Temper Him by Caitlyn Dare

Chapter Twelve

Conner

"Get your ass to my house now," Levi barks down the line the second I answer my cell. Music booms in the background, telling that he's at some Friday night Heights party.

"Is she okay?" I ask in a rush. We all know too well the kind of shit that goes down at some of those parties.

"Can you get there or not?"

"Y-yeah, I'm leaving now. Tell me she's okay."

"She'll be fine."

"That's not what I fucking asked." I hang up and march to the pool house doors.

"What's going on?" Cole asks when I have my fingers wrapped around the handle.

"Nothing," I mutter, pushing the door open and not bothering to look back. I know exactly what I'll see: Hadley grinding her drunk ass down on his denim-clad cock. Lucky motherfucker. Ace isn't in a much different position either.

"We'll come."

"No," I shoot over my shoulder. "I think you've already done enough. Don't you?"

Before he gets a chance to respond, I blow through the door and allow it to slam behind me.

There was never a question as to whether I would forgive Cole for killing our 'father.' I couldn't give a shit about the man who ruined our lives, but what I can't get over right now is the fact that he lied to both Ace and me about it. As far as I was concerned, Cole and I didn't have secrets, and yet he fucking kept something so huge from me. All the while that cunt Warren has been walking around knowing all about it and planning how to fuck us up.

The drive to Levi's seems to take longer than any other time I've made this exact same journey to the Heights.

It's nearing midnight. The roads are dead, and the only light comes from my car and the moon shining through the trees. It's eerie as fuck and only makes the fear that's quickly filling my veins get worse.

What the hell has happened that Levi would call me there in the middle of the night? I swear to God, if Warren has so much as laid a finger on her I'll fucking kill him before the sun comes up, consequences be damned. I love my brother, I'd hate to see him go down, but maybe he should have considered that possibility before putting a bullet through that piece of shit's head.

As I wheelspin around the corner that leads to Levi's driveway, I pull up behind his car right as his brake lights illuminate and he brings it to a stop.

My car has barely stopped moving when my feet hit the ground and I run toward him.

"What's going—fuck," I bark, seeing my girl passed out in the backseat of his piece of shit car.

I rip the door open and take her in my arms. Her short skirt has ridden up around her hips, revealing her black panties, and her tank's lifted, showing off her toned stomach, but other than being a little exposed I can't see any evidence of him hurting her.

Carefully, I right her clothing and slide her into my arms, clutching her to my chest and breathing her in.

"What the fuck happened?" I snap at Levi as I follow him into his house with Kenny limp in my arms.

"Party at Macker’s, that's what happened."

"That fuck took her to Macker’s?" That sleazebag has a reputation that puts most of the Heights to shame.

"Take her to my room, first on the right. I'll get her a glass of water and pills. I think she's going to need them."

My lips part to ask more questions, but my priority right now is looking after Kenny.

I race forward and kick open Levi's bedroom door before laying her on his bed and sitting down beside her.

She's totally out of it.

My heart crashes against my ribs as I stare down at her. She's got makeup smeared all over her cheeks with tear tracks streaked through it.

"What happened tonight, babe?" I ask softly, trying to wipe the mess from her cheeks with my thumb.

She doesn't respond. She can't.

Levi's footsteps sound out behind me before he closes the door and walks over. He places a glass of water and a box of Advil on the nightstand.

"I grabbed these from the bathroom," he says, passing a packet of face wipes over to me before he drops down into the chair by the window.

"What happened?" I ask again through gritted teeth.

"You really want to know?"

No, I really fucking don't. "Yes."

Levi blows out a long breath before glancing at Kenny and then back to me. "He had her drink spiked. Fucked one of Macker’s sluts in front of her and then..."

"And then?"

His expression tightens. "She wants you to know the details, she can tell you, man."

"Jesus fucking Christ." I scrub my hand down my face, all kinds of crazy-ass ideas filling my mind about what he could have forced on my girl. "Where is he?"

"I made sure he took enough of whatever they were lacing the drinks with to knock out a small horse. He won't be waking up for a few hours yet."

"This is seriously fucked up."

"You fucking think?"

"She's gonna be okay, right?"

"Yeah, though I suspect she’ll have a killer hangover in the morning."

"I can't let her stay here. I can't let him keep doing this to her."

"Then fucking don't. Find a way to end this... to end him."

My fists curl with my need to do just that. "It's fucking coming. I just need to make sure he can't hurt anyone else first."

"We need to get her back before the sun comes up. If he thinks she went anywhere but home he's gonna be on the warpath. You can both stay in here. I'll crash on the couch." He pushes from the chair and walks to the door.

"Lev?"

"Yeah?"

"Did he... did he let anyone else..." I trail off. He doesn't need me to spell it out for him.

"Not that I know of, but I had to leave in order to deal with him."

I nod and he pulls the door open before I call for him again. This time I look over my shoulder and catch his eyes when he does the same thing.

"T-thank you."

He nods, accepting my appreciation before pulling the door closed behind him and leaving me alone with my girl.

Twisting around, I pull her boots from her feet and quietly drop them to the floor before toeing my own off. I pull out a couple of the wipes Levi handed me and make quick work of cleaning up her face until I reveal my gorgeous girl beneath, and then I crawl onto the bed beside her.

There are so many things I want to say to her, want to ask her, but I can't. Well, I could, but it's not going to get me any of the answers I so desperately need right now.

Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pull her into my body and drop my lips to her forehead.

"I've got you, babe. You're safe now." My voice cracks with emotion. She might be safe right this second, but I know Levi is right. We need to deliver her back before sunrise, and then she's once again going to be at his mercy.

Part of me hopes that the quantity of drugs Levi gave him tonight will finish him off, but another part would feel cheated if that were to happen. I want to be there, watching as the life drains from his eyes. I want to be the one who delivers the final blow and puts an end to the cunt that's tried to ruin my girl's life time and time again.

The sound of her shallow breathing is the only noise that fills the room as the minutes tick by. She sleeps soundly in my arms, but I have no chance of shutting off. I've got too many ideas running around my head about what she might have endured tonight. I know I should probably be relieved that she isn’t covered in blood and bruises, but we both know that the worst pain is often on the inside.

My hold on her doesn't falter, but all too soon the sky begins to turn orange as the dawn of a new day begins.

I want to lift her into my arms, place her in my car and run away with her. We could drive out of the Heights, past the Bay and just disappear together.

But where would that leave us? Where would that leave my dad and my brothers?

Warren isn't likely to give up that easily. He would haunt us wherever we went, and we would be constantly looking over our shoulders, waiting for him to show his face.

I force out a long breath and Kenny groans in my arms.

"K, babe?"

Her eyelids flicker and my breathing ceases as I wait for her to wake up and look at me.

I know the second reality slams into her because her entire body tenses before she attempts to curl herself into a ball.

"Babe, it's okay. You're safe. I've got you."

"C-Conner?" she croaks. The little bit of hope I hear in her voice rips my heart in two all over again. I thought walking away from her the other day was bad, but that's going to pale in comparison to what this morning has in store for us.

"Yeah, babe. I'm right here."

"Oh my God," she sobs, burying her face in my chest, her entire body trembling as her memories hit her.

I rub my hands up and down her back as she cries, wishing I could take her pain away and make it mine, anything to make all of this more bearable for her.

"Do you need a drink, some pain meds?" I ask once she's calmed down a little.

"Y-yeah. I think I might be dying." She tries to force some amusement into her voice, but it falls very flat.

"Here, hold your hand out." I watch as she downs the entire glass of water and throws back the pills. "You want to talk about it?" What little color she did have in her face immediately drains away.

"Where are we?" she asks, avoiding my question.

"Levi's bedroom. He got you out and called me."

"He's a good guy." I nod. "But what about—"

A soft knock on the door cuts off her question. I'm glad, because I really don't want to hear that motherfucker's name fall from her lips.

"I'm sorry, but we really should get you back," Levi says to Kenny.

Her entire body sags at his words. "It's not over then?" she asks no one in particular.

"I'm so sorry, babe."

"Don't. It's not your fault."

"Where is he?"

"He should be passed out at Macker’s still, but he won't be forever, and he's going to want to know where you are."

"Great."

"Do you remember last night, Ken?" Levi asks her, and she immediately tenses.

"Y-yeah."

"I… I was hoping maybe you wouldn't."

"Life's not that kind. Can I use your bathroom before we..."

"Sure." He directs Kenny down the hall before stepping into his room and changing his shirt. "She okay?" he asks as I shove my feet into my sneakers.

"What the fuck do you think?"

"You can't come, you know that right?"

"Fuck that, man. I'm not losing out on any time with her."

His eyes find me. "But... if he sees you..."

"Then we need to make sure he fucking doesn't."

The second Kenny reappears from the bathroom, I drag her into my side and don't release her until Levi pulls to a stop in front of the Kraven trailer. I hate to let her go. It physically fucking pains me to do so, but I know I've got no choice.