Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men #9)(38)

“Shit,” Colton whispered, shaking his head.

“He swore it was an accident and said I’d just gotten too close when he was moving his arm. Hell, it could’ve been an accident.”

“It wasn’t an accident,” Colton said.

I nodded. “Yeah, probably not.”

“It wasn’t,” he insisted. “I’ve seen plenty of people lose their shit without harming a single person around them, accidently or not.”

“I told him it didn’t matter if it had been an accident,” I admitted quietly. “I’d gotten hurt when he’d been mad, and that was enough for me. He told me I was being completely unreasonable and not even giving him a chance, and maybe he was right, but he f*cking bruised me. My jaw was sore for over a week.”

With a nod, Colton murmured, “You did the right thing.”

“Hell yes, I did. After it was over, I found out he’d cheated on me anyway.”

“Well, shit.” He shook his head. “Why is he so determined to win you back, then? Or do you think he wants to exact some kind of revenge on you for leaving him?”

“Oh, he wants me back. My dad works for this huge equal rights organization. He’s kind of a bigwig there, and Shaun would love nothing better than to work there too. He thinks my dad could be his in. That’s my building on the left.”

Colton slowed the truck and pulled to the curb before killing the engine. The quiet that followed kind of freaked me out, especially after I’d been talking about Shaun.

I hadn’t lied, but I hadn’t been completely honest either. He’d only hurt me once while we’d been married. It was after the divorce that he’d gotten more physical. I’d refused to talk to him, to listen to his side of things again, and it had pissed him off. Usually, I was adept at avoiding him, but he’d managed to corner me a couple of times. Once he had pushed me down, and another time he’d grabbed my arm and tried to drag me off before Chad had caught him in the act. He’d stopped immediately and run off.

I had changed my number twice in the past two years, and we’d had to get new locks installed in the apartment once. Other than that, I’d been pretty lucky. He’d cut down his encounters to about once or twice a month these days. But I certainly didn’t want him to catch me hanging out with another man. I wasn’t completely sure how he’d react, but I didn’t want to learn either.

Wondering if he was out there right now, and loathing to step outside the security of Colton’s truck to find out, I gulped and began to shrug off his coat. “I guess I’d better give you this back now.”

But Colton was already opening the driver’s side door. “You can wait until we reach your door.”

I zipped my gaze to him. “You…no, you don’t have to walk me in.”

Except he was already outside and shutting his door. I ground my teeth and clambered after him. If Shaun had followed me home, I didn’t want Colton facing him alone.

As soon as he reached the sidewalk, I snagged his arm and yanked him to my side, not even caring if he could feel my breasts against him or not. Glancing up and down the dark street, I hustled us toward the front door.

Tripping after me to keep up, he gripped my waist to steady himself. “Shit. What the hell? You think he followed us or something?”

When I didn’t answer but dragged him into the building, he tightened his grip on my hip. “Baby doll?”

I growled when he forced us to a stop. “I don’t know, but I don’t want to risk it. I’m not sure how he’d react to me tonight.” Sometimes he smooth-talked and tried to charm his way back into my good graces. Sometimes he was more aggressive. “But I do know how he’d react to you. And it wouldn’t be good.”

Colton’s eyebrows arched. “Well, that’s unsettling.”

He started for the stairwell, only for me to pull on his arm. “I’m on the first floor,” I told him, pointing down the hall. We walked toward the third door on the right and I paused to unlock it before I faced him and blew out a breath.

“Thank you. I know I don’t deserve your help, but—”

“Save it,” he said, stepping past me and opening the door to my apartment before disappearing inside.

“Wha—hey! What do you think you’re doing?” I hurried in after him.

“If you even suspect he might’ve followed you home, I’m checking out the place to make sure he didn’t get in somehow.”

“Really, you don’t need to bother.” I trailed him past the couch in the front room and toward the opening of the kitchen. “We’ve already changed all the locks.”

That caused him to swerve an incredulous glance my way. “Which means he’s gotten in before. So yeah, I’m definitely checking the place now.”

He paused at the table and stole an apple Sasha had sitting in a basket in the middle. As his teeth sank into the red pulp, he moseyed back out of the kitchen.

“Help yourself,” I said dryly, only to hurry after him because I knew he’d start down the hall to the bedrooms next.

My mind spun, wondering if I’d made my bed or left worn underwear on the floor. Oh Jesus, I wasn’t sure what I thought about him entering my room. But my stomach swirled with an unnatural excitement, which kept me from stopping him in the living room.