His senses finally came to him as focused his eyes on Kevin lying on the floor, blood pouring from his face. He was mumbling, groaning, and demanding the police get off him. Except his demands came more out as a murmur, his face too bloodied and bruised to speak very well. They paid him no attention as they cuffed him behind his back and carried him out of the room.
Austin turned around expecting to see Sophie, but the room stood empty except for him and Zane.
"Sophie? Where is she? You said she was okay," Austin said, whipping his head around the room as his panic started to well up inside.
Zane let Austin go. "She's in the hallway. The chief pulled her out when we couldn't get you off him right away. Be calm. She's okay now. She's fine. He can't hurt her."
"The chief's here?" Austin asked, surprised.
"When Ava calls something in, the whole damn department drops what they are doing and responds. Come on now, Austin. Haven't you figured that out yet?" Zane said with a laugh as he put a calming hand on Austin's shoulder. "Come on. Sophie needs you. She's pretty banged up."
Austin nodded and walked into the hallway where Sophie sat on the floor, the chief sitting right next to her. Sophie looked up when she noticed him. "Austin."
He dropped to his knees and gently pulled her into his arms. "Oh, God, Sophie. Please tell me you're alright. He didn't hurt you too bad, I hope."
***
"I'm okay. I'm okay," she said, hugging him back even as the pain radiated throughout her body.
"I'll go see when that ambulance is going to get here. Help me do that, Zane," Chief Tanner said, getting up and winking at Sophie when she glanced at him.
Austin gently let her go and rested against the wall next to her. He grabbed her hand, pulling it onto his lap. "I'm sorry, Sophie."
"For what?"
"For everything. For lying, even if they were little lies. For breaking your trust. For letting you get hurt. For not being here when that bastard came. For not...no, I can't be sorry for that actually. I'm not sorry for beating him. I just wish I got a few more punches in. I'm sorry for everything else, though," Austin said, pulling her hand to his mouth, lightly kissing it. He turned his head towards her to see a small smile light up her face.
"You're smiling. I love your smile. Don't ever stop," Austin whispered, kissing her hand again.
"My sexy beast," she said.
"Yes, I am," he chuckled.
"Maybe I overreacted about what you did. You've never done anything to hurt me. I should have known that."
"Sophie, I was wrong and—"
"No, let me finish." Sophie inhaled softly, pulled his hand closer to her lap and traced his knuckles that were bleeding. "You know when I first saw this house and its horrible curbside appeal, I thought of bloody knuckles. Who thinks of something like that? Most people would see red peeling paint, but no, I saw bloody knuckles."
"My life has been one bloody knuckle after another. That's as plain as I can put it. My mother always taught me lying was bad. Yet, she lied all the time. To my teachers...the police...me. I could never figure out why. Why did she cry when my real father walked out? Why did she put up with the abuse from my stepfather? Why would she lie that it didn't hurt? I love my mother. She was the only bright spot in my life. She tried her hardest to make my life good and happy despite all the beatings, the rage, the sadness, the loneliness."
Sophie paused, trying to find the right words as she continued to trace his knuckles, his blood smearing with hers.
"I saw the terror in your eyes when you walked into the room and I knew I had to be brave. Not for me, but for you. I get it now. I know why my mom lied, to me at least. She told me so many times it didn't hurt. That she felt no pain. Oh, she felt it. How can you not feel a fist pounding into your face or a foot jamming into your stomach? She lied to make me feel better. I guess that's what you do sometimes when you love someone. I said it didn't hurt in the room, but it kinda does," Sophie said, glancing at his face, his eyes boring into her with a tenderness she never saw before.
"I knew you were lying when you said that. I could feel every ounce of pain you endured. That's how much I love you. I will never ever lie again. Please let me back in. I need to make you forget. You said I could. You told Kevin I would," Austin said, a slight pleading look in his eyes as if she would deny him still.
"The minute you walked into the room, I forgot. I can't sleep in that room again. I need to move to the other empty room...with you," Sophie replied.
"Best dam—nuzeling thing I heard all day," Austin said with his natural goofy grin.
"Still trying not to swear for me. That's why I love you. I truly do, Austin." Sophie laid her head on his shoulder and sighed in contentment.
"I love you, too, my beautiful pixie angel." Austin kissed the top of her head.
"He broke my angel. He saw it when he pulled me in the room and immediately picked it up, slamming it against the wall," she whispered.
Austin linked his fingers through hers to stop her from tracing his knuckles and lightly squeezed. "I saw it lying there. It may be broken, but my angel sitting right by my side, holding my hand, resting her beautiful head on me, is not broken. You may have looked upon that angel for guidance and courage, but it's always been inside of you, Sophie. You are your own angel. You're my angel. He bruised you, but he did not break you. He never did. Do you hear me?"
She squeezed his hand back. "I do. Thank you, Austin. What would I do without you?"
"That's a very good question. What would you do without this irresistible, charming, handsome fellow holding your hand, counting his blessings for ever getting the chance to meet you, to love you? The real question is...what would I do without you?"
"Hmm, I guess that means you can't leave me," Sophie said softly.
"I never plan to, Sophie. Never," Austin whispered, placing another soft kiss on her head, glancing over to the stairs when he heard footsteps coming up.
"Oh, shit, Sophie, are you alright? I knew I should've never left. I just knew it," Deja said, grimacing in pain when she saw Sophie's face, the bruises, and the blood splattered everywhere. "Oh, damn. Look at you."
"I'm okay, Deja. Really, it's nothing. Nothing that a little forgetting from Austin won't cure," Sophie whispered, not lifting her head from Austin's shoulder, suddenly the effort too much.
"Is that ambulance here, do you know, Deja?" Austin asked as Sophie's breathing became a little more ragged.
"Just pulled up, I think. Did you beat the shit out of him, Austin? Tell me you did. Otherwise, I'm not above breaking and entering a jail to do it myself," Deja said, no joking tone entering her voice.
"For my piece of mind, probably not. For the police, must've been enough to be considered self-defense since they didn't arrest me. To be honest, I don't really know. They had to pull me off. I'd still be beating him if I could," Austin said, kissing the top of Sophie's head again. "I'd do anything for my Sophie."
Chapter 14
"Look, I do remember saying that. I remember telling you that I'd do anything for you, Sophie. Because I love you." Austin grabbed a kiss before she could argue with him.
"But I'm not yelling at a two-hundred pound, mean looking, official toting ump...to take the big long stick stuck up his rump, as you so elegantly put it..." Austin raised an eyebrow at her previous words. "And how did you finish that? Oh yeah. And to shove that stick farther up his rump for making the idiotic calls he's making on the balls that should be strikes. It ain't happening, my beautiful pixie angel."
Austin grabbed another kiss before she could respond. "Now, stop hollering at the ump yourself and just enjoy the game. Please?"
"It isn't right. We're down two runs because of him. You won't let me yell at him anymore, the least you can do is yell at him for me," Sophie said, smiling a bright smile at him. The ones he really loved.
"Stop smiling at me like that."
"Why? Is it working?"
"No. I love your smiles, but I will not be black
mailed with one. I don't wanna get kicked out of the stadium. I'd rather watch the Twins come back and win inside the stadium, not stuck outside of it," Austin said firmly.
"Twins are not gonna win. And the ump seems fine to me," Ava added into their conversation.
"That's because your Yankees are up by two runs," Sophie said, pointing at the scoreboard.
"You can always venture over to the land of wonderful Yankees fans. I am outnumbered here," Ava offered.
"No!" yelled all three men.
Sophie glanced at Austin, Zane, and Emmett, chuckling. "I have to agree with the very outspoken objection to that. I will remain a Twins fan."
"Worth a try. You're all gonna walk out of here losers," Ava said, cheering as the Yankees got a base hit.
"Can you both just calm down, please? I don't want any of us to get kicked out. That ump has made several quick glances back at us and it makes me nervous every time. Sophie's been louder than I expected and you haven't exactly been quiet yourself, sweetheart," Zane said, giving Ava a pointed look at her frequent outbursts to the field for one annoyance or another, according to her.
"Sophie has a good point. He does have a very bad strike zone. What was that fielding incident in the fourth? Easy double play, but nooooo, he had to take his sweet time throwing to first. You wouldn't have your one measly run if the second baseman would've done his job correctly," Ava said with a critical look on her face.
"Whose crazy idea was it to bring you to a baseball game?" Zane asked.
"Emmett's," Austin and Sophie said in unison.
Emmett picked his beer up, took a long swig, and shrugged. "I'm having fun. I'm pretending I'm not with any of you. You all get kicked out, I won't be tagging along."
"You will be when I grab your hand, dragging you up the damn stairs," Zane said.
Sophie cleared her throat. Zane glanced at her and rolled his eyes. "I refuse to say that word."
"Then don't swear at all. It's not good for you," Sophie said. She suddenly sat straighter in her seat, her eyes bulging at the insane call the pitch just thrown was a ball and started to open her mouth. Austin reached her first as he mingled his tongue with hers, taking the opportunity of her open mouth to plunge in and devour her. He felt her hands on his shirt as she pulled him closer, moaning a bit. Goal accomplished. He pulled away from her tangoing tongue, bit her bottom lip, and smiled at her satisfied look.
"When you get the crazy urge to yell at the ump, kiss me instead. You'll feel much better, I promise. I know I feel better," Austin said, taking her hands from his shirt, kissing each one lightly before letting her go.
"It's only the sixth. I might be kissing you a lot because he doesn't know a strike from a ball," Sophie replied.
"I like your kisses. I can handle that punishment for every bad pitch my beautiful pixie angel thinks is being thrown," Austin said, grinning.
Sophie sat back, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not thinking anything, I know. We're sitting directly behind home plate. We see what he sees. He should be calling half those pitches strikes." She yelled the last bit a little louder just for the umps ears.
Austin kissed the corner of her mouth. "Quit hollering at him. Remember, kiss me instead."
"We should've brought Deja with. She would tamper both of you down in no time," Zane muttered.
"Well, since Emmett's the worst boss in history, can't keep a clean office, and runs her rampant with work 24/7, she couldn't," Ava said, glancing at Emmett.
"Hey, don't make me the bad guy. She was still on probationary status with whether we trusted her or not when Austin bought these tickets. We tried looking to see if there was a seat available next to us and there wasn't. I don't over work her. She just started working for me two days ago. Two. Days. Ago. Why she didn't agree right away when I offered, I have no idea." He muttered the last part to himself.
"Don't try to understand women, Emmett. You'll hurt your brain," Zane said, grabbing his arm when Ava pinched him. "It doesn't mean I don't love you, sweetheart."
"Yeah, well, I told her she didn't have to work today because it is the weekend, but she refused. I know my office is a little messy and unorganized. I think she over-exaggerated a little on the extent of it," Emmett said dryly.
"She did not. I stopped by yesterday and she did not over-exaggerate. It's horrible. You have no filing sense whatsoever," Sophie said.
"And I hired the right lady to organize it. I have no doubt she'll have that office whipped into shape in no time," Emmett said with a smile.
"Not the only thing she'll have whipped," Austin muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Emmett asked.
Austin shook his head in confusion. "I didn't say anything."
"I thought you did." Emmett gave him a funny look and then shrugged. He leaned back in his chair, clapping his hands as the Twins got the third out. "Let's get some runs in the bottom of the sixth. We can do this."
"Don't tease him. He's sensitive," Sophie whispered to Austin.
"I didn't say anything." Austin looked at Sophie and saw her penetrating eyes bore into him, knowing he did say something. "You baby him too much. She will, you know, whip him good."
Sophie shook her head, smiling as she did. "Whip him into a good filer or—something more naughty like?"
Austin grinned and leaned in close to her mouth. "I have no idea. Maybe both. He likes her. He's just too scared to admit it. I can't figure her out. Quit babying him. Baby me."
Sophie kissed him. "You pout just like him."
Austin leaned back into his chair and felt his pocket when he heard Ava say, "Oh, the kiss cam. I love this part. Pick me, pick me."
"Please don't, please don't," Zane muttered.
Emmett chuckled with Sophie while Austin sat still, the nerves suddenly rampant through his body. He blew out a small breath when he heard Ava say excitedly, "Oooo, Sophie, they picked you. Look! Look!"
Sophie looked up at the big screen, her eyes wide with surprise as her mouth dropped in disbelief.
"Sophie, my beautiful pixie angel, will you marry me? It's kinda fast, it's been kinda hectic, but I can't imagine myself with anyone but you," Austin said, his voice cracking in a few spots as his nerves took over. He had knelt down on one knee, his hand holding hers tightly, and the other lightly shaking, holding a beautiful diamond ring.
When she didn't respond, but continued to look at him with glazed shocked eyes, he grabbed her hand tighter. "Sophie, will you marry me?" repeating the same words plastered on the billboard.
"Austin...really?" she asked shocked.
"Umm, yeah. Why are you so surprised?" Austin asked as his hand holding the diamond ring started to shake a little more.
"I don't know. We're in public," she said, leaning closer to whisper the last part.
"I know," he whispered back. "The whole stadium is watching, the players on the field are watching, even the nasty ump you've been hollering at is waiting for you to put me out of my misery."
He watched her slyly glance at the field, seeing the game waiting on her. When he knew he had her full attention again, he said, "I love you, Sophie. Nothing is ever going to change that. I would do anything for you, including, yelling at the ump when we're done here. If you're gonna get kicked out, then I'm getting kicked out with you. I never thought of myself falling in love or getting married until I met you. Now everyone else knows it, too. Will you, pretty please, marry me?" he asked again with his usual goofy grin.
Sophie smiled wide and glanced at the ump. "Start calling the game right, Ump! An engaged woman is going to be far worse than I was before."
"Yes, Austin," she said quickly right before she grabbed his shaky hand and kissed his sweet mouth.
Austin squeezed her hand tightly as he kissed her back, their tongues meeting each other in a desired frenzy. Austin heard the ump holler, "play ball," the crowd cheering, and congratulations from his family that surrounded him. The only sound that truly mattered to him was his Sophie's sweet,
beautiful moans as he kissed her senseless in front of everyone.
***
Thanks for reading my book and I hope you enjoyed it. I would love to hear your feedback. Please leave a review at your favorite retailer.
Thanks!
Amanda Siegrist
For the complete story of Zane & Ava check out
Protecting You
A McCord Family Novel
Ava Rainer is on the top of her game. Good life, good job, great friends—especially Detective Jimmy McCord. Not everyone appreciates their friendship, particularly Jimmy's brother Zane. He thinks she's there to tear his family apart, insisting Jimmy's meant to be home in Minnesota, not in New York. She met him once with no desire to meet again. She would do anything for Jimmy. She sadly found out he would do anything for her.
Tragedy strikes, leaving Ava under the depths of despair, struggling to climb her way out. Wishing that Jimmy were there to help her out of her turmoil, she finds herself face-to-face again with Zane in Minnesota. His anger towards her is worse than the last time. She doesn't blame him since he has every right to hate her.
But as the days go by, surprisingly, his attitude starts to change towards her. She discovers the only comfort to her pain comes from him, creating a connection so deep it frightens her. The way her body yearns for his is so wrong, yet feels so right. She can't seem to resist him as her heart begins to heal. Only problem is, he'll never step foot in New York. That's her home. If only she can forgive herself and create a new home, specifically with Zane, if he'll have her.
For an exciting adventure check out
Escaping Memories
A Lucky Town Novel
Sheriff Logan Caldwell just wants to keep his beloved county safe, yet feels like he fails when a father kills his own daughter. Open and close case. Nothing more for him to do but start his vacation like he originally planned before that tragedy swallowed him whole. He never imagined the day would get worse when he finds a woman in his cabin. She's dirty and bruised with blood all over her body.
Trust In Love (A McCord Family Novel Book 2) Page 23