Steal You Away

Chapter Seven

Clenching his fists so hard his knuckles cracked, Chase watched Mackenzie flee and disappear into a room in the back of the store. Taking a purposeful stride towards the direction Justin had gone, he was ready to chase the little prick down and pound the ever loving shit of him for talking to her that way.

The crestfallen look on her bright red face, tore his heart to shreds. He had a feeling she was probably use to Justin's foul mouth, but it had compounded her embarrassment by having him there to witness it. Whipping off his baseball cap, he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He turned over his shoulder to the back room, torn as to what he should do. Part of him desperately wanted to hunt the motherfucker down and spill his blood...all of it...onto the street, while the other part of him wanted to hold Mackenzie and sooth her.

Cussing under his breath, he strode to the door and locked it. Flipping the little closed sign around, he headed for the back. Her needs far outweighed his desire for vengeance. Justin would get what was coming to him, but not at her cost.

"Mackenzie?" he called softly as he entered the little employee break room.

He spotted her sitting in a chair with her elbows on her knees and her face in the palm of her hands. Her slender shoulders shook as she cried quietly. Guilt poured over him like a bucket of ice water. If he hadn't been so stubborn about keeping her hand in his, this might have been preventable. Sagging his shoulders he walked over to her. Damn him for his need to provoke Justin. Instead of a picture of a hinny on the wall, they should replace it with a snap-shot of a real jackass...a mug shot of his stupid face.

Kneeling down beside her, he swept the palm of his hand across her back. "Don't cry, darlin'," he whispered. He noticed she jumped a little at his touch and he frowned. Did Justin do more than verbally abuse this poor girl? Rage burned in his gut and he had to take several calming breaths. His desire to chase that motherfucker down damn near made him twitch.

"Please...just go," she mumbled behind her hands.

Chase winced at her garbled plea. "I can't do that, honey. Not until I know you are going to be alright." Leaning in, he gently pulled her hands away from her face. "He's an ignorant asshole," he growled. Cradling her face in his hands, he tilted it up until her green eyes were looking at him. Chase's heart cracked at the pain shimmering back at him. "Oh darlin', he's not worth these tears." Gently, he brushed his thumbs under her eyes, catching several drops as they fell. "And he's damn sure not worth you," he added quietly.

She sighed, hiccupping softly. "I...sorry you had to hear that." She tried to turn her face away from him, but Chase refused to let her go.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. I'm the one who should be apologizing to you."

"Why? You didn't do anything." Her lovely brow dropped to a puzzled frown.

"I did plenty. He only acted that way because I was there, darlin'. He was acting like a tomcat pissing out his territory." Chase grimaced, shrugging his shoulders. "I shouldn't have aggravated him."

A small smile appeared on her trembling lips. "Justin is always in a state of aggravation these days." Her eyes popped wide at her words as if she was shocked she had said them. "I...I mean...he's just been really upset lately. Losing his mom...and...everything." She pulled her head out his hands and he was left cupping air. Her eyes landing on everything in the room but him.

Narrowing his gaze, he watched as she fidgeted with the silver ring on her finger. She twisted it until he feared she would rip her damn finger off. Putting one of his hands over hers to stop the fiddling, he gently placed his other under her chin and brought her head around towards him again.