Again and Again (Forever and Always #10)

by E. L. Todd

  I cupped her face, forcing the anger back. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I stayed home this week so you wouldn’t find out. I thought the bruises would be gone by now…”

  I’ve never been so fucking angry in my life. “Who did this to you?” I kept my voice steady so I wouldn’t destroy all the furniture in her apartment in a bloody rage.

  “This is why I didn’t want to tell you…”

  “Answer me! I swear to fucking god, I will rip every limp from his body until he bleeds to death. I will cause him so much pain, he’ll wish I just ripped his head off. Every knuckle will be broken. His spine will bend in half. I will tear his—”

  “Stop,” she said firmly.

  My mouth shut.

  “I don’t need this right now.”

  I controlled my breathing. “Cassandra, nobody touches my girl and gets away with it. If you don’t want me to hurt him, I will pay someone to assassinate him.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “I’m not trying to be,” I snapped. “I’m being fucking serious. That sounds like the wisest investment I’ve ever made.”

  “Mike, no. You’re one the most recognized people in this city. You could get in serious trouble.”

  “You think I give a shit? I don’t care about my job. I care about you!”

  She held her ground. “Mike, no.”

  “Fine. Then let’s call the police.”

  “I’m not doing that either.”

  I grabbed the kitchen table and flipped it on its side. I wasn’t handling my anger well. I’d never been so pissed in my life. This was my lowest point. I wanted to snap someone’s neck. I could handle anything that came my way, but Cassandra was a different ballgame. I’d kill someone who touched her. Shit, I’d kill their whole family. That’s how crazy I was.

  Cassandra didn’t flinch when I destroyed her furniture.

  “You are calling the cops. It’s one or the other,” I said firmly. “Either I kill him, or you hand it over to the police.”

  “I know what will happen if I call the cops. They’ll try him, and even if I win, he’ll only go to jail for like three years. And then he’ll be pissed and thirsty for revenge. It’s better if I just let it go.”

  “Sorry,” I said sarcastically. “I didn’t realize you had a degree in law.”

  “Shut the fuck up, Mike!”

  “You shut the fuck up! You can’t just do nothing. I will not let him hurt you again. Call the cops then move in with me. I would love to see him try to lay a hand on you, not when this damn guard dog is on watch. Either that, or let me kill him and get rid of the problem altogether.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Just drop it.”

  My eyes were about to pop because I was so pissed. “Tell me his name or I will figure it out. I promise you. And then I will kill him and not give you the courtesy of telling you beforehand.”

  “You won’t do shit, Mike.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “If I tell you not to do something, you won’t.”

  I laughed in her face. “In any other scenario, you would be right, baby. But in this situation, fuck no. Your wishes don’t mean shit to me.”

  “You don’t even know who it is.”

  “It wouldn’t be hard to figure out. It’s your ex, isn’t it?”

  She didn’t look at me.

  “Fucker!”

  “Calm down! You aren’t helping.”

  I paced the room so I wouldn’t pick up her couch and throw it over the balcony. “So, what happened?”

  “I’m not telling you anything, not until you calm down.”

  I glared at her. “I will never be calm—forever.”

  She wouldn’t look at me.

  “Now tell me.”

  “I was out with my friends last weekend. I ran into him and we got into an argument. When I left to go home, he followed me and pulled me into an alley. He found out I was dating you, he was drunk, and it just got out of hand. He tried to rape me and it got chaotic.”

  Now my fists were on fire because I clenched them so tightly.

  “He didn’t succeed,” she said quickly. “And if you think I look bad, you should see him. I broke his nose, unhinged his jaw, dislocated his shoulder, and popped his kneecap. There’s no reason for you to hunt him down. I kicked his ass.”

  For just a glimmer in time, I wasn’t so angry. “You did all that?”

  “You think I go to the gym every day just because?” she asked incredulously. “I’ve been taking self-defense classes for years.”

  I stood in front of her and smiled. Actually smiled. “That’s my girl.”

  She smirked.

  “And that’s so fucking hot. What happened after?”

  “He passed out. I left and didn’t call an ambulance. I’m sure someone found him, but I couldn’t care less.”

  I rubbed my nose against hers. “God, I love you.”

  Her eyes softened. “I know you do.”

  I cupped her face and kissed every bruise, treating her delicately. “I’m sorry I screamed at you and broke your table.”

  “It’s okay,” she whispered.

  I pressed my head to hers. “I still need to kill him.”

  “I already beat him up pretty badly. I suspect he’ll have permanent damage. And if he isn’t scared of me, he should be.”

  “Fuck yeah,” I said with a smile.

  “So please let it go, baby. I only hid it from you because I knew how you would act. And if we call the police, I might look worse because I did more damage. It could completely backfire on me.”

  I nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”

  “So just leave it alone.”

  “I can’t. What if he wants retribution when he gets better?”

  “Whatever,” she said. “If he bothers me, I’ll beat the shit out of him again.”

  “I would much rather do the honors.”

  “You can’t watch me all the time.”

  “I can if you move in with me.”

  She studied my face for a long time. “Mike, we’ve only been dating for a few months.”

  “But I love you and you love me. My brother and his wife took ten years to get their shit together. I’m not fucking around. So, is that a no?”

  “I haven’t even met your mom…”

  “I couldn’t care less what she thinks of you. She could hate you and I wouldn’t give a damn.”

  She still looked torn.

  “It’s okay if you say no, but I’ll be sleeping here all the time anyway.”

  “You really want me to?” she asked. “I don’t want to if you’re just asking to protect me.”

  I smiled. “I’m just using it as an excuse. Now shut up and move in with me.”

  “You’re a smooth talker. Okay. Let’s do it.”

  “Sex or move in together?”

  “Both.”

  “I’m on it.”

  18

  Sean

  “Sean, I can carry it.”

  I snatched it out of my wife’s hands. “I got it.”

  She glared at me. “Let me carry something.”

  I opened my wallet and handed her a hundred dollar bill. “Just look pretty and go buy something.”

  She looked like she might slap me.

  “Baby, I’m kidding. How about you help Cassandra arrange her stuff in the apartment?”

  “That’s not a two person job.”

  I went to the moving truck and searched for something light enough for her to carry. When I found something I handed it to her.

  “Pillows?” she asked incredulously.

  “You wanted to carry something. Now do it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a sexist pig.”

  I pulled her to my chest and gave her an intimate kiss. That shut her up pretty good. Then I grabbed the box and carried it into the elevator. Scarlet came next to me, holding the pillows. She looked at me and rolled her eyes again.

 
Ryan came inside next, carrying the remaining boxes. He eyed Scarlet. “Wow…someone is a slacker.”

  She glared at him. “Sean won’t let me carry anything.”

  “Sure…”

  We took the elevator to the top floor. Mike moved into a much bigger apartment for him and Cassandra to share. I thought my brother was moving way too fast in his relationship but I held back my objections since he was happy.

  When we cam into his apartment, we put the last of the boxes on the hardwood floor. The apartment was spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows. I knew my brother was paying a fortune for this place.

  “Pizza?” Janice asked.

  “I’m starving,” Scarlet said.

  “Why?” Ryan jabbed. “You didn’t do anything.”

  “Shut up!” She marched past him and headed to the table.

  Ryan winked at me. “I love pissing off my sister.”

  “I’ve noticed.”

  We joined them at the table and scarfed down our food.

  “Where’s Cortland?” Mike asked. There weren’t enough chairs so Cassandra was sitting on his knee

  “He and Monnique have been on hiatus for two weeks,” Scarlet explained.

  “You mean they are catching up on their fucking?” Mike asked.

  “In so many words…” I chewed my pizza. “So, are you going to tell Mom about you two moving in together?”

  He shrugged. “I’ll tell her next time I see her.”

  “Maybe you should tell her when Cassandra meets her. That way it will be more personable.”

  Mike nodded. “Mom is a crazy bird.”

  “In so many words…” I said again.

  Scarlet ate half a pizza by herself. “Cortland asked us to help him their stuff into the house they got in Connecticut.”

  Everyone cringed.

  “Ugh,” Ryan said. “We just moved all of Mike’s shit.”

  “He’s family. I told him we would do it.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Ryan jabbed. “You don’t do anything to help.”

  Scarlet glared at him. “You can blame my husband for that.”

  “Or your fat ass,” Ryan countered.

  I rolled my eyes. They were the weirdest siblings I knew.

  “Let’s go shopping,” Janice said. “So the boys can finish all the work.”

  Scarlet narrowed her eyes at Ryan. “Now look who’s lazy. Why don’t you talk to your girl?”

  “She can do whatever she wants,” Ryan snapped. “I fuck her. It’s different.”

  “Pig,” Scarlet said under her breath.

  The girls grabbed their purses then left the apartment. Scarlet made an effort to befriend Cassandra since she was so important to Mike. But naturally, Scarlet was friends with everyone she met, so they hit it off right off the bat.

  Mike still devoured the pizza.

  Ryan eyed him. “So…this happened pretty quickly.”

  “What?” Mike asked.

  “You moved in together pretty fast,” Ryan said.

  Mike shrugged. “It was a little soon, but I love her. I’m not worried about it.”

  “If you think it’s too soon, why did you ask?”

  Mike finished his food then wiped his face with a napkin. “None of your fucking business, jackass.”

  Wow…he was defensive.

  Ryan tried to diffuse the tension. “We’re here for you, man. Just trying to look after you.”

  “Yeah, dickhead,” I snapped.

  Mike sighed. “Sorry, I snapped. The truth is, there’s a reason why I asked her. I didn’t have a choice, not that I’m not happy about the arrangement.”

  “You knocked her up,” I said.

  Mike glared at me. “No, ass face. It’s something totally different.”

  “What?” Ryan asked.

  “Ass face?” I asked. “What are you? Five?”

  Mike ignored my comment. “Remember when she was sick and I didn’t know what the hell was wrong?”

  I nodded.

  “When I finally saw her, she was covered in bruises.”

  “What the fuck happened?” Ryan asked.

  “Her ex ran into her and they got into a fight. But my baby kicked his ass.” He had a smile on his face. “She broke his nose, his jaw, his shoulder, and his leg. Fucking badass.”

  “Wow…” I was impressed. “That is pretty awesome. I wish Scarlet could handle herself better. I would worry a little less.”

  “Did you call the cops?” Ryan asked.

  “She refused to. Then I said I was going to kill him.”

  “We’ll all fucking kill him,” I said.

  “She said no. She said she already fucked him up pretty badly.”

  “It’s not bad enough unless he’s dead,” Ryan snapped. He was more livid than Mike was. “How can you be some calm about this?”

  “I’ve been working through it for two weeks,” Mike said. “Believe me. I wasn’t calm. But she said we needed to forget about it and move on. Since I’m somewhat famous, she said it would do more harm than good to retaliate. And I have to admit she’s right. And she made it sound like he’s a smart guy. He could take the company if he got the right lawsuit.”

  “So, she’s moving in with you just in case he retaliates after he gets better?” I asked.

  “And I sincerely hope he does,” Mike said with dark eyes. “If he breaks into my house, it’s self defense. And I will annihilate that motherfucker.”

  I was mad after hearing the story. I had a soft spot toward abuse against women. Knowing Scarlet was harassed by her boss and even threatened made me sick. I never approved of it before, but now I was passionate about it. Why would a man, twice the size of most women, hurt them? It made no sense to me. Scarlet could come at me with a knife and I still wouldn’t retaliate.

  “Let me know if you change your mind,” Ryan said darkly.

  Mike nodded.

  We finished the pizza box in silence, thinking about what happened to Cassandra. I really needed to get a gun in the house. No one was a threat to us, but I would sleep better at night knowing I could protect my wife with metal and steel.

  When we came home that night, Scarlet walked inside then put her shopping bags on the floor. She bought new shoes and a top. I carried it for her and marveled at how heavy shopping bags could be.

  She and I hadn’t had sex in almost a month. I was going crazy, about to explode at any moment. Normally, I would persuade her and seduce her, but I couldn’t do that now. She was emotionally scarred and I refused to rush her. She went through a serious trauma and I wanted to take it as slow as she needed. I knew sex would remind her of the baby. It would take a while for her to enjoy it again.

  “God, moving is exhausting,” she said as she lay back on the couch.

  I laughed. “If only Ryan could hear you.”

  She automatically touched the necklace around her throat. “That jackass.”

  I kneeled at her feet then pulled her flats off. “Let me give my wife a foot rub.”

  “You don’t need to—”

  I dug my fingers into her heel and massaged the muscle.

  “Oh…” She closed her eyes and sighed.

  I smirked then kept rubbing her feet. When I finished one, I rubbed the other.

  “I should be rubbing you,” she said. “You actually moved stuff today.”

  “I’m fine, baby. You’re more important.”

  “You always say that,” she whispered.

  “Because it’s true.”

  She opened her eyes and gave me a soft expression. “You’re so sweet to me.”

  “Because you’re my wife. Believe me, I’m a jackass to everyone else.”

  “Cassandra said you’re Prince Charming at work.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s called office politics.”

  “You’re the boss,” she said. “You don’t have to be nice to anyone.”

  “But I want my employees to be comfortable around me. The productivity is higher because they
feel loyal to you.”

  “Your dad taught you well.”

  “He taught me everything I know.”

  She sat up then pressed her lips to my forehead. “I’m so happy I married you.”

  That made my heart melt.

  “Because you’re just like Andrew,” she teased.

  “Who knew I would get tail because of my dad,” I countered.

  “He’s a sexy stud.”

  “Okay…this is getting weird.”

  She laughed. “You’re the only man who I think is sexy.”

  Our eyes connected, and the same thought passed between us. I tried to determine what she wanted without asking. She looked at me like she wanted it. I’d gotten that look from my wife enough times to catch it. I started off with a slow kiss to feel her out.

  She breathed into my mouth while my lips caressed hers. I inched toward her, moving further between her legs. My hands were on both her knees and I moved further up her thighs, feeling the muscles underneath. I wanted to move up her dress and return to what I wanted most.

  I grabbed her hips and pulled her closer to me, letting her feel my hard cock in my running shorts. I wanted her to know what I wanted. She could stop it whenever she wanted. But I wanted to make my needs clear.

  When she pulled my shirt off, I almost yelled in joy. Not having sex with Scarlet was torture. I couldn’t touch myself because I felt too guilty. It was okay when our sexual relationship was solid, but satisfying myself when she wasn’t didn’t sit right with me. We suffered together. We fell apart together.

  Then she unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down along with my briefs. My cock was twitching because it was so excited. Scarlet grabbed me and pulled me to the couch next to her. Then she moved between my legs and grabbed my shaft. I couldn’t help but be disappointed. I wanted to make love to her.

  I grabbed her face and kissed her lips. “I’d rather be inside you if you’re ready.”

  “I…I don’t know.”

  “That’s fine,” I said quickly. “But you don’t need to do this to satisfy me. You don’t owe me anything.”

  “I know you must be going crazy.”

  “I just you want to be happy. Don’t worry about me.” I gave her a firm look. “Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “But, tell me what’s bothering you, baby? Why are you scared?”

  “I don’t know,” she said quietly. “It just reminds me…”