“Okay, enough,” Delaney chimed in. “Let’s get this girl ready before Ramsey burns the place down.”
The girls did my hair and makeup and got me into the beautiful white lace mermaid-style wedding dress. It was classy and exactly something I would have picked if I had the choice. I didn’t do flashy. I’ve never been that person.
They hemmed and hawed the entire time they got me ready, but the entire time, all I could think about was that Ramsey planned a wedding for our twentieth wedding anniversary.
I was pretty sure I was going to pass out.
Chapter 10
Ramsey Reed~
I stood at the alter with Deke standing next to me, then Liam, and then Ace. The outdoor seating was filled with all our children and Roselyn’s mother and stepfather as the only other adults invited to share this day with me and Emerson. All the children were dressed for the occasion, with the boys all dressed in suits, and the girls all dressed in formal dresses.
Looking around the place, I had no regrets about threatening the wedding planner. She did a wonderful job and now all I had to do was wait for Emerson to come to me.
The music started playing, and I, legit, felt like I couldn’t breathe. Emerson did that to me, though. She’s always done that to me.
Everyone turned their heads as we saw movement and Ava looked beautiful walking down the aisle. So beautiful, in fact, I could hear Ace moan his emotions. She threw him a saucy wink and made her way to her position on the other side of the alter.
Next, came Delaney, and I could actually hear Deke swallow his desire for her. She looked just as stunning as Ava had coming down the aisle. She smiled at Deke before taking her place next to Ava.
Roselyn was making her way down the aisle and I thought I was going to have to haul Liam back in line. He whispered his love for her, but when the kids laughed, he realized everyone could hear him. Roselyn mouthed it back before going to her rightful position as Maid-Of-Honor. The music switched and everyone straightened to their feet and got serious; even the priest.
It was everything I could do to keep from dropping to my knees when Emerson appeared at the end of the aisle wearing the dress I picked out for her.
She looked magnificent.
Emerson’s veil was covering her hair, baring her face, so even from where I stood, I could see tears quietly cascading down her stunning face. The love she had for me was covering every inch of her face, and I wanted to fucking run to her. Every step she took felt like a hundred.
When she finally stood before me, her silver eyes were saying everything she was too choked up to vocalize. I took her hands in mine, and the entire place was silent, save for the occasional female sob, as the priest recited the original traditional vows I insisted upon.
It wasn’t until I placed the additional diamond studded anniversary band on Emerson’s finger that I spoke. I looked down at the woman who held my heart in her hands and asked, “The very first time I ever spoke to you, do you remember what I said?”
Emerson closed her eyes briefly like she was reliving the memory. Looking back up at me, she said, “You asked me, ‘Do you actually think you belong here?’”
“You do,” I told her. “You belong wherever I am standing, Emerson. You belong to me in a way I’ll never survive without you. I don’t care if that makes me weak. I don’t care if that makes me seem unhinged. It’s the truth.” Emerson was full-on crying now, but she still looked exquisite. “You belong to me in a way that I feel empty when you’re not around. Twenty years later, I still panic if I don’t know where you’re at or what you’re doing. You belong here, Emerson. You belong here with me, and I will never fucking let you go.”
Emerson threw herself in my arms and I wrapped her tight as she cried into my chest. “I love you, Ramsey,” she sobbed against my tux. “I love you, so much. I love you. Forever.” I could hear the cheers, the tears, and the congratulations in the background, but all that mattered was this woman in my arms.
I didn’t deserve Emerson. I never deserved Emerson, and I’ve lived with that fact residing in the back of my mind every day for the past twenty years. It didn’t matter how many times she told me she loved me. It didn’t matter that she gave me two beautiful kids. It didn’t matter that we were at our twentieth wedding anniversary. None of it erased the fact that I didn’t deserve her. Sure, I had her. But I didn’t deserve her.
But I’ll never let her go.
I pulled back and cradled her face in my hands. “I love you, Emerson,” I growled. “I love you so fucking much, baby. I will love you until the day I die, Emerson.” Her lips were trembling, but she gave me a smile. “Hell, I’m pretty sure I’m going to love you beyond that.”
Her hands came up to wrap around my wrists as I held her face. “One day, you’re going to know just how much I love you, Ramsey.”
I smirked. “I know you love me,” I countered. “I just know I don’t deserve it.”
Emerson smiled through her tears. “But you do,” she whispered. “I was always meant to be yours.”
Epilogue
And they lived happily ever after.
The kids, too.
The End.
Author’s Final Note
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Thank you for everyone who fell so in love with Facing the Enemy that an entire series was created. I’m not sure where the inspiration for Facing the Enemy came from, but while writing the story, I knew one thing for certain; I didn’t want the female character to be weak or clueless. Emerson knew all the reasons she was drawn to Ramsey, and she made no excuses for them. Neither character hid their character flaws or denied that they could do with some serious counseling. That being said…
There’s a fine line between a strong, confident, dominating male…a strong, confident, brave female…and an actual abuser and victim.
Please know that my intent when writing this book was never to hurt, embarrass, confuse, or offend anyone. Because both characters were so strong, I viewed the story as a serious battle of the wills and not a story of realistic verbal, emotional, and/or physical abuse. I tried to follow the same pattern with all the books in the series. However, Ava’s tale turned darker than the others, but I started to appreciate how she was more than just her reputation in Battling the Enemy.
In Facing the Enemy, I wanted to highlight how not all of us are ignorant to the things that shape us growing up, and our lives can change based on whether we embrace the parts of our childhoods we’d rather forget, or if we own them and accept they happened, making us who we are.
In Engaging the Enemy, I wanted to highlight the actual definition of shame, and how we deal with it. Do we feel shame because we’re really ashamed, or do we feel shame because society tells us we should? It is actually possible for someone to love us unconditionally even knowing everything about us.
In Battling the Enemy, I wanted to highlight how a quiet, introvert personality can still be strong and formidable. Just because a person is quiet and chooses to keep to themselves, does not mean they are weak. Sometimes, we just need that one person who sees what no one else takes the time to see.
In Provoking the Enemy, I wanted to highlight that people are too complex to have just one basic personality. It is possible to get swept up in what people think about us, but we are more than other people’s opinions. It’s our own self-opinion that matters.
But as much as I loved bringing to life Ramsey, Liam, Deke, and Ace, I have to put emphasis on the heroines of the series; Emerson, Roselyn, Delaney, and Ava. They were all strong enough to handle the men because that’s how they developed in my mind. However, I want to stress that, if you’re a strong woman handling your strong man, well, kudos to you (fist bump), but if you’re more on the sensitive side and your strong man’s actions start feeling more like abuse instead of foreplay, please, please, please analyze what you really feel and/or talk to someone about it.
These books are purely fiction, but the topics that happen in them are not. Emerson’s attempted rape s
cene happens in real life and she should have called the police. Roselyn’s terrorism by her stepbrother happens in real life and she should have told her mother. Delaney’s physical abuse and neglect from her parents happens in real life and she should have reached out to a teacher or someone. And Ava’s sexual abuse happens in real life, and as she got older, she should have gotten help for it when her mother failed her.
Again, thank you to everyone who fell in love with this series, and I hope all of you came out a little bit stronger at the end of it.
Much love, and always an ear!
Playlist
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Series Playlist – The Right Kind Of Wrong – LeAnn Rimes
Facing the Enemy – Pretty Girl – Sugarcult
Aerials – Systems Of A Down
Animals – Maroon 5
Centuries – Fall Out Boy
The Catalyst – Linkin Park
Hail Mary – 2Pac
Killing Strangers – Marilyn Manson
Sucker For Pain – Lil’ Wayne
Whatever It Takes – Imagine Dragons
Engaging the Enemy – Basic Instinct – The Acid
Addicted – Saving Abel
Dollhouse – Melanie Martinez
If You Could Only See – Tonic
Like A Stone – Audioslave
Unforgettable – French Montana
Where You Belong – The Weeknd
Piano In The Dark – Brenda Russell
I Shall Believe – Sheryl Crow
Battling the Enemy – She – Live
Love The Way You Lie – Eminem
Broken – Seether
I Wanna Be Bad – Willa Ford
Pray For Me – The Weeknd
I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift
Irresistible (Remix) – Jessica Simpson
Pray – JRY
Starboy – The Weeknd
Provoking the Enemy – Lighthouse – Live
Dark Horse – Katy Perry
Say It Right – Nelly Furtado
I’m Bad At Love – Maddy Benson
By The Way – Hinder
Run Away – Live
All Or Nothing – Theory Of A Deadman
Savin’ Me – Nickelback
Wolves – Selena Gomez
About the Author
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M.E. Clayton works full-time and writes as a hobby. She is an avid reader and, with much self-doubt, but more positive feedback and encouragement from her friends and family, she took a chance at writing, and the Seven Deadly Sins Series was born. Writing is a hobby she is now very passionate about. When she’s not working, writing, or reading, she is spending time with her family or friends. If you care to learn more, you can read about her by visiting the following:
Smashwords Interview at:
https://www.smashwords.com/interview/MonClayton
Bookbub Author Page at:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-e-clayton
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/MEClayton
Other Books
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Please visit your favorite ebook retailer to discover other books by M.E. Clayton:
The Seven Deadly Sins Series (In Order)
Catching Avery (Avery & Nicholas)
Chasing Quinn (Quinn & Chase)
Claiming Isabella (Isabella & Julian)
Conquering Kam (Kamala & Kane)
Capturing Happiness
The Buchanan Brothers Series (In Order)
If You Could Only See (Mason & Shane)
If You Could Only Imagine (Aiden & Denise)
If You Could Only Feel (Gabriel & Justice)
If You Could Only Believe (Michael & Sophia)
If You Could Only Dream
The How To: Modern Day Woman’s Guide Series (In Order)
How to Stay Out of Prison; A Modern Day Woman’s Guide (Lyrical & Nixon)
How to Keep Your Job; A Modern Day Woman’s Guide (Alice & Lincoln)
How to Maintain Your Sanity; A Modern Day Woman’s Guide (Rena & Jackson)
The Enemy Series (In Order)
Facing the Enemy (Ramsey & Emerson)
Engaging the Enemy (Roselyn & Liam)
Battling the Enemy (Deke & Delaney)
Provoking the Enemy (Ava & Ace)
Loving the Enemy
The Enemy Duet (In Order)
In Enemy Territory (Fiona & Damien)
On Enemy Ground (Victoria & William)
Standalone
Unintentional
Purgatory, Inc.
My Big, Huge Mistake
An Unexpected Life
The Heavier The Chains…
Contact Me
◆◆◆
I really appreciate you reading my book and I would love to hear from you! Now, unfortunately, because I do have a full-time job, and a family I love spending time with, at this time, I’m afraid it would be very hard for me to maintain a multitude of social media sites. However, for the sites I do participate in, here are my social media coordinates:
Favorite my Smashwords Author Page:
https://www.smashwords.com/interview/MonClayton
Like my Facebook Author Page:
https://facebook.com/claytonbooks
Follow my Bookbub Author Page:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-e-clayton
Follow my Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/MEClayton
Visit my Website at:
https://meclayton2016.wixsite.com/mysite
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