by Force, Marie
“Why?”
“Because he only got one taste of you. That never would’ve been enough for me.”
“Remember when you promised me one night and only one night?”
“I believe we’ve determined that I was a total fool to think I could resist you.”
She pats my arm. “As long as you realize that.”
Leave it to Leah to make me laugh when a minute ago, I was ready to murder the guy who’s hassling her. “Hey.”
“What?”
“Look at me.”
She raises her head and lifts an eyebrow. “I’m looking at you.”
I run a finger over her soft cheek, skimming the adorable new freckles that appeared after she was in the sun this weekend. Then I look into her beautiful eyes. “I… This… It’s something. Something big.” It’s as much as I’m capable of admitting to her, and I can only hope it’ll be enough to keep her here with me where she belongs.
She gasps, and tears suddenly appear.
“I swear to God, Leah, if you cry right now, I’ll take it back.”
“No, you won’t,” she says as a tear slides down her cheek.
I brush away the tear. “Yes, I will.”
She shakes her head and leans in to kiss me. “Don’t you dare take it back.”
I kiss her like I’m drowning and she’s my only source of oxygen. I forget where we are and who is with us. I forget everything that isn’t her and the way she makes me feel just by kissing me with such passion and fire.
I’m so completely lost to her that I can’t remember what it was like to think she was too young for me or this would be too complicated. They feel like manufactured excuses with hindsight, created out of fear because I knew how much she could come to mean to me if I let her. I’ll never regret letting her in because this, right here… She’s the best thing to ever happen to me.
The descent into LAX is bumpy, but we barely notice as we continue the epic make-out session. I’m so hard that I’m leaking. I wish I could drag her onto my lap and fuck her right now, but I can’t, and knowing I can’t makes the arousal that much more intense. The wheels touching down on the runway jolt us apart, and for the longest time, we simply stare at each other, equally undone by the massiveness of the emotions arcing between us.
I honestly didn’t get it before now, before her. When Flynn turned into a total fool over Natalie or Hayden lost his mind over Addie… I didn’t get it when Jasper suddenly decided to father Ellie’s baby or Kristian couldn’t live without Aileen. But God do I get it now. It’s like Leah has given me the secret password to something so far out of my realm of experience as to be entirely foreign and utterly captivating.
There’s only her. She’s all that matters. She’s everything.
We file off the plane, following Marlowe and Rafe, who has his hand on her ass. The overly familiar way he touches her in front of us bugs me, but she doesn’t seem to mind, so I try not to let it bother me. None of the guys like him. We talked about him before the wedding. We aren’t sure if we don’t like him because he’s a bit “extra” or if it’s because she’s so different with him—giggly, girly, silly. She’s never been like that over a guy before, so it’s unsettling to see her acting like a lovesick fool over a slick Frenchman who seems all wrong for her—if you ask us, which she didn’t.
They’re leaving for Paris the day after tomorrow, so we won’t see her for a week or two. But when she gets back, Flynn is going to talk to her about what’s up with Rafe and try to find out whether there’s anything to worry about. We all wish he could talk to her before she goes, but with Rafe wrapped around her every waking moment, there hasn’t been an opportunity.
We say our goodbyes to the others, and I walk Leah to my car.
Kristian chases after us and takes me aside after I have her settled in the passenger seat. “Sergeant Markel is going to meet you at your place.”
“Thank you.”
“You want me to come with you?”
“No need, but thanks for offering.” I know he and Aileen are anxious to get the kids home to bed since it’s a school night.
“Text me after you talk to him.”
“We’ll need to get Leah a new company phone in the morning. I’m sure they’ll take hers to investigate the origin of the calls.”
“We’ll take care of that first thing. I’ll do it myself.”
“Thanks, Kris.”
“Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”
“Will do.” I get in the driver’s side and direct the car to Santa Monica, the tension within me growing with every passing mile.
Leah’s hand on my leg pulls me out of my own thoughts. “Breathe.”
“I’m breathing.”
“You’re seething.”
“That, too. You know how I feel about guys who hassle women.”
“Yes, I do, and I love you for it.”
“Why is it so easy for you to say that?”
“It’s easy for me because I look at you and I see love.”
I cover her hand on my leg with my hand and give a squeeze. “That makes me the luckiest guy to ever live.”
“I’m glad you think so. I remember a time not that long ago when you compared me to a fly buzzing around your head.”
“Are you ever going to forget how stupid I was at the beginning?”
“Nope. Never. I’ll be telling our grandchildren about how dumb their grandpa was fighting the inevitable when it was so obvious that he belonged to me.”
I can’t begin to explain what happens inside me when she refers to our grandchildren. She’s so certain about me, has been from the beginning. “You really see all that for us?”
“I really do, but only if it’s what you want, too.”
“I just want you, and if you come with grandchildren, then I guess I’ll have to take them as well.”
Her laughter lights up my life.
Chapter 20
The lightness between us is extinguished when we’re met by LAPD Detective Sergeant Markel and two patrol officers, who’re waiting for us outside my building when we pull up. I park in the garage and then take the stairs up to meet them at the street level. After shaking hands with each of them and thanking them for coming, I lead them inside.
Jay, the doorman, sees me with cops and is immediately on alert. “Everything all right, Mr. Burke?”
“Everything is fine, Jay. A guy who used to date my girlfriend is giving her a hard time, and these officers are here to help us.”
“If there’s anything we can do, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Appreciate that.” Holding Leah’s hand, I lead her and the cops to the elevator, and we ride to the fourth floor in silence. Inside my apartment, we sit on the sofas.
“Take us through what’s happened, from the first time you met him,” Markel says.
Leah details their texts and emails prior to meeting at a coffee shop several weeks after they first made contact through Tinder.
“I fucking hate that site,” Merkel says as he takes notes. “Nothing but trouble.”
“I met a lot of nice guys through the site when I was in New York,” Leah says. “This is the first time I’ve ever had a problem with anyone.”
“You said you went out with him twice,” Markel says.
“Yes.”
“Do you know his last name?”
“He said it was Adams. The second time, we met at a bar at the pier.” She recites the name of the place. “After we had a couple of drinks, we went back to my place, had sex and then I asked him to leave because I had an early morning.”
“So he knows where you live.”
That detail, which I didn’t know before, fills me with irrational fear. “She lives here now,” I tell him. “She won’t be alone at her place again.”
“That’s probably for the best until we find this guy. Can you show us his profile on Tinder?”
“I blocked him, so I can’t, but I have some screen shots that I sen
t to my friends when I went out with him so they’d know who I was with in case I didn’t come home.”
“Jesus,” I mutter.
“Welcome to dating in the new millennium,” one of the patrolmen says.
Leah calls up the screenshots and hands the phone to Markel.
“This is very helpful,” he says. “We should be able to track him down fairly quickly with this information.”
“In the meantime, I’ve asked Quantum’s security director to put some guys on her so she’s never alone.”
“That’s a good idea. Hopefully, we’re just dealing with an idiot who can’t take no for an answer, but you never know.”
Those last words fill me with an intense feeling of dread. If anything ever happened to her, I’d never survive it. I know that for a fact.
As expected, Markel takes Leah’s phone into evidence, promising to return it as soon as they’re able to process the calls and texts that Tom has sent. When they have what they need, they leave with promises to be in touch as soon as they know more.
Gordon returns my text to let me know he’ll have two guys at my place first thing in the morning to escort Leah to work and anywhere else she needs to go. I’ll take her home to get her car in the morning.
I lock the door and engage the dead bolt, which is something I only do when I’m traveling. Tonight, I have something precious to protect.
She’s waiting for me when I finish locking up. “Come here.”
“I’m here.”
She holds out her arms to me. “All the way.”
I step into her embrace and breathe her in.
“Please don’t let this be a setback for us.”
“I won’t.”
“It’s not like before.”
“Keep telling me that, okay?”
“Any time you need to hear it.”
I tighten my arms around her and lift her to walk her into the bedroom.
“I should hate the way you tote me around.”
“But you don’t.”
“No, I actually kind of love it.”
We get ready for bed and slide under the sheets together. I love how she cuddles up to me, sliding her leg between mine and resting her hand on my chest.
“I have to go to Nebraska with Flynn and Nat on Tuesday. If they haven’t found this guy by then, I want you to come with me.”
“I can’t go to Nebraska on Tuesday. I’m taking Marlowe to the airport for her flight to Paris.”
“Someone else can do that.”
“No, Emmett. They can’t. It’s my job, and I’m going to do it.”
“I’m not going to Nebraska, then.”
“Yes, you are. Flynn and Natalie are counting on you, and you need to be there for them.”
I’ve never felt so torn. “I need to be here for you.”
“I’ll have Gordon and his men watching me, and I won’t go near my place while you’re gone.”
“Tomorrow, we’ll pack up your stuff and move it over here.”
“And we’ll celebrate the fact we’re moving in together.”
“Yes, we’ll do that, too. In fact, let’s take the day off tomorrow, and I’ll teach you how to surf.”
“I can’t take tomorrow off. I’ve got stuff to do before Marlowe leaves for Paris.”
“Can you leave early?”
“I’ll try.”
“Try hard.”
“I will, now stop being so bossy and get some sleep.”
I close my eyes and try to relax, but I can’t sleep. I want to hold on tight to her and keep her with me until they catch the psychopath who’s stalking her.
Monday is busier than usual after the long weekend, and it’s three o’clock before I can get free to leave for the day. Marlowe told me to take off whenever I wanted, so I buzz Emmett to let him know I’m leaving. I have to pick up Marlowe’s dry cleaning and drop off a check to the lady who cleans her house before meeting Emmett at his place.
We’re going to the beach for a surfing lesson and then to my place to pack up my stuff, which mostly consists of clothes and shoes. I didn’t bring much with me when I moved out here, since the company made a furnished apartment available to me. I’m thankful for that now because it won’t take long to box up my belongings and move them to Emmett’s.
I still can’t believe this is actually happening. Not that long ago, I was watching Judge Judy for ideas of legal questions to ask him, and today, I’m officially moving in with him. It’s not lost on me that we’ve accelerated things because of Tom, but he’d asked me before Tom lost his mind and blew up my phone, so that’s not why it’s happening.
This morning, he presented me with my own set of keys, which were hanging from his hard cock. I smile as I think about that while weaving through midday traffic, heading toward the coast with Metallica blasting as usual. Emmett has no idea how much I love metal, and I don’t know who his favorite bands are. There’s still so much we don’t know about each other, but I can’t wait to learn every single thing there is to know about him.
Two of Gordon’s guys follow me in a dark sedan, but I pay them no attention as I go about my errands while singing at the top of my lungs. I’ve left the dry cleaner and I’m heading for Marlowe’s house in Malibu to drop off her clothes so she can pack for her trip.
“Fade to Black” comes on, and I crank up the volume to full earsplitting level. I’m almost to Marlowe’s when a black car goes whizzing past me, coming much closer to my car than it should be. I swerve to avoid hitting it, and when it comes toward me, I overcorrect and lose control of my car. It happens so fast that I have no time to react before the car is flying through the air. It lands upside down with a crunching sound that makes me think of bones breaking.
I smack my head—hard—and the last thing I’m aware of are the closing notes of “Fade to Black.”
I’m wrapping up a partners’ meeting, the last one before Marlowe leaves for a month of filming in France, when I get a frantic call from Gordon.
“Leah’s been in an accident.”
Everything stops with those words. I can’t speak, see, hear or do anything other than try not to be sick. If he tells me she’s dead…
“Emmett? Are you there?”
Kristian takes the phone from me. “This is Kristian. What’s up?”
I die a thousand deaths while he listens to whatever Gordon is telling him.
“Where’re they taking her?” Kris asks. “We’ll meet you there.”
This can’t be happening again. I barely survived it the first time. I’ll never survive it again, not with Leah. Leah…
“Emmett,” Jasper says, squeezing my shoulder. “Come on. Leah needs you.”
I get up and head for the door, propelled by the friends who surround me with their love and support.
Marlowe walks beside me, her hand curled around my arm, letting me know she’s there, that she gets why I’m a fucking zombie. She knows about Elena.
The thoughts that go through my mind—Leah’s sweet face interspersed with Elena’s, memories of Elena in the hospital, the beeping machines, the bandages on her face and head, the panic, the despair. It all comes rushing back to me, making me lightheaded with dread.
Flynn has the keys to Hayden’s Range Rover, which he left at the office, and we pile in.
“Where’re we going?” Flynn asks as he backs out of the parking space.
“Cedars-Sinai,” Kristian says. “Gordon just texted to let me know she’s on the way.”
“Is she conscious?” Jasper asks.
“He didn’t say.”
Marlowe, sitting next to me, squeezes my arm. “Try not to think the worst, Em. She’s young and strong, and Gordon’s men were right there when it happened. They got help for her right away. I’m sure by the time we get there, she’s going to be giving everyone a hard time and demanding they release her.”
Though I’m comforted by that thought, I can’t bring myself to do anything but stare out the window as the world rushe
s by. What if she’s not okay? What if she’s seriously hurt or worse?
“Doesn’t Gordon know anything else?” Flynn asks.
“I asked for an update, but I haven’t heard anything yet,” Kris says, sounding stressed.
“I should call Nat,” Flynn says. “She’d want to know.”
“Give me your phone,” Kris says. “I’ll make the call for you.”
Flynn hands over the phone.
I’m aware of what’s happening around me as they place the call to Natalie and Flynn tells her Leah’s been in an accident. I hear Natalie gasp and ask questions for which there are no answers, but I’m oddly detached from it. The only thought I’m capable of processing is that Leah is hurt and on the way to the hospital. I remember getting the call about Elena from her roommate who tracked her down to Drew’s place when she didn’t come home. Drew was nowhere to be found, but Elena… We’ll never know how long she’d been there before her roommate found her unconscious and badly beaten in Drew’s bed.
Even Drew’s roommates hadn’t known she was in there.
At least this time, someone had gotten help for Leah immediately. But would it be enough? Is she already dead and Gordon couldn’t bring himself to tell me? Bile burns my throat, and I fear I’m going to be sick.
I put down the window and take greedy breaths of the fresh air that comes rushing in.
The traffic is, of course, beastly and it takes forever to get to the hospital, or so it seems. Flynn pulls up to the main doors to the emergency department, and the rest of us get out, rushing inside while he parks.
Thankfully, Marlowe takes charge, asking for Leah at the check-in desk.
“I’ll let the doctor know you’re here,” the nurse says, pretending not to gawk at Marlowe. “Are you her family?”
“We are,” Marlowe says.
“Okay,” the nurse says, wide-eyed and agog when Flynn joins us.
We begin to attract a crowd, which is when Gordon comes out from the treatment area and waves for us to follow him. He’s secured a private waiting area for us and ushers us in, closing the door behind him.