by C. R. Ellis
What I’d been looking over this morning when Jade woke up was the final version Long had emailed me late last night.
By the time Jade looked up, there were streaks of makeup and tears trailing down her cheeks. I’d heard her gasps as she read, but I needed to let her finish. She knew about my past, but I hadn’t shared the darkest moments with her until now.
Without saying a word, she set the computer aside and crawled into my lap, planting her legs on either side of my body while wrapping her arms around my neck so tightly I wondered if she’d ever let go. My hold tightened around her torso as her chest shook with silent sobs.
“I’ll kill him if he ever touches you again.” Jade’s whole body shook now, her sobs escalating into tremors pulsing through her from head to toe.
“Shh, baby, it’s okay,” I whispered reassuringly, rubbing my hands up and down her arms while keeping her close. “I’m okay,” I promised after cupping her face between my hands and leaning back to face her.
She nodded, but fresh tears still threatened to spill.
When I realized I’d be sharing the intimate details of my childhood with the world, I knew there was a chance people’s perception of me would change. They’d eye me with pity and wonder how my past shaped my present. Knowing the kinds of connections and supporters he had, I knew he’d find a way to spin it into some bullshit redemption story, like he was a changed man now. I knew there would also be skeptics who doubted the validity of my assertions. I accepted that because stopping William was the priority, and if people looked at me differently, so be it.
But the way Jade looked at me told me nothing could touch the version of me she saw. She made it clear that, in me, she saw a man capable of greatness. That fact was etched on her face like it always had been.
She dropped her forehead to mine and anchored her hands against the the couch behind me. “I’m sorry you had to relive all of this, Emmett. And I’m sorry you’re going to have to answer questions publicly. But I’m gonna be by your side the entire time, ‘kay? I’ll figure something out for my meetings and weddings next week.”
After years of avoiding the media, I wasn’t excited about willingly stepping into the spotlight. But if there was any chance it might put an end to my father’s political aspirations, I’d do whatever it took. I didn’t want Jade to get dragged down too, though.
I shook my head. “Your support means the world to me, Tiny. But I can’t let you drop everything and come to Boston while I deal with this. Plus, I’ll feel a lot better about everything if I know you’re safe here and nowhere near my family when this blows up.”
She frowned and leaned back. “But I won’t feel safe. Not while you’re there and having to deal with this on your own.”
I shifted under her, planting my hands on her hips and bringing her body closer to mine. “I won’t be on my own. And I won’t be gone long. But Harrison is going to stay close by, just in case. I’m not taking any chances.”
I was prepared for some kind of refusal when she nodded her head and forced a small smile. “Okay. But if Harrison’s here, who’s going to have your back while you’re there? You’re the one who needs protection. I doubt Will is going to even think of coming after me once shit hits the fan.”
“Don’t worry about me, pretty girl. I’ve dealt with William for thirty years, I can handle him. Plus, I’m a pretty good boxer, in case you haven’t heard. I only lost to Will once.”
A frown tugged the corners of her lips down, telling me she didn’t appreciate I was trying to make light of being forced to fight my own brother. Resolve in the form of a tightened jaw and narrowed eyes took over, and she brought her hands to cup my face, planting one on each side, thumbs gently grazing my cheeks.
“Whatever happens—through all the William bullshit and lies bound to surface—promise me you’ll remember how much good, how much light there is inside you, Emmett. Promise you’ll remember you aren’t them. Sharing a last name doesn’t mean you’re anything like them.”
My heart swelled as emotion lodged in my throat. God, I fucking love this girl. “I know that now.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “Thanks to you.”
“One more thing, Boston. Promise me when you have doubts, when you’re having a hard time with any or all of this, you’ll come to me. Talk to me. You’re not an island anymore, Emmett.”
I shifted my hold on her waist and brought one of her hands up to cover my heart. “You feel that? It’s yours, Jade. I’m not an island anymore because of you.”
If a kiss could merge two people’s souls, that’s exactly what happened as our lips came together. She claimed me, calmed me, and simultaneously reciprocated every promise she’d just asked of me.
There was never a question of if William would react, it was how he would react that was unpredictable. Three hours after my first interview aired, his team held a press conference.
“…the allegations made against Senator Sinclair are completely outrageous and unfounded. It’s no coincidence these allegations come only two months after Senator Sinclair was forced to sever business relations with his son, who was consulted on an as-needed basis for various projects throughout the Senator’s time in office. Their business relationship suffered due to personal differences, and the Senator felt, in order to preserve their personal relationship, it was necessary to go their separate ways professionally. Senator Sinclair is deeply saddened by this blatant, misguided attempt to tarnish his reputation. It is unfortunate Emmett felt the need to conjure up falsehoods about his father, but we want to assure the public Senator Sinclair has always been the epitome of a family man…”
The green screen behind my father’s professional bullshitter flashed photo after photo of my family throughout the years, almost all of them coming from strategic photo ops William probably set up. Anything from the grand opening of a children’s center where he made sure to pull Will and me close and plaster on his biggest fake smile, to the ‘paparazzi’ photos of him cheering me on during soccer games, was fair game. He even pulled out photos from various parties at the Sinclair Estate of himself looking normal and unassuming, with an apron on while standing at the grill, smiling and laughing casually.
After holding the press conference, William remained uncharacteristically quiet and out of the spotlight. For once, the photos snapped of him and plastered all over the web and across television screens were unplanned on his part, products of paparazzi stakeouts at his office and home. I was shocked each time he showed restraint, ignoring questions instead of firing off heat-of-the-moment responses.
I knew his silence was temporary, but for now, I was just thankful my planned seemed to be working. As soon as things calmed down, I’d leave Boston, and all the baggage of my past, behind to build a life with Jade.
Chapter 24
Jade
One month later
“Dean! Over here.”
My brother’s head whipped around, eyes finally landing on me before he jogged over. The Axtero dinner was tomorrow, and Hope suggested an evening on the lake to keep Emmett’s mind occupied.
For the last month, Emmett’s name had been splashed across every possible news outlet—some praising him for speaking out against his father, and some accusing him of being a closeted drug addict who finally snapped, jealous of his father’s rumored run for the presidency. We had known to expect it, and for the most part, Emmett had handled the spotlight remarkably well. Luckily, the majority of the insanity, like paparazzi stalking him and firing off ridiculous questions just to get a reaction from him, only lasted a week. Things were finally settling down, just in time for the “dinner party thing.”
Not surprisingly, William fired back, eventually going so far as to fabricate stories from “witnesses” about Emmett’s troubled past, and his “documented” mental instability throughout his youth. We had no proof, but were certain he’d paid off or blackmailed people from Emmett’s childhood to get them to say whatever would paint the most damaging picture.
> His attempts failed though. He was even looking at losing his seat in the Senate if poll numbers were to be trusted. Emmett wouldn’t allow himself total relief, but I’d finally convinced him to take the situation day-by-day, and appreciate the fact that at least for now, his plan had worked.
“Hey, J. Sorry I’m late. Am I the last one?” Dean asked, eyes searching behind me for the rest of our group.
I nodded, leading the way across the dock and toward the yacht. “Jas said she wasn’t feeling well, so it’s just the five of us. Well, six counting Caroline.”
Dean nodded, mumbling something under his breath, probably about having to be the fifth wheel.
He took the job as a security and investigative specialist at Cobalt Global, and relocated to Austin two weeks ago. So, in the span of a month, my brother and my boyfriend had moved to my city, and I couldn’t have been happier. Dean and Emmett got along well, which was a relief given the circumstances of their first meeting. Tensions were a bit high at first, but once Emmett filled Dean in on the investigation into Will, Dean relaxed.
We crossed the threshold on to the deck, and I ushered Dean into the cabin, where I was greeted by the sight of Emmett holding Caroline and gazing lovingly into her eyes. She was giggling and grabbing his face between her adorable, tiny hands, giving the same look of love right back to her Uncle E. The scene instantly brought a smile to my lips, and made Dean bump into me when I stopped to admire the show.
“Damn, Jade. You can’t just stop walking,” he called, grabbing my shoulders when we collided.
“Huh?” I asked, stumbling forward, but still managing to keep my eyes locked on Emmett.
A deep, amused laugh came from the mountain of a man behind me when he realized why I’d stopped short. “Watch out, Emmett. Jade’s got the baby look,” he warned loudly enough to earn an elbow to the gut.
“Shut up,” I hissed, cutting him a glare.
Emmett’s attention shifted to us, and he just grinned as he hit me with a wink. My goodness, the man is too sexy for words.
“Hi, I’m Hope. You must be Dean,” Hope called, mercifully cutting this conversation short, and sticking her hand out to my asshole of a brother.
Hope and I met when I went with Emmett to pick them up from the airport, and I adored her immediately. As soon as she spotted us by the luggage carousel, she handed Caroline off and sprinted over, pulling me in for a hug and smiling so wide I was sure she’d taken advantage of first class’ booze selection.
Turned out Hope’s smile was just like that—so broad her whole face lit up and so contagious you couldn’t help but smile back. Hope was a handful of inches taller than me, had shoulder length, wavy blonde hair, soulful greenish-blue eyes, and dimples exactly like her brother’s. I could see the resemblance between them even though they only shared one biological parent.
“I am. Great to meet you,” Dean replied, shaking her hand before his attention shifted to our extravagant surroundings. “This is incredible. Thanks for the invite.”
“Colby and I certainly enjoy taking her out every time we’re in town. Make yourself comfortable. Speaking of Colby…where’d he go, Emmett?” Hope asked after looking around and discovering his absence.
Emmett jerked his head toward the master bedroom. “He went to get Caroline’s stuff set up in the bedroom so you could put her down after dinner.”
Nodding, Hope walked past the couches and into the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the fridge, stopping to gently bop a smiling Caroline on the nose.
Dean took Hope’s advice and began exploring the cabin, inspecting everything from the white leather couch to the built-in book shelves. I knew he’d find his way to the shelves after seeing photos of Colby and Hope with various celebrities and public figures lining them.
I walked over to Emmett and commandeered Caroline’s attention by making silly faces. She giggled and reached out for me to take her, which I absolutely did.
“I feel so betrayed by my two best girls,” Emmett teased after handing her over to my eager arms. “I’ll remember this when you’re older and hit me up for favors.”
Drool dripped on to my arm as Caroline smiled and grabbed my nose in response.
“Don’t listen to him, sweet girl, you’ve got him wrapped around your little finger,” I whispered just loud enough so he overheard.
“That she does,” Emmett admitted without hesitation. He shifted his beer to his left hand and reached out with his right, tickling the bottom of Caroline’s foot, and causing another round of giggles to shake her entire body.
She wiggled in my arms, squealing and kicking, trying to dodge her uncle’s antics. I tightened my hold on her, whipping around to evade Emmett’s outreached hand. After a few seconds, her sweet laughter infected me, a fit of giggles erupting from deep in my belly. That moment, the baby giggles, the pure, innocent joy Caroline radiated consumed me. I didn’t notice Emmett had stepped back and was staring at us, watching our exchange with a raised brow and one corner of his mouth tilted up in a smirk.
I froze when those waves in his eyes crashed over me.
“What?” I knew, at least in his head, he’d just confirmed Dean’s assertion about me having ‘the baby look.’
“You look good with a baby in your arms.” His tone was steady and calm and wrapped in something that sounded like a lot more than a simple observation.
I swallowed and blinked up at him. “Uh, thanks. Caroline probably makes everyone look good holding her,” I said, providing him an easy out of this conversation.
“Don’t think that’s the case here, though, pretty girl.”
My shoulders lifted in a half-shrug, and my eyes dropped back to the chubby-cheeked bundle of adorableness in my arms. Caroline tugged on the ends of my hair, urging me to free one hand from around her to twirl the mass of brown chaos into a loose ring trailing down my back.
“Jade.”
I lifted my chin up to meet Emmett’s gaze again. He’d closed the gap between us, making sure he was all I saw. His broad chest, stretching out his dark green t-shirt to the max. Well-muscled, golden arms that knew how to hold me just right.
It was an intoxicating sight—those searing blues, his smooth, angular jawline, and the untamed waterfall of loose, blonde waves falling across his forehead. Until this morning, he’d been sporting a light dusting of scruff on his jawline that I loved.
But the sight of a clean-shaven Emmett was nothing short of fuck-me-now perfect.
“Hm?” I asked, forcing the fire burning under my skin to chill.
“I want four of them,” he stated in a matter of fact way, reaching over to run his index fingertip over Caroline’s nose. She immediately grabbed his finger, eyed it like she suddenly had plans on replacing her favorite rubber giraffe, and brought the digit toward her mouth. And because she totally did have him wrapped around her teeny finger, he obliged.
My mouth fell open, and my eyes grew to the size of small planets.
“Four? As in, four tiny humans?” Four seemed like a lot. Especially because I had one in my arms. She was great, but four still seemed like an impossible feat. Then again…those images of what Emmett probably looked like as baby scrolled through my mind, tempting me into dangerous territory. Territory where four didn’t seem so bad, because they’d be freaking cute babies and I just knew Emmett would make the best dad.
Watching him interact with his niece already did stupid things to my heart; there was no telling what seeing him with one of our own would do to me. Probably render me unable to turn down his pleas for another kid.
Holy crap.
This line of thinking was absolutely crazy. He was crazy. I was crazy.
And apparently we’re going to have four crazy babies someday.
Caroline lost interest in our conversation, dropped Emmett’s hand, and started squirming in my arms. Thinking she’d like to watch a sailboat pulling into the marina, I squeezed between the coffee table and the couch to stand in front of the window. She c
ooed and clapped her hands together as she squinted into the sunlight.
Emmett eyed my bewildered expression and chuckled, wearing his amusement for me to easily see. “Yep. Four of ‘em. At least two girls. How many do you want?”
Not do you want any or maybe one day we’ll have one of our own. He was telling me he already knew I wanted them and just needed to know my number.
“I guess I always thought I’d go for two. You know, man-to-man defense. Three maybe. But once the littles outnumber the parents, I feel like shit gets outta control fast.”
“But if we have three, we might as well have four, so one isn’t left out,” he countered, completely serious in his logic.
My eyes darted behind Emmett’s large frame, checking to see if anyone else was hearing our conversation. Not because I didn’t want to be overheard, but because I needed witnesses to confirm this was happening. Dean was laser-focused on Colby’s run-down of the controls. Hope looked on from the kitchen, pulling out supplies she needed to make dinner and only half-listening to the conversation.
Nobody was around to confirm I wasn’t imagining things. Awesome.
Am I seriously having a conversation about babies with Emmett right now?!
An eyebrow cocked halfway up my forehead. “And when exactly am I supposed to start popping out these four kids? I mean, you do realize they take a while to grow, right? You’re thirty, Emmett. Not that thirty is over the hill or anything, but you don’t want to be old and out of shape when they’re trying to get you to run around, so you don’t have just all the time in the world. And I’m turning twenty-seven soon, and I’m not about to be one of those moms still popping out babies after she’s sprouting gray hair. Which will probably—”
“Tiny,” Emmett interjected. He grabbed my shoulders and shook gently, a smile plastered on his lips. “Take a breath,” he ordered, releasing my shoulders, but moving his hands to my neck, grip warm and firm. He waited for me to follow his order before dropping his eyes down his body. “Do you actually think I’m gonna get old and out of shape? And I doubt you’ll go gray any time soon. So, relax. We’ve got plenty of time.”