“I love you, Rylan,” she says through trembling lips.
Brushing my mouth across hers, my fingers flex in her hair. “Love you, sweetheart. Let’s get you checked out and home,” I grunt, releasing my grip in her hair.
I straighten standing up next to her body. Channing reaches up, wrapping her hand around mine and I gladly take it, lacing my fingers in with hers and giving her a gentle squeeze. I hold my breath for a moment, letting my eyes close as I let it out. I need to fucking relax before I lose my cool, and my shit.
Suddenly four EMTs run in and head straight for us. One breaks off to talk to the naked girl against the wall, one goes over to James, but two come over to Channing. I can’t listen to their questions, or her answers, not yet at least. This is not the place for it. James is still in this room and I’ll commit murder in front of this room full of people if I hear what she’s telling them—If I know what he did to her.
I’ll wait until we’re home, safe in our bed. I’ll fucking wait. I’m good at that, anyway—waiting.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
CHANNING
After the EMTs check me out and ask me a few medical questions, they allow me to go with the promise that I will make an appointment with my doctor immediately. I agree, squeezing Rylan’s hand and anchoring myself to him for support. He’s stoic and has been for a while. He watched, unmoving, as Jennifer, and Jacob were escorted out of the house. He did the same when Emily and James were taken out on a gurney as well.
“Now, we just need to get your statement, Miss Shephard,” Sheriff Robby says. He clears his throat and pulls out his notepad.
“No,” Rylan barks.
The sheriff and I both jump at his strong tone.
“Rylan,” I murmur.
His grip tightens against mine. His head lifts and he stares at the sheriff. “She’s been through enough. She’s pregnant. You didn’t fucking believe me when I told you there was a problem, therefore you can fucking wait until tomorrow,” he growls.
The sheriff blanches, his face turning white and his eyes bugging out of his head as he looks at me, then back to Rylan. “Bring her in at ten tomorrow, if you don’t, I will come and find her. Her statement needs to be taken, there’s no way around it,” he nods.
Rylan doesn’t verbally speak. He lifts his chin, tugging me behind him and out of the house. He doesn’t stop until we’re down the street and at Wyatt’s truck. Beaumont, Louis, and Ford are all standing around talking, but their conversation comes to a halt as soon as we approach.
“Where’s Wy?” Rylan asks. His head moves from side to side, as if he’s looking for him.
Ford clears his throat, Rylan’s head turns toward him and he’s smirking. “He charged after that pretty little brunette, right inside of her MawMaw’s place.”
Rylan frowns turning toward the small house, then sighs. “Fuck.”
“It’s okay, Ry,” I whisper, tugging down on his hand.
His head turns to me, his chin dipping and he scowls. “Not okay. You need to get home. Get fed and get a bath,” he grunts. “Wyatt can get his dick wet another fucking day,” he growls.
The guys chuckle, but nobody makes a move to go inside the house after him. That is until Rylan has had enough. He releases my hand, taking a step toward the house when the screen door comes flying open. It slams against the wall and Wyatt storms down the steps of the porch.
He doesn’t say anything to anyone, just jumps inside of the pickup truck and starts the engine. We all scramble to get into the vehicle. It’s a tight squeeze now that there are six of us, but Beaumont, Louis, and Ford climb into the back leaving two empty seats in the front for me and Rylan.
I climb inside, scooting all the way to the middle, and next to Wyatt. He’s holding his body tight, his jaw is clenched, and I have a feeling if it could happen, steam would be pouring from his ears. He doesn’t speak as he shifts the truck into drive and takes off down the street.
Nothing is said, by anyone, on the way home. Whatever he has with Exeter, he’s not happy about the outcome. I wish that I could help, but I’m honestly too damn tired to counsel anyone tonight. Rylan is right, I need food, a shower, and bed. I don’t really care about the order either. I could eat while I’m showering for all I care.
Wyatt drops Beaumont, Louis, and Ford off at the diner where they’re trucks are parked. I don’t ask them why they’re there. All I know is that this is where my car is, and I just want to freaking go home.
“You shoot him?” Rylan asks Wyatt. I cringe at the question. I remember it far too clearly. James charged him when he was wrestling with Emily on the floor. He didn’t have much of a choice.
Wyatt looks over to me, something painful crosses his features, then his gaze finds Rylan’s. “You’ll find out when Channing tells you, but yeah. I shot the fuck. He deserved more than the bullet grazing his side,” he grunts.
Rylan chuckles. James deserved a lot more than a graze from a bullet. I didn’t want to see anyone hurt, but I can’t deny that seeing him lying in a small pool of blood made me feel almost relieved for a moment.
“Whatever you two are pissed about, you’ll figure out or move on,” Rylan murmurs changing the subject, his hand on the handle of the door.
“I don’t know. Probably not, she’s dating someone she says.”
Rylan snorts. “Doubtful. She said that to ruffle your feathers. She was blushin’ and smilin’. She wants in there, Wy, don’t give up.”
Wyatt turns his head slowly, a frown on his face. “I’ve already been in there, Rylan.”
I try not to gasp, but I fail. Wyatt smiles, shaking his head a couple of times as if to clear his mind. “Sorry, Channing.” He shrugs with a smile, obviously not sorry at all.
“You want in there again, work for it. Don’t be lazy,” Rylan grunts as he pushes the door open. “She was pretty, brave, too. Get off your lazy fuckin’ ass,” he barks, reaching for my hand, he gently pulls me toward him.
When I climb out of the truck and am standing next to him, he doesn’t slam the door closed. He lets out a sigh and faces Wyatt again. “We’re thirty years old, Wyatt. Sammi is gone. That part of your life finally has closure. It’s time to find someone you want to settle down with. I know you want a family. That pretty little brunette might just be exactly what you need.” He slams the truck door closed and together we turn around.
“Let’s get you inside, get you some food and let you tell your friends you’re okay, they’ve been worried about you,” he grunts.
We walk toward the diner doors, and I finally let out a breath. It’s over. It’s finally over. We step into the diner, and he’s absolutely right, I need to tell my friends that I’m okay. As soon as Lulamae sees me, she freezes in her spot and I watch as her lips tremble before she screams for Clarence. The diner is empty, and I realize that it’s past closing time.
“Rylan?” I ask, looking up to him.
“I called them. Asked them to stay so I could bring you by. Clarence has some food waiting for us in the back. Plus, you need to pick up your check and the gift.”
Tears flow down my cheeks. I’m unable to stop them. I don’t even bother trying to wipe them away. Rylan pinches my chin between his fingertips and brushes his lips across my own. Once he’s tasted me, he turns me around and gently pushes me toward Lulamae. Both she and Clarence hug me tighter than they ever have before.
We stay there with them, eating and talking for far too long. They don’t ask me what happened, they don’t even make mention of my obviously abused face. They feign oblivion and I’m perfectly okay with that. The story isn’t that exciting anyway and I have no desire to relive it until I have to tomorrow at the sheriff’s department.
When our food is gone, plus dessert, and the sun has set, I open the gift. Lulamae gives me a sideways glance, obviously peeved that I’ve disobeyed her, but she doesn’t say anything. The gift causes my breath to catch. It’s a beautiful blanket, its soft and I know that it’s expensive just by the f
eel of the fabric. There’s also an envelope at the bottom of the box. Slowly, I open it, then lift my eyes to both Lulamae and Clarence.
“You shouldn’t have,” I breathe. They don’t say anything in return, Lula shifting in her seat uncomfortable. Inside of the envelope is ten crisp one hundred dollar bills. A thousand dollars. They’ve given me a thousand dollars.
“Thank you, thank you so much,” I cry. Standing, I give both Lulamae and Clarence another hug. They hold me tighter than they ever have.
“Go home,” Lulamae whispers in my ear. Thanking them again, I wave as Rylan guides me toward the car. He takes my keys from me, and helps me into the passenger seat.
Rylan slowly drives us home, as if he’s enjoying the easy ride toward the duplex. Once we’re parked in front of our place, he puts his hand on my knee and squeezes.
“Thought I lost you today,” he admits.
I nod, turning my head to look over at him. “I thought that I was lost from you today, too,” I admit.
“Never again, Channing. I can’t go through that again,” he rasps.
I nod, a question floating around inside of my head and I want to ask him, so I just blurt it out, “Do you want to drink?”
He shakes his head. “No, though if I lost you, I wouldn’t even question it. I would have a bottle in my hand, and I would get lost. Without you I am lost,” he admits.
Lifting my hand, I cup his cheek. “Don’t do that to yourself, Rylan. Promise me that you won’t ever do that,” I demand.
He gulps, his head jerks in a nod and I know that he’s lying. He would get lost if I weren’t here with him. Just as I would do the same, but with a different vice. I don’t know what my vice would be, but it would be harmful for certain. I can’t imagine a life without him in it, not now that I’ve found him.
“Let’s go inside,” he rasps.
I smile with a nod. I need a shower and our bed. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. If we’re still moving, or what the police are going to do about James, Jennifer, and Jacob, but tonight I don’t care.
Tonight I am safe, Rylan is safe, and our baby is safe.
That is all that matters.
RYLAN
I watch Channing exit the bathroom. The steam is all around her towel wrapped body like a halo. Her wet hair hangs down. I can’t keep my eyes off of her. I don’t see her bruised face, not really, I just see her. Channing. The woman that I love. The woman that I could have lost. The woman that I almost lost.
“Come to bed, sweetheart,” I urge.
My breath hitches when she drops the towel to her feet. She kicks it to the side before she slowly makes her way toward me. I watch in awe as she climbs up the bed, her breasts swaying with each move that she makes.
My mouth goes dry, and I let out a shaky exhale. I want to grab her by her hips, throw her down, and guide myself deep inside of her, I want to fuck her until she’s screaming my name. I don’t do that, as badly as I want to, I don’t.
Wrapping my arms around her naked body, I pull her against me, arranging her front to press against my side. Wordlessly, I let my fingers trail her naked spine, enjoying the feeling of her soft skin beneath my fingertips.
“Rylan?” she whispers.
I hold her tighter for just a moment, my arms flexing around her before I loosen them a bit. “I just want to hold you, to feel you against me, Channing,” I admit.
She shifts, lifting her head and placing her chin against my chest. Her blue eyes look up at me and I blink. Emotion like I’ve never felt rushes throughout my entire body. Lost. I almost lost her. I can’t even fathom what my life would be like without her. She’s part of me now, the best part of me.
“It’s over now,” she murmurs, her wide eyes staring at me.
Grunting, I nod. “It is. For now.”
She shakes her head. “It’s over, Rylan. The rest of the shit, that will be easy. He’ll never have custody, he'll be locked away for a long time, no judge in their right mind would let him be free, his brother or her for that matter either. It’s done, Ry.”
Flexing my arms again, I look down at her, feeling sadness roll throughout my entire body. I want to believe her. I want to think that they will rot away in jail forever, but I know the truth. I know how the system works, and I know that they’ll be breathing free again, hell if I am, they will be too. I don’t tell her any of that though.
Sliding my hand up her back, I tangle my fingers in her hair and lower my head toward hers. My lips touch her soft ones as I kiss her. I taste her sweet innocence. Slipping my tongue into her warm mouth. I swallow her moans, my cock grows hard when I do. Slowly, I break the kiss, my teeth nibbling on her bottom lip.
“It’s done, Ry. We’re going to be okay. The three of us will be okay,” she promises.
I know it’s partially for my benefit, but I know that the words are far more for her own. She’s attempting to convince herself. Resting my forehead against her own, I close my eyes and just breathe her in.
“Sweetheart, we will always be okay,” I state. “Always.”
“How did I end up with you?”
Chuckling, I shake slightly, my eyes opening as I lean back slightly. “I ask myself that every second of every day, Channing. Every goddamn day,” I grind out.
Her lips turn up into a small smile, she presses her body closer against mine and her lips take my own. I grunt, opening my mouth as her tongue enters. I allow her to control the kiss as she climbs over me, her warm pussy pressing against my hard dick.
My hands automatically grab ahold of her hips and I squeeze.
“Channing,” I rasp.
She lifts herself up, aligning her pussy with the head of my cock and slowly sinks down. I groan as she envelops all of me in her sweet center. I don’t move my eyes from hers, and she’s focused on me as well.
Together, silently, we make love. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. It’s everything. When she comes, it’s with a soft gasp, and I only let out a low groan with my climax. Her trembling body lowers, her chest and belly press against mine as I slide my hands from her hips to wrap around her back.
“I love you, Channing,” I say against her wet hair.
She hums, cuddling closer, trying to meld herself against me as if she’s trying to melt into me. I’d let her. Whatever she wants, it’s hers.
This woman who loves a broken man.
A broken man who loves this woman.
The convict and the saint.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
CHANNING
I try not to hold my breath when the doctor places the doppler against my stomach. Rylan slips his hand in mine. He’s standing next to me, too nervous to sit as he keeps shifting, unable to stand still. The room is quiet as the doppler moves around. Rylan’s head is down, his eyes closed, his grip tight as we wait.
Finally, the room is filled with a whooshing sound. I let out a sigh. Rylan’s head lifts quickly, he turns to look at me and his eyes widen. “Is that…”
“Baby’s heartbeat,” the doctor announces. “Sounds good, strong. Everything looks good, Channing. If you have any cramping, anything like that, please do not hesitate to come in,” he explains as he wipes my belly clean and walks over to the counter to set everything down.
“So, it’s fine. The baby’s fine?” Rylan asks.
The doctor lets out a small chuckle, turning to face Rylan. “Daddy?” he asks.
Rylan looks from the doctor to me. I nod once, my eyes watering. This isn’t who I had originally pictured as the father of my child. I had such different ideas the moment I saw that positive pregnancy test, but I wouldn’t want anyone else standing next to me.
“Yeah,” Rylan grins, turning back to face him.
The doctor clears his throat. “They’re okay. Let her take it easy for a few days, but she’s okay,” he smiles kindly.
Rylan thanks him before the doctor leaves the room. Slowly, I sit up and rearrange my clothes. Rylan is at my side as soon as I attemp
t to slide down from the exam table. He takes my hand and wraps his other arm around my waist until I’m steady on my feet next to him.
He holds me, his brown eyes searching mine. I don’t speak. I’m too lost in his eyes to even breathe let alone talk to him. He lowers his head, his nose sliding alongside my own until our lips touch.
“You make me so goddamn happy,” he mutters against my mouth.
Without waiting even a moment, his lips press against mine and his tongue fills my mouth. He kisses me completely breathless. My lungs almost hurt, it’s so good. Eventually, we have to break the kiss. With my eyes closed, we stay with our foreheads pressed together and just breathe each other in.
“You know we have to go to the sheriff’s station now,” he grunts, breaking the beautiful moment.
“I know.”
“I don’t want you to have to even think about what happened, let alone relive it by talking about it.”
Smiling, I take a step back from him so that I can look up into his eyes. His brows are furrowed, and he looks as if he’s almost in pain. I take his hands in mine and gently squeeze them. “We have to get through this. It’s just another hurdle, then tomorrow we can continue to move on,” I smile.
He grunts. He laces his fingers with mine and turns to walk out of the doctor’s office. Together we leave in silence. In fact, he stays quiet the entire way to the sheriff’s office. I don’t attempt to speak. I know he’s going through a lot, and so am I. We’re both battling our own demons as he parks the car.
The brick building looms in front of us, both of us unable to open our car doors and just get out. I make the first move, pushing the door open before shifting my legs to the side. “I don’t know that I can listen to everything that happened. I also don’t know if I can handle not knowing,” he says.
Turning my head, I look back at him. “If it helps at all, what happened to me is nothing compared to Emily. The only time anyone touched me was when James hit me. Other than that, it was all a bunch of talk and threats,” I murmur.
CONVICT: An Unfit Hero Novel Page 21