can’t get through the door fast enough. I’m already tearing at the buttons on his jacket, my mouth all over his neck and face as he fumbles with the lock to the front door. He must have gotten it in because his mouth is on mine and he pulls my shirt loose from my waistband. He shoves the door open and we stagger in, Lee slamming the door behind him. 

It’s almost like our first night together eight months ago. Except we already know where we stand and it’s not raining cats and dogs outside. Snowing, maybe, but not raining. 

I shove his thick jacket off and he shrugs out of it while guiding me to the couch.

“Bed,” I pant.

“No patience,” he responds.

Can’t argue that. I’ve been working long hours on a new project and getting time like this has been difficult as hell. I force my own coat off and he already has my shirt off before he pushes me down, lifting one of my legs against his thigh. His mouth is leaving a hot trail down my neck and chest when a thought occurs to me.

“Bug?”

“Out.”

I nod and tear at his shirt, pulling it clumsily off over his head. I shiver at the marvel that is my boyfriend’s cut torso. All that extra strength training he’s been doing lately is really paying off. I reward him by scratching my nails down his front to his waistband. Sitting up to suck on his neck. I may not be able to have visible hickeys, but no one at the rescue seems to care much if he does. 

He grips my hair as my hand slides into his pants and my fingers tease him. He moans and pushes me back down. He wants to be the one in control tonight. I want to fight him on it, but if I’m going down, I’m going down swinging. His tongue is back in my mouth as my fingers fumble with the snaps on his jeans. He’s already got me undone and out and my head snaps back with a loud moan as he lowers his mouth down on me. 

And of course, that’s when his phone goes off.

We don’t have to look at the caller ID to know who it is. Her ringtone gives her away.

He groans as he pulls his phone from his pocket. I kiss his chest and tease his nipples as he answers. 

A favorite game of mine: He has to sound as normal as possible while I fuck with him. I have him in my hand, hard and throbbing, my teeth around his nipple as he says, “Bug, we’re kind of a little busy right now.” I grin at the breathless undertone and suck on his other nipple as I stroke him. “Can it wai—”

“Harley?”

We both freeze. 

Something’s wrong. She’s crying, scared.

We’re both limp in no time.

“What happened?”

“Um…Sam, he…”

“Did he hit you?” Harley says, his voice rising an octave. He’d done it once and regretted it afterward. I don’t think the back window of his little car has been replaced yet.

“N-no,” she says, but I can’t tell if she’s lying or not. I don’t care. I push Lee off me and stagger off the couch to grab our clothes and my keys. 

“Where are you?”

“I um…I don’t know,” she cries, her voice shaking.

Fuck…god fucking dammit, I swear to god if I get my hands on that little punk, I’m ripping every limb off and beating him to death with them.

“Tell me what’s around you,” Lee orders, hurrying to our bedroom to grab two hoodies. He tosses me one and I throw it on quickly, swinging the door wide. We charge out to my SUV while Bug does her best to describe her surroundings. 

I nod. “I know where she is.” Loud enough so she can hear, I say, “Make sure your tracking is on, Windy. We’re on our way.”

“Okay,” she responds through her frightened tears. She sounds so young, it kills me.

I race through the city heading to the west end, toward the more open and abandoned area. Harley’s leg starts bouncing and it clicks in his head where we’re going. He’s got the back of his hand over his mouth, phone clenched tightly, his other hand balled in a fist on his leg.

This is the area where he used to party in the months leading up to him getting sober. He knows what goes on here, knows who hangs out here, and he’s fuming. He doesn’t have to mutter his threats or promises of bodily harm, I can feel it radiate off him in waves.

“She’s okay,” I say with more confidence than I feel. “Windy is a smart girl, she wouldn’t allow him to get to her like that.”

His jaw clenches and I can tell he wants to believe that but can’t. Windy is smart, but she’s painfully young and naive and easily manipulated. All it takes is the right words strung together in the right way for her to believe whatever she’s being told is the truth. Most of the time she has enough self-awareness to keep herself from being led astray.

But when it comes to Sam?

My knuckles are white on the steering wheel.

I turn down an old deserted street leading to the abandoned water tower. There’s a large open field dotted with some broken down buildings and shacks, not to mention a homeless camp not far off. This place is a hotbed for junkies…she is far from safe here. 

Through the snow, my headlights land on her pacing near the old warehouse. She has no coat on, wearing nothing more than a thin sweater, tight jeans, and fur lined boots. My guess is she had no expectation of being brought anywhere near here. I’m not even fully parked before Harley is out the door and running toward her.

“Windy!” he calls out. She turns to him, her face red and streaked with tears. I rush to their sides as she falls into his arms. 

“Harley…Harley, I’m so sorry!” she sobs.

“It’s okay, baby,” he murmurs in her hair, rocking her as she clings to him. “It’s okay, I’m right here.”

“Bug, what happened?” I asked gently. “Where did Sam go?” She pulls away enough for us to see her face and I swear. It’s all Harley can do not to start hauling off and turning bricks into dust.

The little bastard gave her a black eye and busted her lip.

Her face falls and she looks for all the world like a guilty child caught doing something she knew she wasn’t supposed to. Her words are garbled and she’s not making much sense as I put my arms around her, trying to calm her down, trying to reassure her she’s done absolutely nothing wrong. 

She’s shivering uncontrollably because the asshole took her coat. The one he got her for Christmas. 

“Lee, there’s a coat in the back seat.” I rub her back, holding her close as she trembles violently against me. Lee is back in less than two seconds with the coat and drapes it over her. She’s still shivering but her body starts to relax and when she speaks again, it’s a bit more clear.

“I’m sorry,” she whimpers. “I didn’t know he was going to bring me here, I really didn’t.”

“Did he give you anything?” Lee asks gently. “Did he make you take or drink anything at all?” He sounds calm, but I can see in his eyes and body language that he’s ready to kill someone.

“Uh-um,” she says, trying to think. “N-no, no, he didn’t,” she says. “He t-tried to give me a beer but I w-wouldn’t drink it. I just drank my root beer that I took with me.” Her teeth are clattering so hard I can feel it in my chest.

Harley’s shoulders sag in relief, but his eyes are still dark. He runs his hand over her hair and I can feel her relax just a little bit more. 

“I w-wanna go h-home,” she stammers through her tears and the freeze that’s penetrated into her bones.

“Okay,” I nod. “Okay, let’s go home.”