by LeAnn Ashers
Once he’s done devouring her mouth, he pulls away and returns to the baby. Jessica stares into space in shock.
“Chase, here are some more swaddling blankets and clothes.” I pick up the diaper bag and set it at the foot of the bed so he can reach whatever he needs.
“Here is your bag, Jessica.” I motion to her bag and then hand her the boppy pillow.
“Oh, I see the boppy!” She reaches her hand out for it. I hand it to her. She wraps it around her belly gently.
Chase lifts Hunter out of the little bed. He’s wearing a onesie that says ‘Daddy’s boy’ on the back. Oh God, this is great. Turning my head, I silently laugh.
“Where did you get that?” she shrills again.
“I have my ways.”
He hands her Hunter, who is getting fussy. Jessica lays him on top of the boppy with one arm wrapped around him. She reaches inside of her hospital gown and whips out her tit. Hunter latches on.
I take out one of the blankets in the diaper bag and hold it toward Chase. He doesn’t take it. He’s staring at Jessica’s tit like the guy he is. Her tit is larger than normal because it’s heavy with milk. I roll my eyes then I cover Hunter up myself so he doesn’t get cold.
“Braelyn?” Someone calls from the door. Chase moves so he is standing in front of Jessica, making sure no one can see her breast-feeding.
Isaac is standing at the door. “Yeah?”
“Want to come see Emily for a bit?”
I nod. “Sure.” I look back at Jessica and Chase. “I will be back later.”
Isaac walks me to the second floor to Emily. I stop him just before he is about to enter the room. “How is she doing?”
He sighs and looks inside the room. “She’s doing a lot better. She’s still scared, but I think she will be okay. She has nightmares about the whippings and the man who did it to her.”
“Where is she going to go? The center?”
His expression turns thunderous. “Fuck no, she’s coming home with me.”
“Okay. Just asking.” I walk inside the room. Emily is sitting up without her back touching the back of the bed.
She smiles slightly when she’s sees me come into the room. I return her smile and sit down in the chair by the bed. “How are you feeling, honey?”
“Okay. They got me doped up. Once I move though, my skin tightens and tears at my back.” She grimaces as she turns to the side to look at me a little more. Isaac grips her small hips and lifts her off the bed without jostling her so she can look at me better.
“Where are you from, honey?” I can’t help but ask. I’m surprised she looks and is acting so well for someone who has been through what she has been through.
“Kentucky.” That’s when I notice the light accent to her voice.
“How did you get here?” I ask next when I sense her not getting upset.
“James.” She sighs and rubs a hand over her face.
“James?”
“James was my boyfriend and Cameron’s best friend. I thought James was the ‘one’. He started to be verbally abusive, putting me down every way he could. He didn’t hit me, but he didn’t care if Cameron did. James was evil in a different way; he would put a gun to my head and taunt me. He’s crazy and I’ve been trying to get away from him for the past year. James left for the week, and that’s when Cameron took his chance to hang me up in the basement, whipping me every day, then let me back down to the ground only to hang me back up, all because I told him to fuck off. Three times a day he would stuff food in my mouth and give me water so I didn’t starve. He would even tend to my wounds. He wouldn’t let me get dressed and left me to stay naked while he made fun of how I looked.” Her eyes fill with tears. My heart breaks for her. I’m glad he didn’t do anything worse to her.
“Oh, honey, it’s all over and you’ll never be around James or Cameron again.” I reach forward and wipe away her tears. She nods and sniffs, looking so small in the bed. She is so petite and short. I want to wrap her in bubble wrap.
“Where do I go after this?” she asks, looking at me, afraid.
“With me,” Isaac answers and moves to stand beside me.
“With you?”
“With me, babe. Your ex is still out there.” Isaac smiles at her. I stare at him in awe, because this is honestly the first time I’ve ever seen him smile. Looking at Emily, I see her with a similar expression on her face.
“You sure you want me?” Her voice trembles as she wrings her hands in her lap nervously. My eyes follow her motions. She is so used to being put down. It’s hard for her to believe someone will want to help her.
“Yes, sweetheart.” He tucks her hair out of her face. It takes everything in me not to aww right then. I lift my hand to hide my smile behind it.
“Want me to bring you some clothes tomorrow?”
“Thank you.” She smiles sweetly and then winces as she shifts in the bed.
“You’re welcome, love.” I pat her hand, then Isaac helps her lie back down in bed.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Braelyn
Ethan picks me up from the hospital a couple of hours later, feeling exhausted. We stop at a diner for some quick dinner, where we agree to fall into bed for the night, even though it’s only around six in the afternoon.
I unlock the door to the house and step inside without looking. A gun cocks. I freeze. Looking up, I see my attacker standing directly beside me with a gun pointed to my head.
“About time you came home, bitch!” he yells at me as he pushes my shoulder so hard I fall and hit the stairs.
“Get the fuck up and walk your ugly ass to the living room.” He lifts me off the ground by my hair.
Crying out, I grab ahold of my hair to keep him from pulling it again. My body is shaking so hard I can barely make it halfway to the living room.
“Hey!” Ethan yells from behind us.
My attacker turns around and points his gun at Ethan. A shot goes off. I scream thinking Ethan is hit, when my attacker’s body slumps forward and lands face first on the floor. My hands fly to my mouth to stop the scream.
I look at Ethan then run to him. He lifts me off the ground in a tight hug, pressing his hand to the back of my head so I can’t look at the man who is lying a few feet away, dead. It’s all over. Oh my God, it’s all over. He is dead and will never hurt me again. I’m free.
“I’m free,” I choke out.
“It’s all over, baby.” He squeezes me a little tighter. I burst into tears, sobbing into his chest, the final weight on my shoulders melting away. Now I get to live my life with Ethan without having to look over my shoulder.
Sirens are ringing outside the house, but all I care about is being in Ethan’s arms. My forever. My always.
Epilogue
Braelyn
A year later
“I’m so proud of you baby,” Ethan says against my sweat-soaked forehead as I cuddle Xavier to my chest after hours of grueling labor.
He bends down and kisses the top of our son’s head. His little eyes open, and he stares up at his daddy. Xavier wraps his tiny fingers around Ethan’s finger as Ethan touches his little hand.
I watch as his eyes fill with tears for the second time today. The first time I ever saw him cry was when I walked down the aisle and we saw each other for the first time on our wedding day. Watching my husband with my son is the most magical thing on earth.
Ethan crawls into bed with me and wraps his arms around us both, his hand resting on the back of Xavier’s head.
“Sleep, Angel.” He tucks my hair behind my ear and lays my head against his shoulder.
Eighteen years later
“Xavier! I’m going to kill you!” I scream at the top of my lungs as I find another frog in my panty drawer. That kid will be the death of me.
I charge down the hallways and throw open his bedroom door. He is lying on his bed with his head propped up on his hands, grinning from ear to ear.
“Yes, Mommy?” he asks innocently and fl
ashes that dimple he got from his father. That little shit knows how to get out of everything.
“Don’t you ‘mommy’ me, mister.” I shake my finger at him, glaring.
“Whatever did I do?” He puckers out his bottom lip and wipes away a fake tear.
“You put a frog in my panty drawer!” I grab his pillow off the foot of the bed and hit him in the face with it.
“Ouch! MOM! Stop, I won’t do it again.” He wails like I’m killing him. I roll my eyes to the ceiling and let out a deep breath.
“Xavier, quit being a pussy!” My daughter sticks her head in the door, laughing.
Lord, give me strength. “Samantha, language!” I yell.
She walks into Xavier’s room, looking totally badass in her training gear from Kane’s center, where she trains with Arabella. Honestly, all of our kids have been trained to defend themselves, but her and Arabella can kick some major butt.
“Mom, when Dad quits cussing, I’ll stop too.” She winks and puts on a pair of Xavier’s boxing gloves then whacks him over the head.
“Come on, big boy. Let me see what you got,” she taunts and moves from side to side in a fighting stance.
“You’re going to get your ass kicked, Xavier.” Looking around, I see Chase’s son, Hunter, standing by the door. Shit, that kid is huge. He follows my daughter around like he is her personal bodyguard.
“I can’t hit a girl,” Xavier states as he puts on his gloves.
“Don’t be a pussy!” Samantha taunts him again and punches him in the arm.
Xavier jumps up and tackles her to the ground, where he starts hitting her on the shoulders and arms. Not hard at all, because he loves his little sister, even though they fight like cats and dogs.
My eyes widen when Xavier looks away at Hunter while his hand comes down, hitting Sam on the mouth. Wincing, I throw my hands over my eyes.
Samantha throws her arms over her face and starts crying. Oh shit. I turn my head slightly, waiting for Hunter’s reaction.
“You fucker!” Hunter yells and starts toward Xavier, ready to beat the shit out of my kid. Did I mention Hunter has the biggest freaking crush on my baby girl?
Xavier looks ready to piss himself as he starts to get off her when she nails him right in the balls. She faked. I have created a monster. Groaning, I walk out of the room and head to my bedroom.
Arms wrap around me once I enter the room. I squeal as Ethan lifts me off the ground and tosses me onto the bed. He slams the door closed, turns over the lock, and stalks over to the bed, looking hotter than sin in his police uniform.
“Have mercy,” I gasp out as he strips out of his clothes. I have been watching too much Full House. Damn, I’m getting old.
“Have you been a good girl today?”
“Never.” I bite my lip and pull my shirt over my head, more than ready for my man.
“Ahh, seems like my girl needs to be punished,” he growls and crawls onto the bed in between my legs.
“Please, don’t punish me, sir,” I plead with him, playing along.
“Hush.” He smacks my thigh and captures my mouth with his.
“MOMMMMMMM!” Xavier shouts at the top of his lungs.
Pulling away, I laugh and fall back onto the bed.
“That little cockblocker,” Ethan hisses and rolls over onto the bed beside me. “But I love every minute of it. Maybe not the cock blocking part, but our time with our kids”
He grabs my hand and kisses my ring finger. “Love you, Angel.”
“Love you too, you big brute. You owe me three orgasms later for all the shit your kids have put me through today.”
He grins. “I think I can accomplish that.”
Oh, and he does, more than three times. ;)
We have had our ups and downs, but one thing that has stayed true was our love for each other. That never wavered, because what we feel for each other is unconditional.
The End.
Jessica and Chase’s story is next!
Coming Fall 2016
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my amazing readers who have awed me on so many levels with their amazing messages and reviews.
I want to thank my amazing editor who saved my behind on many levels.
Brook Miller who pushed me to go on even though I doubted myself every step of the way.
I want to thank my amazing designer who amazes me with the amount of talent she has and for creating the perfect cover.
To my PA Amber Garcia thank you so much for everything you do and for being my right hand lady love you chick. <3
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About the author
LeAnn Asher's is a blogger turned author who released her debut novel early 2016, and can't wait to where this new adventure takes her. LeAnn writes about strong minded females and strong protective males who love their women unconditionally.
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Protecting His Forever: http://tinyurl.com/hcsot5x