Fighting for Us

by Heather Lyn

  “I am. And guess what? Tomorrow is an Emmy and Lily day, baby girl. Smells like Daddy started dinner, and I’m starving. Let’s go set the table, huh?”

  They bounce into the kitchen and I follow them, the sauce bubbling on the stove. Adding it to the pasta, I dump it in a serving bowl and carry it to the table.

  “Dinner is served, ladies.”

  Lily giggles. “Daddy, I’m a little girl, not a lady, silly face.”

  “My mistake, madam.”

  When I bow in front of her, she laughs harder and grabs my face in her tiny hands.

  “Daddy, you is so weird.”

  “Where do you think you get it from, goofball?”

  “Uncle Cade.”

  Throwing my head back, I roar with laughter. I only wish my brother had heard that.

  Emmy laughs and hands me a plate. She serves Lily first, then sits down next to her.

  “So, how was your day, Levi?” she asks with a wink.

  Rolling my eyes, I proceed to tell her all about my last appointment. She chuckles when I tell her about the guy, and by the end we’re all laughing.

  Once we’ve finished dinner, Emmy takes Lily up for a bath while I clean up the dinner mess. Placing the final dish in the strainer, not bothering to use the dishwasher, I lock the front door and head upstairs. Poking my head into the bathroom, I remind Lily that bedtime is in fifteen minutes and she gives me a thumbs-up.

  Heading into my bedroom, I change into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. Grabbing my iPad from the bureau, I settle myself on the bed, scrolling through emails and notifications. I’m only halfway through when Lily comes running into the room in her favorite princess nightgown, her wet hair in a long braid.

  “Daddy, come tuck me in!”

  “Coming, baby.”

  I follow her into her room and she hops into bed, burrowing under the covers and then poking just her sweet face out. Kissing her forehead, I hand Lily her bunny and tuck the blankets tight under her.

  “Sweet dreams, Lily bug. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Night, Daddy. Love you.”

  “Love you more.”

  Giving her just one more kiss, I back out of the room, shutting off her light as I go. Heading back to my room, I hear Emmy poke her head into Lily’s room, saying good night. As I’m getting comfortable on the bed again, Emmy comes into the room, shutting the door behind her. I look over at her as she locks the door, a wicked gleam in her eye.

  “Yeah?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. Emmy just nods, and I toss my iPad to the side as I sit up. Laughing, she rushes over and jumps in my lap, wrapping her legs around my waist. Her lips are instantly on mine, aggressive and rough. My girl is completely worked up, and I am so fucking good with that.

  My cock hardened almost as soon as she jumped on me, so gripping tight to her hips, I roll mine under her, making her gasp. In minutes, she’s panting and moaning loudly. “Levi,” she groans, yanking her shirt over her head.

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “I need you.”

  “You have me.” Moving her up to her knees, I reach over to the end table for a condom. Pushing my pants down my legs, I roll the rubber down my shaft and watch through hooded eyes as she removes her panties. Settling herself back on top of me, Emmy takes my lips at the same time she lowers herself onto my cock.

  We groan loudly into each other’s mouths, holding tight to one another. As she begins to move up and down, I tangle my hand in her hair and use it to pull her head back, exposing her delicate neck. Leaning forward, I run my tongue along the length of it, grunting when she tightens her muscles around me.

  “Fucking heaven on earth, baby. Being inside you is my heaven.”

  “I love you, Levi,” she sighs, arching her back as I begin pumping my hips from below.

  “Love you, Em.”

  So fucking much.

  CHAPTER 16

  Emerson

  WAKING SLOWLY, I STRETCH and yawn loudly. I’m so glad that today is my day off and I have nowhere to be. I get to hang out with my little lady all day and I can’t wait.

  Climbing out of bed, I take a quick shower and hit my hair with the blow-dryer. Grabbing my phone from the end table, I carry it with me downstairs, finding Levi alone in the kitchen drinking coffee.

  “Morning, handsome,” I quip, bending over for a kiss.

  “Morning, babe.” He smiles and offers me a mug of coffee, which I gladly take.

  “Lily still sleeping?” I ask, sitting across from him.

  “Yeah. She’ll be getting up soon though, I’m sure.”

  “Yup. How many appointments do you have today?”

  Draining his mug, he places it on the table. “None, actually. I’m just gonna go in and do paperwork. We’ve been so busy that I want to get a jump on it. Tax season will be here before we know it.”

  Laughing, I stand to peer into the fridge. “You want me to make you breakfast first?” I ask, hand on my hip as I come to the realization that we need to go grocery shopping.

  “No, Em, don’t worry about it. I’ll probably grab a bagel next door while I work. I’m gonna jump in the shower and get going so I can get home sooner. I have a surprise for you tonight.”

  Winking, he leaves the room, allowing me the pleasure of watching his ass in those sweatpants. Fuck me.

  Shaking the thought from my head, I grab the carton of eggs and decide on scrambled eggs and toast for us girls this morning. Lily comes downstairs a few minutes later, sleepy-eyed and messy-haired. Laughing, I help her to the table and serve her some breakfast.

  “Can I have a juice box, Emmy?”

  “Of course, sweetie pie. Here you go.”

  I drop into a chair next to her and we both dig into our breakfast.

  We’re just about finished when Levi comes back downstairs, fully dressed and smelling delicious.

  “Okay, I’m off to the shop. I should be done around three, but it could be later. I’ll text you, okay?” He places a kiss to my cheek and ruffles Lily’s hair, causing her to giggle.

  “Bye, Daddy!”

  The front door shuts behind him, and moments later I hear his truck roar to life.

  “All right, what are we going to do today, Lily?”

  “Barbies!”

  “Shocker,” I laugh. “I’m gonna get the kitchen cleaned up. Why don’t you run upstairs and wash your face and brush your teeth, okay? Then we can get your Barbies.”

  “Yes!” She runs upstairs and I hear her laughing and yelling up there, and then the water starts running.

  Knowing I have a few minutes, I get the kitchen spotless and head into the living room. Sitting on the couch, I turn on the news with the hopes of seeing the weather, and then Lily comes bursting into the room, her tiny plastic suitcase in her arms.

  “You can be this one, okay? I want to be the prettiest one!” Handing me a brunette doll, she grabs her favorite doll and climbs onto the couch next to me.

  “Party time,” I joke, holding the doll up.

  “Hello, Lady. My name is Princess Lily. Do you want to be my friend?”

  Laughing, I allow myself to get swept up into Lily’s imaginary world.

  “Lily, you want a snack, sweetheart?” Standing up from the couch, I push the dolls and accessories to the side. Grabbing myself a bottled water, I get another juice box and carry it into the living room with a couple bananas. Lily takes her juice and I peel her snack, handing it to her.

  We sit in comfortable silence while we eat, and as I’m taking the last bite of my own banana, I ask her if she’d like to read some stories. I need a break from Barbies, and I know a book is the perfect distraction for her. Lily loves to read, but she especially loves being read to. She goes over to the bookcase and picks out a couple of her favorites, skipping back over to me. She sits on my lap and I hold the book out in front of us. It’s almost eleven, so I’m hopeful that Levi will finish his work early. I miss him, and yes, I’m aware it’s only been several hours. I’m a sap, what can
I say?

  About halfway through the first book, we’re interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. Raising an eyebrow, I kiss Lily on the head and move her over, standing to answer the door. Punching in the security code, I pull the door open halfway, finding two strange men on the porch.

  “Can I help you?” I ask.

  They’re both tall, probably around Levi’s height, but they’re much larger than my boyfriend. They don’t answer me, so I start to shut the door in their faces.

  “Emerson Reese?” one asks, reaching into his coat pocket.

  “Yes.”

  The other gives me a wicked smile and my skin prickles. My heart races when the man on the left shifts his stance and I see a gun tucked in the waistband of his pants. And that’s when I realize the guy on the right is familiar.

  “Emmy!” Lily yells, kicking and screaming, terror all over her little face.

  Holy fuck, it’s the man from the park.

  I didn’t see his face that day, but his build, the way he’s standing there, that sickening grin on his face—it’s him, all right. I know I only have moments to react so in one swift move, I slam the door shut and twist the lock. Turning around, I race toward where Lily is. Sweeping her into my arms, I go racing for the stairs, the two men banging and cursing against the front door.

  “Emmy?”

  “Shh, baby. I need you to listen to me.”

  I run up the stairs as fast as I can, tears running down my cheeks. Making it to Levi’s room, I rush to the closet door and shove her inside.

  “Don’t come out until Daddy or I tell you to. I love you, Lily. I love you so much, baby girl.” Sobbing, I shut the door, ignoring her cries and her small fists hitting the door in fear. Looking around, I spy the chair to Levi’s desk and shove it under the knob, locking her inside.

  A loud crash from downstairs has me rushing back toward the stairs. I hear them shouting, and from the locations of their heavy footsteps, they’re coming upstairs. Running to the guest bathroom, I stand behind the door, hoping they’ll move past. Covering my mouth with my hand, I try to keep quiet as best as possible, but it does nothing to stop the tears.

  I’m trapped. I need to make a move. Not knowing where they are, if they’re even upstairs anymore, I go running down the hallway, praying to God they don’t find Lily.

  “There’s the bitch. Grab her, asshole,” one of them yells, and I race down the stairs, trying to get to the front door. I just need to get to the security box to sound the alarm and we’re safe. Hitting the landing, my legs buckle and I fall to my hands and knees, pain lancing through me. Scrambling up, I only make it as far as the front hallway before I’m grabbed by the hair and cry out against the pain.

  “Stop running. It’s only gonna make it worse.”

  “Fuck you,” I grit out, fighting against his hold. I’m swung around to face the bastard, who has pulled a black ski mask on. I try to hit him, but it only makes him angrier. He slaps me hard and I shout, more tear springing to my eyes. I start fighting for all I’m worth, but this man is huge and I’m no match for him. I kick and scream, but it does nothing.

  I never see it coming.

  The pain of my face meeting the wall is enough to throw me into a fog, and then I’m alone, swimming through the darkness, knowing I’ll never find my way through it.

  CHAPTER 17

  Levi

  PULLING ONTO MY STREET, I can’t keep the smile off my face. Caden agreed to meet me to help with the paperwork, so I’m home earlier than I’d planned. Now I get to spend the rest of the day with my girls, and I couldn’t be happier.

  As I turn into my driveway, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I slam the vehicle into Park.

  The front door is wide open.

  Heart pounding, I fly from the truck and rush up the front steps, not caring if I should be calling the police or not disturbing anything.

  Fuck that. My girls are inside.

  “Emmy!” I scream as I cross the threshold. I take in the sight before me and it feels like my heart has been ripped from my chest.

  The recliner is flipped over. The plant she brought here the other day is smashed on the floor, lamp on its side, entry table broken into pieces. But that’s not the worst.

  There’s blood smeared on the floor.

  “Em! Baby!” I rush through every room in the house, tears burning my eyes, my stomach in knots. Please God, don’t let me find her dead. Jesus fucking Christ. “Lily!”

  As I’m racing up the stairs, I hear a faint sound. Stopping halfway up, I hold my breath as I listen, trying to find where it’s coming from. Slowly, I take the final step and walk as quiet as I can. I search Lily’s bedroom, but it’s empty and doesn’t look touched.

  “Lily!”

  Then I hear it again; it sounds like it’s coming from my bedroom. Stepping inside, I look around and hear it again: a loud thump, the unmistakable sound of something hitting a wall or a solid object. My vision falls to my closet and I see the desk chair shoved against it.

  One of the legs snaps off as I yank it from its position and rip the door open, almost falling to the ground when I find Lily cowering in the corner, tears falling down her cheeks.

  “Daddy!” She hurls herself into my arms and I fall back onto my butt, cradling her into me, holding her tighter than I ever have.

  “Oh, thank you, God. Sweetheart, what happened? Where’s Emmy?”

  Lily is screaming and crying, and I know what I need to do. Holding my daughter, I pull my phone from my pocket and dial the three numbers, tears stinging my eyes.

  “911, what is your emergency?”

  Clearing my throat, I speak above the emotion threatening to drown me.

  “I think my girlfriend’s been taken. Please send someone. Please.”

  “What is your address, sir?”

  Rattling it off, I stand with Lily still curled against me, her tiny body shivering with her sobs. Gently I carry her back downstairs, eyes avoiding the red stain on the floor. Stepping onto the front porch, I sit at the top of the stairs and give the dispatcher as much information as I can. I’ve just hung the phone up, sirens wailing in the background, when Lily sits up on my lap.

  Framing her little face with my hands, I press a kiss to her forehead.

  “Daddy?”

  “Yeah, Lil?”

  “I want my mommy back.”

  The burning in my eyes intensifies, and I do nothing to stop the few tears from escaping. Fear like I’ve never felt before is coursing through my body, and Lily just called Emmy her mom. What should be the happiest moment of my life is the worst.

  Hugging her little body to me, I bury my face in her soft hair and let out a shaky breath.

  “Me too, baby. Me too.”

  “Mr. Jackson, we’re going to need you to come down to the station.”

  “Levi. Please just call me Levi.” Facing the detective in front of me, I shove my hands in my front pockets and rock back and forth on my heels.

  “Levi, we need you to come to the station. Is that gonna be a problem?”

  “No, but I don’t understand why. You know I’m not involved, and you already have the case pending in the attempted kidnapping of my daughter a month ago. I don’t understand why you’re so fucking worried about asking me the same goddamn questions when you should be out there trying to find the fucking woman I love.”

  “Levi—”

  “No. You know I have nothing to do with this. You didn’t want to listen when someone tried to take Lily. Told us there wasn’t enough evidence, that you couldn’t do anything more. Well, clearly you should’ve taken it fucking seriously. That’s her blood in my house! She could be lying cold in a ditch somewhere and you’re...”

  Breaking off, I have to scrub my hands over my face and take a deep breath. I know I need to keep my head on straight, but I’m struggling. Lily was taken into the ambulance to be checked over, and thank the Lord there was nothing physically wrong with her. She fell asleep about twenty m
inutes ago on the stretcher in the ambulance, and that’s where she still is.

  “You can check the security cameras. Just do something, please. You need to find Emmy, and you need to find her before I lose her.”

  “Son, please trust me when I tell you that she is our main priority and we are doing everything in our power to find her.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and checks something, then turns to me with a look of determination on his face. “We have something.”

  Turning, he strides across the street back to my house, and I rush after him. Bypassing all the techs swabbing and searching the living room, he runs up the stairs with me on his heels. We don’t stop till we get to my office, where two lab techs and another analyst stand around my desk.

  “Mr. Jackson, how long have you had this security system in place?”

  “Only a few weeks. After an attempt was made on Lily, I felt we needed more security, and my brother Caden helped me find a company to install.”

  “Well thank fuck you did.”

  One of the techs clicks around on the screen and I see a clip pop up. Emmy is sitting on the couch with Lily, some book on her lap. I fight to bite back the lump in my throat and focus on the task at hand. As if in slow motion, we watch as Emmy goes to answer the door, and that’s when everything goes wrong. The camera angle is over just enough that we can’t see exactly what happens, but Emmy comes racing past the camera, grabbing Lily as she goes.

  “That must be when Ms. Reese took your daughter up to your bedroom.”

  Nodding, I turn back to the monitor. Two men with black ski masks swarm into my living room, and then they’re off screen as well. Chasing after Emmy, no doubt. There is no movement for several minutes and then Emmy is back on screen, running toward the front door. In horror, I watch as one of the guys catches her, grabbing her by the hair. When she fights against him, he slaps her across the face, but she doesn’t stop. Only when he grabs her by the hair and slams her face against the wall does she stop, body dropping to the floor, unmoving.