Salvation

by Ahren Sanders

  “Are you kidding me? Why would anyone overlook her?”

  Suddenly, her lack of confidence becomes my greatest concern. I know so much about her sister treating her like shit and sabotaging her relationships. But have I given her a reason to worry?

  “I don’t know, but let me know if you want me to talk to her. You’re bringing her tomorrow night, right?” she asks, referring to Declan’s birthday celebration.

  “Yeah, she’s coming.”

  “Great, then make her feel special and I bet you’ll see her open up.”

  “Can’t we quit talking about this shit now? I’m pretty sure we’ve crossed into heavy chick territory.”

  “Yep, but know I really like her.”

  “Me too.” Understatement of a fucking lifetime. I look over to see my mom watching me with questioning eyes. Her frown indicates she overheard my conversation.

  As soon as RJ leaves, my mom starts in on me. “How could you? You lied to your sister and made Ember seem like a–a-a fling!” Her chest heaves as she glares.

  “Mom, listen. I had to. Ember is not and has never been a fling to me. I’m in love with her, but this shit with RJ and Declan scares the shit out of me. The overwhelming need to take care of her outweighs anything. She has some deep- rooted issues, and all I’m worried about is her safety. Emotionally and physically. I’ll talk to RJ when the time is right, tell her I lied. But for now, this is what’s necessary.”

  Her face softens and her eyes start to glimmer. “You are so much like your dad, it’s frightening. But more than that, I can’t believe you’re in love.”

  “Yeah, let’s keep that to ourselves. Can I ask you a favor?’

  “Anything.”

  “Send me a list of things I’m obligated to in the next few months so I can get Ember’s schedule clear. And do you mind calling her and inviting her to dinner next week? Maybe y’all can talk about the dress you want made. It’s time she understands how a family works.”

  “Of course, but why do you say that? I thought she has a wonderful family.”

  “She has a terrific dad, cousin, and aunt. The rest are fucking animals. I think it’s time you know more about her.”

  Mom looks like she wants to question me, but nods and goes back to the living room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Fuck! I hope Ember will understand.

  Ember curls and sighs, pressing her naked, sweaty body into mine. “I had a great time tonight.”

  “Me too.”

  “You want to tell me why Raven kept looking at me with winks and grins? I felt like she was seeking some sort of sign.”

  My heart starts racing, wishing I could avoid this as long as possible. Scared of her reaction, I roll her back over and pin her down. “Say you love me.”

  “I love you, but you’re freaking me out.”

  “I purposely lied to my sister last night. She started questioning me, you, our relationship. I froze. The only thing that came to mind was your safety and privacy. So I played it off, told her I was confused about you. Didn’t know where we stood.”

  “Why would you do that?” Her small voice cuts me like a knife.

  “You’ve become so important that I would hurt anyone that caused you pain. Raven’s life is full of drama. I want none of that for you. I saw how your mother’s shit affected you. It scares me to think that you may be hurt by anything at all. I’ve always been private, very private. The last thing I want is for you to be dragged into shit I can’t contain.”

  “You lied to your sister, who you love more than anything, because you’re protecting me?” Her voice is strained.

  “Baby, I just became the brother-in-law of a rock star. As much as it kills me, I had to make a decision. We’ll —”

  “No, Robbie! My dad is in jail. My aunt and cousin spend every day trying to make sure I won’t crack. You are the one person who sees the real me! Don’t ever lie for me again! I want the world to know I’m in love with you. I want the world to know I’ve finally stepped out and conquered my demons.”

  I shut her up with a deep kiss, running my tongue over her teeth and lips, ravaging her mouth. She tries to protest, but I align my body over hers and gently slide into her wet heat.

  “I love you, Ember. I’m not proud of what I did, but it’s done.”

  “Don’t lie for me again.”

  She thrashes against me, trying to say something else, but I don’t give her the chance as I pound into her and keep her mouth occupied.

  “You poor, poor girl.” My mom’s voice cracks as she wipes her eyes.

  “Jenna, please don’t feel sorry for me. I wanted to tell you because it’s important for you to know me, and to hear from me what my life was like. My dad will be moving to Nashville soon,” Ember reassures her.

  “When will you see him again?” Mom asks.

  “My trip down was delayed, but I think we’re going next Sunday.” Ember looks at me to confirm.

  “Yeah, babe, we’re still going.”

  “Let’s plan dinner after you get back. I want to hear everything.” My mom gives my dad a hard glare, and he jerks almost imperceptibly. This was the kind of silent communication I’d watched my whole life. They were so in tune that even silence could hold a conversation.

  “Jenna, would you like to talk about your dress now? I brought my sketch pad.” Ember reaches down, and I help get her things out of her bag.

  “Yes, let’s go to the kitchen.” Both women get up and leave the room, talking about colors and fabrics.

  As soon as they’re gone, my dad leans his elbows on his knees and looks at me questioningly. I see the wheels turning in his brain, trying to think of the right way to ask.

  “Just say it, Dad.”

  “What don’t I know? Seven years seems like a long time for a man to go away for beating up a seventeen-year old boy he found in bed with his daughter.”

  “I feel the same way. It’s the mom and sister that have the power to hurt her. She’s crazy about her dad. My first priority was to get her to open up, trust me. Now that she does, I feel comfortable researching deeper.”

  “Son, I hate to even say this, because she seems like a sweet, talented, hard-working young woman that has risen out of a shitty situation, but are you sure that’s what you need right now? You’re still healing, yourself. Her emotional baggage can’t be—”

  “Stop! Don’t say something you can’t take back. I love her. I fell in love with her probably before I was ready to admit it. It was me who pushed her to understand how incredible she is, emotional baggage or not— it makes her who she is. I wouldn’t change a fucking hair on her head. To me, she’s perfect.”

  “I didn’t mean to imply she’s anything but great, but remember when you came to me after you found out about Raven and Declan? You were worried, skeptical, and against them dating. Knowing what we’ve gone through with their situation, do you really want to be constantly on edge?”

  “On edge of what? That she may have a bad day and need to cry on my shoulder? Or that she’ll continue to trust me enough to share her past terror?” My chest is heaving at this point.

  “No need to get so defensive. It’s my job to watch out for you.”

  “You can be assured I’m fine. This woman beats down the darkness when I close my eyes. She thinks my scars are beautiful. Hell, she even nicknamed Finn ‘Hero’. If I can give her half the peace she has given me, it’s still not enough.”

  His eyes grow wide at my admission, and he looks away, rubbing his hands down his face. We sit in silence for a minute before he looks at me with a small grin.

  “You going to marry this girl?”

  “If I’m lucky.”

  “Jesus, I can’t believe we’re talking about this.”

  “You brought it up.”

  “Now, I want to know everything you know, including the fact that Finn and you had Shake working on a special project.”

  “Damn, is there anything that stays confidential?”

  “Told yo
u before, I’m good at my job. And after you meet Thad Walker next week, I’m going to make sure that girl in my kitchen doesn’t suffer anymore.”

  I quickly push away the lump that forms in my throat and then proceed to tell him everything we uncovered. He looks at me with a sense of pure pride before leaving the room to make a call. What is he going to do?

  Chapter 25

  Jail Bird

  Ember

  When the doors open and my dad walks through, I fly into his arms. He hugs me tight and kisses my head repeatedly. His solid body holds me close as I breathe in the scent of just him. It may be only my imagination, but the years in here haven’t taken that away.

  We hold onto each other for a few seconds more before Robbie clears his throat behind us and I step back. My dad’s eyes meet mine and glimmer before he positions me to his side and reaches out a hand.

  “Thad Walker.”

  “Robbie Hayes.”

  “Jesus, Little Star, you brought a man to meet me. Did we bypass the whole boy thing?”

  “Daddy!” I slap his chest and bury my head again, hiding my blush.

  “Old man’s got to embarrass his little girl, right, Robbie?”

  “Oh yeah, I think it’s a man’s right.”

  I try to say something, but both men burst out laughing, making my heart melt. My dad leads us to the seating area, and I choose to sit next to him, holding his hand. He looks at me with a hard stare, but I shake my head. I’m not moving.

  “So tell me what’s new. I think you have some pictures to show me.”

  I pull out some snapshots I had printed and show him the last few months of my life. When I get to the picture of Jonas holding me as we took the picture in front of Clyde’s, his body goes still.

  “Baby, who is the tall black man holding you?”

  “He’s a basketball player at Vanderbilt. He called me a shrimp.”

  “You are next to him… but you are laughing so hard. The dimples are back. He made you smile.”

  Robbie grunts and I grin.

  “Daddy, that’s the night Robbie’s dad discovered we were dating. It was a humiliating incident.”

  “He wants her,” Robbie groans.

  “Tell me more,” Dad says, and I roll my eyes.

  For the next hour, we tell my dad everything going on in our lives. He takes the time to question Robbie about his life, and I’m surprised when Robbie retells the incident in Afghanistan.

  Finally, I gain the courage to bring up Serena. “Daddy, I wish you didn’t give Mom all that money.”

  “I want her to stay away.”

  “But I’m okay now. I can stand up to her.”

  His eyes soften and he pulls my forehead to his. “Baby, I ignored things for too long. Please, let me take care of you the way I know how.”

  “Robbie found some information. Natalie’s doing drugs.”

  “I know. Don’t waste a second of your thoughts. Things will work themselves out.”

  “I’ve got her covered.” Robbie breaks in, reaching across the table to my free hand. “She’s not going to ever feel their wrath again with me in the picture.”

  My dad looks at him hard, and I wait for an impending explosion. The man who always looked out for me was just challenged. Instead of a shit storm, my dad laughs. He kisses me on the cheek, his body vibrating.

  “I had no chance. I thought being a jailbird would possibly scare this guy, but no. You picked a badass. Proud of you, Ember Lyn.”

  Robbie startles me by laughing as well. Shaking his head rapidly, he says. “Jailbird? You think you’re a jailbird? Nah, man, I think you’re the man my girl worships. And, by the way, there’s no scaring me.”

  “Hope I never have a reason to test that theory.”

  The testosterone in the room goes up a notch, and I double over in a fit of laughter until my sides start to ache. Dad and Robbie chuckle as a complete sense of peace washes over me.

  “Enough, Daddy. We only have a little time left. Let me tell you about some of my new designs.”

  For the remaining hour, he looks over my work with pure pride. Robbie watches us with a soft expression. My heart swells with love and acceptance.

  Robbie

  My dad looks over the folder once more, making notes, and then looks back to me. His eyes are hard, his expression unreadable. In situations like this, I’ve learned to give him time to gather his thoughts, so I wait.

  “I did some more digging. Knowing only what you both told me wasn’t much to go on, but it’s apparent Thad Walker was given a shit deal. One reason was that the young man he put it the hospital was the son of a prominent local politician. He was also an up and coming football star. The injuries and coma put his scholarship in jeopardy. The other man was fine after he sobered up, but he jumped on the bandwagon to paint Thad as an animal. The District Attorney threatened to bring attempted murder charges against him. He pled out a deal. But that’s not the worst. I dug deep into Ember’s history, as well.”

  “Why? What could you possibly want to know about her?”

  “Everything. And I don’t like what I found.”

  “Has Ember told you anything else about her life at home? Before and after Thad was sent away?”

  “Yeah, all shitty things.”

  “Robbie, her medical records show a series of injuries from the time she was fifteen through eighteen- sprained ankles, sprained wrists, busted lips and chins. The trip to the ER when she was sixteen wasn’t the first time she received stitches.”

  My blood runs cold, my heart racing. The thought of her being hurt so many times causes my gut to clench. “What the fuck? Why wasn’t there a red flag in the system? Isn’t it required that medical workers report this to child services?”

  “Only if there’s a reason to believe foul play. According to the charts, Ember always took the blame, claiming clumsiness and lack of athletic ability.”

  “So why are you telling me this? Surely you know I can’t ask her about it, because then she’ll know you looked into her. How do I explain that? It’ll crush her.”

  “It’s up to you to do what you think is best. I’m telling you because my gut tells me this isn’t over with Serena, especially when Natalie finds out there’s money to be given away. And, Robbie, I mean money. Ember’s family is sitting on a hefty bank account. They were smart to put everything in Chloe’s name. Those two women are coming back.”

  “Jesus Christ.”

  “Robbie, I’m worried about how this will affect Ember psychologically. I’ve seen it time and time again. Emotionally abused people aren’t always able to beat the emptiness away. No matter how much time passes, they crave acceptance. If you love this girl like you say you do, it’s time to convince her she’s strong enough to overcome anything.”

  “How do you suggest I do that?”

  “Ingrain yourself into her life. Make her trust you with everything she has. Tell her how important she is every day. Don’t ever give her a reason to doubt you. Become her safe haven. Smother her if you have to in order to make her understand the depth of your feelings. Because when she’s confronted by these two women, she’s going to need that strength.”

  “Fuck me walking.” I lean my head back and stare at the ceiling, trying to figure out a way to handle this situation.

  “My opinion is you should also talk to her family. Tell them my theory that Serena and Natalie are going to resurface. Get them prepared. In the meantime, I’ll be making some calls to see if we can’t get Thad’s situation changed.”

  “What do you mean changed? He’s supposed to get out soon.”

  “Let’s see if I can make it sooner.”

  I want to ask more but Finn chooses that moment to walk in with a look of concern. “Time to read me in.”

  “This is personal,” I tell him.

  He raises an eyebrow and waits for me to say more.

  “Seriously, man, you don’t want to get involved in this shit any further.”

  He cont
inues to stare until my dad snickers.

  “Fine, but I need a beer and you’re buying.” I get up and look at both men. “You coming?” I say to my dad who’s smirking.

  “When did he get so dramatic?” Dad asks Finn, ignoring me.

  “I noticed about two days after he became pussy-whipped. But hey, I’d be the same way if I had an Ember.”

  “Watch it.” My growl is met with more laughter. But shit if he’s not right.

  Chapter 26

  You Mean Everything To Me

  Robbie

  The nightmare is back.

  “ROBBIE! Where the fuck are you?” Finn’s voice cuts through, bringing me back.

  “Over here,” I croak as smoke fills my lungs.

  “Hold on, Motherfucker. I’m going to get you.”

  “Finn? Are you okay, man?”

  “Yes, and you are too. Grab on.” He appears next to me and hauls me over his shoulder. Each step he takes shoots excruciating pain down my side.

  Finally, he collapses with blood covering his body. I can’t move my legs, and that’s when I see half of one of them is mangled to the bone. There’s no time to say anything before another explosion goes off, and I look to the fireball.

  What I see next causes my heart to rip in two. Raven’s laying there with fear in her eyes as the flames take her. She’s crying, reaching for me, and I can’t get to her.

  “Raven!” I scream until my voice is gone, as is my baby sister…

  “Robbie! Robbie! Please wake up! Honey, it’s only a dream. Please wake up.” Ember’s broken voice cries until my eyes pop open to see I’m in my room.

  Panic sets in and I thrash to get away from her. She lets me go, and I stand by the bed, staring at the fear in her eyes. Sweat pours down my body as the shaking takes over.

  Tears stream down her face as she reaches for me, and I cringe when her soft hand touches my shoulder. “Are you okay?”