“Fuck off, bitch. Don't go near my sub,” William warned.
Emily was too terrified to lift her gaze, but she heard the resounding blow as the stranger popped William in the face for a second time. William howled and when he fell to the couch, Emily could see him holding his hands to his bleeding nose.
“Do not speak to my sub. Ever. Is that clear?” The stranger's voice was icy and he waited for a moment, but William was still shouting and moaning about his face. “Mandy, do as I asked, please.”
Emily was so frightened, she couldn't stop shaking, and she chewed on her lip to try to contain the desire to cry. She was in so much trouble, William would be so furious when he took her home. She'd be locked up, for who knew how long and she couldn't begin to imagine what he would do in retribution for this stranger hitting him.
A length of silky smooth leg and a sliver of red leather came into view and Emily felt a soft touch against her naked shoulder. “My name is Mandy. We can help you, if you want to leave your Dom.”
Emily shook her head, reluctant to speak. William owned her, she had no right to leave and he would be so angry if she spoke to this young woman without his permission.
“Please, let me see your face,” the young woman asked softly. When Emily refused, shaking her head again, Mandy tucked her fingers under Emily's chin and gently brought her face up to meet her own, despite Emily's whimpers. “We will help you, if you want to leave him. He doesn't own you.”
“I do own her! That little bitch is my property!” William said, his voice muffled by his hands over his bleeding nose.
One of the other men who had joined the stranger spoke up – Emily couldn't see his face, but he sounded harsh when he spoke to William. “This child is not going home with you. You will not be allowed in this club again, and believe me, I will make sure you are banned from every single fucking BDSM club in the country.”
“Who the fuck are you?” William asked scornfully.
“Antony Lewis,” the man said. “And as of Monday, I own this dump, and all the other club's situated in San Francisco.”
Emily shook harder, on hearing that this man was Antony Lewis. He was well known in the BDSM community, a multi-millionaire who ran a number of prestigious clubs around the United States and in Europe. His clubs were known to be first-rate. William was going to be so furious if they stopped him from visiting the clubs, and she would pay the price. He would kill her, she was certain.
To Emily's surprise, the stranger crouched down beside his sub and eyed Emily carefully. “What's your name?”
Emily couldn't find her voice, didn't know what to do. To her surprise, one of William's friends spoke up, probably trying to save himself from being kicked out of the club by Antony Lewis. “Her name's Emily. I don't know her surname.”
The stranger brushed the curls back from Emily's face and stared at her thoughtfully for a moment. “Emily. Listen very carefully to me. I will offer you my protection if you choose to leave your Dom. I will ensure your safety and take you somewhere, far away from him, where he can't hurt you again. I give you my word.”
Tears welled up in Emily's eyes and she tried to lower her gaze, but the stranger crouching beside her refused to allow it. “No, Emily. I want to see your face. What this asshole has done to you is not a healthy relationship. I can see it in the injuries he's inflicted on you and I can see it in the fear in your eyes. He has no legal right to hold you against your will. I'm a police detective, and I can assure you that no matter what he might have told you, the contract between he and you can be nullified, immediately. All I need is for you to have the courage to say 'help me'. If you can do that, I will take you away from here tonight – immediately. Mandy and I will care for you and keep you safe.”
“It's true, kid. This worthless prick cannot keep you, that's not how the relationship between a Dom and their sub is meant to work – ever,” Antony Lewis added, staring at William coldly. He waved to someone near the bar, and Emily found herself draped in a warm blanket and the sub, Mandy, offered her a bottle of water.
It had been so long since Emily had been cared for, she couldn't stop tears from rolling down her cheeks. Mandy held the bottle to her lips and she sipped the water gratefully, even as she cowered underneath the stranger's scrutiny and William's furious glare.
Licking her lips, Emily decided she could lose nothing by taking a leap of faith and accepting the kindness of these strangers. It had been a defining moment in her life, and created a friendship she imagined would continue forever. Avoiding William's gaze, she'd whispered the words that would provide her with escape.
“Help me.”
≈≈◊◊≈◊◊≈≈
Emily drew herself back from the memories with a shudder. Even now, two years later, William Collado had the ability to strike fear in her heart and mind.
Although she knew Matt was different, she wasn't certain she could risk losing her heart to him. She'd barely survived the last disaster – while the circumstances were very different, already this thing with Matt was proving difficult and she still didn't know if he could be what she needed so badly. And could she trust him not to hurt her? She'd needed nearly two years to recover from the psychological and physical trauma meted out by William. While she didn't think Matt would ever break his word and hurt her, he could be dangerous in so many other ways. She'd never truly believed herself in love with William, not after the first few weeks. But she knew for certain, she could fall in love with Matt easily. If he were to hurt her, it would destroy her.
With a sigh, Emily typed out a text to Matt, still uncertain what was best for everyone. She had a sneaking suspicion that keeping away from Matt Pendleton was the only sane decision she could make.
* * *
Chapter Thirteen
Matt was relieved when he received a text back from Emily, particularly because he'd been beginning to worry that she wasn't going to contact him. He opened the message and scanned the contents, his brow furrowing with concern.
EMILY: Matt, I'm sorry I didn't contact you before now. I did get home safely, thanks. I hope Courtney isn't so upset today; maybe this thing between us isn't a good idea at this point in your life.
Matt swiftly typed out a response.
MATT: I'm taking a few days off, to work through some of Courtney's issues. She needs my support, which I think was well and truly established by last night's disaster. Don't give up on me, Emily. I want to pursue this thing between us, but my first responsibility has to be towards Courtney and the other kids.
Matt had to remind himself to breathe while he waited for a response.
EMILY: I understand. That's why I'm not sure this is a good idea. Let's give each other a week or so to think about things, and then we can make a decision. I like you, Matt, but I can't be responsible for causing your family more grief.
Dropping the phone onto the bench in frustration, Matt finished the dishes from breakfast and wiped across the benches. He'd already spoken to his Lieutenant and Paul this morning, warning them he'd be taking off work for a few days. Neither had given him any problems once they learned what the issue was. He'd also spoken to Paul for a long time, about what had happened with Courtney and Emily at the party. Paul had encouraged him, telling him he thought Matt should continue to see Emily and things with Courtney would gradually settle down. His Mom had said the same thing when she rang at seven a.m., to check up on the situation. It seemed his family had decided Emily was great and were happy to see him enjoying a woman's company again. His Mom had gently pressured him to keep an open mind and not allow Courtney to steamroll him into breaking things off with Emily.
With a sigh, Matt dropped the kitchen towel onto the bench and made a coffee. What the hell was he supposed to do? This situation was a nightmare, and he couldn't see how he could resolve it to everyone's satisfaction. His family might think Emily was great now – but how could he keep the secret of what she was from them forever? It was going to be impossible.
&nbs
p; Paul thought they were good for each other, but honestly, Matt still wasn't sure he could be what Emily wanted and needed. Paul had cautiously suggested he could assist Matt in that department, but the idea sent Matt spiraling into panic. He didn't know if he could discuss dominance and submission with a man who was his work partner and friend. Worse still, how was Paul going to teach him what it meant to be a Dom? Do a 'show and tell' with Mandy? Jesus.
And what if Emily decided she didn't want to see him anymore? Her texts this morning had suggested she was suffering from cold feet and he couldn't blame her. This thing had been seriously FUBAR from the very beginning and when things were Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition, sometimes it was better to pull back and accept they weren't going to work.
Yet his gut told him what was happening between him and Emily could be utterly amazing, if only they could overcome their problems.
Sipping his coffee, Matt went in search of his oldest daughter. She'd been keeping a low profile since they'd gotten home last night, and had gone straight up to bed when they arrived home. He hadn't seen her this morning, and felt a familiar twist in his gut when he wondered if she was even in her bedroom. Since things had deteriorated between them, he was constantly terrified he'd get up one morning and discover she'd run away from home. The thought of his baby girl being out on the streets alone was enough to having him breaking out in a cold sweat. He'd seen what happened to kids who ran away – they could get into horrendous amounts of trouble very quickly. He didn't want that for Courtney.
Saying a quiet prayer, he knocked on her bedroom door and then twisted the handle, stepping into Courtney's room. It was, he imagined, a typically teenage girl's bedroom. When Courtney had been a toddler, he'd painted her room in soft pinks and greens. Later, when she reached her teenage years, Courtney had insisted she wanted purple and with Caroline's gentle persuasion, he'd been coerced into having one wall painted dark purple and the three other walls in a softer violet. Nowadays, he figured the walls could be any damn color, because nobody would be any the wiser. Posters were tacked up on every available inch of the walls, posters of the latest boy bands, and numerous actors who were Courtney's current flavor of the month and 'totally sick' in her words. Her dresser was buried beneath a mountain of make-up, perfume, and jewelry – she seemed to spend all her allowance on that sort of crap. Her desk in the corner was buried a foot deep in magazines and schoolbooks and with chagrin, he noticed the wastepaper basket on the floor was surrounded by balled up pieces of paper which she'd tossed and missed. Thank Christ; she'd never taken up basketball.
Courtney was lying on her stomach on the bed, her head resting on her crossed arms. While she didn't speak when he stepped into the room, she didn't scream at him to leave, which he took as a good sign. She watched him silently, her whisky brown eyes, so like his, red-rimmed from crying.
“Can we talk?” Matt questioned.
Courtney sat up on the bed with an impatient huff. “I suppose.”
Matt sat down besides her, biting back an impatient retort. “Courtney, we can't go on like this. Baby, I love you, but this attitude you've got going on – it's destructive and it's hurting everyone in this family.”
Courtney remained silent, brushing her long hair away from her face; her eyes welled with tears again. Matt got up and collected a box of tissues from the dresser, pulled one out and handed it to her, before placing the box on the bed.
“I know I'm not able to fill your Mom's shoes, but I love you. I want to help you, but honestly, I don't know how to do that anymore,” Matt admitted quietly. He settled back down on the bed beside his daughter and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know how much you miss your Mom, and I know how important she was to you. She was important to all of us, Courtney. You're not the only one who's hurting.”
Courtney blew her nose and sniffled noisily. “If you loved her so much, how can you just forget about her? How can you start seeing some other woman?”
Matt raked his hands through his hair, his heart clenching tightly in his chest. “I will never forget your Mom. Never. I loved her from the time I was sixteen years old and I will love her until the day I die. But just because someone we love dies, it doesn't mean we have to die with them, Court. I know you think I'm ancient, but baby, I'm not that old. I have a lot of years ahead of me, and I don't want to spend them alone. Your Mom wouldn't want that for me either. And if our situations were reversed, I sure as hell wouldn't have expected Caroline to remain alone after I was gone.”
“But it's only been eighteen months!” Courtney protested, bursting into a fresh round of tears.
Matt drew her into his arms, grateful when she allowed him the hug. It had been such a long time since she'd let him give her any sort of comfort, and the urge to do so when she was hurting so badly was overwhelming. How could he explain to his daughter how lonely he'd been? What did he say to explain his need to find love again? “This thing with Emily, it's really new, we've only known each other for a week. We're more like friends, at this stage. I like her, and we've had fun together in the couple of times we've seen one another, but Courtney, I'm not about to replace your Mom with her.”
“You invited her to Grandpa's birthday,” Courtney protested, her voice muffled against his shoulder.
“Yeah, I did, and that was a mistake,” he admitted. “I shouldn't have invited her, not without warning you about what I was planning. I should have given you and the others a chance to get to know Emily better for yourself before I included her. It wasn't fair.”
Courtney was quiet for a few minutes, the only sound her occasional sniffles and Matt waited her out, allowing her time to consider what he'd said.
“Have you slept with her?”
The air rushed out of Matt's lungs and he took a second to compose himself before he could respond. What the fuck? His response came out in a rush of denial. “No.” As soon as the word left his mouth, he immediately regretted the lie, but how could he possibly tell his fifteen-year-old daughter the truth? Yeah, I've known her for less than a week, but I've already had sex with her. More than once. And the first time, I was willing to pay her for it because I was so fucking desperate to connect with someone. Yeah, right.
“I miss Mom,” Courtney said softly. “I miss her every day.”
“So do I, Court, I really do.”
Courtney blew her nose loudly and threw the tissue towards the wastepaper basket. Matt wasn't surprised to see it miss and land on the floor amongst the other debris. “I want Mom back. I need her.”
“Baby, I'll do anything I can to help you and I wish I could change things, but I can't. Your Mom is gone, and we can't get her back. But she wouldn't want to see you and me fighting the way we have been, she'd hate to think we couldn't find a way to get along.”
“Will you stop seeing Emily?”
Matt steeled himself for another burst of histrionics when he answered this question truthfully. “I don't want to.”
“She's really young.”
“She's twenty five.”
“That's only ten years older than me.”
Matt sighed. “I'm aware of that, honey, but I'm not about to marry her. Hell, I don't even know if this is going to become something serious, or if we'll only be friends. I honestly don't know.”
“Gran was really angry with me last night,” she admitted ruefully.
“She was angry with you last night, but she was on the phone at seven this morning, making sure you were okay.”
Courtney's eyes grew wider. “She was?”
Matt smiled down at his oldest daughter, wishing that growing up wasn't such a sucky thing to deal with. Especially now, when everything seemed far more complicated than it had been when he was fifteen. “Of course she was. Yeah, she was angry about how rude you were to Emily, but you apologized for your behavior before we left. And Gran knows you're hurting, we all do. But I need you to remember – your Mom didn't only leave you behind when she died. She left all of us behind. We need to m
ake the best of things, and try to be the family your Mom would have wanted us to be.”
Courtney plucked another tissue from the box and blew her nose, nodding. “I'll try.”
Matt drew her back into his arms and hugged her tightly. “That's all I'm asking.”
≈≈◊◊≈◊◊≈≈
Breludin was one of Emily's favorite places to eat, and one of Sally's regular haunts for Sunday brunches. Situated on the waterfront overlooking the ocean, the restaurant boasted a beautiful view and magnificent food. Usually when Emily went out with Sally and Bud, she thoroughly enjoyed herself, but today she couldn't seem to get into the mood.
They were seated outside, the fresh salty tang of sea air invigorating and the day was sunny and warm. The restaurant boasted seating out along the waterfront and Emily focused on a number of yachts moored nearby, their hulls bobbing in the gentle swell. Breludin's outdoor seating consisted of chic glass and black cane tables with comfortable matching seats and Sally had established their group at her favorite table, from where she could see everyone coming and going, and greet friends as they passed the restaurant on their way further down the pier. Sally was a mainstay of Seattle; she'd lived in the city her entire life, and was well known to everyone – from one end of Seattle's social spectrum to the other.
They'd already had a Seattle judge and his wife visit the table, followed by a guy who busked around the city and occasionally did bar work for Sally. The owner of a Las Vegas casino, who was in the city for a conference came and chatted for ten minutes and Sally interrupted their discussion to go and give a homeless guy twenty dollars when he walked past. The CEO of the Seattle Children's Hospital had also dropped by with his wife, to discuss the latest fundraising venture Sally was supporting. She was well known for her philanthropic ventures and was extremely generous to various charities in the greater Seattle area, including the hospital.
Contrasting Lives Page 14
