Never Going Back Again

28. Harry

"I know you told me I didn't need to know, but I do... What happened to Jake last night?"

Her small voice questioned before the sun had barely time to peek through the drapes.

Harry knew she would ask. He was surprised she was able to fall asleep last night without knowing, but I guess that's what an orgasm does to you. At the memory of last night Harry stretched his limbs to feel the tell tale signs of a good night. His thighs were tight and his shoulders need rolled, but he would take the moments discomfort for a rerun of last night. He chastised himself for letting his mind fall off track. He flopped his sleepy body back into his pillow and covers.

He could lie to her and tell her he let Jake off lightly. That his security team drove him all the way back home and told him not to come back.

Or he could tell her the truth. He had told his guys to take him as far away as they could but not too close to home, and do what they want with him. But leave him alive. His last instructions were to leave him alive. Harry wanted to hurt him, but not kill him. He didn't need Jake's blood on his hands. And despite everything he had subjected Eve too in the past, Harry knew she wouldn't want him dead.

If Eve's safety wasn't a bigger priority than causing that scumbag pain, he would have done it himself. He would have relished in beating that asshole within an inch of his life. But, and without him even realising if, Eve had became the most important thing in his life. Her wants and needs slowly climbed to the top of Harry's priority list and leaving her last night was not an option.

When he'd rounded the corner and seen Jake pinning Eve against the wall, her petite frame under his staggering big body, he nearly flipped. Nearly lost his composure. Nearly dragged him off Eve and beat the living daylights out of him right there and then. But Eve had seen enough violence. She been subjected to enough abuse from Jake that she didn't need to see anymore. She needed change and Harry wanted to be that change for her.

So that's why Harry had told his men to take him away and make sure he didn't come back. Tim, his head of security had phoned when they'd got back to the hotel to tell Harry they were taking him to an empty airfield 25 miles from Eve's old home town, he was assured Jake would be left alive. But Harry had been too busy last night to check they'd done as they were told.

"You sure you want to know Eve? Can we not just say 'He won't be coming back any time soon' and leave it at that?" Harry eventually opened his eyes fully to glance down at Eve, wrapped in the duvet, peering up at him.

"But what does that mean Harry? I know what he's like. It'll take a lot to make sure he doesn't come back" Eve whined. Her insecurities and her need for control shining clear as day for Harry.

"A few of my security guards gave him a taste of his own medicine. And made it abundantly clear what will happen to him if he comes near you ever again" Harry pushed Eve's wild hair out of her face as her eyes searched his for more information.

"I didn't even know you had a security team" Eve huffed unexpectedly.

Harry pushed himself up into a sitting position, the covers pooling at his waist. He glanced down to see Eve's eyes glued to his naked torso.

"I don't really have personal security on a day to day basis" He admitted "but I have a team that work for me and do big events and stuff like last night. I might not be famous, but obviously they're worth having" He attempted a joke but the laugh died on his lips as Eve's stark gaze glanced up to his.

"So what does 'give him a taste of his own medicine' really mean?" Eve asked, ignoring Harry's lame attempt at humour.

He pulled his bottom lip between his finger and thumb while debating what to tell her.

"Truth?" He asked, if she wanted it, he'd give it to her. He would always be truthful.

"Always"

"They beat the living shit out of him and left him in a field 20 miles outside his town." Harry glanced down and saw the colour drain from Eve's porcelain skin. Suddenly he wished he hadn't opted for the whole truth.

"I've yet to find out what state he was in when they left him" He added softly, trying to show some compassion.

They sat in silence. Harry struggling to know what to say to make it better, guessing that Eve needed a moment to process what he'd done to her ex-boyfriend.

Eve lay with the covers still pulled around her chest, cocooning herself in the crisp, white down.

"Why did you do that for me?" Eve small voice eventually asks as pushed herself up to sit beside Harry, the covers looking around her waist, still in Harry's t-short from the night before.

Harry looked perplexed. "What do you mean?"

Eve shrugged, picking at the skin on her thumb as her hands lay on top of her folded legs.

"You risked a lot for me by doing that" Her eyes wouldn't meet his, she looked at her hands instead. "If he pressed charges, then it would be you and your men in the frame. You could be charged with assault. Why would you risk jail for me?" Eve looked up to meet Harry's gaze. The lack of self confidence abundantly clear on her face.

Harry blinked slowly. He needed to make sure he got this right first time.

"Firstly, he won't press charges, cowards like him don't live by the law. And if I played my cards right he'd be too shit scared to tell anyone I had anything to do with it"

Harry took a deep breath, he tugged Eve's hands from her lap, he needed her undivided attention for this one. He tugged on her arms and pulled the covers back, she accepted the invitation and lightly crawled onto his lap. Harry wrapped his arm around Eve's back as she rested her head on his shoulder. He manoeuvred the duvet so it was covering her thighs again. Taking his free hand he laced his fingers through hers.

"Secondly... you're worth it, Eve. You are 100% worth it. I'd do it all again with guarantee of being caught because I won't stop trying to protect you. I won't stop sticking up for you and I won't stop fighting for you. That man doesn't deserve to destroy anymore of your happiness" Eve lifted her head from Harry's shoulder to look up into his eyes. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. His thumb caught a single tear as it escaped and he wiped it away.

"You deserve to be happy baby and I want to be the one to make you happy"

"You are the one, Harry. You really are"

Eve lent up and Harry was ready to captured her mouth with his.