by J. S. Scott
“I’m sorry, but no. I’m done with this life, Turner, and so is Wren.” And it had never felt better to walk away from something.
We eventually made our escape to the cheers of our family and friends as we drove off. “We could head to a hotel, if you want…go somewhere for our honeymoon…”
I felt like a bit of a shit for not having more planned for our wedding night, but I swore to myself, I’d make it up to her.
“Home is fine for tonight. And as for our honeymoon, we can figure it out. It’s not like we had a whole lot of time to plan things. And…with my dad sick…” She didn’t have to elaborate on the matter further, since we both knew her father didn’t have very long, even if he did his best to hide it, for appearances’ sake.
“It can wait, love.” We had our whole lives ahead of us now, and there was no need to rush things, especially given how fast we’d gotten back together.
Despite being seat-belted in, she leaned across the middle console, and nestled herself against my side as I draped my arm over her shoulder and kissed the top of her head, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that we were now married. “Is my dad going to…you know…take care of things now? Will your family be safe?”
“I sure as hell hope they will be. And yes…your dad’s having Evan take care of the matter tonight.” Though what exactly that entailed, I didn’t want to know. I wouldn’t put anything past the two of them.
“I’m sorry it couldn’t have been a simple matter. But I’m glad you and your family won’t have to worry anymore.” She pressed her lips to the curve of my neck, trailing kisses to my cheek. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Wren. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me now. Till death do us part.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.”
CHAPTER 30
Wren
I had every right to worry, given the sort of people our families had associated with up until now. But at least my father was no longer a threat, since Ash and I had finally gotten married, just like my father had wanted.
“We’ll be okay, Wren. I don’t want you worrying anymore.” He kissed the top of my head as he maneuvered us down the quiet roads. “This is a new chapter in our lives, and it’s the perfect opportunity to leave our pasts behind and start fresh. You deserve that, at the very least.”
“I want that more than anything.” And I knew that Ash would do all he could to make it happen.
Before long, he was pulling down the long driveway to his home, and coming around to get my door, offering me his hand as he pulled me to my feet and then scooped me up into his arms as I squealed with laughter and kissed him. “I love you, Ash.”
“And I love you, Mrs. Blackthorn.”
My heart hitched to hear him call me by my new name, the perception of my reality shifting as it truly sunk in that Ash was now my husband.
It felt silly that Ash wanted to carry me over the threshold, and yet at the same time it was incredibly romantic. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried me into what would be our home, still unable to believe that less than a week ago I’d hated him for leaving me. And now, we were married and I loved him.
“You can put me down, you know.” I couldn’t help but smile, nipping at his neck as he groaned in response.
“I’m not putting you down until our bed is in sight, little bird. And as soon as I get you out of this dress, I’m going to fuck you.”
Of that I had no doubt.
The truth was that being married felt different, and I wasn’t sure that I’d expected it to feel this way.
For the first time in a very long time, I felt like someone actually had my back, and I was no longer alone. But that only stoked my guilt, even though I knew I needed to push it aside before Ash figured out something was truly wrong. ’Cause I could deny the matter all I wanted, but he’d see right through that, and I didn’t want to be forced into telling him more lies, beyond saying that everything was fine.
Because there was something very wrong—and he’d hate me if he ever found out.
Ash slowly lowered my feet to the ground, my arms still wrapped around his neck as I caught his mouth in a passionate kiss, desperate to let him know how much he meant to me. He broke our kiss to trail his lips down my neck to my shoulder, brushing away the strap of my gown with a gentle hand, before turning me around to undress me.
“They don’t make it easy to get out of these things, do they? I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many buttons—and they’re so tiny.” Yet his deft fingers were making quick work of the task, and before long, he was taking my hand and helping me to step out of my gown, the delicate lace pooling at my feet, so I was left standing there in a white satin corset and panties. “Fucking hell, Wren… You’re stunning.”
“And you looked so handsome in your tux—damn sexy too.” So much so, that he’d taken my breath away when I’d first laid eyes on him, as he stood there at the altar waiting for me.
Reaching down, he grabbed my gown and carefully draped it over a chair before turning his attention back to me, already undoing his tie and shrugging out of his jacket as I started to unbutton his shirt. He then carefully pulled the adornments and pins out of my hair, running his fingers through it, to free it of any constraints, and then, with his hands still knotted in my hair, he pulled me to him for a ravaging kiss that sent my heart hammering.
With his lips still on mine, his shirt got tossed aside, so his warm skin was pressed against mine. He finished stripping himself down to nothing while I shimmied out of my panties. But he stopped me there, his words spoken between kisses. “The corset stays on—for now.”
Wrapping a strong arm around my waist, he lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his hips as he lowered me onto his hard cock, impaling me fully on his length and stretching my body tightly around him. Without missing a beat, he grasped my ass and started to fuck me, moving me along his shaft as he thrust into me and I clung to him, my arms tightening around his neck.
As my clit rubbed against him with each thrust, I deepened our kiss, urging him on, as he backed me into a wall, the plaster hard and cold against my back, in stark contrast to his burning skin. “I’m going to come, Ash.”
My skin rippled with goose bumps as I tried to prolong the build-up of my orgasm, and yet, my admission only added fuel to his fire, so he now pounded each thrust into me, with deliberate punctuation, as our lips met once again in a brutal kiss, leaving him to swallow my cries as I came. With my body quivering in his arms, he continued to fuck me, his pace only increasing, until he, too, was coming with a grunt, his cock pulsing deep inside me as he filled me with his cum, his thrusts only slowing once he was done.
“I love you, Wren. You’re my everything…”
“And I love you.” Yet the tears that sprung to my eyes were uncontrollable, even as he kissed them away. “I’m sorry…I don’t know why I’m crying.”
“Hush, love…it’s okay.” He carried me to our bed and lay me down, before snuggling up next to me and pulling me into his arms. “It’s been a long day, and it’s been an emotional one. But there’s nothing more to worry about, little bird. You’re home now—and you’re safe.”
For now at least. Because once Ash found out what my father had done, I had no doubt he’d want nothing to do with me.
CHAPTER 31
Ash
I hung up the phone, relieved that Turner had finally come through for me, and Holton, the man who’d murdered my father, was now no longer a threat. I didn’t get the details—and I didn’t want them. That said, there was something niggling at the back of my head. My brothers and I had looked at Holton as a suspect, and though there was some circumstantial evidence that had pointed in his direction, there was other evidence that hadn’t supported that conclusion.
Not that it mattered. It was done—and if anything
, agreeing to Turner’s terms meant I now had Wren back in my life, and for that I was ecstatic.
I returned to our table at the diner my family had always gone to. Conor would soon be leaving to fly back to Donegal and his family, so Wren and I had met up with him for breakfast. “Sorry about that. Turner just wanted to let me know that things are taken care of.”
“Thank fuck. Paige will be relieved to hear it.” The tension in Conor’s shoulders eased, and I knew just how worried he’d been, especially since Paige had nearly not married him in an attempt to keep their child from becoming a target—and I couldn’t blame her for it, when she’d nearly died in a fire meant to send my family a message. “So, you guys heading away on a honeymoon?”
“Yeah…we will, once we figure out where we’d like to go.” I didn’t elaborate further, not wanting to upset Wren.
“I’ve got news. Paige…she’s pregnant again.” Conor gave me a crooked smile, and I swore, I’d never seen him look so happy.
I pulled him into a hug. “I’m so happy for you guys. But fucking hell…you didn’t give the poor girl a break.” She’d only just had her baby a few months ago.
“I swear, we didn’t plan it that way. But…I think this one will be our last. And at least this way, we’ll get all the sleepless nights out of the way.” Conor’s gaze shifted between me and Wren, as if in question, though he didn’t say anything, even if it got me thinking about the matter.
I hadn’t given kids much thought because there had been no one in my life. But now that Wren and I were married, and things were good between us, I’d love to start a family.
We saw Conor off after breakfast, though as I drove us home, I couldn’t keep my mind from wandering back to the thought of starting a family. After all Wren had gone through, I wasn’t sure how she’d feel about it, but it might be just the thing to help her leave her past behind, and give her a future she could focus on.
“We never had the chance to talk about whether or not you might want to start a family.” I reached over and grabbed her hand, bringing it to my lips. “What do you think, love?”
“I hadn’t given it much thought, Ash. Up until a week ago, I wasn’t exactly living the sort of life that screamed ‘baby.’ I get that things are different now…but it’s just a whole lot of change in a very short time, and I’m still adjusting. That said, I think it’d be nice, once we decide we’re both ready.”
I guess I couldn’t really ask for more of her right now, especially after all she’d been through. And yet, I was hopeful that we’d be able to start a family soon. “Whenever you’re ready, little bird. We have plenty of time.”
Time may have been on our side, but it wasn’t on Turner’s. Just a few weeks later, the call came in early in the morning after Evan found Turner had passed away during the night. “I’m so sorry, Wren.”
I pulled her into my arms as she wept, knowing how hard this must be for her, the loss of my own father still all too raw. “I wish I could take your pain from you, but I know there’s nothing that can do that.”
“Stupid fucking cancer.” She looked up at me as her tears streamed down her cheeks. “At least now, he won’t have to suffer anymore.”
Turner’s health hadn’t seemed so dire, but then again, there was a good chance he’d done a good job of masking just how sick he was when others were around. “I’m sure the doctors did all they could for him, little bird.”
“I hated him for so long…for not protecting me…for bringing Steven into my life.” She let out a ragged breath, swiping at her tears. “But it was pointless to blame him when he knew none of what had happened to me.”
“At least he got to see you happy, Wren. And he died knowing that you’d be taken care of. Because you have my word, love…I’ll always be by your side.”
CHAPTER 32
Wren
The next several days were a blur as I buried my father. Ash never left my side, and though my father was now gone and Ash was the only family I had left, I still couldn’t be honest with him about what my father had done. And though I hated keeping secrets from Ash, maybe he never needed to know. What difference would it make anyway?
Yet, my guilt never let up. And now, I knew what it was like to lose my father and have him taken from me—and could only imagine how much worse it must be for Ash when his father was taken from him through violence—violence that my father had initiated.
I reached down and pet Sammie as Ash shrugged out of his wet jacket and hung it up in the mudroom, before wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me to him with a lingering kiss. “You should have been there, Wren.”
I’d sent Ash to deal with the reading of my father’s will, not feeling up to it. “How did it go?”
“As you’d expect, little bird. You’re his sole heir, so nearly everything went to you—except for his vintage cars. Those went to Evan, though it was pretty clear he was expecting something more.” Ash gave Sammie a good long scratch down her back as she wagged her little tail, before we all headed into the great room.
“I know Evan and my dad both enjoyed those cars, and I’m sure they’re worth a fair amount, but…I can see why Evan would be disappointed.” Part of me wanted to reach out to him, but there was another part of me that just wanted to leave my past behind. And what would I say? I could certainly give him some of my inheritance, but I don’t think it’d erase the hurt of my father not thinking to leave him more.
“That’s the thing about wills. They have a funny way of turning sorrow into bitterness.” He sat down on the sofa and pulled me onto his lap, leaving me to straddle him as I draped my arms around his neck and looked into those amazing green eyes of his, even as they darkened, his mood serious. “By the way, the money in your trust is also yours now, free and clear. Your father either lied or didn’t get around to making good on his threats. There are no stipulations. Which means…you have your money now. So…if you want to leave…”
His words were like jagged shards of glass tearing through my heart. “You didn’t just fucking say that… What the hell, Ash?”
He held onto me as I tried to climb off his lap, furious with him, and so fucking hurt. “Wren…you ran just before our wedding day. And it’s not like you ever told me why you tried to leave.”
“So when I say that I love you…when we talked about starting a family…when I let you fuck me…did you think it was all some sort of joke?” It suddenly felt like the last few weeks had been nothing but a lie, and I couldn’t help the tears that stung my eyes, my emotions already too raw from my father’s death and the stress of having to lie to Ash.
“Wren…it’s not like this has been an easy journey.” He let out a huff of exasperation, his shoulders sagging as his brow furrowed and he shook his head. “I had to kidnap you just to get you to Seattle, and then, just when I thought everything was okay, you took off. And I know you’ve said there’s nothing wrong—but I’m not an idiot. Something well beyond your father’s death has been bothering you. And though I get that you might not be ready to open up to me, keeping secrets, especially given our turbulent past, leaves me feeling like you’re just waiting for the right time to run again.”
“I’m not leaving, Ash. I love you.” My anger with him dissipated as I let him gather me up in his arms, needing to hold onto what was between us, when it suddenly felt like it all might be slipping away. “And I’m sorry I’m so broken and fucked up. But I swear, I’m not going anywhere. I’d even been thinking that we should start a family.”
“Wren…” He pressed his lips together as he took me in. “I don’t want you agreeing to such a major decision because you’re trying to smooth things over between us. ’Cause having a baby is only going to exacerbate what problems we might have.”
“Our problems are behind us.” At least I hoped they were. “And I want a baby because I love you.” Which was nothing but the truth.
His gaze searched my face as he cupped my cheek, and I couldn’t help but turn in to his touch and kiss his palm. “Is this really something you want, little bird?”
“It is. I swear, Ash. And after everything we’ve been through, I feel like this is exactly what I need.” Sammie and Ash had already started to help me move past what Steven had done to me. And I knew that a baby would only help to heal the rest of my wounds.
“If you’re sure.” Ash still looked so worried about me. But there was nothing I could do about what my father had done. It was in the past, and it wasn’t something I’d had any role in. I just needed to let it go.
“I’ve never been more sure about anything.” Which was a good thing, since the chaos of the last few weeks meant I hadn’t exactly been consistent about taking my birth control pills.
“You make me a happy man, love.” He smiled as he kissed me, the ache in my heart finally easing.
“I’m going to make you even happier in a minute.” I trailed kisses down his neck, rocking my hips along his hard length, as he bit his bottom lip and groaned—and then my phone went off. I ignored it, pulling Ash’s t-shirt up over his head, before he covered my mouth with his in a passion-fueled kiss that went straight through me.
And then my phone rang yet again. Ash pulled away, breaking our kiss and ignoring my protests. “You should probably get that. Whoever’s trying to get a hold of you clearly isn’t going to be patient about it.”
I dug my phone out of my pocket. Fuck…Evan. “Hey… What’s going on?”
“We need to talk. Just the two of us. Now. Because if you think I won’t tell Ash that your father was the one responsible for his dad’s death, you can guess again. Meet me at the house.” He didn’t need to specify which house.
“I’ll be right there.” I hung up, trying to keep from shaking. “I’m sorry. Evan’s attempting to go through my father’s things, and he’s got questions… I don’t want him to feel like I’m blowing him off with everything that’s happened. But I promise I won’t be long.”