by Amy Brent
I wanted to hear that it wasn’t Thomas.
“I just followed you,” he said.
“What?” I asked.
“From the club that night,” he said.
“You followed me from the club?” I asked.
“Yeah. It’s how—”
“It’s how you found out where she lived?” Thomas asked.
The man nodded, and that was when I realized the grave error I had made. The secret the note was discussing wasn’t my identity, but simply where I lived. This piece of trash had made my life a living hell over a refused dance, and the entire time, I accused Thomas of blabbing my identity to someone when really, someone just fucking figured out where the hell I lived.
The sirens in the distance got closer and closer, and Thomas took my arm and escorted me over to the car.
“Get in and stay there,” he said. “I’m gonna talk to these guys real quick. Then we’re gonna get the hell out of here for a while.”
“Good,” I said. “Because I don’t feel safe here anymore.”
I ducked into the car just as police cruisers wound around my car. The bleeding man lying on the ground was yanked up by a police officer and cuffed right in front of me while Thomas gave his account of what happened. Then, they looked over at the car and pointed. I was so scared I was going to have to talk to one of them, scared I was going to have to open myself up to yet another person, but the police officer bypassed my car and went back to his without a second glance.
I watched them silently load the bleeding man from the club into the police cruiser after a medic looked his face over. Then everyone began to pull out while Thomas made his way back to the car.
“You all right?” he asked.
“No,” I said. “I don’t feel safe here. I don’t want to go inside. Just get me to a hotel, and I’ll be okay for the night. There’s a nice one nearby.”
“You’ll come home with me,” Thomas said.
“What?” I asked.
The door opened, and Thomas sat down beside me before he looked at Bernie and rattled off his home address.
“We gotta go get Lacey at my parents’ place, but you’re gonna come be with us for a bit. Just until you feel safe again. I can watch over you, Lacey will be ecstatic to see you, and you’ll still be in familiar territory.”
“I’ve never been to your parents’ though,” I said.
“I meant when we get back to my place,” he said. “It’ll just be a quick stop off to get Lacey.”
“I take it I don’t have a choice?” I asked.
He looked over at me before his hand slid over to my leg. His fingers spread out, encapsulating the whole of my thigh, while his eyes bored into mine. His touch was hot, and his eyes were stern, and I knew the second I caught his gaze that I didn’t have any choice in the matter.
He was taking me back to his home, whether I felt like I could be there or not.
“A man figured out where you lived by following you home and came back with a baseball bat,” he said. “I’m not letting you out of my sight until I know he’s behind bars and that you’re safe.”
And all I could do was lean my body into his as he pulled me close.
“Bernie, you can go ahead,” Thomas said.
“On it, sir.”
Chapter 30
Thomas
“Wait, don’t I get to grab a few things?”
I looked down at Bridget as Bernie stopped the car halfway down the driveway, and the moment Bridget recommended going into the house, everything in my body bristled.
“I want to clear it first before you go in, all right?” I asked.
“Whatever you have to do,” she said. “But I’ll need clothes and my toiletries.”
Bernie headed back up to the house and parked over the massive puddle of blood in her driveway. I got out of the car and told her to stay put. Then I unlocked the house and cleared both levels of her home. I knew, deep down, she was safe, but I couldn’t leave her here for the night. I had to have her beside me, just for a few days, until I knew no other threats would approach her house after this one. Who the hell knew? For all we knew, he told people where Bridget lived, and a swarm of people would descend without us knowing about it.
I wasn’t subjecting Bridget to anything else, and I knew I could do that if she was with me.
“All clear!” I called out.
I followed Bridget around while she gathered a few things. She threw in some outfits and some shoes before she grabbed everything in her bathroom, and by the time she was packed, we were both carrying a suitcase.
“You staying for the month?” I asked.
“You want me to be pretty while I’m around?”
“You’re pretty no matter what you do,” I said.
“Aw, so sweet. But a liar. Nice try.” She winked.
We loaded her trunk down before we got back into the car, then Bernie backed down the driveway again and got us on the road. Bridget told Bernie he could have the next few days off to do whatever he wanted without his pay being docked. Then, she settled silently into my body while we rode through town. We navigated toward my parents’ home to get Lacey, who was probably wondering what in the world had happened to me, while Bridget’s mind whirled at a thousand miles a second. I could tell she was thinking about a lot of things, so every once in a while I placed a small kiss on the top of her head.
Her body was still trembling slightly from the threat that had just been taken care of, and I wanted to remove the rest of her fears before Lacey got into the car.
“It’s all right,” I said. “You’re safe.”
We pulled up into my parents’ driveway, and I told Bernie to stay here. We’d need a ride back to my place before we could all use the other car I had in order to get around, and Bernie simply nodded and cut the car off.
“Their house is too cute,” Bridget said.
“Come on. Let’s go get you introduced and get Lacey picked up.”
I grabbed her hand to help her out of the car, but the moment I heard the door open, I knew what was happening. I heard little footsteps on the grass behind us before a small rush of air ran past my leg, and before anyone could take in what was happening, Lacey was attached to Bridget’s leg and bouncing up and down.
“You’re here! You’re here! You’re here!”
“Hey there, beautiful,” Bridget said. “Miss me?”
“Yeah, you miss me?” Lacey asked.
“Of course, I did,” Bridget said, smiling.
I turned and saw my parents walk out onto the porch with broad smiles on their faces. Bridget put Lacey down before my daughter grabbed her hand, and we all made our way up to the porch in order to do introductions.
“Mom. Dad. This is Bridget Meyers,” I said.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” my mother said. “I’m Sarah, and this is my husband, Brandon.”
“I’m a big fan,” my father said.
“Well, it’s wonderful to meet you both,” Bridget said.
“I don’t know much about what my son does,” my father said. “But you being brought here means something must have happened. Is everything all right?”
I side-glanced at Bridget and saw her body pull tight. The look in her eye flashed to fear for a split second, but I knew it was enough for my mother to catch what was going on. My mother reached out and took Bridget’s hand, bringing her back to reality with her soft touch, and that’s when she had one of the best ideas I’d heard in a while.
“Why don’t we all go inside and have a drink, hmm?” my mother asked.
“A drink sounds wonderful, thank you,” Bridget said.
The four of us made our way inside with Lacey bounding behind happily. She was rattling off questions and asking Bridget all sorts of things, but the moment my father bent down and started talking with her, Lacey got real quiet. Her demeanor completely changed, and she brushed past all of us to go sit on the couch, and I turned my gaze back to my father who had a small smirk on his f
ace.
“I told her the grownups needed to talk, and if she was a good girl, she could watch a movie when she got home,” my father said.
“Uh huh,” I said. “Pawn that late night movie off on me, huh?”
“Wine?” my mother asked.
“Perfect,” Bridget said.
We all sat down at my parents’ table and began to talk. Mom set out wine glasses for all of us while I slowly talked them through the night. The moment I mentioned the baseball bat, Bridget’s leg came flying over to mine underneath the table.
“He showed up with a baseball bat?” my mother asked.
“Yeah. Apparently, he followed Bridget home from a dance club she was at one night after cornering her in the bathroom.”
“Please tell me this piece of shit is behind bars,” my father said.
“He was arrested and hauled away before we headed here,” I said.
“Bridget, honey. Are you all right?”
My mother reached over and laid her hand over Bridget’s, and I watched her jump. A bit of wine spilled out from the top of her cup, and I could see tears welling in her eyes. She was petrified, reliving the story like this, and my father caught on and steered the conversation in another direction.
“Well, son,” he said. “I’m glad you were there for her. Because of you, we can now enjoy wine with one of Hollywood’s greatest beauties.”
“Oh my gosh, you’re too kind,” Bridget said, giggling.
“We’re very proud of you, son,” my mom said.
“I was lucky to have him around,” Bridget said. “I don’t even wanna think about what might’ve happened if he wasn’t.”
She swallowed hard, and everything inside of me wanted to wrap my arms around her. I was trying to keep a professional demeanor in front of my parents, but seeing her as shaken up as she was made it hard for me to keep my hands to myself. I slipped my leg up against hers and ran the tip of my shoe up and down her leg. She fluttered her gaze over to mine before a small smirk broke out on her cheeks.
“I guess I’m proud of him, too,” Bridget said. “On his first day, he was very professional. Way too professional, honestly. Now? He’s beating men in the face just to win me my honor back.”
My parents chuckled at her statement in her attempt to diffuse the situation, and it seemed to work. Her eyes locked onto my face, and I held her gaze just a tick longer than I would’ve liked, but my parents were so busy staring at the Hollywood superstar sitting at their kitchen table that I don’t think they noticed.
“Is it time to go home yet?” Lacey asked.
“Almost,” I said.
“Yes, we better let you guys go,” my mother said. “Bridget, where are you staying tonight?”
“I’m putting her up in the guest bedroom,” I said. “She doesn’t quite feel safe at her own home, and I don’t blame her. I’m still not sure the threat has been eliminated, so I want her close.”
“Sounds like a good idea, son,” my father said. “I was gonna offer our home if she didn’t have anywhere to go.”
“That’s very kind of you, Mr. Jeffries, thank you so much,” Bridget said.
“Please, it’s Brandon. And you’re welcome here anytime. Thomas here isn’t the only one good with a gun.”
“Dad’s a hunter,” I said.
“I’ll keep it in mind if I ever need a safe place to lay my head,” Bridget said, smiling.
We got up to say our goodbyes while Lacey jumped off the couch. She was dancing around Bridget’s legs while trying to tug us out the door, but the statement that flew from her mouth caught every single one of us off-guard.
“Is Bridget gonna stay in my room again?” she asked.
My parents stopped and stared at us as Bridget threw me a cautious look, but when a smile broke out on my mother’s face, I heard a sigh of relief peel from Bridget’s lips.
“Looks like this has happened more than once,” my mother said.
“Should I be asking you what your intentions are with my son?” my father asked playfully.
“Yes, you guys,” I said. “She’s been over a couple times already. This isn’t the only fear we’ve encountered, so it isn’t the first time my house has been a safe haven.”
“Well, if you ever need another place to stay and feel safe, our doors are always open,” my father said. “I can’t imagine how hard this type of lifestyle must be for you, and as long as we can keep you safe, we will.”
The smile that broke out across Bridget’s face was one I’ll never forget. Her eyes sparkled with tears of joy while she picked Lacey up in her arms. The knowing look my mother was giving the entire situation told me she read more into it than my father had in that very moment. I caught her eye while she silently communicated everything a son would need to know from his mother in a situation like this, and the only thing she did before she pried her gaze from mine was she nodded.
Like she was giving her approval on a woman I hadn’t realized I’d chosen just yet.
“But really, Miss Bridget, will you stay with me again?” Lacey asked.
“How about we do another sleepover when it’s not a school night,” Bridget said. “Like tomorrow night?”
“You’re staying for more than one night?” Lacey asked.
“If that’s all right with you,” Bridget said.
“Yes!” Lacey exclaimed. “Sleepover tomorrow night!”
“Come on, booger,” I said. “Let’s get you home.”
I took Lacey from Bridget’s arms, and we all said our goodbyes. Then we climbed into the back of Bridget’s car and headed back. Lacey kept snuggling up to Bridget while trying to scramble out of my arms, and all Bridget did was open herself to my daughter while she scrambled to her side. I wrapped my arm around Bridget while I wrapped mine around hers, and the only thing I could think was how natural this felt. Holding Bridget while she held my daughter just felt like something that was supposed to happen, and I could see the smirk on Bernie’s face just as he began to pull into our driveway.
“Home, sweet home,” Bernie said.
“Thanks so much, man,” I said. “Enjoy your few days off.”
“Really, Bernie,” Bridget said. “Thank you. For everything you did today.”
“You guys just stay safe, all right?” Bernie said. “Let me know when you wanna be picked up, Miss Bridget.”
“I will. I promise.”
The three of us got out of the car, unloaded the trunk, and made our way into the house. Lacey bounced behind us while we got Bridget settled into the guest bedroom, but I could see her eyes lingering down the hallway towards mine. I had a feeling I’d end up feeling her body snake under the covers beside me sometime tonight, and my cock throbbed at the idea of holding her close again.
I’d missed her, all of her, more than I’d previously realized.
“Can Bridget tuck me in?” Lacey asked.
“How about we both tuck you in?” Bridget asked.
“Will you read me a story?” Lacey asked.
“As many times as you want,” Bridget said, grinning.
Lacey got herself ready for bed and picked out a book before she jumped into her bed. Her blonde curls bounced around her face while Bridget and I sat on the corner of her bed, and we each had to read the book once before Lacey finally fell asleep. Her light snores filled the room just as I was wrapping up the last page, and I couldn’t help but stare at Bridget while she stared down at Lacey.
“I wish I could do that,” she said, whispering.
“Do what?” I asked.
“Sleep like I slept when I was a child.”
I reached my hand out for hers and wound it tightly around her fingers. The look in her eye was one of fear, but now the fear was no longer for herself. It was as if she saw herself as a threat to anyone she was around, but I abated her fears before she could try to tell me what was going on.
“You’re safe here, and Lacey isn’t in trouble because of you. So, stop that swirling mind and come here.�
�
I tugged her from the bed and shut Lacey’s door behind us. I held Bridget’s hand tight while we wound our way to her bedroom for the night, and we sat on the edge of it while my hand continued to hold hers.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t there today,” she said.
“Don’t even consider it,” I said. “You’re safe here, and nothing like that happened tonight.”
“But what if it had? What if you hadn’t been there? He would’ve just pummeled his way into my home. And I can’t defend myself against a man swinging a bat, Thomas. I don’t know what would have happened.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and I pulled her instantly into my body. Sobs drenched my chest while her body quivered within my grasp, and I had to swallow back tears of my own just so I could be strong for her in this very moment. This moment that required her to be vulnerable in order for her to cope with everything that had transpired.
But I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about what could have happened, too.
“You’re safe here,” I said. “I promise.”