BarelyBreathing Read online

  Right now, looking at him, she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed with him and cuddle into his heat. Maybe he’d wake up and feel frisky. She almost laughed. There was no maybe to it. She could already see the length of his cock tenting the sheets and wondered what he was dreaming. And if she was playing a starring role in it.

  She snagged her key ring as well as Griff’s before heading out of the apartment toward the lot and her car. She really needed to hear her dad’s voice. And she wanted privacy. He’d be mad at her for trying to go around him. She’d deal with it, and Jack’s part in selling her out. Later, when the dust finally settled and she knew where she stood.

  She couldn’t wait for her dad to meet Griff. It was so important to her they like each other and get along. Her dad was the most important man in her life. Griff had the potential to be just as important. Would he want to? She nodded. She’d just have to make sure he did.

  She glanced up as she exited the building but her mind was too wrapped up in thought to relay what she was seeing fast enough. The hand came out of nowhere. One second she was walking and the next her head was slamming against the brick of the building. Pain exploded. Two hands tightened around her throat and she clawed as dots began to appear before her eyes.

  “Where is Vince?” The voice reeked of hate and violence. Spittle sprayed her face and his rancid breath made her wonder how long he’d been without the convenience of a toothbrush.

  She gurgled and clawed but her fingers just slid over the gloves he was wearing. Lack of oxygen was making her sluggish and weak. Her legs kicked but even she could tell they were weak attempts. He was plastered against her, holding her in place against the wall. She had no room to maneuver and the will to try was fading along with her air supply.

  “Where is he?” He cracked her head back against the wall again.

  Why did he keep asking her questions? It wasn’t as if she could answer him. Not when she was only seconds from passing out. Who was this guy? And how had her dad missed him?

  The hands let up and she gasped in air, struggling to fill her lungs. She would have bruises, could already feel them forming.

  “Who are you?” she managed to croak. Not the response he wanted as his hands quickly began to cut off her oxygen supply again.

  “I’m the one asking questions, you fucking cunt. Where is Vince? Where are my brothers? What the fuck have you done with them?”

  He really needed to quit asking her questions when he was choking the life out of her. Lack of oxygen definitely had her brain struggling to engage. He was obviously another cousin. How had he managed not to be with the others? More importantly, how was it he’d found her instead of her dad finding him? His hands finally eased up just enough to allow another gulp of much-needed air.

  “Can’t breathe.” She hated the burn of her throat as she tried to suck the air in.

  “I don’t care, you fucking bitch. I told them. Begged them to leave it alone. Just let it go. But they couldn’t. Too pumped up by the old man’s deathbed wish for revenge to walk away. I should have been with them.” He was rambling and she wondered how far over the edge he was. It seemed he was talking to himself. She didn’t care. It gave her time to breathe and plan. How the fuck did she get out of this one?

  “Your dad has them doesn’t he?” This time she felt the pinch of his nails through the gloves as he tightened his grip on her neck. Her head slammed back against the wall again. “You better hope they’re still alive.” His face was right back in hers. She could feel the heat of his breath, the spit of his saliva and was glad she couldn’t breathe at the moment. She was too close to throwing up as it was.

  Her lips moved but no sound came out. She thought she saw movement to her left but she couldn’t be sure. The dots were getting connected and blackness was taking over. She didn’t want to die. Not here. Not now. Not like this. She wanted to go back upstairs and crawl into bed with Griff. Wanted to wrap around him and never let go. She wanted to see her dad’s face. To hug him and tell him she loved him one more time. She wanted a life. She wanted everything.

  She heard the smack of flesh on flesh but had no idea if he was hitting her. She couldn’t feel anything. She embraced the dark and let the world slip away.

  * * * * *

  Griff fumbled for the phone. “Hello.”

  “Get your ass down to the parking lot now.” The voice was no more than a whisper.

  “Who is this?”

  “It’s Tyler. Good thing I decided to keep an eye out for Honor.”

  Griff felt the emptiness in the bed beside him and sat up, all traces of sleep gone.

  “Where is she? What’s going on?”

  “Currently pinned against the side of the building by someone. I just took a minute to call you for backup.” Griff heard Tyler’s infuriated hiss loud and clear through the phone. “Fuck. Hurry up. I’m going in.”

  Griff jumped out of bed. He grabbed his jeans and hurried into them while he snagged his gun from the bedside table drawer. He hit the living room on the fly and didn’t bother pulling the door shut as he raced for the stairs. Someone had Honor pinned against the building. Griff didn’t feel the need for stealth. He felt the need to hurry.

  Honor. If something happened to her. His heart just stopped and his mind refused to engage in the what-if game. How could a woman he’d known for such a short frame of time mean so much to him? How had she managed to get so far beneath his skin that she was even now worming her way into his heart?

  His heart did stop when he shoved out of the building and saw Honor crumpled on the pavement. He could hear the harsh grunts and blows and shifted his gaze just long enough to see Tyler was fighting with someone. He knelt beside Honor and felt for a pulse. Thready but it was there. He let his gaze scan the lot for another possible assailant.

  Movement caught his eye and had him lifting his gun. He would kill to protect her.

  “Ambulance is on the way,” Chetan said as he jogged by toward where Tyler still fought. “Guess I better make sure there’s someone left to question.”

  Griff didn’t care. Let Tyler kill the cocksucker. His eyes saw nothing but red as he took in the swelling and bruising around Honor’s neck. He smoothed her hair and felt a lump on the back of her head. On second thought, he did want Tyler to let the other man live. Just long enough for Griff to kill him.

  “Honor. Hey, baby, it’s Griff. I’m here. I’m going to yell at you later. I think we might have one hell of a fight about this. But you have to wake up first. I need you to wake up and let me know you’re okay. Please, Honor. Open those gorgeous eyes and look at me. Tell me to fuck off or get the hell out of your face. Whisper those sweet words of yours to me. Just wake up.”

  He held her close. The bruising and swelling worried him. He prayed as he hadn’t prayed in a long time. It was like being back with his dad when Mick died. And that had him thinking about what Honor had said earlier. He would be devastated if something happened to Honor. He could already feel his heart aching at just the thought. And they’d only just met. They hadn’t had nearly enough time together.

  His mother and father had spent years together and lived a lifetime within them. How must she have felt when he’d been taken from her? Griff remembered a million little things, which maybe he’d let slip from his thoughts in recent years. How he’d catch her praying to his dad sometimes. How she’d cry when she thought no one was around to notice. And he remembered her face the night at the hospital when they’d not been sure if Roman would make it. Devastation.

  She’d managed to find love a second time with Roman. And Griff had been too selfish to be happy for her. Too selfish to give a great guy like Roman a chance. His mother deserved better and Honor was right. His dad wouldn’t be happy with him right now.

  He heard the sirens and looked up to watch them pull in. He’d make things right with his mom, with Roman. Just as soon as he knew Honor was okay. He kissed her on the temple just before they eased her away and lifted he
r onto the gurney. She was going to be okay. She had to be. Otherwise he wouldn’t be able to convince her to stay. And he was going to convince her. No wasn’t going to be an option.

  * * * * *

  Her throat wasn’t as bad as he’d thought. The swelling was completely gone, though the bruises were vivid and dark. Now, if she’d just wake up. As if she had finally decided to listen to him, her eyes fluttered open.

  “Honor.” He leaned in close as she winced. One slim hand rose to gingerly touch her neck.

  “Burns.” Her voice was a rough croak but still the most beautiful sound to him.

  “I’ll get you a drink.” He turned and poured some water from the pitcher into a glass and stuck a straw into it. “Slowly.” He felt violent as he watched her struggle to swallow.

  “Did you get him?”

  “Yeah, he’s locked up.”

  “Good. Was he alone?”

  He nodded. “As far as they can tell.”

  “He said something about, if he had been able to talk them out of it or had been with them. I’m guessing the dad died recently and Vince decided it was time for payback.”

  “Shhh,” Griff urged her to stay quiet. He could tell what it was costing her to keep talking. “I’m more worried about you right now. You scared the hell out of me.”

  “Sorry.”

  He smiled and ran his hand through her hair. The lump had already starting going down on her head as well, though the doctor said she’d probably be tender there for a while. Griff didn’t question the relief that rolled through him that she was awake. He’d deal with those emotions later.

  “What were you doing, Honor? Why’d you leave bed to go to your car?” He knew she hadn’t been sneaking out. The thought had nearly ripped his gut in two but she hadn’t taken anything with her except their keys. Her laptop was still with Chetan and he knew her well enough to know it wouldn’t get left behind.

  She blinked a few times and then he had to hold her down to keep her from trying to leave the bed. “My dad! I was going to call him. Shit! Please tell me no one has called him yet about this.”

  He wouldn’t lie to her. “Jack already called him. He’s on his way here.”

  “Fuck! Jack Madigan is really on my shit list.”

  Griff grinned. “From what I heard, your dad was mad as hell you got hurt. He’s not happy with Jack either. Or any of us, for that matter.”

  “I’ll do my best to make sure no one disappears without a trace while he’s here.”

  Griff was almost sure she was joking. Almost.

  “So what’s the scoop on me?” She held her arms out and did a quick up-and-down glance on her body. He watched her move everything and knew she was taking inventory of what if anything hurt or just felt sore or wrong. “I feel okay except for my throat and a slight headache.”

  “Good. Your neck looks bad. He must have squeezed the hell out of it.”

  “Yeah. Thought for sure I was a goner there a few times. Luckily, he wanted me to answer a question so he let me breathe in between choking the life out of me.”

  “Christ, you scared the shit out of me.”

  “You already said that. I am sorry.” She reached up and trailed her fingers over his cheek. “Do you think they’d let me go? I really don’t want to be confined to this bed when my dad gets here. I’m betting ours will be a reunion best held in private. Not sure the hospital can handle the language that’s sure to fly around.”

  “I’ll see what I can do. I’ll take you back to the apartment.” He watched her and felt relief when she nodded. He had been afraid for a moment she might want to hide whatever was going on between them from her dad.

  He was actually looking forward to meeting her dad. Call it a death wish but he wanted to see the man Honor held so much love and respect for. It might give him a little more insight into Honor as well. You could learn a lot about a person just by looking at their family, where they came from. Which reminded him of a promise he’d made to his dad while he sat beside Honor’s bed waiting for her to wake up.

  He slipped out the door and leaned back against the wall. He took a deep breath and let his eyes shut. Relief and so much more poured through him. She was okay. Banged up a little but, thankfully, still breathing.

  He slid his phone from his pocket and punched in a familiar number. He had an important call to make before hunting down a nurse to get them started on having the doctor release Honor into his care.

  “Griff? Is everything okay?”

  His mom’s voice filled the line and soothed his nerves instantly. How had he let anything come between them? Especially something, no someone, who was obviously so good for his mom.

  “I’m fine, Mom.” There were a million things he wanted to say. A million others that probably needed to be said. But he couldn’t think of any of them.

  “Griff?” His mother’s voice prompted him over the phone.

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m really sorry.”

  “Oh, Griff.” He could hear the tears in her voice and felt them like a knife to his heart. He didn’t need to tell her what for. It was the only thing that really stood between them. And his apology was long overdue. How many tears had she cried over him and his inability to accept her second chance for happiness?

  “Don’t cry.”

  “I’m not.” But he could hear her sniffling. He could also hear Roman’s voice asking if everything was okay.

  Didn’t that make him feel even more like an ass! He hadn’t wanted to accept Roman, to welcome him, even though he respected and even liked the man. Yet, he had no doubt if he was hurt or needed help, Roman would be there in an instant. It said a lot about the man. And a lot about just how much of a child Griff had been.

  “I just wanted to tell you I love you.”

  “Are you sure you’re all right? You’re not in trouble are you?”

  He laughed. Guess it would depend on his mom’s definition of trouble. Honor was definitely going to keep him on his toes. He hoped she stayed around long enough to give him trouble, lots of it.

  “I’m at the hospital with a friend. She’s fine now. But I was worried for a bit. Made me realize what’s important and what’s not.”

  “She? Is this the young lady Roman was telling me about? Honor?”

  Leave it to his mother to pick up on the she.

  “Yeah. Honor. I’m sure you’ll meet her soon.”

  “I can’t wait. She must be someone very special to have you realizing so much.”

  “She is. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

  “Well, I didn’t raise any fools. Besides you have the charm of your father. I’ve never seen a female you couldn’t sway.”

  He thought of Honor and just how different she was. Hell, she scoffed at him being a gentleman. Made jokes about him walking little old ladies across the street. He grinned. She was perfect. He didn’t realize what he was looking for until she stood right in front of him, going nose to nose and telling him off.

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “I love you.” He could hear the tears in her voice again.

  “Tell Roman I said good night.” He heard his mother gasp though she tried to cover it. There was no excuse for how badly he’d behaved.

  “I will. I’ll see you soon?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And be sure to bring your friend around.”

  “I will, Mom. Night.”

  “Night.”

  He disconnected and pushed off the wall to head toward the nurses’ station. He’d be lucky if Honor was still in the room when he returned. He doubted she cared if they released her or not. If she wanted to go, she was going to go. He grinned. He doubted his life would ever have a dull moment with her around. Sounded perfect to him.

  Chapter Ten

  She knew he was awake beside her but he didn’t speak and she was loath to break the silence. It felt good to just lie there with his arms around her. She could pretend this was her new normal, that they belonged together. Even if ju
st for the moment. She had no idea how to casually mention staying in Legacy for a while and was afraid of just how badly it would devastate her if he wasn’t interested.

  The last two days had been hell. Her dad had been determined to cart her back with him to whatever location he was currently in. She’d actually had to remind him of the fact he’d fired her and told her to go have a “normal” life. His glance had bounced between her and Griff and the next thing she knew he’d been grilling Griff.

  Luckily Griff had taken it all in stride. He hadn’t seemed surprised by the questions. She had known the moment her dad agreed to leave without her he approved of Griff. Otherwise she’d be waking in a much different bed right now. Alone.

  “Stace and Shep won’t be back until after the weekend. They called Jack and said they were staying another week with Chloe. He didn’t mention you or anything that happened here.” She felt the brush of his lips over the top of her head where it rested on his chest.

  “She’ll be pissed later, but she has enough to deal with right now. I hope Chloe is okay. Maybe they’ll bring her back here with them.”

  “I think Stace had plans along those lines. But Chloe seems to think she has to handle this on her own and feels as if she’s failing. She’s a tough girl though.”

  “She is.” She cleared her throat. “Maybe I should stick around until she gets back. See if there’s anything I can do to help.”

  He tensed under her and she felt her heart start to break. He didn’t want her to stay. Pride had the next words spilling out.

  “There are plenty of places I could stay while I’m in town. I can move into another place here or I’m sure it would be safe to go back to a hotel.”

  “Don’t.” One word and it was more vicious then a jagged blade to her heart. She would not fucking cry.

  “Sorry.” She struggled to pull away from him but he tightened his grip. “Let go, Griff. If you don’t want me here then I’ll just pack up and head out now. It’s been real. Thanks for a fucking good time.” She brayed out a harsh laugh at the double meaning.