by Lydia Rowan
His arms held her up as her body went limp, the emotion of the night, the strength of her climax sapping her strength. Damien held her as he peeled her out of her shirt and bra, and then left, but only long enough to discard the remainder of his clothes.
Lacey stared, love drunk as he came toward her, his muscled body outlined in the shadowed room, his thick cock jutting out from his body. When he lay atop her, Lacey immediately wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him close, the thrill of his warm skin against hers, his hardness prodding against her sex reawakening the passion that had only momentarily been slaked.
“Lacey,” Damien whispered.
Her eyes had drifted closed, but at the sound of his voice, she opened them and met his. His stared at her, his eyes shadowed but still beaming with the love she knew he felt.
“I love you,” he whispered.
As he spoke, he thrust, filling her in one stroke that left her breathless. But somehow, she found a way to speak. “I love you, Damien.”
He hardened inside her, and eyes staying locked on hers, he thrust again and again, telling her with his body what he had told her with his words. And she heard him with every cell in her body.
Damien sighed and came inside her, and Lacey held him, promised she’d never let him go.
••••
They’d been silent for long minutes, but Damien didn’t mind. He didn’t need words, not when he had Lacey back in his arms, not when he knew she loved him as much as he did her.
He curled against her, pulled her close, warmth filling his heart as she snuggled into his arms. Damien held her tighter, seeming unable to get enough of her. He knew why. He’d never allowed himself to believe he would have her back again, know that she still loved him.
Now that he did, he wouldn’t take it for granted.
Something that made him completely certain of what he would have to do next. First, he asked a question that had only just occurred to him.
“I was in your house, and there was no hint of him. Why not?” Damien asked.
It was a silly question, unimportant, but Damien still wondered.
Lacey laughed. “Turns out our son is a neat freak. He’ll play with his toys, but he always sees that they go back into the toy box. He’s always so proud of himself when he’s done,” she said.
Damien’s heart thudded as he soaked in her words, imagined all of the things he still had to learn about his son.
“Donovan seems like a cool kid,” Damien said a few moments later.
He could hear the joy that animated Lacey’s voice. “He’s the coolest,” she said.
Damien smiled but only for a moment. “I can’t wait to get to know him. To have him know me,” he said.
“He’s going to love that, love you,” she said. “I told him stories about you. How brave you are. How much you loved him,” she whispered.
“You tried to make me real to him?” Damien asked, his heart starting to thud as he listened to her words.
“I tried, but you’ll do better,” she said.
“Yes, I will,” Damien said.
Damien went silent, and Lacey shifted in his arms to face him, her expression, which had only moments ago been twisted in pleasure and then calm in the wake of her climax, now heavy, weighted with concern.
“What?” he said, punctuating the word with a quick kiss.
“You’re thinking about something,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him.
“I hope that’s not so uncommon that it made you notice,” he said, smiling.
Lacey was not taken with the humor. “What is it, Damien?” she said.
“Tremaine,” he replied, deciding he would be direct with her. There had been enough secrets between them to last a lifetime.
Lacey nodded, and he could see the tension that overtook her in her dropped brows and bunched shoulders. “Tremaine,” she said, the word both weary and resigned.
Damien tried not to take it to heart, though. Soon enough, Tremaine would no longer be a problem. He told Lacey as much.
“He came after you. What if Donovan had been there instead of visiting his grandparents?” Damien asked, his anger hardening at the thought. “What if he tries again?”
Lacey peered at him through lowered lashes, studying him. “What are you planning?” she finally asked.
He stared at her, hoped she saw the certainty in his eyes. “I can’t risk that, Lacey. I won’t,” he said.
“What does that mean, Damien?” she asked.
“It means Tremaine is going to die,” he said.
16
The next morning, Damien was still reeling, but in the best possible way.
He could hardly believe it was real, but it was. He had Lacey back, had a son, had everything he’d ever thought he wanted. Or he would soon, anyway.
Lacey sat up and Damien stared at the first rays of sun on her bare breasts. Before he could think, he’d reached out to sculpt a hand over the full curve, teased her nipple until she moaned.
He stopped, though. He was hard, would have loved nothing more than to take her again, and then again, but they were in her family home, and he still had unfinished business. After, though…
Lacey reached out and touched him, worked her fingers along his jaw.
“I need to start shaving again,” he said, though when he looked at Lacey, he knew his facial hair was the least of her thoughts.
“Damien,” she said, tightening her hold.
He turned his eyes to meet hers again and saw the furrowed brow, the worry that he would dedicate himself to chasing away.
“What, Lacey?” he said, suspecting where this conversation was going but not willing to have it. His mind was made up, and he wouldn’t be swayed.
“Damien, are you sure about this?” she asked.
He didn’t pretend not to know what she was talking about.
“The only thing I’ve ever been more sure of is how much I love you,” he said.
Lacey smiled at his words, but the smile didn’t erase her worried expression. “I don’t want you to do this, Damien. There has to be another way,” she said.
“You’d protect him, even after he threatened you?” he asked.
She shook her head, her eyes soft. “Tremaine means nothing to me, less than nothing. It’s you I’m worried about,” she said.
“So you don’t trust me?” he asked, hating the needy edge in his voice.
“You know I trust you with everything. My life. My son’s. But there has to be another way, one that won’t put you at risk,” she said.
His heart warmed as she professed her trust, but that didn’t change anything.
“There’s no other way, Lacey. We should get dressed,” he said.
She frowned as he got out of the bed and dressed, but she didn’t protest.
“You can use the bathroom down the hall. Do you have clothes?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said, walking toward the door. But he turned back, caught Lacey in his arms and kissed her, and then he left.
Half an hour later, he emerged, following the sounds in the house to the kitchen.
“Good morning, Roy,” he said, nodding at Lacey’s adoptive father. “LaTonya.” He did the same to her adoptive mother.
“Damien. Good to see you, son,” Roy said.
“Have a seat. Breakfast is ready,” LaTonya said.
He sat in the seat next to Lacey, who stared down into a cup of coffee.
“I need to get Donovan up and ready,” she said.
“No. You need to stay awhile and talk to your family,” LaTonya said.
Lacey stayed where she was and looked up at her parents, who were watching both of them intently.
“So everything is out in the open?” Roy said.
Damien looked at Lacey, just as she looked at him, and together, they turned to her parents, having reached a silent agreement.
“Yes, sir,” Damien said.
“About time,” LaTonya said as Roy nodded along.
/> “You and Lacey have hashed everything out? You’re going to be the father my grandson deserves, the man my daughter deserves?” Roy said.
“I am, sir,” Damien said with no hesitation at all.
“About time,” Roy said, echoing his wife. “Ready to step up to the plate?” he asked, eyes on Damien.
Damien nodded.
“Then that’s all I care about, but you two obviously still have some talking to do. Take a walk. Me and LaTonya can tend to Donovan,” he said.
Lacey looked as though she was going to argue, but she glanced at Damien and then nodded.
“Thank you, Roy,” she said.
Then she stood and headed toward the porch and Damien followed her. They walked the same path they had last night, but this morning it was entirely different. If Damien didn’t know better, he would have thought last night was a dream. But he did know better, because nothing he could have dreamed of would be as good as having Lacey back, having their son, and once Tremaine was gone, knowing that they were safe.
“You don’t call them Mom and Dad. Why is that?” he asked as they walked away from the house.
She shrugged. “It just never stuck, and besides, they always told me what I called them didn’t change the fact that we are family,” she said.
When they got a little farther from the house, she stopped, turned, stared into his eyes. “Damien, rethink this.”
He didn’t answer her directly and instead said, “I want you and Donovan back in Seattle.”
“And then?” she asked.
“And then I’m going to see this through,” he said. “It’s the only way.”
“No. It can’t be,” she said.
“It is,” he said, certain that it was.
Yes, he wanted the pleasure of paying Tremaine back for what he’d done, and killing him would bring immense satisfaction. But that wasn’t the reason he was doing this. Protecting them was.
“It’s too dangerous, Damien,” she said. “You don’t have to do that.”
“You’re wrong, Lacey. I do. He took everything from me, he threatened you, and he won’t stop there. I won’t risk losing either of you again,” he said.
As he spoke, Damien lifted his hand and held Lacey’s, her touch again reminding him that she was real, that this was real. That he had her back. “So I’m going to do this. I’d do anything for you and for Donovan. And this is something I have to do to keep you both safe.”
She shook her head again, but said, “So we’re going back to Seattle?”
He nodded. “Cade’s going to watch over the ranch. We’ll figure out a more permanent move once this is settled. Pack a bag for you and Donovan. The plane will be here soon.”
17
“Where’s Lacey?” Lucian asked the next night.
They’d left the ranch and come back to the Silver Estate. Damien felt better having them here, but wouldn’t be completely at ease until this was over.
“Upstairs. She’s putting Donovan down,” Damien replied.
He said his son’s name easily, though the shocking joy of repeating it still hadn’t quite worn off. While the day had been busy with getting them off the ranch and back to Seattle, Damien had had the chance to marvel at his son, spent every second he could with the boy, and every second that he couldn’t trying to wrap his mind around what being a father meant.
From Lucian’s expression, he was also trying to reconcile this new member of his family.
“Quite the surprise, right?” Damien said, smiling at his brother, remembering how the usually reserved Lucian had hugged him when he’d shared the news.
His brother nodded slowly. “Hard to believe I’m an uncle. That you’re a father.”
“Yeah,” Damien said, “really hard.” Hard to believe but not at all unwelcome.
“You guys talked things through?” Lucian asked.
Damien nodded. “Yeah. We haven’t decided any specifics, but we love each other, and we’re going to be together. And I’m going to be in my son’s life full-time. You too, I hope,” he said.
“Hell, yeah. All of us will,” Lucian said emphatically.
Damien paused, uncertain of what to say next, or rather, how to say it.
“So—” he started, but Lucian raised his hand and shook his head.
“Don’t say anything. It’s unnecessary,” he said.
“It isn’t. I’ve been an asshole,” he said. That wasn’t the half of it. There weren’t really words to describe what a bitter, mean husk of a man he’d been. Or a way to thank his brother for sticking with him anyway, not that that would keep him from trying.
“You have been. But you had your reasons,” Lucian said.
“And you still stuck around,” Damien replied.
“You’re my brother. You were hurting. I wouldn’t leave you to deal with that shit alone,” he said.
And he hadn’t. Even when Damien had lashed out, tried to push his brother away, Lucian had resisted. Had kept coming back, a steady rock. Damien owed his brother his life.
“Long time since you’ve seen me sober,” Damien said.
“A good sight,” he replied. Lucian’s expression darkened. “Though I don’t necessarily like the reason.”
Damien didn’t try to stop the scowl that creeped across his face. “Yeah. Me neither, but I have Donovan now, have Lacey back. He’s gone too far. Getting rid of him is the only option.”
“About that…” Lucian said.
He was interrupted by a knock at the study door.
“Come in,” Damien said, to the person he knew was on the other side.
The door opened slowly and Lacey entered, looking first at Damien, then Lucian, then back at Damien. That she sought him gave him a measure of comfort that he couldn’t describe.
Lacey, always strong, always independent, was looking to him. That made him happy, only convinced him he would become the man that she and Donovan could rely on.
“Lacey,” Lucian said, his voice tight.
“Lucian. Long time,” she said.
“Yeah,” Lucian replied.
“Congratulations,” Lacey said.
Damien had told her about Lucian’s recent wedding.
“Thank you. I guess I owe you a late congratulations as well,” Lucian said.
At the flash of pain that crossed Lacey’s face, Damien whispered, “Lucian…”
“It’s okay, Damien. I deserve that,” she said. Then she looked at Lucian. “I hope you’ll get to know Donovan.”
“I will,” Lucian said firmly.
Damien stepped closer to her, put his arm around her shoulder before he had even really realized he’d moved. Things were tense between Lucian and Lacey, his brother blaming her for leaving him at his lowest time. Damien had explained why she’d done so, but it would take time to heal that rift. But it would heal.
“Do you have them?” Damien said to Lucian.
His brother nodded.
“Good. I figured Lacey should be here for this,” he said.
“Here for what?” Lacey asked, lifting her frowning face to Damien’s.
“My friend, Crow, out in LA, he sent another tip,” Damien said.
Lucian, who was now all business, pulled a thumb drive from his pocket and reached into a black bag and grabbed a computer.
“Let’s see what we have,” he said absently, fully focused on the computer.
“Do you know what it is?” Lacey asked. “Something we can use against Tremaine?”
“Maybe. We haven’t listened yet, but Crow wouldn’t have passed this on if it were nothing. Whatever it is, I hope it’s enough to change my stubborn-ass brother’s mind,” Lucian said as he clicked at the keyboard.
Lacey left Damien’s arms and moved toward the desk, where Lucian had set his laptop. “You agree with me?” she asked.
Lucian paused, looked over at her. “Agree that going to Tremaine’s house to kill him is a terrible idea?”
She nodded.
“Yeah. I agree.
It’s too risky, and it could be used to confirm Damien really is the monster they claim. Tremaine needs to suffer, and I want to see him dead, but even more, I want him exposed. There can be no question about who he was and what he did,” Lucian said.
He turned to look at Damien, but Damien just waved. “We’ve had this conversation, Lucian.”
“Did any of it stick?” he asked.
Between Lacey and Lucian, Damien was confronting some tough opposition, but he wasn’t easily swayed. “Let’s see what’s on that drive,” he said.
“Looks to be records of some sort. Some documents,” Lacey said, watching as Lucian flipped through files.
“Yeah. And audio files,” Lucian said. “You ready?”
Lacey nodded and then Damien did the same, but his heart was in his throat. This might be the thing he needed to keep his family safe, help him reclaim his reputation.
Or it could be nothing.
The only way to find out was to listen.
“Push play,” Damien said.
Lucian clicked the button, the single depression of a key loud in the study.
And then, Tremaine’s voice filled the room.
“That was no good,” Tremaine said.
Then he paused, the recording going silent before he continued.
“But mistakes happen. Accidents. I won’t let it derail us,” Tremaine said.
When Tremaine paused again, Damien realized he was listening to one half of a phone conversation.
“Besides, it’s not like those kids were ever going to become anything. They’d probably end up shooting at us,” Tremaine said.
There was silence and then a heavy sigh.
Damien’s heart was racing now, and he continued to listen.
“I’ll clean this up for you. Pin it on someone. Don’t worry,” he said.
The recording stopped then, and by then Damien’s heart was racing.
To him it was definitive, clearly established that Tremaine had played a role in the orphanage bombing, at the very least a cover-up.
But it wouldn’t be enough.
From the looks on Lacey’s and Lucian’s faces, they agreed.
“He implicates himself, but without more details, it’s no good,” Lucian said.