Irritable by Joanne Locker Read Free Book Online

without disturbing her picky neighbor. She worked for
some time and suddenly realized that something didn't feel 'right'. She
had the feeling of being watched and whirled in her desk chair to find someone
standing in the room with her, a knife in his hand. Kelsey immediately
recognized the man from the grocery parking lot and her eyes went wide as she
realized that Cleve's instincts were right. She'd unlocked the damn doors
and practically invited the man inside and now she was going to have to fight
to protect her life. He wasn't making any attempt to hide his identity
and he would kill her when he was through violating her. "What do you
think you are doing here?" she demanded, not about to show fear.
    "You
know why I'm here, bitch. We would already have had our fun if that
friend of yours wouldn't have interfered." He brandished the knife and
took another step toward her.
    Kelsey
took off the headset and jerked the cord out of her computer, filling the room
with blasting music. Her only prayer was that Cleve would hear the music
and come running.
    *****
    "Damn!"
Cleve rolled over and sat up. It sounded as though little Pebbles was
spoiling for a fight. He was in the mood to give her one, he decided and
got out of bed and pulled on his sweat pants and a t-shirt. He slipped
his feet into a pair of slippers, and headed for his keys and the front
door. If he was a betting man, he'd lay down odds that he'd find the
doors unlocked.
    He
tried the front door and was inside just that quick. He immediately heard
screams and sounds of struggling coming from upstairs and took off running,
taking the steps three at a time. The noises were coming from Pebble's
bedroom, and he walked in the room in time to see the bastard hit her in the
face with his fist. The tiny redhead was fighting with everything she had
but she was no match for the rapist's strength. Cleve didn't have that
problem. He kicked the knife from the bastard's hand, then jerked him off
the bed and threw him against the wall. When he tried to get up, Cleve
used his fist and put all of his strength into putting him down. The
rapist collapsed in an unconscious heap on the floor. Cleve picked up the
telephone and called for back-up while cradling Pebbles in his arms.
    "It's
all right, honey. I came. I heard you and I came," he said over and
over while she cried. "Are you injured? Did he cut you?" Cleve
asked, trying to examine her for injuries while keeping an eye on his
prisoner. He'd sent for the paramedics, too, for Pebbles; he didn't give
a damn how much the rapist suffered.
    "I'm
okay," Kelsey whispered even though it hurt to talk. "Thank you."
    "You
were so smart to blast that music, honey. You know my temper," he
grinned, and kissed her uninjured cheek carefully. "I love you, Pebbles
Sherwood," he said in wonder. "I really do love you."
    Pebbles
squeezed his hand and held on tight. She was in terrible pain and felt
like she was going to be sick. Not a very romantic response when a man
says those words for the first time, she scolded herself. She was safe
and she knew she always would be with Cleve in her life. He came when she
needed him most.
    Officers
arrived and Cleve took charge, giving orders right and left. He made sure
the paramedics saw to Pebbles first and after examining her, they insisted she
go to the hospital and be seen by doctors. Cleve told her he would be
there as soon as he could, and she squeezed his hand in answer. Cleve
kissed her again, unmindful of the others watching. He intended to make
Pebbles his wife and his fellow cops would need to get used to seeing him kiss
her when they were together.

Chapter Five

    Kelsey
was not happy that the emergency room doctors were insisting she spend the
night at the hospital for observation. They gave her some medication to
help with the pain, and while nothing was broken, she had considerable bruising
and they wanted to keep an eye on her to make sure nothing else showed
up. Kelsey insisted she would be fine