through with her fantasies of running the bastard over with the high-priced SUV he’d bought her.

  She squeezed Levi’s shoulder and kissed his cheek. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s get you in bed.”

  Levi stirred, wrinkled his little nose, and rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes. God, he deserved so much more than the father who’d sired him. Hell, he’d deserved a justice system that wouldn’t turn a blind eye to an abusive man too, but in the end, Wyatt’s good-old-boy network had proven stronger leverage than human decency.

  Finally waking up enough to realize his mom was home, Levi’s eyes sharpened and his whole body went tense. He lurched forward and wrapped his arms around her neck. “He tried to take me. It’s not his turn. He can’t make me go when it’s not his turn.”

  “I know, baby.” Taking him with her as she stood, she hugged him close and paced toward the room he shared with her mom, smoothing her hand down his back. “He’s not going to take you yet. I promise.”

  A heavy knock rapped against the door.

  Natalie whipped around and froze, eyes locked on her mother.

  Inside her arms, Levi’s once-languid body went rigid, and he whimpered.

  She palmed the back of his head and whispered in his ear. “Shhh. Don’t say anything. He’ll go away and it’ll be okay.”

  At least if they were lucky, he would. But then the one thing she’d learned in the most painful way possible the last eight years was that Wyatt didn’t let something go once he’d set his mind on it. Ever. Once the court granted her divorce decree, what he’d decided he wanted was his wife and son back—even if he hated them both.

  The knocks came harder and faster, followed by Wyatt’s bellowing voice. “Open the goddamned door, Nat. I know you’re home. You really think that Lexus blends with this piece of shit neighborhood?”

  She kissed Levi’s cheek and peeled one arm from around her neck. If she didn’t defuse Wyatt quick, he’d shout the whole damned complex down. “Baby, I’ve gotta deal with him, but I promise you, he’s not getting in, okay? Not so much as one step in the house. I’ll just tell him it’s not time for his visit and he’ll go away.” It wasn’t a complete lie. More like a fervent wish that had a snowball’s chance in hell of coming true, but she’d give it her best. At this point, she’d call the cops to make it happen if she had to.

  Levi grappled to regain his hold, but didn’t make a noise. And how sad was that? Seven years old and already versed on how best to avoid his father’s wrath.

  Crouching next to the couch, she sat Levi next to her mother. “It’s just for a minute or two, sweetheart. You’ll see.” She focused on her mother. “I’ll lock the door behind me. Take Levi to your room. No matter what, don’t open it. I’ll tell him I’m headed out and that you two are gone to a movie. If I have to, I’ll take him out for coffee until he’s mollified.”

  “Call the police, Natalie. It’s safer.”

  Wyatt banged on the door. “I want to see my son, Nat. Open the door. Not going to play this game all night.”

  “Sorry, Wyatt!” she called out as chipper and innocent as she could. “I’m coming. Just give me a minute.” She frowned at her mom and squeezed her knee. “No police. We tried that once, remember?” All she’d got was a shrug from the police and extra lawyer bills when Wyatt accused her of breaking custody arrangements. Funny how the onus was on her to prove she’d abided by the decree instead of the other way around.

  She cupped Levi’s face and smiled as big as she could manage. “Soon as this is over we’ll read a book. You wanna sleep with me tonight?”

  He nodded, barely appeased by the bribe.

  “Deal.” She stood, struggling to keep her smile in place while Levi and her mother hustled to their room.

  She could do this. For Levi, she’d r
elocate the damned Sierra mountain range with her bare hands. Snatching her purse off the floor, she sucked in a bracing breath and coiled her hand around the knob. It won’t last forever. In the last nine months those words had been her mantra. The one hope that kept her sane. But tonight was here and now, and whether she liked it or not, she had an asshole to face.

  * * *

  As bad ideas went, snooping around Natalie’s apartment with a bully ex-husband on the loose had to be damned close to the top of the list. Outside Trevor’s driver-side window, a run-down 7-Eleven had a mini congregation of thugs huddled off to one corner. They couldn’t be more than thirteen at most and were huddled into oversized hoodies to fight off the incoming cold front.

  The quiet strains of Chris Stapleton’s latest release disappeared, replaced with the automated feminine voice from the GPS. “In a quarter mile, make a right turn on Mount Auburn Avenue.”

  Shaking his head, Trevor gauged the distance on the onscreen map and fought the urge to cancel the program. He rarely stooped to using the feature that had come with his newest truck, but tonight speed seemed more important than feeding his pride.

  He took the turn indicated and coasted another half a block, checking out both side windows for numbers on mailboxes.

  “Your destination is ahead on the right.”

  As soon as the guidance trailed off and the music kicked back into play, Trevor pulled up to a smallish parking lot. The building behind it wasn’t the worst apartment complex he’d ever seen, but it wasn’t the best either. No gates or signs of security, and probably older than the ranch he’d grown up on, but the grounds were well kept and a few antiquated streetlights cast a moderate glow.

  He snatched the Post-it he’d jotted Natalie’s address on and compared it to what he’d punched in on the nav.

  Yep. Definitely the right place. For some reason, seeing her Lexus in the employee lot and appreciating the simple but quality clothes she’d worn for work every night, he’d expected something completely different. Then again, all he’d really had time to learn about her was that she seemed undaunted when it came to tackling new tasks and looked damned fine doing it, which made him seriously reconsider only doing cursory background checks on entry-level employees.