by Ember Davis
“No!” My voice comes out harsher than I intend; Amelia’s eyes snap open to me. I look deep into her brown depths, full of so much pain. “Baby, you are not either of those things, you never were, and you never will be.” She starts to shake her head and I can see her crumbling right in front of my eyes. I pitch my voice into a command and every word is measured, “Amelia, listen to me very closely.” She watches my lips form every word then nods her head.
“You are my entire life, my world. I wanted you before I even saw you and when I saw you your beauty blew me away. Even better than what my eyes see when they look at you is what my heart feels when it’s near you. I don’t even have to be near you to feel whole, just knowing you exist and are in my life is enough to bring me peace. I love you for who you are and the fact that you are wrapped up in this delectable, vivacious, smokin’ hot package is just a bonus.”
She nods her head and I see a glimmer of hope in her eyes, my love is fanning a small ember of the fire inside her. I smirk at her, knowing that it’ll ignite a different part of her. Her eyes turn hungry and relief flows through me; I’ve still got her right here with me.
“Do I need to remind you how I could barely get through the door today before fucking you on our table?” She blushes and bites her lip. I groan and she giggles, music to my fucking ears. “You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.” I quirk an eyebrow, “I’m not the only one who has noticed how sexy you are either. I’ve never almost beat the shit out of Troy or Walsh because of a woman. Never. If I fuck up, either of them would be more than happy to be your knight in shining armor.”
She scrunches her face up and I fall just a little bit deeper for my girl. Her loyalty humbles me.
“Hell, they’ve been known to share. I bet they’d be more than happy to ride in on white steeds together if I fuck up,” I quip.
Her mouth pops open in shock before she narrows her eyes at me. She grins mischievously and taps her chin like she’s considering it. I can’t help it; I bark out a laugh.
“I wasn’t aware that was an option,” she sasses.
Even though we’re talking about her engaging in a threesome with two of my best friends, I’m glad to have her back and not worrying about that asshole. I scoff and she grips my shirt and pulls me closer. She runs her eyes up and down my body and my dick takes notice, as he always does around Amelia.
“You’re the best thing to ever happen to me Beckett and I wouldn’t trade you for anything.” She kisses me fiercely and when her tongue slides against my lips I open for her and twine my tongue with hers. We’re breathless when we pull away and I rest my forehead against hers. “Thank you, Beckett. Thank you for pulling me back and for loving me with conviction and passion,” she whispers.
I cup her neck and pull her back from me slightly so she can see the sincerity in my eyes. “That’s the only way to love you properly and I was put on this earth to do just that.” Her eyes sparkle and I hate to dim that for even a moment, but we need to be proactive. “I’m going to take care of this.”
To my surprise, she doesn’t falter. She’s decided to hold onto hope and her trust in me; fuck that fills me with determination to always protect her trust. “How?”
I take a deep breath and kiss her softly. “I know someone who will be all over this. I tattoo Blake Higgins; he runs one of the most successful private security firms around. Some of his guys have been in the shop too, either I’ve tattooed them or one of the crew. They’re all ex rangers and SEALS, highly trained and excellent at what they do. I’m going to shoot him a text and see when he can meet with us.”
She looks shocked and then a little sheepish. “I don’t know if it’s that big of a deal, Beckett. I don’t know that it’s him. If it is him, I don’t know that it’s anything more than a veiled threat. It could just be some sick twisted psychological game he’s playing.”
I look her straight in the eye and I know she can see the rage I have toward her ex barely being contained. “I’m not willing to risk you or your safety. I love you too much to do that. I’d never forgive myself if it’s more than him just fucking with you and you got hurt,” I almost can’t bring myself to finish, but I have to, “or worse. This is what Blake does. At the very least he can assess the situation and help us figure out what to do next.”
She nods and I can see her strengthening her resolve, “Okay, Love. You’re right.”
I sigh because she’s not going to like this part even more, “We also need to tell everyone the extent of what this asshole did and update them on him potentially messaging you. We also need to see a picture of him.” She pales and I tighten my grip on her slightly.
“I know you don’t want to show what you consider vulnerabilities, but they need to know so they can help me protect you. That ass isn’t a vulnerability of yours, what you went through made you even stronger than you were. You have nothing to hide and you have nothing to be ashamed of. If you’d rather me tell them without you there then that’s okay, but I think it would be better if they hear the whole thing from you.”
She closes her eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath, “Okay, I know you’re right. Let me think about if I want to tell them or have you do it.” She clears her throat, “I have pictures of us and pictures of, um, the bruise in a hidden folder on my computer and a flash drive. I also saved any emails, texts and messages that were, you know, not on the up and up. I sent it all to the school, hoping to establish a pattern of predatory and violent behavior.”
Her shoulders slump, “After he hit me, I could see it all so clearly. I could see how he manipulated me and how he wore me down. The ways he isolated me and put himself in a position of being the only support I thought I had so I relied on him,” she looks me in the eye, “but it was never genuine. It was never from a place of love and always from a place of power. I was such an easy mark; such a fucking idiot.”
I kiss her forehead, “Amelia, no. Baby, you’re fucking brilliant and so damn strong. You walked and got yourself out when you saw the truth and you never looked back. That takes guts. You didn’t try and erase it, you took on the reality of what happened and worked through it and then, like the goddess you are, saved everything that Blake will need to do his job.”
Amelia takes a steadying breath and straightens her spine. I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face, it’s sexy as hell watching her push away her fear and decide to meet this situation head on.
“Okay. I have a few guidelines I need to put on this.” I can’t help it; I laugh because she’s back 100% now. Amelia smirks and I kiss her nose. “I’d really like it if I can just tell it once. So, if Blake can meet at a time when everyone can be there, that would be ideal. Not like right before Nacho Bar night, though, I will not be tainting the gathering with all this shit.” I nod. “Good.” Her eyes soften, “Your safety is just as important as mine, along with everyone else. No misogynistic chest thumping where the assumption is always that the guys can take care of themselves. I have no idea what he’s capable of or the means he has at his disposal anymore.”
I sigh, “Did you know Walsh used to be an MMA fighter when he was an apprentice?”
She gives me a sharp look, “See that’s exactly what I’m talking about. I’m glad that Walsh or anyone else may be more equipped to defend themselves.” She sighs and her face looks pained like her mind is spinning out of control. She whispers, “Beckett, you have no idea the nightmares I used to have and the things my mind would conjure up that he could do to me.”
I reach down and push my car seat as far back as I can before I unbuckle her seatbelt and pull her hips so she’s straddling my lap. Her skirt bunches up around her hips, and I have to bite back a groan at the sight. I tuck her head under my chin and rub my hands up and down her back. She relaxes into my body and I’m so fucking glad I can give her some comfort.
Her voice is quiet, but it’s not weak or unsure. “Let’s say, for whatever fucked up reason he’s conjured up that I won’t even begin to tr
y and figure out, that he is planning to come for me. I don’t know if he just wants to hurt me or take me or, fuck, I don’t even know. After all this time, if he’s able to justify creating whatever plan he has, then he’s going to be able to justify anything to follow through. Being able to defend themselves doesn’t do much good if he sets the shop on fire or drugs someone or, Jesus, just so many things. It makes no sense that he would even contact me now, so I’m going to assume the worst fueled by way too many episodes of Criminal Minds.”
I wrap my arms around her tighter, the way her mind works even in this fucked up situation fills me with awe and admiration. “Okay, Baby, I get it. We will all take this seriously and no male peacocking.”
She nods against my chest and runs her hands up my chest and into the hair at the nape of my neck. My cock takes notice instantly, but now is not the time for that. Down boy.
“Anything else?” Damn it, my voice sounds husky with desire even to me. I shouldn’t fuck her in the bar parking lot. I really want to fuck her in the bar parking lot. I grip her hips and my fingers immediately seek out the soft skin right above the waistband of her skirt.
Amelia sits up and in doing so her panty covered pussy presses right against my cock that comes fully alive in an instant. Well, there’s no putting that back in the box now. I rock her hips against me a few times and try to hold in a moan.
She presses her hand against her chest and lets out a mock gasp, “Beckett Banks, in the parking lot? What kind of girl do you think I am?” Her voice is full of sass and I fucking love it.
I grind my jean clad cock against her center and grip her hips harder, “My kind of girl, Baby. So good and so naughty in the best of ways.” I lean forward and nip at her earlobe. “I’m not going to fuck you in the parking lot, this time, but only because I bet someone is going to be looking for us soon.”
She laughs and shakes her head in admonishment. “Then you better stop teasing me.” I give her a lopsided grin before I kiss her sweetly. She sighs and then looks at me seriously. “My last guideline is that while I will listen to Blake, I will not hide away from my life. I will not be treated like I’m helpless and I won’t put my life on hold. I will not give him that power. I will continue to be me and do the things that I need and want to do.”
I sigh because, knowing Blake, that might be harder than she wants it to be. “I want you to be able to live your life Baby and I will help you do that, but I won’t compromise your safety either.”
Amelia nods, “I understand, I don’t want to compromise my safety, but I’m not going to let him win either.” She cocks her head to the side, “Understood?”
I wrap my arms around her and pull her close, “Yeah, I get it.”
She kisses my neck and snuggles against me for a few minutes and I enjoy just holding her, knowing she’s safe in my arms.
I give her a little squeeze, “Come on, Baby, let’s go home.”
She pulls back from me and her brows are knitted together. “What? No way, we’re going in. We’re going to go and have a beer with our family, it’s a Friday tradition.” I start to shake my head and she gives me a sharp look. “We are going to be normal.”
I really don’t want to give into her on this, bars aren’t safe places. So many people and bad lighting. She must be able to read my objections before I voice them because she gives me an innocent look, “Did you know that Walsh used to be an MMA fighter?”
I bark out a laugh and give her hips a squeeze. “Okay, Baby. Let’s go in and be normal, whatever the hell that means.”
Amelia grins at me and winks before she climbs back into the passenger seat and pulls her skirt back down. I adjust my seat before climbing out of the car, adjusting my cock in my jeans as I round the car and open her door for her. She rises on her tiptoes and kisses me quickly after she gets out, “I love you, Beckett.”
I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her snugly to my side. I kiss her temple. “I love you, Amelia.”
Troy’s just coming out of the bar as we make it to the front door. He greets us with a fist bump for me and a big grin for Amelia. Fucker. “I was just on my way out to find you guys. Walsh said he saw your car pull in when he was coming in.”
Amelia and I share a glance and a grin, of course they’d send Troy out to find us. She gets a devious sparkle in her eye and then pats Troy’s cheek. “Good thing you weren’t a few minutes earlier, you would have gotten quite the show.”
Troy’s mouth falls open and I bark out a laugh. Troy is stuttering and sputtering. She throws her head back and laughs and that sound fills my heart so full.
Amelia points to his face and giggles, “You should see your face right now.” She shakes her head and tsks him, “Like I’d really tell you if we were fucking in the parking lot.” She leans in and stage whispers, “We did do the ‘I love you’ thing though. You heard it from me first.”
Troy’s eyes light up and he looks between Amelia and I like this is the best thing he’s ever heard. Fuck, we have great friends. “I’m really the first?”
“Yup,” Amelia pops the p. “I know how much you like to be first to know things; my present to you. Now go forth little gossip minion and spread the word.”
Troy scoffs, “I do not gossip.”
We both give him looks that say, really? He chuckles and shrugs. He turns and heads back into the bar and we’re right behind him. I glance around the bar and it looks like the normal Friday night crowd and thankfully it’s still kind of early so it’s not too busy.
Right before we reach our table Troy yells out, “They said ‘I love you’ to each other!”
Walsh, Zeke and Olivia who are waiting for us at the table cheer. Amelia laughs and I chuckle while shoving Troy’s shoulder. He just winks at me and I kiss Amelia’s temple and give her shoulder a squeeze.
I smile down at her, “I’m going grab us some beers, you good?” She smiles up at me and nods. I catch Walsh’s eye across the table and give him a pointed look and then glance down at Amelia. He furrows his brow slightly but nods.
I give her shoulder one more squeeze and force myself to walk over to the bar. I look back and see Walsh circle the table and stand next to Amelia. Good. He doesn’t have to know why, but he knows that I want him to stick close her.
I get the bartenders attention and order some beers before I pull out my phone and shoot Blake a message breaking down the issue and a little of the history between that fuckface and my girl. His response is almost immediate. He says he can meet up tomorrow morning at 8 am, my shop. He asks for Caleb’s basic information so he can get started on intel. I almost throw up just thinking that asshole’s name.
I grab the beers, leaving some money on the bar before I head back to the table. I give Amelia her beer and she smiles gratefully. Walsh gives me a concerned look over her head and I give him a nod. He’ll get filled in soon enough, but he knows something isn’t right with Amelia.
I wrap my arm around Amelia’s waist and give her hip a squeeze before I hand her my phone with Blake’s message open. She reads through the few messages and then gives a big sigh before typing out the requested information like the asshat’s full name, birthdate, where they went to college and his hometown. She hands me back my phone and takes a drink of her beer.
She tries to focus on our friends; she listens to all the joking and storytelling going on around us, but she’s distant. Blake gets back to me half an hour later and says that he is now insisting to the 8 am meeting. Fuck! The sinking feeling I’ve been trying to ignore burrows deeper.
I let him know that Amelia said she only wanted to go through the story once and that I think everyone needs to know what’s going on so they can be informed and prepared. He agrees so I send out a message to our group chat calling for a mandatory family meeting tomorrow 8 am.
I show Amelia the messages and she gives a curt nod. Walsh pulls his phone out of his back pocket and reads the message about the family meeting. He looks at me over Amelia’s head and then
down at her.
Walsh searches her face and then touches her shoulder. “Are you okay, Amelia?”
She takes a deep breath and finishes her beer. “Not really, Snookums, but we’ll deal with it.” She looks around the table and takes in our friends talking and laughing together. “Together; we’ll deal with it together.”
He grins at her, but I can see the worry in his eyes. He gives her a little hug and winks, “You know it, Sweetcheeks.”
I roll my eyes; she catches me and laughs. She nods toward my beer, “I’m going to grab another, you want?”
I shake my head. Before I can tell her there’s no way that I’m letting her go to the bar by herself, Dex comes in the front door and bee lines right for the table. He pushes Walsh out of the way and gives Amelia a quick hug.
Dex is grinning ear to ear, “You two did the whole ‘I love you’ thing?” Like I said: gossips. She nods and blushes; Dex high fives me, like we’re 12, because sometimes we are. “I’m getting the next round in celebration. It’s about damn time.”
She shakes her head in admonishment, “It’s been two weeks Dex.”
He shrugs, “Like I said, it’s about damn time. I’m kinda surprised he hasn’t moved you into the house yet.”
She grins at me and winks, “I’ve been informed I just have to say ‘the word’ and you all will be helping me move.”
Dex throws his head back and laughs, “Oh yeah? What word?”
Amelia opens her mouth to respond, but then closes it quickly. She shoots me a sly smile, “Nope, I’m not falling for that one.”
Dex shrugs and shoots me a look, “Sorry man, I tried.”
I chuckle and kiss Amelia’s temple. Dex grabs Walsh in a headlock and drags him to the bar to help him carry beers back.
She leans toward Troy, “Did Beckett tell you that he’s going to tattoo me on Sunday?”
Troy grins, “Oh yeah! It’s going to be awesome. I can’t wait to see it.”
Amelia arches an eyebrow, “Oh yeah? He told you about the design?”