by Winters, KB
“Get used to it. I’ll feed and you fuck you forever if you’ll let me.”
I kissed her hard and intense so she knew that I meant it. I flashed a quick smile and carried her to the shower, so she knew I wouldn’t pressure her.
“That sounds nice, forever.” The words were so low under the rush of the shower spray, I wasn’t sure I heard her correctly, but she reached for me and kissed me hard, holding my face like I mattered to her. And that was when I knew.
She wanted forever too.
With me.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Vanessa
“I’m not quite healed and honestly, I’m not even sure that’s possible, but I’m getting there.”
The day was unusually warm despite the overcast skies. I sat on a blanket at the grave marker I paid for soon after Lance’s death. Lance was no longer here in the flesh, but I wanted him close to me, in some small way, and now I knew why.
“You were right about Emmett. He is totally your opposite, but there are more similarities than either of you would like to admit, with your Army versus Navy nonsense.”
I sighed and wiped away the dust on the marker that had gathered in the months I hadn’t been able to visit.
I told Lance, my first love, all about Emmett, my forever love. It wasn’t easy. Even though he couldn’t talk back, I still struggled.
“I should have tried to love you better, Lance. I know that now. I loved you with everything I had in me, and I am so proud of the man you became. Strong and loving and protective. I’m sorry I wasn’t a fully formed person yet and until that happened, I couldn’t have loved you the way you truly deserved.”
The past few weeks with Emmett had shown me the difference between a childish love and a mature love.
It was freeing to be with someone so completely, to be able to share any stupid thought that popped into my head. To fail. To cry and be vulnerable in and out of the bedroom. It made a girl carry herself differently, walk with a little extra oomph in her step.
“I’m sorry, more than you will ever know, that we didn’t get our happy ever after. I think it would have been pretty fucking great. Losing you gutted me, Lance. It nearly tore me apart and put me in the ground with you, but you taught me to be strong and I have been. Stronger than I even knew. But you did,” I smiled and shook my head.
“You always knew the woman fighting inside of me, and I’m so fucking angry at God and the men who killed you that you’ll never get to meet her. Never get to see her in action.”
Tears hit me again as they always did when I thought of the future without Lance. It was just so fucking unfair that he made it out of a warzone to die in Glitz. “I will never, ever forget you, Lance Decker. Hell, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Every event and every moment that brought me here, you were there. I will always carry a piece of you with me, the piece that taught me how to love and how to accept love because that was the greatest gift you ever gave to me.”
More tears came but they weren’t just sadness, there was a relief there too, that I could finally cry for him without grief consuming me.
“I’ll love you forever, Lance.”
It’s time. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and let out a long sigh. “I mean it. Look. I took my engagement ring and wedding band and turned them into earrings. You’ll be with me wherever I go.”
“Aww, isn’t that just the sweetest fucking thing.” The voice startled me but only for a second, because I was always alert now. Because I was also, more importantly, safe.
“It’s too bad I’ll make you a widow for a second time.”
I turned slowly and stood, remembering Emmett’s lesson on never letting the enemy get me at a disadvantage.
“You know Brendan, it’s really too bad you’ll die before you ever find someone blind enough to love or marry you.”
Brendan Rhymer barked out a laugh and took a step forward. “Yeah, you and what Army?”
“You can pick because it seems you’re good at pissing people off.”
In the spirit of correcting past mistakes, Emmett had told me all about Brendan and what he was doing to his sister, his plans for war with Maisie’s Vegas family.
“Enjoy it while you can.”
Heat and anger flared in his eyes, and he took another step forward.
“I could gut you right now bitch, and no one would ever know.”
That was where he was wrong because Emmett, my love and my protector, was there. Right behind him. My man advanced slowly, like a lion or tiger, stalking his completely oblivious prey. Before Brendan knew what happened one beefy arm had wrapped around his neck.
“You love to pick on women, don’t you? The type of fucker who loves sucker punches and the weak. No offense, babe.”
Emmett was hot when he got all dangerous and protective, but that sexy little wink he sent my way? Irresistible.
“None taken,” I told him with a proud smile.
“Let me go, you dumb fuck!” Brendan struggled, the side of his face that wasn’t burnt to hell twisted in fear and anxiety. “Everybody knows you’re not a real Ashby, just a fucking employee.”
“Yeah?” Emmett’s lips pulled into a twisted grin at Brendan’s words but a closer look at the strain around his eyes told the truth. Brendan had hit his mark.
“I guess you don’t know everything then,” Emmett said, his voice low and gravelly and lethal as his grip tightened around Brendan’s neck.
“Whatever it takes, that’s what I’m about these days.”
“Stop,” he gasped out, legs flailing six inches in the air, his face an alarming shade of red.
“See, Brendan, the thing is when you attack who a man loves, it changes him.” He squeezed a little tighter, forcing Brendan’s eyes to bug out. “I’m right here, Brendan. Gut me if you can.”
He loosened his grip, giving Brendan a chance to catch his breath.
“Fuck you.” Brendan’s courage had returned, I could see it in his eyes as he dropped his head forward and sent it rearing back right into Emmett’s chin. Brendan fell to the ground, his cockiness vanished, replaced by pure hate.
“Laugh it up all you want because I’m building an army and the Ashby’s will fall first.”
Emmett grabbed him by the shirt with one hand and grinned maniacally as he punched him twice, dead center of his half melted face.
“You sure about that? Because word on the street is that half of your army got picked up on trafficking and distribution charges. The other half, well I heard they have a new employer. An old man.”
“You’re lying,” he said but even I could see the fear set into his bones and take hold of him. His legs scrambled for purchase but Emmett’s grip was too tight, his punches too all-consuming.
“Babe,” I called out, knowing Emmett was angry enough to kill him, but I worried he might regret it. Again. A man can change, but he can only change so much in a short time. “Emmett! He’ll get what’s coming to him soon enough. You know that.”
Emmett froze and then shrugged, an arrogant smile on his face that I couldn’t wait to kiss. “Maybe I am lying. Maybe I’m not. Time will tell either way, but if I catch you near my woman again, this place right here will be your new home. Got me?”
Holy shit it was so hot to see my man, normally so gentle and sweet, get lethal on a man just for me. With both hands Emmett lifted Brendan to his feet and smiled before releasing a jab right to his ribs.
“I said, got me?”
Brendan must have seen what I did in Emmett’s gaze because he limped off as quick as he could, muttering something about revenge.
Then it was just us. Me and Emmett. His gaze set upon mine and his lips pulled into a smile that matched my own. “Your woman, huh? Who said I belonged to anyone?”
In five steps, Emmett was at my side with one arm flung around my shoulder. “You did. You said you loved me, and there ain’t no take backs, so you’re mine.”
He leaned in and smacked a kiss to my cheek, taking a m
oment to give Lance’s headstone a rub and a salute before we walked back to the car and got started on the rest of our lives.
Healing was a long ass process that hurt like a bitch every step of the way.
But holy moly, the other side would be a glorious goddamned thing.
* * *
Thank you so much for reading Lady Luck! There is so much more to come from the Ashbys!
Did you know this WHOLE SERIES started with Max and Jana in Beautifully Broken?
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Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading my books! I appreciate all of you! Thanks to all of my beta readers, ARC readers and Facebook fans. Y’all are THE BEST!
And a very special thanks to Helen. You are a Godsend. Thank you for making my words make sense.
And a huge thanks to my family who has to put up with me.
Y’all are the true champions.
About the Author
I’m a dog person. I love coffee, tattoos and hard-bodied alpha males. The men in my books are super sexy and protective. Some are military badasses who swore an oath to their country, some are full blown bad boys. But all of them find their true love.
I’m a hopeless romantic and I wish I could write sexy love stories every day for the rest of my life.
I hope you enjoy my books and have an amazing day!
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Also by KB Winters
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