Free No Regrets (Bomar Boys #1) by Jess Bryant

have been surprised she still did. He wasn’t just being nice because he was a nice guy. He was helping her because she was Jemma, his Jemma. But that opened up a whole can of worms he didn’t think either of them was ready to deal with so he kept his answer simple.
    “Yeah.”
    Jemma sighed, as if that one word weighed heavily on her, and poured herself a shot of whiskey, downing it before she spoke again, “I think there’s something you should know.”
    He leaned forward, started to reach for her and then pulled his hand back, “You don’t have to tell me anything if you’re not ready.”
    “I know, but you’re letting me stay here and... and you make me feel safe. I don’t know why or how to explain it but it’s easier to think about facing things tomorrow knowing I’m not completely alone.” She looked on the verge of tears again when she met his gaze, “The guy that hit me and tried to… rape me… he’s my fiancé.”
    He tried to focus on what it was she was telling him but his chest ached when she said that she felt safe with him. He hadn’t thought that was possible. Not after what he’d done. But he realized now that to her, maybe his sins were so far removed from her current terror and pain that there wasn’t room for her to hate him right now.
    “I figured.” He finally admitted when she continued to stare at him.
    “You did?”
    “You mentioned that you fell for the wrong guy, again.”
    And he couldn’t stop staring at that damn ring on her finger, wanting to rip the offending piece of jewelry off and crush it to pieces. Why the hell was she still wearing it if the bastard had hurt her? He bit his tongue to keep from saying anything about it since she was only just beginning to open up to him.
    “Oh…” She poured another drink and tipped it to her lips, “I didn’t realize I’d said that.”
    She looked exhausted. She was stressed out and emotional. He tried to remember where it was she’d been living. Houston, or at least that had been it the last time he heard. For her Jeep to have died outside of Old Settlers when it did, she’d been driving all day. She needed sleep but he wasn’t ready to let her out of his sight yet, not now that she was finally talking.
    “You going to tell me his name?”
    “You’d find out eventually I guess.” She shrugged, “Hoyt. Hoyt Bates.”
    He made a mental note to look the guy up after she went to sleep, “What kind of name is Hoyt?”
    “Says the guy named after Johnny Cash?” Her eyes softened slightly as she teased him and for that much, he was thankful he’d thought to make a joke.
    “Johnny Cash was cool. This guy sounds like his family owns the Bates Motel.”
    “Bates Engineering and Technology, actually. His family owns a company that contracts with NASA. They help build rockets.”
    He scoffed, “So he’s a rich , abusive bastard.”
    “Yeah.”
    “This the first time he’s ever hit you?”
    She was silent for a long minute as she poured another drink and his gut clenched. He wanted to curse when she refused to look him in the eye. He took a deep breath, tried to hold onto his anger and not let his murderous intentions show on his face when she finally shook her head.
    “No.”
    “What the hell Jemma?” He snapped and immediately regretted it.
    She launched off the couch like she might burst through the door and just keep running. Instead of running away, she paced to the other side of the room and then spun on her heel and came back. She grabbed the whiskey, downed a long gulp straight from the bottle, and then pointed it at him.
    “Don’t you judge me, Cash. Don’t you dare!” She was yelling at him but her voice cracked and her eyes watered, “Yes, I was stupid to stay and it was childish to believe him when he said he loved me and he was sorry every time it happened but you know what, I didn’t have anyone else and you can sit there and think that I should have just left the very first time, but I didn’t