The Marine Finds His Family

He stopped, pinning her with that glare again. Except now the anger was replaced with a hard glint. “He’s my son. I have full legal custody. I’ll use every legal trick in the book, and then some, to make sure you never, ever see him again.”

He was serious.

She’d never planned on this. She’d sent Tyler to him to keep him safe, fully intending to go back and get Tyler once she’d solved the danger she’d put them in. She’d known DJ would protect him...but she hadn’t expected this. This possessiveness. This territorial protectiveness.

Panic froze her. Never see Tyler again? Never read him a bedtime story? Never hear him whisper, “I love you, Mama”? Never again smell that sweet little-boy scent mingled with dirt as he hugged her?

Her knees threatened to give way. She struggled to breathe. In slow motion, she slipped the precious picture into her backpack then settled the bag back on her shoulder. She stopped and turned toward the big man on the even bigger bike. Its rumble made her think of a tiger and its throaty roar vibrated through her bones.

She had no choice. She knew it. He knew it.

Slowly, Tammie shook her head. Tears blurred her vision and spilled over her cheeks at the movement. “I’m not getting on that gawd-awful motorcycle. Never.” She didn’t have to fake the shiver. “I can’t,” she whispered.

She’d rather lose Tyler this way, knowing he was safe, than lose him to the danger following her.

Slowly, Tammie backed away, one painful step at a time.

CHAPTER FIVE (#ulink_e8d1615d-dd38-524b-ad90-fb97e05611be)

“WHAT THE—”

DJ had never hurt a female, not since he was five and his sister Mandy and he had gotten into a slugfest in the backyard sandbox. That was one of the few memories DJ had of his dad—the talk about never hitting a girl.

DJ had taken it to heart, but right now?

Tammie would have strained even Dad’s legendary patience. She didn’t run away from him this time. She just purposefully walked away. DJ watched until the darkness swallowed her.

What was he supposed to do now? He’d worked too hard to find her. He’d been so sure his threats would make her agree to come with him. It would have worked on his sisters. Okay, maybe not. His sisters weren’t that easy to manipulate, either.

But he couldn’t just let her go. Tyler—and he—deserved answers. He’d promised his son that he’d find her and bring her home.

Besides, what kind of mother abandoned her son? Especially one who’d raised such a great kid. What was going on with her?

DJ sat on the bike, leaning back against the leather seat, frowning. She didn’t make any sense. Tyler’s face came to mind. His faith in his mother was unshakable. Faith like that wasn’t automatic—it was earned. Tyler staunchly believed in her. Staring into the darkness, DJ once again wondered why.

What were her reasons for leaving Tyler? And why wouldn’t she tell him? Did she expect to just disappear?

Suddenly, he no longer heard her footsteps. “Oh, hell no,” DJ whispered and kicked the bike into gear. The low rumble broke the quiet night as he followed her.

* * *

TAMMIE HEADED BACK to the diner. Probably a stupid idea to walk alone in this part of town at this time of night, but once again she didn’t have much choice. Where else did she have to go? She’d turned her back on DJ and—her heart hitched—she’d just given up Tyler. Probably forever. A sob broke from her chest.

The sound of footsteps from behind reached through the fog in her brain—and blessed anger cut through her pain. She spun around, ready to give DJ a piece of her mind. “Just leave me alone,” she snapped before she saw the shadowed face of a stranger.

He was a big man wearing dark clothing and a smirk that didn’t say, “Have a nice day.” She stumbled as she backed away from him.

“Well, hello there.” His deep growl of a voice made her shiver.

She caught her balance and started walking faster, hoping that the threat she saw in his face wasn’t real. Wishing that all of this—this place, this situation, this mess of her life—would just go away. Then it occurred to her that the darkness in his eyes could mean exactly that.

Still winded after running from DJ, Tammie doubted she could outrun this guy, but she had to try. And she almost made it.

Until his meaty fist grabbed hold of her ponytail and yanked her backward. “Not so fast,” he said in her ear, then paused. “Tammie.”

Panic shot through her. How did he know her name? She didn’t remember him coming into the diner. That’s the only place she met anyone and she’d have remembered him. There was only one other answer...

He laughed, and she nearly gagged at the thick cologne he wore—cologne that barely covered the other odors cloaking him.

“Who are you?” She pulled away from him, feeling hair rip from her head.

“Let’s just say a friend sent me.”

A friend. She knew who he was talking about, but Dom was no friend.

“Go to hell.” She turned to run.

“No need to be nasty. Let’s do this easy.” He lunged, catching her arm and sending her off balance. She fell and landed on her knees. Pavement ripped through her skin and tiny rocks tore into her palms.

The snarl of a motorcycle cut through her cries and a new anger bubbled up inside her. She mentally cursed. She didn’t want to need anyone. She didn’t want a savior, but, damn it, right now she needed one. DJ would do.

The roar grew louder. She looked up. DJ and his bike appeared out of the darkness. Bathed in the streetlight’s glow, he brought the bike up on the curb and raced toward them. Tammie screamed.

DJ used the bike to chase the thug away from her, the tires spinning toward the man’s legs and driving him back. Knocking him into the street.

This time, DJ kept control of the vehicle and righted it before it fell. He spun the bike around, the smell of burning rubber thick in the air. Revving the throttle, he faced the thug, silently daring him to try something. The look on DJ’s face made Tammie shudder—was this her DJ? The light in his eyes was not warm and soothing.

It was frightening. He was frightening.

She tore her gaze from DJ and realized her attacker had disappeared. In the distance, hurried footsteps receded into the night. Bowing her head, she took in deep gulps of air. Trying to keep the panic at bay, and think straight, she longed to figure out how to gain control of her life. But once again, nothing came to mind.

Silence reigned as DJ shut down the engine. She didn’t hear his footsteps, didn’t hear anything except her heart pounding and her breath ripping through her lungs. She couldn’t do this anymore. She just couldn’t.

She was done.

“Tammie?” DJ’s voice actually sounded hesitant. She looked up. Where had his anger gone?

Hers returned on an adrenaline rush. “Where the hell did you learn to do that?” She crawled to her feet, refusing the hand he offered. “And why would anyone in their right mind know how to do that?” She stalked toward him. “What if you’d lost control like you did before? You could have hit the wall, or wrecked, or...or...or...” She hiccuped as horrific images of DJ splattered on the pavement blared in her mind.

DJ looked entirely too pleased with himself. He had the audacity to grin. “Hey.” He shrugged. “I grew up on a ranch. Cutting horses and bikes. Same difference.”

“You idiot!” She went at him, poking his chest with an angry finger. “Is that what you were trying to do earlier? To me?”

“Yeah.” He grinned. “Did it right this time, though.”

Anger bubbled up inside her. How dare he! “Don’t you dare teach Tyler anything like that.”

“A simple thank-you would do just fine.” He took a step back, his eyes moving, assessing her—and not with appreciation.