Embattled Home Read Online Free PDF

eventually give them the space they needed, but not until their safety was assured.
    “Heather, I think you can go home now. I appreciate everything you did for us and I’m sorry you had to deal with my crazy in-laws.”
    The other woman shook her head. “No worries. Believe it or not, I’ve dealt with worse.”
    She gathered up her bag and gave Lora a hug. “If you need anything, just give me a call. I’ll come over any time.”
    Lora nodded and walked Heather out, closing and latching the door behind the other woman. She held Mercy the entire time.
    When she turned she leaned against the heavy oak door, staring in dismay at the shattered slider.
    “I’ve got a buddy coming over with supplies to fix it.”
    She nodded, than sank back down into the couch. Mercy sagged into her, drifting off to sleep. Chad wanted to move close enough to run his hand down the little girl’s hair, but didn’t dare with prickly momma bear watching over her right now.
    He was becoming emotionally invested in the pair. Was it because he’d watched over them for so long he felt like he knew them? Or was it because he wanted to be a part of their little unit?
    His protective instincts definitely went into overdrive when he was around them. He flexed his jaw where the asshole ex had hit him. Then he looked at Lora’s swollen face. If he’d been there just a few seconds sooner, he could have saved her that.
    It was uncomfortable in the living room. They didn’t have a lot to talk about. At least, not that she was willing to talk about.
    “I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”
    She shrugged. “Not your fault. Even if you had been here he still would have come in. That’s just the way he is.”
    Chad hmm’d under his breath. “He would not have come through me.”
    She glanced at his gnarled hand, then away.
    He felt the look like a blow, though he should have been used to it by now. Words crowded into his throat in his defense, but he clamped his jaw shut.
    Lora had been through a lot. She didn’t have to cater to his sensibilities.
    Hell, she probably wouldn’t have faith in any man. No matter what shape he was in.
    Chad turned to the slider door. It looked like the ass had simply crashed through when she refused to open it for him. “Did you know he was here? Before he crashed through?”
    Lora still sat on the couch but could see him. Her eyelids had begun to sag. She shook her head. “I had a suspicion he would be here, but I didn’t see him before he broke in. He grabbed me from behind and we crashed into the wall. He knocked my head somewhere and things kind of went dim.”
    Chad looked around the room. Though Heather had tried to clean the blood from the walls, there was still a stain in the hallway. It would have to be painted over.
    “That was pretty ballsy of him to think he could take you like that.”
    She snorted. “That’s Derek, all right. Ballsy to the end. He’ll probably blame me for making him crash through the glass to come get me. He never recognized the divorce and only signed the papers because his mother forced him to. He’s got a contempt of court somewhere, and I hope that it will have a bearing on this.”
    Chad frowned. “I’ll let Duncan know that he has other charges pending.”
    Pulling his phone from his pocket, Chad typed off a quick text to Duncan and cc’d John. If anybody could find background dirt, it would be John.
    There was a knock on the front door. Chad peeked through the hole first, then unlocked the deadbolts. Roger grinned on the other side of the door, hands full of equipment to repair the mangled slider. Chad ushered him in and introduced him to Lora.
    He didn’t miss her glance to Roger’s prosthetic arm, or the way she tightened her grip around her daughter. She nodded to the other man and turned her bruised face away.
    Chad and Roger worked on the door for a solid hour, sweeping up glass and draping plastic to keep out the cool air, but it would need to be