He looks me directly in the eyes. “Alli, there’s no changing that order until this fucker is dealt with. I won’t take any chances with you ever again.”
I just nod. I’m not going to argue.
Damien’s phone chirps. His brows slightly crease as he looks at it. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be right back. I figured we could dine on the back porch tonight with the view of the ocean, if that works for you ladies.”
I wonder what’s going on. Probably something with work. Who knows though? In some cases, some of those athletes he has to deal with act more like high school adolescents than grown men making millions.
He gives me a quick kiss.
I respond, “Yes, that sounds wonderful. We’ll be down after a bit.”
I know if his phone call is about work, then there’s no way he’ll be right back. He gives me another sweet kiss before he makes his exit.
I look at Sam, and she starts tearing up.
What in the world? “Sam, what is it? What’s wrong?”
A few tears escape her big green eyes. “He’s perfect for you. It’s just so sweet how much his P loves your V.”
That does it. It opens up our giggle boxes as we both lose it. It’s precious to see her getting all sappy over letters of all things.
After a few more minutes of giggling, we decide to make our way downstairs for some wine. We stand and stretch.
Sam says, “I’ll be down in a few. I’m going to freshen up after all the tears today.” She leans in for one last hug. “I love you so much. Thanks for telling me.”
“Love you, too, bestie.”
As we leave the sunroom, Sam heads to her room as I head downstairs. I feel worlds better. I hated having that barrier between us with the white lies.
When I come off the stairs, I stop in my tracks when I see Damien talking to Martin in an in-depth conversation at the front wooden door. With the way Damien’s rubbing his head, I’m instantly put on high alert. I know Martin isn’t the threat, but old habits die hard.
Why is he here? Does he know something about Ben? My mind is racing in a hundred directions with a million different questions.
Belatedly, I notice Martin’s hair has returned back to his natural blond color, but it is still cut short.
Martin glances my way, and Damien instantly snaps out of whatever stress he was under. His demeanor immediately changes as he realizes I’m there. I look at him quizzically, but he just smiles and pulls me into his side as if this is a totally normal day among the three of us.
He gives me a kiss on the cheek, and then he whispers, “Trust me this evening, baby, with anything I do. You are completely safe. Just relax, and don’t ask questions.”
I give a slight tip of my head with a smile, acknowledging Damien’s request, as I look at Martin. I have no idea what’s going on, but Damien has my complete trust.
I extend my hand as I greet Martin, “Hey, Martin. It’s good to see you again.” My voice, I know, sounds slightly shaky because, as of late, anything that has to do with Martin is still linked somehow to Ben.
Martin gives me a soft smile. “You, too, Allison. I’m sorry about what you went through. Damien has kept me posted. I wish it didn’t have to go down the way it did. Thanks for all you did to get my name cleared. I’ll never forget it.”
I gave hours of endless testimony to help exonerate him. It was exhausting and emotionally draining, but it was worth it to give an innocent man his freedom. At his grateful tone, my instincts take over, and I walk up to him and give him a hug. He returns it in a brotherly way. It’s amazing how someone who I loathed not too long ago is slowly becoming a friend. My brain is still getting used to assimilating Martin and friend in the same thought.
“Thank you, Martin, for all you did to help us when we had no idea what all was going on.”
He releases me, and I immediately walk back into Damien’s arm. I know Damien’s comfortable with me being around Martin, or Damien wouldn’t allow Martin to be that close to me. I don’t want to cause any stress on them though.
Damien speaks next, “I’ll be forever in your debt, Martin. Let’s have some drinks on the back porch. Would you like to join us for dinner? Alli’s friend, Sam, is here, too.”
Martin immediately replies, “Sounds good. I appreciate the invite.”
Something feels a little scripted or off about all this, but I’m going to play along as we make our way to the back porch.
“I’ll meet you guys out there. Nature calls,” Martin says.
Damien points a finger down the hall. “Bathroom is the third door on the left.”
It’s beautiful out here, seeing the waves hit against the ocean. It reminds me of when Damien and I first met. For the first time in three weeks, I want my camera, which makes me smile.
I hear the clinking of ice before Damien pours himself a drink. The sound of the crashing waves soothes me. Damien’s hands come around my waist, and I close my eyes at the contact. He’s rubbing my stomach in a loving way as if he’s relishing a child. My mind is completely out of control, and my breathing becomes just a little shallow.
What is he doing? Is he crazy?
He nuzzles my neck. “Just breathe, Alli. It’s going to be fine. Remember what I said earlier.”
I swallow hard and just exist in the moment. Before I freak out, I turn into him, my lips searching for his. His kiss always takes me out of the moment and calms my erratic brain. He obliges and takes my lips in a slow, sensual kiss that eases my apprehension. If I could live in this type of haze for the rest of my life, I would be a happy person.
Throats clear behind us, and my head shoots up to see Martin and Sam in the doorway. I know I give them both a look as if I’ve been caught doing something I shouldn’t.
Damn it, I’m married. I can kiss my husband and not be ashamed.
They both have a cat-ate-the-canary smile, and I just want to hide. Humiliation is inevitable as I take in Sam’s face.
She says, “Oh, Allison, honey, I do not need to see The Lay of the Year. I saw The Kiss of the Year in person, and I don’t think my dry spell could handle that type of hotness.”
Dry spell, my foot.
Out of habit, my cheeks heat as Martin and Sam both start laughing and high-fiving.
Traitor.
She’s known him for all of two minutes, and they are already compadres. I feel the vibrations from Damien’s silent laughter, and I give him a mock slap to sober him up.
Whose side is he on? He’ll end up in a dry spell if he doesn’t watch it.
“Oh, Allison, like I’ve said before. You can’t help yourself around Wales. He has some kind of voodoo on you.” Sam starts moving her fingers like she’s casting a spell.
She and Martin laugh harder.
Payback is a bitch. Just wait, Sam.
I can sense how proud Damien is of that fact as he nuzzles my neck. He’s learned the best way to detour Sam is to give her minimum satisfaction. It works because she turns her sights on Martin.
“So, you’re the asshole who turned into a good guy in the end and helped my best friend avoid a total psycho? I’m Sam, the best friend.”
Martin’s eyes twinkle in amusement as he holds out his hand while the other goes to his chest all dramatically. “Be still my heart. I think I just fell in love.”
“Oh, Romeo, I’m not that girl, so you better start that heart right back up.”
She gives him a wink, and I can see the same look he now gives me, a brotherly type of vibe. It takes Sam a matter of moments to weave anyone in her spell.
After months of ingrained dislike for the guy, this new Martin is still odd and takes me a little off guard.
I hope Damien and Martin can move on from the past hurt they’ve caused each other.
Damien asks, “Does anyone want a drink? Dinner should be ready in a few minutes.”
Sam and Martin both make their way to the outdoor bar. My stomach, of course, takes that moment to let out a growl that Damien ca
n feel with his hands splayed across my abdomen.
He chuckles at me. Seductively, he whispers for only me to hear, “Let’s get you fed. After all, I did put you through your paces last night.”
How can something like that have me wanting to strip right here, so we can go at it like maniacs on the floor?
I just swallow and nod, which causes him to wink at me. If I speak, Sam and Martin are going to know I’m getting all worked up again. I’m mentally forcing myself to put my libido on the back burner for now because Damien and I need this balance in our lives with friends. We’ve been isolated for so long now, not being able to share anything with anyone.
My mom always said, Next to love, balance is the most important thing. I’m so glad my mom imparted all this wisdom on me through my entire life. It’s been my compass to follow when my map was lost.
Martin leans back in his chair. “Fuck, Wales. You’re the one who bet me to run naked in the supermarket.”
I’m literally in tears from hearing the two of them jab back and forth while reminiscing about their years of being friends.
Damien holds his drink out to Martin. “I can’t help it that you were drunk enough to take me up on that bet.”
Martin runs a hand over his face. “I was completely shit-faced.”
Sam chimes in after taking a sip of her wine. “What did you win for taking the bet?”
Damien starts laughing and looks at Martin.
Martin seems amusingly irritated. Holding up his index finger, he mutters, “I got one fucking quarter for running through the supermarket in all my glory, singing ‘It’s Raining Men’ by The Weather Girls. One quarter. Fuckwad.”
He pushes Damien’s shoulder, and we all bust up laughing for the millionth time tonight.
It’s therapeutic on so many levels. I love seeing this side of Damien’s youth.
Bane comes to the door, and Damien gets up without a word. He exchanges some sort of meaningful glance with Martin.
Martin turns his attention toward us. “So, I bet you two ladies have some crazy stories.”
I watch Bane hand Damien an envelope. Damien rubs his forehead as he reviews the papers inside. They continue talking, and then Damien hands back the envelope before Bane heads toward the direction of the garage. As Damien comes back up the back porch, a car starts down the driveway.
Sam kicks my chair, which causes me to focus on the conversation again.
She responds to Martin, “Us girls stick together. No way in hell are we giving you ammo on us. Isn’t that right, Allison?”
Distracted, I say, “That’s right.”
Damien comes to sit beside me and resumes his happy face. There’s something going down, and I just don’t know if I want to know at this point or not. So, I go with not wanting to know for now.
Leaning into Damien, I listen to everyone banter. My mind is such a chaotic mess that it’s hard to fully reinsert myself into the conversation.
Late evening approaches, and I yawn when I start to feel the exhaustion creep over me. It’s been a long, emotionally healing day.
Of course, Damien, being so in tune with me at every second, makes a decision. “I’m going to take Alli to bed. Martin, it’s late. Why don’t you stay the night?”
Martin takes another sip of his bourbon. “Thanks, I appreciate it. I’ll be gone fairly early in the morning as I have a meeting.”
I swear that something passes between them again, but I’m so tired that I might just be imagining it. All of a sudden, it feels all scripted again. My brain turn-off switch is getting a workout tonight because so many things just aren’t adding up.
Damien continues the show as he stands, and I follow, nestling into his side.
“Do either of you guys need anything before we turn in for the night?”
At Damien’s question, Martin and Sam also stand, both stretching. They are obviously just as ready as I am for bed.
They both reply at the same time, “No, I’m good.”
We all head inside, and I cannot wait until my head hits that pillow. It’s a slow, lazy climb up the stairs. I feel like I’m stuck in molasses with how heavy my feet tread.
At the top, I give Sam a hug. “Night.”
“Night. I’ll see you in the morning,” she says.
Our rooms are in opposite directions, and we part ways. Another look passes between Martin and Damien.
Gah, this is starting to drive me nuts. I’ll ask Damien about it tomorrow. They can have their little secrets tonight.
Finally, Damien and I make it to our room, and I immediately head to the bathroom to get ready for bed and remove what little makeup made it through the day.
I start stripping out of my clothes as Damien comes in with one of my pale pink silk pajamas set. He lays it on the white marble countertop.
Before I can voice my question, he wraps his arms around me from behind as he whispers, “With us having guests so close and our near accident of you running into the hallway this morning, I’d be more at ease if you were dressed tonight.”
Oh, my ever-protective man. I’m looking at our reflection, seeing some worry creep into his eyes. I want to ask him what’s wrong, but his earlier statement to just trust him this evening with no questions comes to my mind. He’s going to have some answering to do tomorrow, but right now, all I can think of is my head hitting that fluffy dream called a pillow.
I give him a reassuring smile. “Sure thing. I had a lot of fun this evening. We’ll have to do it again sometime.”
I turn and lean up on my tiptoes to give him a kiss. Damien returns the kiss, but he doesn’t do anything to further it. I know there’s nothing wrong with us as he disengages and heads to the closet to get his black silk pajama pants. It’s not an awkward feeling, like it has been these last few weeks, but I know some kind of plan is brewing. He never turns down sex right before bed.
I change, noting Damien staring at me as I get naked. Oh, he’s affected all right, but for whatever reason, he is exerting superhuman strength. I could play with him, but the back of my mind tells me to let it be and just go with the flow.
We head to bed, and he pulls back the red duvet. I climb in and am immediately spooned by him. There is just something magical when my body hits that mattress for the first few minutes after having an exhausting day. I grab his arms that are snaked around me and just enjoy where we are.
“I love you, Damien. Thank you for loving me.”
He gives me a kiss on the back of my neck and starts rubbing those soothing circles on me. “You’re my life, Alli. I’ll love you for the rest of mine with every breath I take.”
Pretty soon, I’m gone, feeling the love cover and envelop me like a caress.
I’m pulled from my sleep in a sudden mess of commotion. My body is being yanked and thrown against the headboard. It’s not a violent movement, but more like someone is trying to get me out of the way. It’s dark, and I’m beyond discombobulated as I’m trying to orient myself.
Is this another one of my nightmares?
“Damien…”
“Shh...”
It doesn’t feel like it as I reach out, and Damien’s back crashes into me, covering me as much as possible while smashing my hand between our bodies. I pull it free, and in the same instant, a light flashes on from the bathroom. A dark silhouette appears in the door, holding something. I grab on to Damien’s sides for dear life. Damien’s body is tense, and I feel his muscles shuddering in rage.
What is happening?
“Damien, you have something that belongs to me.”
That voice instantly sobers me from my somewhat sleep-hazed state. My blood stills as the terror begins to seize me. My fingers claw into Damien’s sides, anchoring me to him.
“Allison, why did you lie to me about being pregnant? I saw how this bastard has been touching you all evening. Come here, sweetheart, so we can move past this, or it’s going to get a lot worse for you.”
A cry escapes me as I pull myself closer
to Damien. All of the images of what I endured at Ben’s hands come flooding into my mind—the beating, the hate, his intentions.
Cold as steel, Damien responds, “Ben, you’ll never have Alli again. You’re going to die for what you did to her and Rebecca, you son of a bitch.”
I can feel Damien’s hand slowing moving toward something underneath the pillow. The way the bathroom light is shining obscures his movements for the most part.
Ben’s right hand with the object moves, and I hear a cocking noise. My gut freezes at the sound.
Damien’s safety shoots to the forefront of my mind. “Please, Ben, don’t hurt him. Please.”
I’m trying to disengage myself to take Damien out of harm’s way, but Damien is too fast. He leans back and pins me to the headboard, immobilizing me. I still at the pressure, trying to regain my sanity and squelch my irrational behavior in this moment.
“Allison, say good-bye to Damien. He’s about to be out of your life forever, so we can start a fresh one for us. You’ve just been brainwashed by him for too long.” He starts to raise his hand. “Better move out of the way, Wales, or she’s going to get hurt.”
In a sudden movement, so many things happen.
Damien yells, “BANE!” as he turns and pulls me off the side of the bed.
My head and body hit so many things as he’s lying on top of me in a protective shield. I hear wood breaking as a door across the room bursts open, and then there’s the deafening noise of multiple gunshots. I can’t move, but I feel Damien’s chest heaving, and his muscles are still flexed around me. The gunshots cause my ears to feel like they have cotton in them. Everything is slightly muted. From down the hall, I can hear Sam screaming and yelling.
After what could have been only a few seconds, I hear Bane as if he’s down the hall versus right in the room. “Mr. Wales, the target has been eliminated. Police will be in route shortly. I would suggest taking Mrs. Wales down the hall.”
Eliminated.
Dead.
Ben.
My mind is reeling to catch up to what Bane meant. Relief, terror, and adrenaline surge through my body.
This. Is. Over.
Damien doesn’t respond as he solely focuses on me. He lifts me up, and I cling to his neck as if it’s the only lifeline left in this world. My body begins to tremble. Damien’s hands hold me gently to him as I keep my eyes screwed tightly shut.
Love Me (Trust Series #2) Page 30
