The 5-Year Plan (Friends to Lovers Romance Book 1) (14 page)

Hand still raised, Trent stared at Bob’s ugly face.

“What are you doing here?”

Bob leaned in the doorway. “Trent, what a surprise. Victoria and I were just talking about you.” Bob stepped aside to give him space to walk in.

Trent glanced past Bob, but he didn’t see Tori. He did see her purse on the floor. Anger flared hot in is gut, but he’d been in more than a few bar fights over the years. And Bob had always had the stink of trouble on him. Easing past Bob, Trent walked inside. Stomach churning and fists clenched at his side, he turned to face Bob. “Where’s Tori?”

“Yeah, good question.” Bob closed the door and stood with his back against it. “Seems like you know your way around her place real good.”

“That’s really good, and yes, I do. Now I recommend you give me a straight answer. Where’s Tori? And if you’ve so much as chipped a nail on her hand, I’m going to make you more than sorry for it.”

“Ah, big words from the little man.” Bob pushed off the door. He cracked the knuckles on one hand and then on the other. “Let’s have some fun, shall we?”

Trent fell back a step and braced himself. He was more than willing to go to any length to protect the woman he loved. But he was also going to enjoy taking down this gorilla.

Although he’d never imagined they’d face off like this, Trent settled into a low fighting stance. He knew enough not to get too close. Bob had a longer reach and probably had fifty pounds on him. He also had fists that looked like they’d bring a wicked punch. But the real question was what had the bastard done to Tori? Why had he come back into her life? She’d made it clear that she wasn’t considering getting back with him. Trent had never been surer of anything else in his life.

“Where is she?” he asked again. “What have you done to her?”

“Drama queen, now, geek? Why would I do anything to her? I love Victoria. That babe means the world to me.”

“I’m supposed to believe that?” He swept up Tori’s purse from the floor. “With this lying around?” Bob stepped closer, and Trent moved back a step. He kept his stare fixed on Bob’s face. Bob had size and weight, but Trent knew it’d be hard for a guy that big to move fast. He also expected Bob to telegraph his moves. Keeping the distance between them constant, Trent glanced around. First thing he wanted was to make sure Tori was okay—if this guy had done anything to her, he was dead meat. Stepping back, Trent moved so his back was to the bedroom. “I want to see her now.” 

“She isn’t here. Went out to get us some groceries.” Bob cracked his knuckles again.

“And of course she left her purse? What’s she going to use to pay—her good looks?”

“You’re a smart geek, aren’t you?”

“I like to think so.”

Bob grinned. “I am going to enjoy beating you into a pulp.” He stepped closer and swung.

Trent ducked the blow. “You’ve got to get your hands on me first. Victoria!” he yelled. Bob’s stare didn’t waver. His kept his eyes fixed on Trent. The man hadn’t shaved and he stank of sweat as if he hadn’t showered in at least a day. Red rimmed his eyes as if he hadn’t slept, either. Trent knew if Bob got hold of him, he’d be in trouble—Bob looked like he could make good on that pulp threat. Trent heard a thump and glanced behind him. Had he heard something in the bedroom?

Bob used the distraction. He grabbed for Trent.

Lashing out with kick, Trent caught Bob’s leg. But Bob lunged forward, using his weight to take both of them to the floor.

The air went out of Trent and he banged his elbow on something. Needle-sharp pain radiate up to his shoulder. He grabbed Bob’s thumb and wrist and twisted. Bob let out a cry but pulled back a fist and struck. Trent dodged the blow. Bob’s fist hit the carpet and the wood below. He gave a grunt and moved to pin Trent under his body. Squeezed tight, Trent jabbed two fingers into a pressure point right in Bob’s shoulder. The guy went limp for two seconds—enough for Trent to roll out from underneath and stagger to his feet.

Breathing hard, he faced off with Bob—and he tried to remember what else Tori’s dad had taught him. Tori’s old man had known more about fighting than anyone—he’d been Special Forces, and Trent wasn’t sure even Tori knew everything her old man had done in service of his country. But he’d taken one look at skinny Trent and had told Trent he’d better learn to fight.

With a snarl, Bob grabbed for Trent. Ducking, Trent almost got away, but Bob lashed out with a kick, taking him down. He grabbed Trent’s neck and squeezed. Trent could feel Bob intended lethal force—he wasn’t just trying to take out his frustration, he was actually trying to kill.

Trent didn’t have time to think. His chest tightened and he gasped for air. Shifting, Trent kicked out. Bob seemed to anticipate his move. The bigger man shifted slightly, putting himself out of range. Trent let go of Bob’s arm. Bob wrapped his other hands around Trent’s throat.

Trent used that for his own advantage. Reaching around, he hit Bob in the ribs, at two other pressure points. Bob’s arms went limp. Reaching up, Trent grabbed Bob’s head and pulled the guy over his hip and flattened him on the floor. He put a knee on Bob’s chest and pressed two fingers to Bob’s throat.

“Know what that is—it’s your jugular. Carries blood to the brain.” Trent started to press. “Not that you have much of one, but you’re going to have even less if you don’t tell me where Tori is.” He dug in his fingers. “You have about ten second now before you black out, and another ten before your dead.”

Bob’s eyes bulged. Another thump sounded from the bedroom. Trent smiled. “Guess I don’t need you to tell me anything after all.” Sitting on Bob’s chest, he hit hard and fast either side of Bob’s neck. The man blacked out.

Pushing off him, Trent staggered into Tori’s bedroom, his muscles shaking and his elbow still screaming with pain. 

Eyes wide, Victoria lay on the bed, one hand free and the other tied with what looked like a sheet to the bedpost. She jerked more of the sheet out of her mouth. One eye was swollen and bruising covered the left side of her face. “Trent? You’re not dead? I thought—”

“Shhh…Tori.” He came over to her and ripped the sheets from her wrist. Both hands looked pale and swollen. He took them into his lap. “Crap—I should have killed the bastard.”

She leaned into him. “Not worth it. I want to see him up before a judge.”

Rubbing her back gently, he cradled her in his arms. “That’s my girl. Now I’m going to call for help if you don’t mind.” Pulling out his phone he called for an ambulance, the cops, anyone they wanted to send. He kept Tori in his arms and kept stroking her hair.

“I’ve been an utter fool. I should have told you a long time ago that I loved you. Did you hear me? I love you, Tori. And I will keep you happy. And we will get married, if you’ll have. Oh, and if your dad approves. And I swear I’ll settle down and even begin to work for that damned promotion you want for me. Whatever you say, whatever you want, I’ll do it.”

She didn’t answer, just leaned against him. He glanced down. Her lips looked swollen and cut and he wondered for a second if she had passed out on him.

“Just don’t die on me—you hear? Tori, I love you. I love you.” Gently, he wiped a hand on her brow. He touched her wrist. Her pulse thudded, weak but steady. “Please, Tori. Say something?”

She opened one eye and lifted her head a fraction. “Yeah! That’s it. Come on, open your eyes. Look at me. I love you. We’ll get married and have children, and whatever the hell you want. Come back to me.”

“Want to hear you talk,” she mumbled.

“Sure, Tori. Anything.” Holding her, he knew he wasn’t thinking right, but he couldn’t seem to get his emotions under control. He wanted her to survive. He needed her to be ok. She was his rock. And why hadn’t he told her any of this before now?

Holding her close, he told her he should have begged and pleaded with her to date him long ago, but he’d been stupid. He kept talking, telling her about the garden wedding he wanted, talking about the plans they should make.

Her hand shifted. One finger lifted. Her eyelashes fluttered again. The eye that wasn’t swollen opened and she parted her lips. “Trent?”

Throat tight, he nodded.
Where were those freaking medics?
He could hear sirens, but they should have been here by now. “Yeah, I’m here. Stay with me.”

“Cynthia! She isn’t…”

He brushed the hair off her forehead. “It’s alright. I know. She came to tell me the truth.”

Victoria closed her eye again. Someone pounded on the door. Trent yelled for them to get their asses in here. He heard wood splinter and he winced. Tori’s landlord wasn’t going to be too happy. The police came in and the paramedics, and he glimpsed Mrs. Armstrong hanging out in the back, her little dog in her arms. The medics shuffled him out of the way, stretched Tori out on the floor, and started doing things—good things he hoped. The cops wanted to talk to him about the guy in the living room, and the medics seemed to want to treat Bob, too, so he shouted, “Hey—Tori first here. That guy tried to kill her.”

That got the cops paying attention. More medics came in, along with a stretcher for Tori. When she’d been taken away, he turned his attention to the police officers and started telling his version of the events. He filled them in on what he knew, saw Bob carried off, and then the medics wanted him to sit down so they could check him out. “Does this get me to the same hospital as Tori?”

They told him it would, so he told them he wasn’t feeling so well and he started holding his elbow to his side.

Two hours later he’d been x-rayed, poked and stuck with way too many needles. He signed himself out of any more treatment and went looking for Tori. He found her in a hospital room—not IC, thank God. She was awake, but a bandage covered her left eye.

“Hey!” He went to sit beside her. “How are you doing?”

“Like I have been flattened with a steam roller.” She winced and touched her split lip. “What happened to Bob?”

Trent gave her a short version of the fight. “You can thank your dad for me—or I will. He’s the reason I’m alive. And Bob’s here somewhere, with a cop outside his door. He isn’t going to get out of this. As soon as you’re able, the police want to talk to you. I’m thinking they’re going to add a ton more charges of assault and battery to the charges I’ve already slapped on him.”

“He’s going to try and blame you.”

Trent took her hand. It felt small and light in his. “Let him try. But enough of him— I have some good news.”

“Bob stole my login.”

Trent shook his head. “We’re going to have to talk about him all day, aren’t we?”

“Saw him doing it.” She shifted on the bed and winced.

“Do you want an extra pillow? Water? Anything?”

She tried a smile, winced at that too. “I could go for a kiss.”

“With that mouth?” Leaning forward, he kissed the unbruised part of her face. “This is not how I planned to spend the day with you.”

“Tell me.”

“Well, I was thinking of heroic news, you launching yourself into my arms, kisses that go on for hours and—”

“Stop. You’re only torturing me.”

“Yeah, well, rain check on all of that.”

She stroked his hand. “Bob…he was behind Tom’s accident.”

“That…okay, I never liked the guy, but that does it. He’s not just going away for a long time, he’s going away forever.”

Tori made a soft sound and closed her eyes. Getting up, Trent kissed her forehead. “Rest, Tori. My news will wait.”

Walking out, Trent headed over to the room his brother had. Tom was sitting upright, but attached to more machines than Trent wanted to see. Tom waved at his nurse. “What do you think of my excuse to get some time off work?”

“I think it sucks. You want the news now or later?” Trent filled in Tom with the story of everything that had happened—including that Bob was behind the hit and run, and that Victoria had been hurt.

“She’s here? Oh, hell Trent.”

“I know. God knows how long she’s going to be here. You should have seen her when I found her. For a minute, I thought she was dead.”

Tom scrutinized his brother’s face. “That must have been some blow.”

“First you, then her. I have a good mind to lock you both up for my own peace of mind.”

“So this Bob character…why did she go out with him in the first place?”

Trent shrugged. “Who knows? But I swear he is out of her life. I just wish I’d hit the guy harder now—a whole lot harder.”

“When you see Victoria, tell her thanks for my dog.” Tom pointed to the blue dog riding his heart monitor.

“Hey, that’s from me.”

“Right—you thought ahead and got me a stuffed dog. Sure. I heard she was here with you that night when they wheeled me in and out of surgery.”

Trent stood and let out a breath. That was the night it had all happened. That was the night he’d made love to Tori for the first time. He gave his brother a creaky smile. “She was. And she'll be in here as soon as she can—assuming you’re not out of here first.”

“Knowing her, she’ll be telling me not to miss any more work.” Tom grinned. “Are you really sure you’re about to clear her name?”

“Soon as I get a chance to go in the office. I want her to be in on it. I owe her that much.”

He started for the door, but his brother called out, “Trent, I hope you are at some point planning to tell Victoria that you love her.”

Trent glanced back. Did telling her when she was fading in and out of a concussion count? He smiled, but he didn’t answer.

Tom grinned. “While you’re at it, make sure you ask her to marry you. Or I might beat you to it.”

Trent couldn’t help the smile that edged his lips. “Over your dead body—and that of your little dog, too.” He waved to at the blue dog and headed back to Victoria’s room. She was not awake now, but looked to be heading into an argument with an exasperated doctor.

He stepped between them before they began to pull out IVs. “What’s the problem?” Victoria smiled at him—lopsided but still a good smile. “I want an immediate discharge. You know how much I hate hospitals.”

“What’s the damage, doctor?”

The guy looked as if he’d had enough already. “She’s got bruised ribs on her right side that are going to hurt for a week. Luckily, no collapsed lung to go with it, no bones were broken. The bruising is the least of the worries, but that eye needs to be watched, and we really need one night of supervision to ensure no bleeds in her brain. Tomorrow, we will remove the bandage from the eye and she can be discharged.”