Protect Me

by Alexis Winter

  He nods slowly. “I’m surprised you lasted as long as you did, Amy.”

  I look up at him from beneath my lashes. “Will you go over there and make sure she’s okay? I haven’t talked to her in over a week. She could be dead for all I know.”

  He lets out a deep sigh but agrees. “And I hope it’s okay that I’m staying with you until I can find a place.”

  I smile and hug him. “Of course it’s okay!”

  When dinner ends, Vesper and Liam leave to go back to the ranch. Ethan gives me a hug, but then leaves on his own to go check on our mom. Tyler and I head back to my apartment. The second we walk in the door, I grab us both a beer and we sit on the couch.

  “So, that’s your brother, huh?”

  I laugh and nod. “That’s my brother.”

  “I don’t think he likes me.” He lifts the bottle to his lips and takes a swig.

  I place my hand on his angular jaw and turn his head until his dark eyes are locked on mine. “It’s not you. He’s just worried about me, is all. He’s afraid I’ll end up like our mom: all alone with a couple of kids and doing nothing but drinking myself to death. After our dad left, Ethan was the one who took care of me. He was just a child and he was raising a baby. He’s always been protective of me. Trust me, it’ll be easier to confront him and get everything out in the open now. The longer you put it off, the angrier he’ll get. I can’t tell you how many of my boyfriends he beat up.”

  “I thought you said you’ve never had a boyfriend.”

  I hold my finger up. “No, I said I’ve never been the relationship type. I’ve had many boyfriends, just none who were serious.” I shrug one shoulder. “And to be honest, I haven’t had a boyfriend since high school.”

  His arm wraps around my shoulders and he pulls me to his side. “So you think that if I just talk with your brother, everything will be fine?”

  I nod. “Absolutely. He doesn’t have a problem with you. He just wants to make sure you’re not going to turn out like our dad did.”

  He leans forward, placing his beer bottle on the coffee table before taking mine and doing the same. “I’d never be able to do that to you, Amy,” he says as he closes the distance between us, pressing his lips to mine as he lays me back.

  He kisses me softly and teasingly with his hands cupping my face. He slowly breaks the kiss and looks into my eyes. “I know you think that I’m just some playboy who will probably fuck everything up, but I swear to you, when I give my word about something, I stick to it. You mean something to me, Amy. And that’s a first for me in a long time.”

  My heart swells. This Tyler is so different from the Tyler I started messing around with. That Tyler was fun to be around, but he was closed off and always keeping everyone at arm’s length. This Tyler is opening himself up to me in ways I didn’t think possible. He’s showing me a side of himself that nobody else knows about. He’s sweet, and soft, and kind. But he’s also passionate and dominating.

  I’ve always been a very strong, independent woman. I never wanted to feel dominated by a man. But with Tyler, I love the ways he controls my body, and I love the way my body craves his touch.

  “I don’t think you’re a playboy, Tyler. I think you’ve been hurt and are trying to do anything you can to stop that from happening again. But my word also means something. And I promise I will never hurt you.” I lift my head and press my mouth against his this time, wanting him to feel my honesty—needing him to feel every emotion he brings up inside of me.

  My arms hold him close, never wanting this kiss to end. My legs automatically wrap around his hips, wanting to feel him against me, wanting to feel his weight pressing down on me. I love the feeling of him holding me to this earth. It’s like without him, I’d float away. I had nothing before, and now, I have everything.

  His left hand lands on my right thigh, switching from a soft caress to a firm squeeze. His right hand is tangled in my hair, and his mouth is quickly moving against mine as our breathing picks up and fills the room around us.

  “You don’t even know how sexy you are, do you?” he whispers against my lips as his hips grind into mine. He presses another kiss to my lips. “You’re beautiful, kind, sexy, and smart.” His mouth returns to mine as his hands travel my body, softly massaging my breasts, stomach, and hips. “There’s something about you, Amy, that I can’t resist.” His lips leave a hot trail from my mouth to my ear, and then down my neck.

  I let out a soft moan. The way he’s touching me causes every muscle to harden with anticipation.

  The door slams loudly and Tyler jerks away from me. We both freeze when Ethan walks into the room, back straight and head held high as his angry gaze looks down on us.

  “Hey,” I breathe out, scooting myself back up into a sitting position. “I thought you were going to check on Mom.”

  He nods as he walks back into the kitchen. I hear the fridge open and the sound of a popping top. He saunters back into the living room, leaning against the wall and sipping a beer. “I did.”

  “And?” My heart is still pounding, and my breathing hasn’t yet calmed down.

  “We’ll talk about that later. Right now, I’d like to have a talk with Tyler if you don’t mind.”

  I look from Ethan to Tyler.

  Tyler presses his lips together but gives a short nod.

  “Okay. But be nice,” I warn, pointing my finger in Ethan’s direction as I stand and walk down the hallway. If he really thinks they’re going to get complete privacy, he’s fucking crazy, because I plan on standing in this hallway and listening to every word.

  Chapter Eleven

  I walk down the hallway and open and close my door, so it sounds like I entered my room, but then I walk back up the hallway, staying in the shadows so they won’t see me.

  “Look, man,” Ethan says, “I don’t know how long you’ve been foolin’ around with my sister, but I’m back in town now. And I’m staying.”

  “Before you say anything else, I want you to know that I’m not foolin’ around with anyone. Amy and I, we’re together. I’m not going anywhere. This isn’t a game to me. She knows the kind of person I was before, and if you talk to her, she knows the changes I’ve made for her. She knows I wouldn’t do that if I wasn’t serious.” Tyler’s voice is hard and strong, a tone I haven’t heard come from him. He’s not being callous about the subject. He’s not teasing, or just telling my brother what he wants to hear. He’s serious, and it causes a smile to spread across my face.

  “If you know my sister at all, then you know the shit she’s been through. We don’t have family. We’re all each other has, and I’m extremely protective of her. You hurt her, and you’ll be dealing with me.”

  “If I hurt her, I’ll come directly to you, so you can kick my ass. It isn’t my intention to hurt her or use her. Amy…she’s different. I don’t know how or why, but she owns me. Just don’t tell her that.” He laughs.

  Ethan joins in on their light laughter, and I use the opportunity to quickly open my door and step out of the shadows. “I heard laughing. Does that mean we’re all cool now?”

  Tyler turns around to face me and he’s wearing a wide smile. He holds out his arm and I step up to his side, looking at Ethan.

  Ethan smiles. “We’re good. But I seriously need to talk to you about Mom.”

  “On that note,” Tyler says, pulling away. “I’ll give you two some privacy to discuss things and catch up. I’ll see you tomorrow?” He turns to look at me directly.

  “Absolutely.” I lean in and give him a quicker kiss than I’d like, but with my brother watching, it’s all I feel comfortable with.

  “Later, man,” he tells Ethan with a quick handshake before leaving us alone.

  “So, will the beer I have work for this conversation, or do I need something stronger?” I ask, flopping back down on the couch.

  Ethan takes a deep breath, then runs his hand over his dark hair that’s shaved so short, it springs back into place. He takes the spot next to me and
takes a drink, shaking his head. “We have to do something.”

  “What do you mean? I’ve been begging her for years to go to rehab. You can’t make her go.”

  “No, we have to make her go, Amy. Her phone is shut off, she doesn’t have any power, and based on the trash piling up on the curb, I’m going to guess she hasn’t paid sanitization. Which we both know is billed with water, meaning, she probably doesn’t have water either. When I got out of the car at her place, I could smell the rotten trash on the curb, and there were, like, four eviction notices on the door.”

  I shrug, finishing off my drink. “What can we do? Wait until she’s kicked out?”

  “Maybe we can have her sent to the hospital for an evaluation. That would at least get her sober.”

  I laugh. “They can only hold her—what—twenty-four to forty-eight hours? She’ll get out as soon as the withdrawals kick in, Ethan.”

  “An intervention?” he asks with a raise of his brow.

  “She doesn’t have anyone left in her life but you and me. Let’s just wait until she’s hit rock bottom. We’ll bring her back here and make sure there’s nothing in this house to drink. I mean, we’ll have to throw out rubbing alcohol, cough syrup, cooking wine, everything!”

  He lets out a deep breath and rubs his temples. “I never thought it’d come to this.”

  I roll my eyes. “I prayed that it wouldn’t, but deep down, I’ve always known she would drink herself to death.”

  There’s a long silence as we both think about our future with our alcoholic mother.

  “So, tell me about this boyfriend.”

  I laugh and throw my head back dramatically.

  “Oh, come on. You knew this was coming.”

  “Fine. I met him several months ago when Vesper took the vet job at the ranch.”

  “He owns a ranch?”

  “No, he’s the ranch hand. But one day, he wants his own.” I smile. “I know he can do it, too. He’s come a long way from the closed-off guy I met. You’d be proud of him.” I nudge his arm.

  “As long as he’s a decent guy and treats you well, I’m okay.”

  I stand and grab us another beer from the fridge. He looks at it with confusion when I hand it over. I shrug. “We gotta dry this place up,” I joke. “So, what’s your plan? You’re done with the military for good?”

  “Yep. I think twenty years is enough, don’t you? Can you handle having me around constantly?”

  “You mean, like, in the same town but having your own place, right?” I joke.

  He reaches over and ruffles my hair. “Always such a brat. Yes, I will get my own place. I’ll only be here a couple of weeks, tops!”

  I laugh and smack him away. “You can stay as long as you need. You know that.”

  “Question is, who gets Mom?” he asks, suddenly serious.

  I hold my hands up, palms facing him. “I have enough going on right now. I’m trying to start my own business. Plus, I’ve taken care of her for ten years now. It’s your turn for a little while.”

  He laughs. “Guess I better call the building manager and tell him I’ll need a two-bedroom.”

  “This building?” I point toward the floor.

  “Yep. We’ll be neighbors, little sis. What do you think of that?”

  I groan and throw myself back.

  Two days later, my cell phone rings as I’m handing over the check to the construction company to start work on the coffee shop.

  “Excuse me,” I tell, Bill, the owner.

  I pull my phone from my pocket and walk out the door. “Hello?”

  “Is this Amy Brighton?”

  “Yes. Who is this?”

  “This is Officer Wilburn. I’m here with your mother. She’s been evicted and refuses to leave the premises.”

  “I’ll be right there.” I hang up the phone and call Ethan.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “We have to go get Mom. She’s been evicted and is refusing to leave. I just got a call from a police officer.”

  “Fuck,” he breathes out.

  “I’ll pick you up in five.” Without another word, I hang up the phone and head back inside the building.

  “I’m sorry, Bill, but I have to go.” I slip my phone into my pocket as I close the distance between us.

  “That’s fine. I’ll lock up here when we’re done. We’ve just got a few more measurements to take so we can get the ball rolling.”

  I hold out my hand and he reciprocates with a handshake. “Please call if you have any questions.”

  “Will do.” He salutes as he turns toward his men, who are moving about the space.

  I rush out to the truck and climb behind the wheel.

  It takes us twenty minutes to drive to the neighboring town, to our mom’s place. There are two police cars with their lights flashing out front, along with the landlord. I park across the street and we both rush over.

  “I’m sorry,” the landlord starts. “I gave her plenty of chances.” He genuinely looks sorry. Small wrinkles are forming around his dark brown eyes, and he rubs his hand through his fuzzy gray hair.

  “I know you did, Mr. Tucker. I’m sorry it’s come to this. I’ve tried for months to get her help.”

  Ethan places his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll go in and see what I can do.”

  I nod him on, watching as he walks across the yard and into the house.

  “I really wish there was another way, but she hasn’t paid rent in months,” Mr. Tucker says, bouncing from foot to foot with nerves.

  “Months?” I ask surprised.

  He presses his lips together and nods.

  “Will we be able to get her belongings?” I ask the policeman.

  “The judge has granted Mr. Tucker the right to go through the belongings and sell what he can to make up for lost rent.”

  I look over at the landlord. “Would it be okay if I took the other things? Her clothes, our family photographs? I promise, I’ll leave anything of value.”

  He nods while looking at his feet. “Well, I guess that’d be okay.” He offers up a quick nod while crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Thank you,” I say softly, as I push myself forward.

  Stepping into the house, the smell of stale air, trash, and alcohol takes over my senses. I have to force myself to stifle a gag. Off in the distance, I can hear Ethan softly talking to our mom. He’s trying to talk her into leaving her home and coming back to mine. I leave them alone, and instead grab a couple of bags out of the front closet to start packing up a few things.

  It takes Ethan a good half-hour before they come walking down the hall together.

  “I’m going to go ahead and take her back to your place. Once she’s settled, I’ll come back and pick you up, along with everything you’ve packed.”

  I nod once and toss him the keys, purposely keeping my eyes away from my mother. I know her haggard appearance will only anger me.

  Once Ethan and my mom leave, the landlord comes inside to check out the damage on his property. He walks in, back straight and jaw cocked. He places his hands on his hips and stops in the center of the floor, looking around the room and letting out a long breath.

  “I’m really sorry for how this played out, Mr. Tucker. I just—I couldn’t keep putting myself through this every day. I hold a trash bag at the end of the coffee table and swipe all the empty bottles into it.

  “This is just part of it, Amy. I really appreciate your help with the mess. Most people wouldn’t do that.” He grabs a trash bag of his own.

  It’s going on midnight before Ethan walks back into the house. Everything I’ve packed up to take is piled up by the front door. All the furniture is staying to be sold, and all the trash has been packed out to the curb.

  “I can’t believe things got this bad,” Ethan says, walking through the living room, looking at the bare walls and stained carpet.

  I nod, feeling tears begin to leak from my eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just abandoned he
r like that. I should have been here every day making sure things were taken care of.” I fall onto the couch, holding my head in my hands.

  Ethan takes the seat next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me to his side. “This isn’t your fault, Amy. I mean, if we want to start playing the blame game, I think I’d win. I’m the one who up and left you alone to deal with her. I thought running away would solve the problem, but all it did was make everything fall on you.”

  “How was she? When you dropped her off, I mean? You were gone a while.”

  He lets out a deep breath and shakes his head. “I stayed there until she passed out. I didn’t want her to trash your place looking for booze. We’ll sit her down and talk with her tomorrow when she has a clear head.” He gently rubs my arm up and down. “Let’s get home and get some sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a doozy.”

  Chapter Twelve

  I have no idea what time it is, but I wake to my phone ringing. After all the stress of last night, and then having to stay up late packing, I’m nowhere near ready to wake up. But I roll to my side and grab my phone off the nightstand.

  “Hello?” I ask, without opening my eyes to see who’s calling.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” Tyler coos.

  I smile, unable to hold it back. “Good morning.”

  “Do you have plans for today? I was hoping to get you alone. Maybe have a picnic, enjoy the sunset…” He lets his sentence drop off, letting my mind wander.

  “Mmm, that sounds amazing. But I’m not sure. My mom was finally forced out last night and Ethan brought her back here. We need to have an intervention.” I sit straight up in bed. “Crap. What time is it?” I whip my head around to check the time.

  “It’s going on nine. Why?”

  “I have to call Vesper. I was up so late night packing up my mom’s stuff that I completely forgot to call into work. I’ll call you back.” Without another word, I hang up and quickly dial Vesper.