Piper

"Want to be my date?" I ask, hating how small my voice sounds. I don't want to yell at him to tell me what's wrong, but I hate being in the dark. And right now, I'm blind. "You can be my plus one."

"I'm not fit for company. Maybe another time."

"Sorry, but that's not going to cut it for me."

He presses a kiss to my forehead. "I know it's not, kitten, but I don't want to talk about it."

"I don't like it when you shut me out."

"Piper," Jase says, and I turn to him.

"Yes?"

His mouth opens and closes, then he shakes his head. "Nothing. Be careful."

- The evening goes rather smoothly. While I'm surprised that Mother and Father did not attend, I'm actually grateful. My nerves were frayed during the auction because I got roped into modeling the jewelry that had been donated. Every eye in the place was on me as I walked from table to table to allow bidders to inspect the necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.

Mark Williams was there, and after my conversation with Jase, the sight of him makes my skin crawl now.

There were things I noticed about him that I hadn't before. Like the way he leered at his seatmate or casually touched the server's breast while supposedly helping her pick up a napkin he dropped by accident.

His faux gentlemanly ways were wearing thin on me since the dinner portion of the charity event. Unfortunately, I was seated at his table. Thankfully, I was not his dinner companion and didn't have to make small talk with him.

After signing in the last pair of earrings, I say good night and head downstairs. The valets are busy running back and forth, and there is a crowd of people waiting.

Opening the box, I grab my keys and stuff some dollar bills in their tip jar. If anyone thinks I'm odd for doing this, they don't say anything and I don't care anymore.

I don't care what anyone thinks beyond Jase and Rowan's opinion. And Seth's-I can't forget him.

I smile a little at the thought of my best friend getting married. Honestly, I always thought I'd get married before she did, but that's what I get for thinking.

"That's a gorgeous smile. You should do it more often," Mark says as he appears out of nowhere. "Need an escort to your car?"

I swallow as a sliver of dread rolls down my back. "I don't, actually, but thank you."

"My car is parked near yours," he says. "You can escort me instead."

In the past, I would have found him endearing, even with his bonehead move of sleeping with Giselle, but now, all I see is a man who won't take no for an answer.

"Where's that boyfriend of yours? I can't help but think if you were mine that-"

"Have a good night, Mark." I pick up my pace. Almost there.

Suddenly, I'm grabbed from behind.

"I was talking to you, Piper. You're such a rude girl." He shakes me so hard, my teeth click against one another. "Why do you have to be like that?"

"Let go of me." I do a donkey kick, something I learned in one of the fitness programs Mother signed me up for and never thought I'd use. It connects with something soft and he groans in pain.

"You fucking stabbed me with the heel of your shoe. Little bitch." He fists his hand in my hair and licks my neck. "Should have known a good girl like you likes it rough."

I struggle wildly against him, but it only seems to excite him. Tears of frustration pour down my cheeks and I start to beg him to let me go. "Please, Mark. Just let me go. I promise not to be rude anymore."

"Promises, promises," he says. "I know you're good for it, Piper, but I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time."

I throw my head back, connecting with his face, and this time he howls and lets me go. I break into a run. Behind me I hear footsteps and then the roar of a motorcycle.

Mark grabs me again, digging his nails into my arm and pulling me around. I spit at him and scream for help. He slaps me viciously across the face and I cry out at the pain radiating from my cheek.

Even at their worst, my parents never hit me.

Suddenly, the roar of the motorcycle is gone, replaced by the roar of a man. Mark stops shaking me long enough so that we both get a look at...Jase?

I blink at the vision of him wearing a tux or suit. The tears blur my vision too much for me to tell.

"Take your hands off her," he growls, but Mark doesn't do as he is asked.

Jase tackles Mark and they roll to the ground, with Jase quickly gaining the upper hand. He grabs Mark by the collar and shakes him, then slaps his face so hard that Mark screams in pain. He punches him in the gut, over and over again, then shoves his knee between Mark's legs. Mark screeches and I'm torn between wanting to get Jase away and reveling in the sound. I want Mark to hurt for hurting me.

"That feel good? Feel like a man for hitting a woman like that?"

"You're just pissed I had her first and she was coming back for more. Like your last girlfriend." Mark spits out some blood. "You are so fucked, dude. Once my dad learns about this, I'm sending your ass back to jail where it belongs."

"Well, if I'm going to go, then I'll make it worth it." Jase pulls back his arm, balling up his fist at the same time. The look on his face is chilling. He's going to kill Mark and then I'll lose him all over again.

Determination propels me into action. "No," I scream, running to them and grabbing Jase's arm. "Don't do it. Please don't do it."

He lowers his arm, then curses into the night air before leveling me with a look. "He deserves it, Piper."

Breathing heavily, I tug on him. "I know he does. But let's go. Please, Jase. Please."

With a snarl, he stands up and gathers me to him.

Mark scrambles to his feet and limps off into the dark.

"Wish like hell you didn't stop me." He inspects me, turning my face into the light. My entire body hurts but all I can think about is keeping Jase safe. "Fuck, Piper. Fuck." His sexy lips flatten and he cranes his head around, clearly torn between staying with me and going after Mark.

"I can't lose you. Promise me you won't retaliate. Promise me you won't lay another hand on him."

"He shook you, Piper. He hit you." His touch is gentle, a direct contradiction of his furious tone. "He deserves to fucking die for what he tried to do."

"I know...I know." I sniff and wipe at my face, hissing when I touch my tender cheek. "Can we please go home?"

The look in Jase's eyes is chilling. "We go file a report at the police station, or I don't keep my promise."

I nod, swallowing back more tears. "Take me there."

Jase

An hour later, we're lying in my bed. Piper is snuggled up against me so tight that I doubt a piece of paper could fit between us. Hell, there's no air between us.

"What made you show up at the last minute?" she asks.

"Didn't realize it was so late. I came to apologize for pouting. Should have gone earlier tonight, then nothing would have happened to you." My fucking pride almost got her...I swallow.

"It was no more your fault than mine," she says softly.

"You were brave tonight." So brave. When I pulled up on my bike, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My Piper, so helpless in my eyes, fighting like hell against an attacker twice her size. My Piper getting slapped around. My Piper being shaken so hard that her head seemed disconnected from her body.

"I was scared," she disagrees.

"Bravery isn't the absence of fear. It's filing a report on an asshole who assaults you." Gingerly moving the ice pack, I inspect her cheek. It's red, but the swelling seems to have come down a lot. Other than a few light bruises, there is nothing else on her that would indicate she brought the hammer down on a would-be rapist. I know that's what would have happened, all the way down to my bones, if I hadn't decided to man up and be there.

Icy fear seizes my heart. What if I hadn't come? What if I had held on to my pride and stayed home to work on my Mustang?

Piper laughs a little, but it's not that tinkling sound I'm used to hearing. "Then I'm the world's bravest woman."

Turning to one side, I cup her unmarked cheek. "I need to be brave just like you."

"You were brave. You stopped Mark."

"The physical stuff-that's not a problem for me. I can use my fists to break up fights and my dick to make a woman smile, but my heart...that's an entirely different matter." I caress her cheek. "You see, I love you. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone."

Her beautiful eyes fill with tears. "I love you, too."

That empty spot in my heart, the same heart I'd been so afraid of giving to her, fills with her love. She fucking loves me. I'm not empty anymore. Every bit of her love and kindness and sweetness makes me a whole man again.

A new man.

The man who walked out of Western Prison is not the same one lying with Piper Ross in his arms tonight. She's helped change me for the good.

Her mouth quivers. "What if Mark says I'm lying? Do you think my dad will defend me?"

I'd like to think her dad would take his only daughter's side. She's never gotten in trouble before and tells the truth like no one's business, but she's also betrayed what they view as their trust by moving out. And now that she's openly dating me...

"Fernandez seemed like a decent guy-I think he believed your story."

She sighs, bowing her head a little. "Lie to me, Jase. Lie to me and say that everything will be okay."

With a heavy heart, I look her straight in the eye and say, "Everything will be okay, Piper."

Chapter 18.

Jase

The next weekend, Piper and I decide to have some friends over and grill out in the backyard. Okay, so I allowed Piper to have a themed backyard party, because I'll do anything to make sure that fucker didn't ruin life for her.

For the most part, I think the incident, as she calls it, made her a little less innocent and more wary of people in general. But she's having a good time. Every time she laughs, my gut clenches at the sound.

Seth and Rowan are there, along with a few of our neighbors whom I went to high school with. Everyone is talking, eating, and generally having a good time like her. Okay, like me, too. I could get used to shit like this.

"This is fun, right?" Piper asks, kissing my cheek. She's dressed to match the theme of our party in a checked sundress and four-inch heels that have ribbons lacing up her shapely calves.

I'm so going to fuck her while she wears those. Swear to God she wore them just to give me ideas.

I flip a couple of burgers and check the chicken that's grilling below the patties. "If you're having fun, then I'm having fun."

Piper pouts a little. "My party is fun, admit it."

"There's no fighting. No loud music. Too many adults." I wink at her. "And we're all discussing local events. Art events, by the way."

"Things have changed around here." She smiles up at me. "Thank you for letting me invite people over."

"Anything for you, kitten."

There's a screech of tires. I drop the spatula and make my way around front. Piper and everyone else joins me.

My eyes widen as a squad car, with lights blazing, pulls into my driveway.

Hunter gets out. "You. We need to talk."