Too Hard to Break by Missy Jane Page B

whispered.
    “What? What, baby?”
    I looked up at Hank, surprised to see moisture in his eyes.
I wiped it away with both hands and he turned his head to kiss one palm.
    “I did it,” I repeated. “I beat him up. He didn’t hurt me
this time.”
    Hank smiled weakly before pulling me against his chest
again. I wasn’t sure if the quake through his body was a laugh or a sob. “You
sure did. I have a feeling he won’t be bothering you anymore.”
    I sighed in relief and melted against him just as my name
was yelled in Megan’s familiar voice.
    * * * * *
    We eventually got our pizza but took it home to eat in
private. Megan insisted on sitting next to me in Hank’s truck so he followed
Sean to their house to drop her off. I wasn’t sure she was going to let me go
even then. We shared a few minutes of tears before Sean finally pulled her off
me so Hank could take me home. I expected us both to have nightmares for a
while.
    It turned out not everyone in the restaurant had been
oblivious. While Megan was yelling at Declan’s friends, an observant waitress
had dialed 9-1-1. She then grabbed the fire extinguisher and threatened the
thugs until they left Megan alone. A couple of guys at a nearby table had
jumped up to help her and Declan’s friends ran off. Hank and Sean finally
walked up about that same time and she told them what had happened. They
immediately ran out the front door. Once the cops arrived, Megan was finally
able to tell them I had been dragged out the back and Hank was the first to
make it around the building. If Declan hadn’t already been on the ground, Hank
probably would have killed him.
    I shuddered at the thought and glanced at him from my perch
on the sofa. He had insisted on doing everything since the moment we walked
through the door. I waited patiently as he got plates and two glasses of wine
to go with our pizza.
    “Here you go,” he said, handing over my glass.
    I immediately took a sip as he put a plate of pizza in front
of me on the coffee table. “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome. How are you feeling?”
    I set the glass down and picked up the plate. “Not bad. Just
hungry.”
    He grunted in what I took to be agreement before getting his
own plate of pizza. We sat side by side, close enough to touch on the huge
sectional, which took up most of his living room. It was kind of funny. Like
Megan, he didn’t seem to want to wander too far away from me. I caught him
glancing at me from the corner of my eye as we ate.
    I had two slices and finished a full glass of wine before
finally sitting back with a sigh. My hands rested on my belly until he took one
between his.
    “I told the officer you would press charges for attempted
kidnapping. He was going to try to find other charges too but we have to go
downtown tomorrow morning.
    I nodded and watched his fingers as he ran them over the
back of my hand.
    “If you decide not to press charges—”
    “That won’t happen,” I said. “I’m definitely pressing
charges and filing another restraining order if I have to.”
    He nodded and kissed my hand. “Good. That’s good to hear.”
    “I’m sorry this is such a mess.”
    “No, don’t apologize. I already told you about that.
Declan’s actions are not your fault.”
    I nodded and for the first time I really believed the words
I was agreeing to. “I know. I think I told him that.”
    “Told him what, baby?”
    “That it wasn’t my fault. It’s kind of hazy, but at the
end…I think I told him it wasn’t my fault.”
    He smiled and kissed my lips. “I thought I heard you yelling
something like that but I was more concerned with keeping you from killing him.
He’s definitely not worth jail time.”
    “Definitely not.”
    He kissed me again and I moaned into his mouth.
    “So…you okay now?” he asked.
    I shook my head and kicked off my shoes. “Not really. I
think I need more than just one kiss.”
    He grinned. “That was two, baby. But I’m more than happy to
give you