The Ocean Between Us (A Southern Heroes Novel Book 1)

by Michelle Heard

  When Aiden catches up to me and blocks my way with his body, I cringe a step back.

  Even though I’m trying to put on a brave front, the fear must show on my face, because Aiden’s expression quickly changes from angry to one of concern.

  “I’m not gonna hurt you,” he says as if he’s approaching a cornered animal.

  I just stare at him, waiting for his next move. There’s no way I’m letting my guard down just because of a few words. Words mean nothing to me. Words are empty things, spoken by people to gain control over others.

  Actions are all that matter. And right now everything Aiden has done tonight is telling me to run.

  “Will you let me explain?” he asks again.

  “You beat people to a bloody pulp. How do you explain that?” I ask, cynically. “You did nothing while that man almost died. What kind of person does that?” My voice falters as I cross my arms over my chest.

  Taking a step back, I place some more distance between us.

  “Emma,” he whispers. Slowly, I glance up, and it only confuses me when I see the torn look in his eyes. “I shouldn’t have brought you.”

  “If you didn’t that guy would be dead,” I say.

  As my anger fizzles away, heartache takes its place. I thought Aiden was different.

  He glances over my shoulder and takes a step closer to me.

  “Let’s just get home,” he says, scanning the area around us again. “I can’t talk to you out in the open like this. Once we’re back at the apartment, I’ll explain it all. Just get in the car.”

  I do need to get home, and that’s the only reason I climb in the passenger seat. The moment Aiden parks in front of the flat, I let out a breath of relief.

  When he shuts the front door behind us, I walk to the living room before I turn to face him.

  He doesn’t waste any time and gets right to the point. “The whole student thing is only a cover so I can get close to Katia and her gang. Girls have been going missin’, and it has to do with these fightin’ circles. Girls like you, who don’t think, and just do.” I should be upset because he just insulted me, but I’m too shocked by what he’s telling me.

  I’m frozen to the spot as his words sink in.

  No.

  It can’t be.

  “What are you saying?” Even as I ask the question, I start to shake my head, willing him not to answer me.

  “I told you I’m not on the wrong side of the law,” he says as if he wants me to figure it out for myself.

  I take a few steps away from him, not wanting to face the awful truth. The edges around my vision darken as a panic attack threatens to knock me off my feet.

  “You’re one of them?” the words sound strangled as I force them out. “You’re a policeman?”

  CHAPTER 9

  AIDEN

  She makes it sound like I’m Satan’s spawn.

  “Emma – ” I stop talking as she starts to breathe faster, her body shaking like a leaf in the wind.

  Fuck, she’s having a panic attack.

  I rush forward and place my hand on her back.

  “Just breathe,” I say, making sure to keep my voice calm. After a few minutes, Emma seems to be calmer. “Are you feelin’ better?”

  She doesn’t look at me as she nods. This night has been a complete fuck up. I have no idea how I’m going to fix this.

  I shouldn’t have taken her along.

  Fuck.

  I need a shower and time to clear my head before we continue this conversation. Emma also needs to get out of her bloodstained jeans.

  “I think we should shower and change. Take a moment, and we’ll talk when we’re done,” I say.

  I watch her walk into her room before I go to the bathroom. I take a quick shower, and when I’m done, I wrap a towel around my waist before going to my room.

  I get dressed in a fresh pair of sweats then leave the room. Seeing that the door to the bathroom is open, I knock on her door. When she doesn’t answer, I push the door open and glance inside.

  She’s standing in the middle of the room, still dressed in the bloodstained clothes.

  I hate that I’ve placed her in that position. It’s taking a lot of strength for me to not drag her to the sink so I can wash the blood off of her hands myself.

  “Emma, can we talk about tonight?” I ask. I’m not one to leave things unsaid and undone. The sooner we talk about this mess, the sooner we can move on.

  “Sure,” she whispers, sounding lost.

  I suck in a deep breath of air, hating that I’m responsible for this mess. Walking into the room, I move around Emma so I can see her face.

  She brings her eyes up to my neck before they drop back to my chest as if she doesn’t have the energy to even look at my face.

  “I’m still the same man as before, Emma,” I say, needing to defend myself. I thought once I told her I’m with the police force, she would understand why I was at that fight tonight.

  When she doesn’t say anything, I continue, “I’m the same man you kissed today. The same man who held you. That gut feelin’ you had about me when you let me touch you, was right. Nothin’ has changed.”

  “Everything has changed,” she whispers. “There’s nothing to talk about. I came, I saw, I’m going. I was stupid to think people would be different here.”

  “Emma, I’m undercover. Can’t you understand that?” I’m actually dumbstruck.

  She looks up at me, and the pain I see there hits me square in the chest. “You’re a policeman, Aiden. Policemen…” She can’t finish her sentence and reverts to swallowing as she lowers her eyes to the floor. She grinds her teeth to hold back whatever else she wanted to say.

  Being cautious, so I don’t scare her, I take a step closer. Tilting my head, I lean down so I can catch her eyes.

  “Emma,” I whisper, “talk to me. Give me a chance to fix this.”

  She takes a step back, and I fist my hands at my sides, so I don’t grab hold of her to stop her from moving away from me.

  “You’re supposed to be protectors.” Her voice catches on the words, and it feels like a knife is being shoved through my heart. “Instead, you all use that badge to hide behind while you hurt others.”

  Her words hit so fucking hard, I have to take a second to breathe them away. My badge means everything to me. I would die for it.

  I have to remind myself that Emma is not from here. I have no idea what things are like in South Africa.

  Needing to know more, I ask, “Why would you say that?”

  I want to reach for Emma but hold myself back. I don’t think she wants me touching her right now.

  “My dad never protect–” she stops, as a breath shudders through her. “I didn’t put an ocean between myself and them just to move in with another policeman.”

  Fuck! Now I’ve got a million scenarios running through my head.

  “Your dad’s a cop?” I keep my voice gentle, trying to get more info out of her.

  She nods. “He never stopped her, just like you didn’t stop Colton tonight. You did nothing.”

  The words hurt like a bitch. Frustrated, I shove a hand into my hair which makes Emma flinch before her shoulders curl forward as if she’s trying to make herself a smaller target.

  What happened to this girl?

  I’ll find out what she’s running from and help her. Right now, I just need her to know that I’m one of the good guys.

  “I couldn’t blow my cover, not at the expense of the women who are missin’. I have to find out where they are. I have to get them back before they’re lost, or worse, killed. Those kidnapped women are my priority, Emma, not the men you saw tonight.” I huff a frustrated breath. “I know we’ve only known each other for a short time, but do you really think I’m the same as them?” She doesn’t answer me, and it only makes my frustration grow. “Last night, you turned to me to get away from Katia. Why did you do that, Emma?” I wait, my heart hammering.

  “I thought you were different,”
she says as she finally brings her eyes up to my face.

  “I am different. I made a promise to serve and protect. I’ll never hurt anyone intentionally.”

  Her eyes search mine and I pray she can see that I mean every word.

  After a moment her eyes travel back to my chest. Taking a chance, I reach for her hand and place it over the tattoo of the eagle. I cover her hand with both of mine.

  “I’m sorry I took you there tonight. I shouldn’t have done that. But you have to believe me when I say that I’ll never hurt you.”

  When she nods, I don’t feel any better. I can see by the wary look on her face that she didn’t believe a word I said.

  I’ll just have to show her that I’m a man of my word.

  I’ve been checking in on Emma since she fell asleep. I can’t get what she said out of my head. The thing about her dad not protecting her has me thinking all kinds of things.

  I know I shouldn’t, but when I check in on Emma again, I take her phone and laptop. I need to know more about her.

  I’m relieved when her phone comes on without needing any passwords.

  There are more missed calls from her mother. I go into her voice messages, and as I wait for them to start playing, I open her laptop.

  ‘How could you do this to me? After everything I’ve done for you. You won’t survive out there, babes. Come home, or I’ll come and fetch you.’

  Shit, did Emma run away from home?

  But, she’s twenty-one. She’s an adult. I don’t get it.

  The next message has my eyebrows shooting up.

  ‘You’re nothing without me! Do you hear me, babes? Nothing! I brought you into this world. I made you who you are. You need me to think for you. People can’t be trusted.’

  What.The.Fuck?

  I sit and stare at the blank screen of Emma’s laptop as the messages keep coming.

  ‘Are you shacking up with some guy? Whoring yourself like some cheap tart? I’ll never forgive you.’ Then her mother’s voice goes shrill almost blowing my fucking eardrum. ‘You’re mine, babes. I gave birth to you. I own you.’

  Emma’s behavior is starting to make sense to me. Her mother is bat-shit crazy.

  Are you even eating right? You better watch your weight. I won’t have a fat ass for a daughter.’

  What the hell? Who talks to their kid like that? I’ve met some seriously fucked-up people in my line of work, but I’ve never heard anything like this before.

  ‘How can you do this to me after all I’ve done for you? How dare you! I’ll find you, and I’ll make you pay.’

  I stop listening when I hear something in the apartment. Not sure what it was, I close the laptop to go check it out.

  Opening my door, I hear whimpering coming from Emma’s room. I rush into her room, and now that I’ve heard how her mother talks to her, I understand why she’s having nightmares about the woman.

  Emma twists and turns as if she’s fighting someone, and then tumbles off the other side of the bed. I dart forward and kneel beside her as she tries to free her legs from the tangled covers. Her breathing comes in quick little puffs. When she looks up at me, her eyes are filled with so much despair, it twists at my heart.

  I yank the cover away from her, and as my arm slips around her waist, Emma reaches up for me. She wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist, and I have to admit that it feels good that she’s trusting me right now.

  Holding her tight, I climb to my feet. I carry her back to my room, and keeping her pinned to me with one arm, I pull the covers back on my bed.

  “Lower your legs for me, Angel.” I’ll never call her babe again. It’s too close to what her mom calls her.

  She does as I say and I lay her down. I quickly move her phone and laptop to my desk before I get in next to her, and cover us up. Her arms wrap around me, and her wet cheek presses hard against my chest. I weave my hands into her hair and turn into her, shielding her.

  “Sleep, Emma. You’re safe.”

  I whisper the words to her again before she drifts off.

  What a fucking night. First the fight, then hearing those messages from her clearly insane mother.

  I lift myself slightly and look down at her sleeping face. It’s not even a full two days, and she’s managed to somehow crawl into my life. I’ve always loved being a cop, but she wakes up something else in me. A need to take care of someone else besides myself.

  The thought settles warm inside of me, and I hold her tighter.

  “Don’t worry, Emma. I’m gonna help you.”

  I wake up and stretch my arm out, reaching for Emma, but the second I feel nothing in the spot beside me, my eyes fly open.

  I sit up and blink the last of the sleep away, and that’s when I notice the laptop and phone are missing from my desk. Darting out of bed, I race to Emma’s room with a thundering heart.

  If she’s gone…

  I stop by her door and relief washes over me, when I see her placing the laptop on her bed.

  Thank fuck, she’s still here.

  Only then do I notice how good she looks. Damn, Emma’s dressed to kill. A white silk blouse and black pants which fit her body perfectly.

  I lean against the door and watch as she twists her hair up into a bun. Then she opens a box and starts putting on more make-up than I ever saw my mom and sister use combined.

  “Mornin’,” I say when it’s clear she’s not going to notice me standing here.

  “Morning.” She gives me a nervous smile before continuing with the make-up. I notice her hand trembling when she applies mascara and lipstick.

  Emma pauses for a second, staring at herself in the mirror, and then she takes a shaky breath.

  “You okay?”

  “Uh-huh.” She comes toward me, and taking hold of the door, she says, “I’ll be out in a minute. I just need to do something first.”

  “Okay.”

  I stand back when she pushes the door closed, but as she lets go of it, it doesn’t shut all the way. Moving to the right, I watch her through the crack. I should give her some privacy, but when she sits down on the bed, and I watch her whole posture change, it confirms my gut feeling that something is wrong.

  I watch as Emma changes right in front of my eyes. It’s like she flipped a switch. She presses something on the laptop, then folds her hands tightly together on her lap, her shoulders dropping. All emotion drains away from her face.

  “Babes.” I recognize her mother’s voice.

  Fuck, why would Emma call her mother?

  “Morning, Mom,” Emma says with the same whimpering voice I’ve heard from her nightmares, and it makes anger flood every inch of me.

  “You disappointed me, babes. After everything I’ve done for you, everything I’ve sacrificed, this is how you repay me? You run away? Am I such a horrible mother that you want to hurt me like this? It would’ve been better for you to have ripped out my heart. Next time take a knife and dig the bloody thing out.” Her mom sounds pitiful.

  Fuck no! Not on my watch. I push the door open and walk into the room as Emma says, “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to hurt, Mom.”

  Emma doesn’t even notice as I come inside.

  “I have to threaten to freeze the trust account to get you to talk to me. What have I done to deserve such treatment from you? You’ve ignored all my calls, my messages.” I hear a sharp intake of breath which makes Emma cringe. “And what do you mean by you need a break? From what, may I ask? You won’t last a day without me in that godforsaken country.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mom. I was stupid, Mom.”

  As I come to stand next to Emma, I glance down at the screen. The woman doesn’t look anything like Emma. Black hair and dark eyes, where Emma is soft and blond.

  “Who. Is. That?” her mother hisses.

  Woman, my mama would have a field day kicking your crazy ass.

  “I’m Emma’s roommate,” I answer, crossing my arms over my chest.

  Emma glances up at me a
s horror washes over her face. She starts to rise, then sits back down, her eyes darting between me and the screen.

  “Mom,” she says, her voice tight with worry. “He’s just my roommate.”

  “Shacking up, are you? You’re not even gone a full week and look what’s become of you!”

  I place a hand on Emma’s shoulder to give her some strength.

  “Mom.” Emma lets out a heavy breath, and when she glances up at me, I see the fight creeping into her eyes.

  My girl is torn between submitting to her mother and standing up for herself.

  “You ran to him? You left me for him!” her mother snarls.

  Emma shakes her head as she lifts her chin. “It’s not like that. I needed some time on my own.”

  Her mother’s eyes widen with surprise. I take it she’s not used to Emma talking back to her.

  “He’s already got you back chatting me. In a fortnight he’ll have you turning tri-”

  I reach over and close the laptop on her mother. That’s about as much as I can take because it sinks in – Emma did run away from home. She fled the fucking country to get away from that bitch.

  Emma gasps and her hands fly to her mouth. She sits for a few seconds, then she leaps over the bed to grab her phone which has already started buzzing. I jump onto the bed and grab it from Emma before she can press it to her ear.

  “Mrs. Bowen,” I answer calmly, as I get off the bed.

  Emma spins around, her eyes are wide with fear. She reaches for the phone, but I take hold of her hand, turning my body to the side, so the phone is out of her reach.

  “Who the hell do you think you are?” her mother seethes over the line.

  “Detective Holden. I’d be careful what you say next,” I warn. “I’m not Emma, and I sure as hell am not your husband.”

  “You don’t ever dare to talk to me like that!” she shrieks. “I want to talk to my daughter.”

  More demands?

  She can go fuck herself. She’s barking up the wrong tree.

  I glance at a horrified Emma which only makes me more determined to protect her. She’s so pale it’s making her eyes look even bigger. Red marks are spreading up from her collarbone to her neck. I’ve never seen one person have so much control over another.