by S. Ferguson
“I know there’s a lot of work to be done between me and you, but I want you to know I’m proud of you. I’m glad Alex found me even if he had no idea who I was to you. I’m so fucking grateful I got to be the one to get you off the street. Despite everything, you’ve turned into this beautiful, strong young woman. You’re a fighter like your old man,” Ron chuckles lightly.
I don’t even think about it, I just launch myself into his arms. He hugs me back, squeezing gently.
“We’ll figure this out, together,” I say, quietly, against his shoulder.
Not too long after I finish talking with Ron, Declan informs me I’m going back to his place tonight. I don’t even pretend to resist him.
I know we need this. Declan seems eerily calm for someone who just stood in the middle of a shootout, and I’m beginning to feel numb from all the emotional turmoil today caused. I know he needs this as much as I do. We need to take comfort in each other, to remind each other that we’re alive, and that everything is okay.
Once we’re inside Declan’s apartment, he silently ushers me into his bedroom. I toe off my shoes, and pull my dress over my head letting it fall to the floor. Declan stops moving and takes a moment to stare at me. For the first time, I don’t feel self-conscious, I feel powerful. I watch his nostrils flare, his pulse beating faster in his neck. He looks like he’s about to devour me, and I want him to.
I walk forward, and grab the bottom of his t-shirt, some ridiculous thing with Darth Vader on it saying, “Who’s your daddy?” Once his chest is bared to me, I nuzzle the dusting of dark hair before going to one of his nipples and lightly nipping it. Declan groans and grabs the back of my head, bringing my mouth to his. His tongue fills my mouth, and I suck on it, wanting to taste him.
While he’s kissing me, I begin fumbling with his belt buckle, finally getting it undone, and making quick work of the fly on his jeans.
Declan breaks our kiss long enough to step back and shed his pants, pulling his boxer briefs down with them. Now it’s my turn to take in his beautiful nakedness. He wraps a hand around his cock, giving it one rough stroke before ordering me to take off my bra and panties.
I comply and lay down on the bed. I don't know what he has in mind for tonight, but I know I want to see his face, and I want to feel him all around me and in me.
Declan lowers his body over mine, his cock brushing against my entrance briefly, making us both groan.
He kisses each of my nipples before kissing his way down my stomach to my core. He wastes no time thrusting a finger into me and latching his mouth onto my clit. He slides his finger in and out of my pussy, gathering extra moisture on it before he lowers it to my back entrance.
I should have known he would try for this again, but this time it doesn’t bother me.
Maybe it’s time to give him the one thing I haven’t ever been willing to give anyone else. He already has my heart, even if I’m not fully ready to admit that yet.
“You’re mine now. Every part of you. Even this.” He pushes his finger fully into my ass, a little harder than before to emphasize his point before flicking my clit with his tongue as well.
“Yes,” I moan. I’m beyond arguing with him, I’m beyond all thought. I am aware of nothing, but all the sensations bombarding me.
There’s a little bit more of a burn when he slides a second finger in, and I spend a few minutes focusing on relaxing again. Soon, he’s sliding them both in and out easily.
I feel close to coming again, and Declan must sense it, because he stops again, withdrawing his fingers and tongue.
Declan raises himself off the bed for a moment, and I hear him digging around in the dresser near the bed. He comes back in just a few seconds and I hear the sound of a cap being flicked open. Something cold slides down my crack and his fingers are back, coated in the slick liquid.
“I’m claiming that virgin ass baby. I NEED to claim that ass, B Girl. Tell me I can have it. Tell me I can take what’s mine.” His voice is ragged as he slides a third finger in easily, the lube making everything more slippery now.
“Take it, Dec,” I moan, my head thrown back, and my words turn into a gasp.
He grabs my hips, raising me until he fits a pillow under my hips. I’m so glad he didn’t try to flip me over onto my hands and knees. He puts one hand on the bed beside my head, and I feel his slick cock against my back entrance.
It feels different, and I realize he has coated the condom with extra lube.
“I want you to breathe in and out deeply, and then push back against me,” he instructs me, as he carefully positions the head of his cock before starting to apply pressure.
There’s a sharp burn as I follow his directions. Then, he pushes through the first ring of muscle, and we both groan. The sensation is powerful. He pushes himself in, slow and steady, until he’s entirely inside me.
“Oh… fuck… Bree….” he growls my name, and I can tell his teeth are clenched from the sound. His large body is covering mine now, his hands pushing into the mattress on either side of my head.
I can practically feel him vibrating with the tension from holding back his orgasm.
“Do it.” My command is breathless. I brace myself for it to hurt, but it doesn’t. It’s a little uncomfortable, but, as he builds up a steady rhythm, it changes. It becomes more and more pleasurable.
Part of me wonders if I could come this way. As if he’s read my mind, Declan leans, creating space between our bodies, placing one hand on my hip, as the other reaches between us to strum my clit.
My eyes roll back in my head, momentarily, from the pleasure. I open them again when Declan gives a grunt of pleasure. I love his noises.
Declan’s eyes catch my gaze and, for the first time ever during sex, I maintain eye contact.
I don’t need to hide myself from Dec. In this moment, we are one. This is us, sharing something that is only for him and me.
“I’m close, B girl,” Declan whispers, pushing himself inside me to the hilt and swiveling his hips.
The look on his face does me in, and I come apart. I shout his name, and hear him grunt again, from the pressure of my squeezing muscles.
Declan doesn’t come loudly. Instead, he lowers himself so that he’s completely covering my body with his again and whispers my name, like a prayer, right into my ear as he finishes inside of me.
He lays over me, supporting most of his weight on his elbows so that he doesn’t crush me, and I stroke his back, just enjoying this moment. This is pure intimacy, something I’ve never experienced before.
“I know you said you’re not there yet, but I am,” Declan takes a deep breath, shivering, while I run my nails lightly down his back. “I love you, B Girl. And it’s okay if you can’t say that back to me yet. My love isn’t conditional on you returning it. This, this was fucking beautiful, I can’t wait to do it again.” He thrusts his already hardening cock against me meaningfully, and I can’t help but giggle.
I wrap my arms and legs around him, and put my face in the crook of his neck, just breathing him in.
Today has been a game change, a life changer. Who knew I would find my father after thinking he was dead for so long?
Who knew I would find real love, after so many years of thinking love was just an illusion?
Best of all: who knew I would find me?
Epilogue
Ron
Today started out as a shit show, and ended with me being reunited with Bree, my fucking long lost daughter.
Yeah, I’d had her around for a while now but now she knows. Now, I can really be a dad to her. You have no fucking idea the pain it caused having her so close, but not being able to show her who I was, to try to hold back from trying to fight her battles.
I tried to help her as much as I could. I gave her one of the nicest apartments I had in my shitty building, made sure she had a job, and paid her twice as much as anyone else would have, but some things even I couldn’t solve for her.
She has no idea how
spoiled she’s about to be, now that I don’t have to continue to try to hide who she is to me. I know this also means she’s in danger, the same danger I spent all these years trying to protect her from, but I have a larger crew now, she’s not a kid anymore, and with Ze training her, she’ll be more than capable of holding her own soon, if not already. I make a mental note to get her on the gun range. I’ll feel a lot better if she starts carrying.
Before leaving out of the exit from my office like I usually do, I remember I have someone to speak to.
It’s probably a good idea to check the main doors and make sure they’re locked and the security system is on anyway. Bree and Declan took off shortly after Bree and I had our talk. I know Bree was distracted, and Declan was all over her. Neither one of them had their heads on right.
I need to talk to Declan, too, make sure he understands the magnitude of what he’s doing. I feel like he’s a good guy, but that doesn’t mean I won’t make sure he’s fully aware of what happens if he hurts my girl. I wasn’t sure she would survive Alex leaving, and she showed us all what a fighter she was every damn day.
If I had had any idea that piece of shit Elizabeth, had been abusing her all those years, I would have stepped in and killed the bitch. I still might. She never reported Bree missing, so I know that cunt thinks she got away with everything. Might be time to pay her a visit.
Ze’s cracked through Bree’s shell, just like I thought he would, and her therapist, Amanda, has said she’s making great progress as well.
Bree isn’t aware I know about her therapy but when she went to Amanda initially, she couldn’t afford her. Amanda had called me as Bree’s employer, to see what insurance options were available for more coverage, and I just went ahead and paid most of her fees, letting Bree think she got a discounted rate. I knew Bree wouldn’t just accept what she would view as a handout.
God, I would give that girl the fuckin’ world if she would let me. She’s been the sole beneficiary of my estate since Keegan’s death. Now, I don’t have to wait until I’m dead to give it to her.
I walk out of my office and realize it’s later than I thought. The bar is all but dark and everything’s closed up.
I give a slight chuckle, as I make my way to the bar’s entrance. What everyone didn’t know tonight is I had a hell of a trick up my sleeve. There’s a reason no one has been successful when they try to run me over.
I’m grateful we didn’t need him, but I damn sure felt better he was here. I open the heavy wooden doors, and peer out into the darkness.
I keep the front of Keegan’s dimly lit on purpose. I don’t want it to be a flashing sign to attract non-locals and some of the…clientele… I deal with prefer anonymity and want to be hard to track.
I look around the dark street, not seeing him. Then, I feel a shiver run up my spine. He’s here.
I always sense him before I can see him. There’s just something otherworldly about this guy. I’ve never asked him about it and I never will.
I glance to my right and see a shadow coming out of more shadows. This guy might as well be a ghost for as silently as he’s walking towards me.
The air around him seems to have energy. It’s almost like I can see it parting to make way for him.
“Glad to see everything went well. I was a little worried about you for a minute there,” he says. His blue eyes are shining despite the absence of light.
I don’t know what this guy is, or who he is really, but a long time ago I helped him out of a tight spot, and he’s had my back ever since.
“Me too, Casstiel, me too. Thanks for being around tonight. It helped a lot, knowing someone was here ready to save Bree if it came down to it.” I reach my hand out to shake his.
“My pleasure. Family is everything. Until next time.” He gives my hand a quick shake, and then slides back into the shadows as quietly as he came.
I shake my head, watching him disappear. I owe him, but that fucker creeps me out.
I turn back around and walk through the wooden doors, locking them and setting the security system.
Just as I’m walking back to my office, I hear a noise from the kitchen. I stop and all but hold my breath, hoping to hear it again.
A few minutes go by, then I hear some muffled voices, and the sounds of people moving around.
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
I slide my gun from the back of my dress pants, and slowly make my way to the kitchen door.
I’m good at being silent. Sneaking up on people is an invaluable skill in my line of work, but I know there is no way to open that kitchen door quietly. I made it loud intentionally, no one is sneaking into my bar the back way.
Once I reach the door, I know my best bet is to shove the door open and catch whoever is in there off guard. I place my hand on it, and begin to count to three in my head.
When I reach three, I shove the door open as hard as I can. It hits the wall so hard the door knob goes through the drywall.
There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, that could have prepared me for what’s in front of me. Not even close.
Jake and Greg are wrapped around each other, their mouths red and bruised from kissing, and Greg has his hand down Jake’s pants.
They both look at me, so startled that they’re frozen where they are, eyes wide.
“What the fuck?” I yell.
The End
Afterword
Something There In Between deals with a lot of heavy and very real issues. If you have experienced any or all of them, please know you are not alone and there are people that want to help you.
If you or someone you love struggles with suicide and depression please have them call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
If you or someone you love has been a victim of sexual assault please seek help at www.rainn.org or call 800-656-HOPE
Acknowledgments
The list of people I want to thank is very long and I’m still going to most likely forget someone. If I did forget you, I assure you, it wasn’t intentional. It takes a village to write a book and it has been a long journey.
First and foremost I want to thank God for always being there in between.
My husband for his unwavering support, unconditional love and patience while I wrote this book. For the many nights of coming home to a dirty house, piles of laundry and wild children because I was lost in my own world. I love you.
TH, Little Man and Oldest, for their patience, for entertaining themselves even when they didn’t understand why Mommy just couldn’t walk away from the computer. For showing me every day what unconditional love is, for showing me what it truly means to live, for being my redemption.
Mom for your unwavering support, always being my cheerleader even if that meant getting in my face, for tolerating the hot mess of my life, for not judging me and promising to never discuss certain parts of this book with me.
Kristine for being the other half of TA, pushing me to write, motivating me and encouraging me, for pushing me into doing author sprints and getting me to write in the first place. You may have a hug.
JD for letting me bug you with questions and bounce ideas off of you, also for naming Jake. Thank you for once telling me, before I even told you I was writing, that you could tell I was a writer. That meant the world to me. You opened up an entire world, full of amazing people, for me and I am forever grateful.
Kayla for being a great sounding board and basically saving my sanity with helpful advice and sometimes just listening.
R for being a kick ass mentor, telling me what I needed to hear even if it was uncomfortable and giving me a chance. There really aren’t words to thank you properly, for everything you have done, for the help you gave this new and naive author. Most importantly you’ve been so kind to me, you’ve been my friend. I owe you my soul and then some.
Jenn for helping me more than I thought possible, for taking a chance on me, and being one of the most genuine, kindhearted peop
le I have ever had the privilege of meeting.
Joy for being my person. I am loin deep in gratitude for your friendship. I love you b.
Julie for nagging me and being the timeline ninja, I would have been lost without you. We’ll always have symbolic anal.
Ginnie for naming Declan and Candice for letting me use your name. Also thank you, to both of you, for being sounding boards when I started this journey.
Grant for changing my life perspective, helping me with research and being an excellent sounding board. I’m sorry I was just too awesome for Wakanda to handle.
Sierra for making me laugh, understanding my need for coffee like no other, and being a cheerleader when I needed it the most.
Candi for being you. You never cease to make me smile, never stop being you.
Leslie for being supportive and sharing your wisdom with me, your kind words have given me courage on many a dark night.
Sue for being #MamaSuetotheRescue more times than I can count. For taking me under your wing and talking me off the ledge and helping. You are one of the most magnificent human beings I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Daryl for being a blurb ninja and helping me when I thought all hope was lost.
Twyla for being one of the first to read this and giving me excellent and valuable feedback. For balancing your constructive criticism with compliments.
Mary and Rhonda for all of your help, feedback and unwavering support. The many messages of encouragement, all the sharing, meant more to me than I could ever tell you.
Jay for letting me ramble, request tons of changes to the cover, and designing an amazing, beautiful work of art.
