RockYourSoul (21 page)

The look in Murdock’s eyes terrified her. He was unhinged.
She’d suspected he’d taken her just so he could kill her in the end. With Ryan
now here, it appeared as if he’d have two victims tonight.

Murdock got a lucky hit in, driving the handle of the whip
he’d snagged from the wall into Ryan’s jaw. Ryan stumbled back and Murdock
followed, lifting his hand to strike. She’d been privy to the amount of damage
his swing could inflict and knew what kinds of wounds and scars he would leave
behind.

Ignoring her injuries, she sprinted as quickly as she could
to the splintered remains of Ryan’s beloved Berkley horse. She would make sure
he built another one even if she wouldn’t be the submissive he bent over it. He
took too much pride in his work to have it ruined by some bastard who thought
he was better than everyone.

Blood poured from angry gashes slashing across Ryan’s face
as Murdock continued to land blows. This madness had to stop once and for all.
Turning, she charged at the man who’d already taken so much from her.

“You aren’t worthy of the title of Dominant, you fucking
bastard.” She swung the heavy leg of the Berkley horse, contacting hard with
the base of Murdock’s skull. The shock exploded up her arms and she nearly
dropped the piece of wood. But terror kept her hands gripped tightly, ready to
swing the item again if he so much as twitched.

“Beth, let go.”

She shook her head, rolling her fingers against the rigid
surface. “No. No, I can’t. I’m going to knock his ass out again if he gets up.”

“He’s not getting up, honey.” The soothing tone of Ryan’s
voice washed over her, erasing some of the adrenaline coursing through her system.
When he tugged on her hands, coaxing her to release her tight grip, her gaze
finally lifted to his.

Fear swam in his eyes. She was responsible for that fear
because she’d brought this horror to Sanctuary. The weight of what she’d just
done, the absolute terror of the moment, crashed into her. She dropped the wood
to wrap her arms around herself as her body began to shake again. Ryan pulled
her arms open, dragging her against his body and turning them both away from
where Murdock lay motionless on the floor.

Held tightly in Ryan’s arms, she looked up to see the skin
around his eye had already started to swell. No doubt the face she loved so
much would be black and blue in a few hours. She ran her fingers lightly down
the side of his face. “I’m sorry.”

“Hush. I’ll heal.”

Patrick and Dade rushed in as Ryan hooked his arm under her
legs and lifted her. His comforting hold pushed away the darkness that had just
threatened to take over her life.

“Better call the sheriff. Tell him we need an ambulance.”

Patrick scowled, balling his fists at his side in defiance.
“If it’s for that asshole, I’d rather not.”

“It’s for Beth. Tell Sheriff King to bring the coroner too.
That’s for the prick with the impression of my bench in the back of his skull.”

In response, Patrick dug into his pocket for his cell phone.
“Well good, because I would have killed him myself if you hadn’t already.”

“I didn’t.” Ryan’s lips pressed against her forehead. “Beth
did.”

He moved to the door as Dade tucked a bright blue blanket
around her body and pushed a stray hair behind her ear. She smiled at him in
thanks, curling into Ryan as he carried her outside. The rich, warm scent of
his leather jacket surrounded her as she pressed her nose into the lapel,
ridding herself of the horrific stench of Murdock.

Freedom had never smelled so good.

Ryan smiled as he pulled the last strap down, tugging on the
ratchet to make sure it wouldn’t come loose during transport. Beth’s smoky
voice drifted from the radio he habitually now kept on when he worked out in
the shop. He couldn’t hear the words, but the familiarity of the rise and fall
of her tone brought him a joy he never expected.

Happy with the knots he’d tied, he brushed off his jeans and
grabbed the keys for his truck from his pocket. As he threw the gear in
reverse, he tapped the radio button and kicked up the volume to listen as he
drove to the heart of town.

Riding the rocking beats of Gosling, he pulled to the curb
directly across from the radio station and threw his arm across the bench seat.
Through the wide bay window, he saw Beth sitting behind the soundboard sporting
a pair of glittering purple headphones. The heavy rock song drew to an end and
her voice filled the cab again to introduce the next song.

“I think I’m feeling a little nostalgic tonight, folks, how
about we kick off this next song set with Train?” The husky quality of her
voice lit a fire deep inside him.

Because of the attack at the warehouse last week, he’d never
gotten a chance to ask her to marry him. The time hadn’t seemed right with all
the police reports and publicity the event had created. As another song set
started, he decided it was time to grab opportunity by the horns. He was done
waiting for his life to arrive.

“Hi.”

“Hey.” Her eyes widened in surprise when she lifted her
head. “You shaved and cut your hair. So it wasn’t just your singing millions of
female fans pined for.”

He ran his hand over his face, still not used to the feel of
the smooth skin along his jaw. “Yeah, well, got tired of walking around with
half a beard.”

“And I see you’re headed east.” She gestured to his truck
and the trailer towing the boat he’d been working on the night they’d met.

“In a bit. Thought I’d stop by and see if you wanted to come
with me. And to give you something to take a listen to.” He tapped the tiny
flashdrive he’d dropped onto the soundboard.

“I’ve got a few minutes now. Just queued up a song set.” She
plugged the drive into an open USB slot on the board, lifting the headphone to
cover one of her ears. She cranked the volume. The infectious beat had him
tapping his thumb in time with the heavy drums pouring through the small
speaker.

“Good guitar and drum pairing to start off.” Her head began
bobbing in time to the beat. He couldn’t help but smile at her reaction. “Pretty
driving rhythm to start. Gets you interested and invested in the first few
seconds. Listeners won’t turn the station. Who is—”

The question died when the singer began delivering the
lyrics. Her gaze lifted to his, questions dying on the tip of her tongue. He
reached down to flip the switch so the song now filled the small studio with
the intense harmony.

He didn’t want her to miss a moment.

His voice accompanied the pounding rock music spilling from
the speakers. The song was a complete departure from what he used to write and
sing, but it was one of those times the song had poured from his soul almost
faster than he could get the words onto paper.

He’d known he had something special and had contacted his
surviving bandmates to give him a hand with the music. They’d jumped at the
chance to play together. Meeting with them had been cathartic for his soul. In
fact, the group had agreed to meet up again once he had everything in his life
settled.

The heavy guitar and bass ceased playing, replaced with a
chorus of strings and a lone piano to accompany the bridge of the song. His
fingers itched to dance over the keys of the piano to the of melody the notes.
The beat picked up again, driving so hard it demanded to be noticed.

This wasn’t just the average rock song that made eardrums
ring. At the core, it was a love song. It wasn’t unlike the feeling soaring
through him as he watched her listen for the very first time.

As the last note of the song echoed out of the speakers he
noticed something he hadn’t expected. “Hey, now, that is not the reaction I
want the song to have.” He reached forward to wipe away the single tear
dampening the corner of her eye. “Aren’t rock songs supposed to make you want
to drown yourself in drugs and alcohol before you have wild, mind-blowing sex?”

“It’s fantastic.”

“Oh yeah?” The admiration in her voice made his heart soar.
“Think I have a shot in the music industry?”

She burst out laughing, yanking her headphones off her neck
as she pushed away from the board. He welcomed her in his arms as she launched
herself at him. The tightness in his chest eased and nothing had ever felt more
right.

She’d been understandably distant since the night he’d found
her at Sanctuary, bound to his equipment by Murdock. He’d burned the fragments
of his Berkley horse once the police had finished their investigation, called
the case closed and released the warehouse back to Patrick.

At first, she’d insisted he shouldn’t do such a drastic
thing, but he couldn’t look at the item without feeling remorse for what she’d
had to endure. Not to mention blinding hatred for the man who kidnapped and
tortured her.

He turned, pinning her to the soundboard with his body. Her
hands slid under the hem of his shirt as his hands cupped her neck, his thumbs
caressing the top edge of the new collar he’d given her. The one he vowed she
have even though she’d insisted she didn’t deserve it.

She’d felt responsible for Murdock’s appearance. So he’d
spent two days showing her exactly how wrong she was, not relenting to her
pleas until she’d finally accepted his own apology for not being there sooner.

He still felt a strong sense of accomplishment that he’d
made her into the woman he saw before him. And damn if he didn’t love her with
his entire heart and soul. “Thank you for loving me enough to make me believe
in myself again. For a long time I never thought that was going to be
possible.”

“And thank you for saving me.”

Their lips touched and the emotions inside him swelled. “No,
you saved yourself with your hellacious swing. Remind me to never get on your
bad side.”

“Who knew years of softball would actually prove useful? And
that’s not what I meant. I was ready to give up on a lot of things because I
made a few bad choices. You showed me who I really am.”

He shrugged. “Well, you did ask me to.”

She pulled his mouth to hers and it wasn’t long before he
lost himself in the kiss. When she finally broke away, she tilted their
foreheads together. “I never set out to get to this point in my life. When I
heard the station needed a new overnight jockey, it seemed perfect. And when I
talked to Elena and she suggested I come talk to you, I could kill two birds
with one stone. Then I got here and felt like I’d been hit with a ton of bricks
when I saw you. I was convinced there was no way you were going to help me. But
you did.”

“Best decision I ever made.”

She gestured to the soundboard behind her. “You have a gift
and a story to tell, Ryan. It’s a story about how you’ve finally healed. How
you were able to deal with your past because of what stood in front of you.
Songs like I just heard don’t come around but maybe once in a lifetime. That
song isn’t about making money or fame—it’s about what’s inside you.” Her hand
pressed against the center of his chest and he set a gentle hand over it,
squeezing lightly.

“You’re right, it is.” He wondered if she realized just how
much.

“You dug deeper than anyone ever bothered before. You found
my strengths by exposing my weaknesses. I will never, ever trust anyone as much
as I trust you. I don’t know how to ever repay you.”

“Marrying me seems like payment enough, doesn’t it?”

She blinked a few times, stunned. “What?”

Grinning, he kissed the tip of her nose. “You know, if you
keep having that type of reaction when I ask really important questions, you’re
going to give me a complex.” He slipped his hands around her thighs, pulling
her legs around his waist as he carried her out of the studio.

“Ryan, I have a shift to finish. Put me down.” Her fist
tapped against his shoulder, but given her light touch, there was no true anger
behind the gesture.

“Called in a favor from a friend. So your shift is covered
for, oh, the next six months. And sorry, but you’re grandparents are going to
have to wait awhile for their boat. I’m keeping this one.”

“What? Why? And six months? Where in the world are we
going?”

He pointed to the back of the boat and to the small,
handwritten sign hanging from the stern.

California Dreaming

“Our honeymoon.”

She blinked. “Oh.”

“You really have to stop that.” He pressed his mouth to hers
as he laughed.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to. You just caught me
off guard with that absolutely beautiful song you wrote. I can’t stop thinking
about it. Then you ask me to marry you so casually as though it’s something you
do every day.”

His eyes narrowed. “I will ask every day if that’s what it
takes to get you to say yes.”

Beth laughed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I
love her. Most of all, I love you. Yes. Yes, of course I will marry you, Ryan.”

“Phew. Had me worried there for a second.” When she slapped
at his chest, he caught her hand and pressed his lips against her palm. “I love
you too.”

He carried her to the truck, sliding her into the front seat
before slipping behind the wheel. “She won’t be seaworthy for another month or
so, but I’m sure we can think of a way to occupy our time.”

Beth eyed the buildings streaking by as Ryan drove through
town. “This isn’t the way to the highway.”

“Nope. We’ll leave in a few hours. I want to make a stop
first.”

Her blood ran cold as she recognized the area he’d driven
into. The neat row of buildings had become a second home to her since he’d
first brought her there. “You’re taking me to Sanctuary.” So much for the high
she’d been floating on since he’d asked her to marry him.

His mouth pressed against her knuckles as he navigated a
turn. “It’s time, Beth. Moving on doesn’t mean you have to forget entirely. But
it does mean that you get to live the life you want to live. You were the one
who taught me that.”

“I know. Probably well past time.” She inhaled slowly,
twisting her fingers together as Ryan parked the truck. She hadn’t avoided the
warehouse since the attack, but she certainly hadn’t made an effort to visit
either. By some silent agreement, Ryan had understood. Their play had been
confined to his house, his shop and the woods behind his house. She’d finally
discovered how it felt to have him press her against the boat’s unfinished hull
and run his hands all over her body.

Now it was time to face the music.

Ryan’s hand touched her thigh and he offered a hand for
assistance out of the cab. His fingers played against her lower back as they
approached the brick building. Anxiety started to churn the acid in her
stomach, turning it sour.

However familiar this place was to her, it was hard to
ignore the fact a horrific incident had occurred here. One that could have
ended her life and taken her away from Ryan and the new life she’d built for
herself. She’d spent most of her time since the attack being grateful for the
summers she’d spent playing softball with her grandfather. He’d been the one
who’d taught her to swing through the ball. Who knew something so innocent
would turn out to save her life?

The sound of the key turning in the lock dragged her back to
that night. To the room hidden away inside the building. To the memory of the
man who’d tried to take everything away from her.

But in her fear-laced memories, the events of the night
played out very differently.

Her hands were coated with sweat and blood as she gripped
the leg of the Berkley horse. Murdock’s face filled her vision as he stripped
the wood from her hands. The back of his hand hit her face, the hard knuckles
shattering her cheekbone from the force. She crumbled to the floor, intense
pain nearly blinding her as blood dripped onto the floor.

She did her best to blink away the tears as she watched
Murdock spin on his heel to confront Ryan. He landed a few powerful, well-aimed
blows so Ryan fell to his knees. Ryan swayed, his head lulling backward as he
rested a hand against the floor to find his balance. Murdock used the
opportunity of weakness to drive the side of his hand into Ryan’s throat,
crushing his windpipe.

Ryan’s choking gasps and Murdock’s triumphant roar echoed in
her head.

“Beth?” Her eyes popped open, erasing the horrific images
and sounds. Ryan’s hand wrapped tighter around her waist, fitting her against
his body. “Everything okay?”

“Yes.”
No.

“Are you sure? You look a little pale.”

She tilted her head up, smiling. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine.”
I’m
falling apart. Save me.
“Just tired and ready to get started on our
honeymoon, to be honest.”

“Liar.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “We’ll go in, take a
look around, I’ll grab a few items and if things get too overwhelming to where
you can’t handle the pressure, we’ll leave. All right?”

She nodded. Pausing in the entryway, she waited while he
locked up. With his encouragement, she shuffled down the narrow hall lined with
four doors, metal glinting in the light. She came to an abrupt halt when she
noticed those doors had been replaced. As had the casings and the locks.

Forgetting her hesitancy, she stepped forward. The steel of
the cipher lock was cold and smooth under her trembling fingers. He’d changed
the locks to something sturdier. More secure.

For her.

She hauled in a breath, fighting the ache spreading through
her chest. “Thank you.”