Cynthia put her arm around her and led her back to the bed. “I had Henry grab your phone and put it in your purse,” she said and gently pushed Jamie into bed. “I’ll get it for you. You just lay there and I’ll get it.”
Jamie gently laid back and smiled. She wondered if he’d grabbed the phone he’d given her.
Cynthia came back with Jamie’s black and pink purse and handed it to her, her eyebrows arched. “You know why you and Henry are a bad idea don’t you?” Jamie removed her eyes from the other woman and Sherded i looked in her purse. Two phones were there and she smiled and blushed when she thought of where the phone had been and what he’d seen.
Jamie looked up at Cynthia and she knew that the older woman was waiting for an answer. “I know why it’s a bad idea, but I can’t stay away now. He is the one, and I know it’s too early to say that, but he makes me feel things I never thought I would feel,” Jamie said and reached in her purse for the phone he’d given her.
Cynthia sat on the bed, and pulled Jamie’s hand into her own. “Jamie you know what your father would do to him if he found out, and if he found out that he was one of the leaders to the rebels he would be killed instantly. That should be enough reason to leave him alone.” Cynthia squeezed Jamie’s hand.
Jamie closed her eyes and tightened her hand around the phone. “I know you are right, I do, but I don’t think I’m strong enough to leave him alone.” She pushed a button and glanced down at the phone. She had one new text message from him.
Cynthia nodded, and stood up. “Emily is on her way over. She called a little while ago, after seeing the bombing on the news.”
Jamie looked up in surprise. She’d been hoping her father had kept the bombing out of the news. Cynthia left Jamie alone, and she looked at the message.
Jamie we still need to talk, I will try to sneak down to you tomorrow.
Her heart sank a little, thinking of him telling her he couldn’t be with her, that it risked his life too much. She knew what she would do when her best friend got there.
* * *
Henry walked into the house, and pulled out his phone. He dialed Mike, and it rang twice.
“Hey, man.”
“Mike, did you tell anyone about Jamie?” He stepped into the kitchen and poured himself a drink.
“Henry, I heard what happened at the Moore’s today, and it wasn’t us. I haven’t told anyone about your girlfriend.”
Henry sighed and sank into the couch in the living room. He hadn’t thought his rebels had anything to do with what happened to Jamie, but that meant that someone else was out there and wanted to kill Jamie. He was happy that whoever had made the bomb hadn’t known what they were doing, but he feared that next time she wouldn’t be that lucky.
“That is what I was afraid of. Someone tried to kill her and I need to find out who.” He leaned his head on the back of the couch, closing his eyes. He needed someone on the inside that could protect Jamie, and it had to be a Black.
“Yeah, I talked to some of our people and they were shocked that it had gotten past the front guard as well as the explosive detector.”
o some odth="2em">Henry’s eyes flew open, and he thought, An inside job? Who would want to hurt Jamie, she is the sweetest and most caring person I know! He needed someone he could trust to protect her, and there was only one person that fit the qualities that William expected to guard his little girl. “Is your brother home from the Black Army?”
“Ahhh…yes,” Mike replied and Henry smiled.
“Good I need to talk to him, is he home?” Henry stood up and drank his drink in one swallow.
“Hmm…do you think that’s a good idea? You two have had your differences and I am pretty sure he hasn’t forgiven you for punching him.”
Henry smiled, he and Matthew haven’t seen eye to eye in a long time; but he did believe in the revolution. Matt hated the way the Blacks treated everyone including their army. “I need him to protect Jamie, and if I know Matt he will want to protect her.” Henry stood up and stretched before taking his glass to the kitchen and rinsing it out.
“He’s home, come over.”
Henry hung up, slid the phone into his back pocket and left.
Chapter Ten
Beautiful and Dysfunctional
Jamie smiled at her best friend as she walked into Cynthia’s bedroom. There were many nights when Jamie would come down here after she’d had a bad dream, or when she felt lonely. She and Emily would come down here and have “girl time” with Cynthia.
“Oh…my…gosh!” Emily said and covered her mouth with her hands.
“Em, I’m alive that is all that matters.” Jamie sat up a little and winced in pain.
Emily shook her head. “On the news it said that a young girl was badly injured in a bombing at the Moore Mansion, I knew it was you and I called. Your father told me what happened and that Doctor Martin was fixing you.”
Jamie saw tears in her hazel eyes and she opened her arms for her best friend. Emily ran to her and wrapped her arms around Jamie. She hissed because the pain from her back became too strong. “Not so tight, I did get blown up today,” Jamie said and Emily moved away from her; she glared at Jamie.
“You know I don’t think you are funny.”
Jamie heard the anger in her best friend’s voice so she bit her bottom lip to hold back her laughter. She loved when Emily got mad because it didn’t happen a lot. “It was a little funny, but I can’t be held that tight right now,” Jamie said and chuckled. She loved Van>o ecause the girl with everything she had. In school it was always them against the world.
“Fine,” Emily said and arched a dark eyebrow at her. “So am I sneaking you out of his prison?”
Jamie laughed and groaned. She loved that Emily knew her so well. “Hell yes! Help me get dressed.”
Getting Jamie dressed took them fifteen minutes, and she had to bite her lip many times because the pain was getting to be a little too much.
Emily opened the bedroom door and Cynthia was standing there. “Where do you two think you’re going?” she asked and Jamie smiled.
“Do you really want to know?” Jamie asked and leaned on her friend for more support.
Cynthia sighed and shook her head. “No. I know where you are going, but I want you to take another pain killer.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pill bottle, handing it to Jamie. “I think you should take one now so you aren’t in pain,” she said and Jamie looked down at the bottle in her hands.
She opened the top and took out one tiny white pill. She put it in her mouth and swallowed it down. Jamie smiled at her. “Thank you for taking care of me.” Something flashed on Cynthia’s face.
“You two should leave now while the guard is changing.”
Jamie nodded. She and Emily slowly mounted the stairs and she groaned with the pain she felt everywhere in her body. She glanced up the stairs still waiting to be climbed in front of her. It wasn’t going to be fun getting up them.
“Crap, Jamie are you sure you want to go?” Emily said and Jamie looked at her.
If Henry wanted to break up with her, he would have to do it to her face, but she wanted one more night of sleeping in his arms. “Yes, I still want to go, just let me lean on you and the railing.” Jamie took a deep breath and she heard Emily mumble something. She reached out for the railing and Emily put her arm around her back and slowly they started up the rest of the stairs.
* * *
Henry entered the main house and walked toward the voices. He knew one of them was Mike. He strode into the large living room. Dark, rich, cherry wood filled his vision. It was his second home, and he would always be grateful for what the Rich family had done for him and his mother. When he walked in the room, everyone stopped talking and looked at him. He knew he still had Jamie’s blood on him. He just hadn’t had time to change yet.
“Oh my god,” his mother said and he looked at her, her hands were covering her mouth, and he shook his head.
“Mom,
it’s not my blood,” he said and smiled at her to reassure her that he was okay, but he wasn’t. He still didn’t know who had tried to blow up Jamie.< [ow od,/font>
His mother was beautiful with her rich brown hair dark blue eyes. “So it’s true? You are in love with a Moore?” she asked and arched an eyebrow at him.
It would seem that his best friend had told everyone about Jamie. “Yes,” he said and his mother shook her head and narrowed her eyes at him. He was used to her giving him that look.
“Are you crazy or stupid?” she asked and he heard laughter.
Henry glanced around and finally noticed Matthew leaning against the wall to Henry’s right. He had his arms crossed against his chest and his once long ash blonde hair was now shaved. “Ms. Roarke, I believe he must be a little of both to be with Jamie Moore. I know people who went to school with her, and they say she is a daddy’s girl. Do you really think she will keep you from her father?” Matthew asked sardonically. “There’s a hit out for the leader of the revolution and reward,” Matthew said as he grinned at Henry.
He knew about the hit, but he also knew that Jamie would never turn him in.
“Henry! You need to end things with her now, before it’s too late,” his mother said approaching him and holding his face in her roughened hands. “I don’t know what I would do if you were killed.”
Henry smiled at her. He knew he was all she had. He wanted to change the world for the better because she had given him the hope, but he didn’t know if he could give up Jamie for good. She’d said she loved him, granted she was drugged up, but she’d still said it and he felt his own heart open up for her. “I don’t know if I can end things.”
His mother slowly brought her teary dark blue eyes up to his, and it broke his heart. “Then she will be the death of you, my son,” she said and looked past him. She removed her hands from his face.
“I-I won’t allow that.” Jamie’s voice filled his ears, he turned around and his eyes widened. She was wearing a long sleeve white shirt and dark jeans, but her face almost matched the whiteness of her shirt. He watched her take a couple of deep breaths. “I will give up my own life before that happened.”
“That’s Jamie Moore? If so, I will guard her body any day,” Matthew said, and Henry wanted to punch him in his pretty face.
Jamie looked at Matt, and then turned her gray-green eyes to him. “What the hell is he talking about?” She narrowed her eyes, and he realized that she was leaning heavily on Emily to hold her up. He focused on her chest, and noticed that her breathing was fast.
Henry went to her. He needed to get her to a bed to lie down. “Jamie why are you here? You should be resting and having Mrs. Hudson taking care of your pain.” He stopped in front of her and she closed her eyes. He quickly glanced at Emily and she shrugged.
“I took a pain pill before I left. It just hasn’t kicked in yet. [ick="2em”
Henry swept her up into his arms. He wanted to be alone with her, and she looked like she was in a lot of pain. He held his Jamie cradled in his arms as he strode out of the large living room, away from everyone. She felt so small and fragile in his arms. He left the main house and heard footsteps behind him, but he didn’t stop. He shoved open the door to his little house and moved toward his bedroom. Truth was, he was happy she was there. He desired to be with her, and wanted her to fall asleep in his arms again.
Gently, Henry laid Jamie on his bed, and she opened her eyes. “We need to talk,” she said and he knew she was right. They needed to talk about a lot of things.
“Sweetheart, I told you earlier we talked about what needed to be talked about. Right now all I care about is you getting better.” He sat next to her on the bed and took her hand in his. He glanced down at their intertwined fingers and smiled.
“Henry I don’t want to be the reason you are put to death, maybe we shouldn’t do this,” she said and he tore his gaze from their hands to her face. She had her eyes firmly closed.
He gently ran his fingertips down her face and cupped her cheek. “Jamie I want you, and I don’t care what happens to me as long as I have you.”
Slowly she opened her teary eyes. “I couldn’t live with myself knowing I was the reason for whatever happened to you.”
Henry smiled and leaned down until his forehead was on hers. He knew he would gladly die for her. “Marry me,” he whispered as he stared deeply into her wide eyes.
Jamie blinked rapidly. “W-what?” she stuttered. He didn’t mean to ask her that, at least not like that. He knew that his time was limited and he wanted every second to be with Jamie.
Henry got up and walked toward his dresser. He reached in his top drawer, grabbing something his mother had given him a few years ago. She’d told him when he found the one, to give her the ring. He knew that Jamie deserved the largest diamond in the world, not the petite gold band he held in the box, but it was all he had. He turned to stare at her and she was now sitting up in the bed. He took a deep breath and moved toward her. He dropped to one knee in front of her, and opened the black velvet box.
* * *
Jamie felt her heart race at the sight of Henry on one knee in front of her. She’d never seen it coming. She’d thought he was going to break up with her, not ask her to marry him. She looked away from him to the ring in his hand. It was a little yellow gold band.
“Please say something, sweetheart,” he said.
She gazed at his handsome and anxious face. She loved him, but wondered if it was enough. She knew her father would hurt him, maybe kill him just for being with her, but if they were married…could he really kill his son-in-law?
"2em">Looking into his eyes she knew her answer. She wanted to be with him no matter what. “Yes,” she said and nodded her head.
His eyes lit up and he took the ring out of the box. She lifted her left hand and spread her fingers for him. The cool metal of the ring slid gently onto her ring finger. “You know this isn’t going to be easy,” he said and lean his forehead against hers, and smiled down at her.
She felt her heart flutter at the thought of calling him her husband, she knew that their relationship wouldn’t be easy and the wedding would have to be a secret but she didn’t care as long as she had Henry. Jamie felt her eyes burn from her unshed tears, she had never been that happy in her entire life. “Henry what we have is beautiful and dysfunctional, but it’s ours. I wouldn’t change it for anything,” she said and smiled at him.
He chuckled. “You are beautiful and I am dysfunctional.” Henry winked at her and she giggled. Which made her back hurt and she hissed. “Sweetheart, rest. We will talk in the morning.”
Jamie grinned and watched her fiancé as he undressed to his black boxers, she felt her cheeks heat up. Her eyes leisurely roamed over his perfectly sculpted body, from his broad shoulders to his muscular calves. Her mouth went dry. Dark hair dusted his chest and down past his drool worthy abdomen and disappeared into his boxers. Jamie felt the mattress move as he got into the bed. He gently pulled up the covers, rested his elbow on his pillow and his head on his knuckles. She couldn’t get over how gorgeous he was with his brilliant light blue and navy specked eyes. His long dark eyelashes framed his striking eyes, and when he smiled at her, it nearly stopped her heart.
“You need to sleep, I can see that you are fighting to stay awake,” he said as he softly ran his fingers down the side of her face. She closed her eyes and sleep took her over fast.
* * *
Henry watched Jamie drift off to sleep, and he couldn’t help the grinned that spread on his face. He couldn’t believe she’d said yes. He’d never thought he would get married. His mother had given him her wedding ring a few years earlier and told him when he found the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with to give it to her. It had been passed down from his grandmother, and now it rested on Jamie’s delicate ring finger. The girl lying next to him had come to mean the world to him in a short amount time.
He slowly got out of the bed, careful not to di
sturb her, and walked soundlessly out of the room. He went into the living room and found his mother and Cameo sitting on the couch. He’d had a feeling they would want to talk about Jamie.
Kerri, his mother, stood up. He could tell that she wasn’t happy with him and he understood why. He knew that being with the girl he loved was dangerous, but he didn’t care. “Henry we need to talk,” she said taking a step toward him.
He nodded. He needed to tell them about their engagement, and he hoped they would help him. “Fine, but we [Fi"> careful need to keep it down, she is in a lot of pain,” he said and his mother looked at him questionably.
“I stand by what I said earlier. I don’t think you and she are a good idea. She will be your death.”
Henry didn’t miss the sadness in his mother’s voice.
Cameo stood and joined his mother. “Henry, I agree with your mother. I know William personally and he will kill you. His daughter is all he has left of Becca, and he will make sure she is with someone he deems suitable for her. You aren’t what he wants for her.”
Henry shrugged. He knew that he wasn’t what her father had envisioned for his only daughter, but he was completely in love with Jamie. “I know what he has envisioned for Jamie, and I know that I’m not even closed to it, but we love each other. I will fight for her or die trying. She is the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with. You two should know that I asked her to marry me and she said yes.”
“What!” both women exclaimed in unison, and his mother’s face started to turn bright red.
Henry reached down to take each of their hands in his. “I’ve never wanted anyone else like I want her. I know it’s crazy that we have only known each other for a short time, but I have been told my heart would know what it wanted when I saw her, and it’s Jamie that I want. Please support me, support us and help us with this. I need you two now, more than ever,” he said taking a deep breath and holding it in as he waited for their reply. He’d known it wouldn’t be easy telling his mother what he wanted. She was against the Moore’s and had been ever since he could remember. The Rich family were the only Blacks she loved and he used to feel the same, until Jamie walked into his club.
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