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  Ethan raised a brow at ‘mouse’ but didn’t ask.

  “I hear Ethan beat the crap out of that jerk, huh.”

  “I’m going to let Skye talk to you. I will be back shortly.” He kissed Shelby’s head and offered the chair to Skye.

  Skye looked at him. “Thank you. For being here for her.”

  He nodded and walked back out into the hall where he found Zak.

  “How is she?” Zak asked and gave him a coffee.

  “Better. Doc said the swelling is going down.” Ethan took a sip of the scalding brew. “Her best friend, Skye, is in there with her now. She flew in from Vegas.”

  “Good.”

  “Yup. Good.”

  They stood together in silence. Words didn’t need to be said. That was until he saw John stop at the desk to ask about Shelby. Why was he still here? They wouldn’t let him in to see her after the fiasco a few days ago. Ethan never left so he couldn’t sneak in to see her. And it really boggled his mind why her mom never showed.

  John left the desk and walked straight up to him.

  Brave, but stupid. Very stupid.

  “I just want you to know, I have the authorities on this case.”

  “Good.”

  John sneered. “I don’t think you understand. You’re a suspect. Andrew would never do something like this. But a man with a record already. Well, I don’t think I need to say more.”

  John turned to leave like he held the upper hand.

  “I don’t think you understand, John.” Ethan stalked up to him and got in his face, enjoying the way the man almost cringed under him. It didn’t take much for him to bring out all his scary. And he knew he was a scary motherfucker if it suited him. “Cops listened to the voicemail. They heard it all. Your little fuck had his pants undone. Knife had his fingerprints all over it. It doesn’t matter what my record says. It’s never been for hitting a woman or raping one.”

  “Ethan. She’s asking for you.”

  He spun, his heart pounding. “She’s awake?”

  Skye managed a weak smile through her tears. “Kind of.”

  John completely forgotten, a few long strides had him beside Shelby. She turned her head and opened her eyes. Barely, but they were open.

  “Ethan,” she croaked.

  He held her as tightly as he dared and kissed her shoulder while she cried into his shirt. “Oh hell, darlin’, I’m so glad you’re awake.”

  His heart soared and even though she was still hurt, he knew she was going to be okay. He cupped her face so he could look at her. Bruises fading, swelling down, those brown eyes looked up at him. He lightly kissed her healing lips just as the nurses and doctor came in.

  Chapter 17

  He and Skye were ushered out so they could talk to Shelby and assess her. Ethan introduced Skye to Zak.

  “I’m out. You need anything, call,” Zak said.

  “Got it,” Ethan answered as Zak left.

  Skye flicked at her nail and eyed Ethan.

  “What?”

  “You care about her.”

  Ethan crossed his arms and leaned against a wall.

  “Nothing to say?”

  “No.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Do you have any idea how so not-her-type you are?”

  “Yup.”

  She dropped her arms in a huff. “Are you this talkative with Mouse?”

  “Mouse?”

  “My nickname for her. When I met her she was quiet as a mouse.”

  “Interesting.”

  “Why is that interesting?”

  “Because I saved her from a mouse the first…no, second time I met her.” He smirked at the thought of her crouching on the table throwing dishes at the mouse.

  “And the first time?”

  “I kissed her.” He ignored Skye’s shocked expression when the doctor came out.

  The news was good. They would be moving her to a regular room, and she should be able to go home in a couple of days.

  Ethan smiled for the first time in almost a week.

  As promised, a few days later, Shelby got to go home. Her arm was still in a sling, the bruises were still there, but faded. The best thing, she could open her eyes fully. She was unsteady on her feet from the head injury and slept quite a lot. The process of checking out of the hospital and getting her home left her exhausted, and Ethan got her settled in bed.

  “You all right, Brown Eyes?”

  She nodded, but didn’t say anything. She hadn’t said much at all since she woke up, and that bothered him.

  “I’m going to let Skye stay with you. Let you girls get reacquainted. Skye said she hadn’t seen you in a while.”

  Shelby frowned.

  He brushed a thumb over her cheek. “It’s all good, babe. You’re home.”

  Ethan didn’t want to go, but what she needed most was time with her girl. Guys, in general, were probably not too high on her list of favorite people. After him acting like a shit, then everything else, he reasoned that Skye was who she needed.

  So he stayed busy, texted Shelby several times a day checking on her, and each time, she assured him she was fine. It was driving him nuts staying away, but he thought it best. He wanted to do what was best for her…not him.

  Him? He wanted to hold her every God damn night for the rest of her fucking life. Watch her smile. Watch her laugh. Watch her watch him. And that was all kinds of fucked up.

  As Skye said, he wasn’t her type.

  He wanted to do what was best for her. He wasn’t it.

  He sat at Booseys, tucked into a corner table, and nursed a beer. He wasn’t fit for company, and he didn’t want to talk to anyone. That didn’t stop Mick and a guy he’d seen around but never met from sitting at his table.

  “Ethan, this is Rim.”

  He took in the leathers, the hard edge of the guys face, and nodded. A Steel Grim patch was sewn onto the arm of his jacket. He’d seen several guys around Nashville with that same patch. Seen a lot more of them in Booseys. He shook his hand and glanced at Mick.

  “Rim got Spaz into the right hands,” Mick said with a satisfied light in his eyes.

  Ethan’s brows shot up. He knew better than to ask outright what that meant. But he knew he was looking at the person responsible for his father’s demise.

  Rim leaned his arms on the table. “Spaz had a lot of enemies looking for him. I just helped them find him.”

  Ethan downed his beer and nodded. “Couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”

  “I knew you would want to know,” Mick said.

  “Yup.” He was not in the most talkative mood.

  “I’ve heard your band. You’re good. Know Steel Grim supports you.”

  He measured Rim measuring him. Ethan knew all about gangs. Atlanta had been chock full of them, and he avoided them as much as possible.

  The lines in Mick’s face hardened as he stared at Rim. “I’ll talk to you later, Ethan,” Mick said and abruptly left.

  Ethan set his beer on the table and crossed his arms. “I’m not joining your MC.”

  Rim’s sharp eyes stayed on him. “You don’t have to. Family is family. Next time you have trouble, let us know.”

  Ethan narrowed his eyes. “Family?”

  “What? Mick didn’t tell you?” Rim smirked. “Dana is my aunt. See you around, Ethan.”

  Ethan suppressed his shock until Rim left. Being related to the leader of a motorcycle club was as good as being in one. No telling how long they’d been watching him. He gritted his teeth and shoved a hand through his hair. Now it made sense why there were more Steel Grim guys in Booseys than anywhere else.

  Rim was Mick’s nephew and his fucking cousin.

  Three days later, Skye’s name flashed on his phone as it rang.

  “Yeah,” he answered.

  An ear splitting scream hit his ears, and his breath froze in his throat.

  “Ethan,” Skye said. “Get your ass over here.”

  He was already in his truck and headed tha
t way when he heard another scream. “What is going on?”

  “No one is attacking her. But dammit, she needs you.”

  “There in fifteen.”

  He made it in ten.

  His heart thundered in his chest as he slid to a halt in her drive and slammed inside. Skye stood, dark circles under her eyes, her hair a mess. At her feet, Shelby was curled up in a ball on the floor, crying and hysterical. He rushed to her.

  “Shelby.” He pulled her to him, and she cried out his name like a prayer. “Babe. What is it?”

  She wouldn’t look at him, just buried her stifled sobs into his shirt. He picked her up and carried her into her bedroom and sat with her on the bed.

  “Why did you leave me?” Shelby fisted her one good hand in his shirt and shook him.

  He cupped her face and wide, glassy eyes stared up at him.

  “I didn’t leave you, darlin’.”

  “You’re not here.”

  “I was giving you space.”

  “I don’t want space.”

  His heart stuttered to a stop.

  “I need you. You promised you wouldn’t leave me.” Her tears once again stained his shirt.

  “I’m here, now.”

  She didn’t say anything else, just curled up against him and went to sleep. When he was sure she was asleep, he tucked her in bed and noticed a bottle of pills on the nightstand. He picked it up. Xanax? Revulsion and fear choked him. No way in hell did she need to get addicted to this shit. He rushed out of the room into the kitchen, opened the bottle, closed his eyes, and poured every pill down the drain. He turned on the water and, for good measure, flipped on the garbage disposal.

  His mouth twisting with distaste, he checked the label. Thank fuck there weren’t any refills.

  Skye came in. “What the hell, Ethan? She can’t sleep without those. She can’t even function without those.”

  “She doesn’t need fucking Xanax.” He shook and blew out a breath.

  She stared hard at him, and her mouth slacked. “Damn. You were an addict.”

  He dropped the bottle in the trash. “Yeah. I was. And she doesn’t need them.”

  “You haven’t been here. She wakes with nightmares every night and constantly calls out your name.”

  His brows furrowed. “I texted her. She said she was fine.”

  Skye snorted. “She lied.”

  “Why?”

  “She thought you didn’t want her.” Skye shook her head. “No matter how many times I told her otherwise. All I know is, you better be staying. She wants you, and you just trashed the only peace she ever gets.”

  “I’m not good for her. You know this, right? You even said it.”

  Skye laughed. “I said you were not her type. I didn’t say you weren’t good for her. You’re the best thing that ever walked into her life. You better wake up and see that. I haven’t gotten any sleep in days, I’m going to bed.”

  Skye went upstairs, leaving Ethan to muddle through his thoughts alone. Would he ever figure Shelby out? He went to her, kicked off his biker boots, stripped to his boxers, and slid into bed with her. She turned to him and rested her head on his chest. He crushed her hair in his hands.

  *

  Shelby woke wrapped up in hot flesh and muscle. Safe. She looked to Ethan’s sleeping face. He hadn’t left her. Her heart beat wild in her chest. She traced his lips and the sliver ring that she loved to nibble on. Her hands slid down his chest, admiring his strength and the tattoos that made him who he was. She stopped on the new image on his chest.

  She pushed away a bit so she could get a better look. A large butterfly done in peach tones with ten or more tiny ones fluttering around it. Inside one of the large wings, Brown Eyes was written in flowery script. In fact, the entire tattoo was pretty and feminine.

  Her breath caught. She reached out and touched it. He inked his skin with a symbol of her. Tears clogged her throat, and she looked up into face. His dark gaze was on her.

  Intense. Penetrating. Questioning.

  “I thought you’d be better off without me. I was trying to do what was best for you.” He leaned his head down so his lips skimmed hers. “But I won’t ever leave you unless you want me to.”

  “Ethan.” His words sank in and those butterflies soared. “I love you. I—”

  He had her pinned beneath him in seconds, but still careful of her injured arm. “What did you say?”

  His breath was hard, his eyes wild. He searched her face, and she smiled. He was all kinds of edgy even though he tatted the girliest thing she’d ever seen on his hard body.

  “I love you,” she whispered against his lips.

  He kissed her tenderly. Softly. Like he had all the time in the world. His mouth made love to hers until she was panting and aching with want.

  “I love you, my brown-eyed butterfly.”

  Epilogue

  December 30th

  Shelby, Cassie, and Lila had secured seats near the front of the stage. The place was packed for the New Year’s celebration on Broadway that went on for five days. They were here for Battle of the Bands and, of course, DirtSlap was getting ready to hit the stage.

  Had you asked her six months ago where she would be, it definitely wouldn’t have included living in Nashville with a tatted up lead singer. She had healed from the attack from Andrew. At least, externally. Ethan was healing her internally.

  When the guys walked on stage, the place exploded. Screams and boos combined. The boys got a mix of love/hate from their fans. Not fitting in that box, as Ethan would say, got you some haters, and they were okay with it.

  Ethan stepped to the edge of the stage, his stance wide, pointed out to the crowd and nodded. His wicked grin in place, he placed a hand to his ear to encourage more screams. Which got an immediate response.

  They kicked it into gear. High gear. Because they didn’t know any other way. She loved watching him on stage. Especially a big one like this. He had the crowd worked up, they sang the very few covers they still did. DirtSlap was all about their originals nowadays.

  His voice always got to her. Deep, gravelly, and totally seductive, it slid down her spine, making her toes tingle. She pumped her arm in the air, jumped, and screamed right along with Cassie and Lila. She wasn’t afraid to stand out and be herself anymore.

  “That was awesome,” Ethan said into his mic, then folded his mirrored shades and hooked them in the collar of his shirt. He looked out to the crowd. “There’s someone I want ya’ll to meet.”

  He walked the stage until he stopped right in front of her. “Brown Eyes, get up here.”

  Eyes wide, she shook her head. No way was she getting up there. She was all about being herself but not on stage.

  “Get up there,” Cassie said, and Lila pushed her toward him so he could grab her arm and pull her up.

  Heat crept up her cheeks, and she shook her head at him as cheers deafened her.

  “What?” he asked her but said it into the mic so everyone could hear.

  She put her hands on her hips, and he chuckled and looked to the crowd. “Cute isn’t she?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “This is Shelby, ya’ll. She’s my girl, if you can believe that shit.” He pulled her closer. “What am I doing? I need to talk to you.”

  “On stage? With the mic?” She cringed when she heard her voice over the speakers.

  “Well…yeah.”

  She stared up at him and couldn’t keep from smiling. It was impossible when he flashed those dimples at her. He kissed the tip of her nose, and a chorus of ‘ahs’ made her look away.

  “I got a story for, ya’ll. Be patient.” He’d turned from her and was addressing his fans. “When I first met her, I was rescuing her from some jerks who liked to manhandle the waitresses. No, don’t say how sweet yet. I was singing our first gig at Booseys. Ya’ll know where that is. I see this happening and no one else does. So I hop down and I’m thinking, I could slug these guys. Cause hell yeah they deserve it, but th
at might start a brawl, and this is my uncle’s bar.”

  “So, I decide to kiss her. I dunno who this chick is, but if they think she’s with me, then no one will mess with her, right?”

  A round of clapping followed. What was he up to? She tried to sneak off stage. “Nope. Stay put, babe. I ain’t done. Anyway…where was I? Yeah, so I kiss this chick.”

  He pointed at her, and she clutched her hands together nervously. “I scared the shit out of her.”

  She shook her head when everyone laughed.

  “Most don’t know this. I grew up in the Georgia foster system.” He walked up to her and laced one hand with hers. “No one wanted me. Got lost. Then more lost. Then I kissed this girl.”

  His dark eyes were glued to hers. So serious as he hit one knee. Her mouth dropped open, and the crowd went nuts.

  “I never had a home. Ever.” He pulled a ring out of his pocket. “Shelby, would you be my forever home and take this stray in for keeps?”

  Her heart stalled, then raced, as all thought fled except for this moment. He looked at her, hope in his eyes. Fear too. With wet cheeks, she stepped up and leaned toward the mic.

  “On one condition.” Gasps echoed through the audience.

  “Anything,” he said, his voice firm, his eyes steady and boring into hers.

  “You gotta be all in.”

  A devastating grin split his sexy lips. “Fucking hell, I’m all in.”

  He dropped the mic and slipped the ring on her finger. A silver band glittered with diamonds. She flung her arms around him and kissed him. Hard. Deep. He stood, lifted her up, and swung her around.

  She laughed with joy and whispered into his ear, “Take me to Vegas.”

  He stopped. “Seriously? You want to get married in Vegas?”

  She nodded and he kissed her again then leaned down to grab the mic.

  “We’re going to Vegas, baby!”

  Ryan strummed a few notes of the wedding march…DirtSlap style.

  Available August 2015

  KRUSH

  DirtSlap Series 2.5

  By

  Ashlynn Pearce