Rock Bottom (The Gifted Realm #4)

by Jillian Neal

  Rainer grinned at her reassuringly as he nodded. He fully understood that they had to try to squeeze three weeks of their rather event-filled lives into one short evening, and it was hard to prioritize all of the things they wanted to share.

  He decided to take the reins. Maybe what she needed was to not have to make decisions for a while. He took her hands. She felt weak and exhausted, despite the fact that she’d just drawn from him. Her normally vibrant, excited energy seemed lackluster and frail.

  She needed to be taken care of and tended to if she was going to continue to care for the orphans.

  As Emily Haydenshire showered on a daily basis, often times twice a day if she had practice or a game, Rainer assumed the lack of bathing options was probably getting to her.

  “Come on, baby,” he soothed. “Let me give you a shower then we can crawl in bed. I’ll hold you, and we can talk. We can order food and spend the whole night catching up on everything we’ve missed.”

  Emily let Rainer lead her into the bathroom. He pulled the toiletry bag Adeline had packed, with all of Emily’s favorite products, and placed it in her hands as he turned on the many jets of the large shower. It was plenty big enough for two.

  “You are amazing.” She began taking everything out of the bag.

  “I had help.” He wanted to give Logan and Adeline credit where credit was due.

  As he began pulling off her t-shirt, he felt the distance between them. The time apart had indeed taken its toll. Fear and isolation swirled in his mind. He needed the reconnection as much as she did.

  As Rainer discarded his own clothes, tears returned to Emily’s eyes. They fell rapidly from her long lashes. Her pain seized him. His heart began to ache once again, and Rainer wiped away her tears.

  “What, baby? What’s wrong?” he soothed. “I kind of hoped my being here might make you smile.”

  Emily tried to draw a steadying breath. “It does. You have no idea what this means to me. I just can’t believe you’re here.”

  “Come here, sweetheart.” He eased her into the pouring water, and wrapped his arms around her again. He let the water soothe her as he reveled in having her naked in his arms.

  “I don’t like Carys and Dana anymore,” Emily declared.

  She kept her eyes closed as the water fell, and buried her head in Rainer’s chest.

  With an understanding nod, Rainer began to lather his hands in Emily’s favorite shampoo. As he tried to massage away the trauma of the past few weeks, he was taken back through their long relationship to a middle school dance.

  Emily was standing there, trying with all of her might not to let the girls who had called her a ‘spoiled little bitch’ see her cry.

  Rainer had smarted off to them, but that had only made it worse. Connor and Logan came to her defense, and that sealed the deal.

  In their eyes, she was a spoiled little rich girl with a thousand older brothers ready to fight her battles for her, but Emily could feel their jealousy and their hatred.

  She could feel that the ringleader had a crush on Rainer. She’d felt the pre-teen lust and thirst for vengeance. Rainer had no interest in anyone but Emily, but the fear had taken her over.

  She’d dissolved on his shoulder in a puddle of tears. He’d called Mrs. Haydenshire to come pick them up early.

  He shook his head. If only everyone could feel what their words did the way a Receiver felt them.

  After he washed her hair, he moved down her luscious body. He bit his tongue, and refused to comment on the fact that she’d lost a good bit of weight.

  Several of the Angels had been giving their food to the orphans, and Garrett was planning to bring back a great deal of local grub that evening from Rio, to supply to the Angels.

  After Rainer had made certain that Emily was thoroughly clean, he asked if she was ready to get out. She smiled and nodded. He turned off the water and quickly summoned heat into his hand. He ran his hand over a towel and wrapped it around her.

  “I still feel bad,” she fussed as Rainer pulled the t-shirt Adeline had instructed him to pack over Emily’s head. He donned a pair of boxers.

  “Why?”

  “Because all of the other Angels don’t get the person they miss most in the world on their nights off, and the orphans never get the night off.”

  “Did you want me to call Garrett and get him to take you back?” Rainer winked at her.

  “No,” she huffed.

  He chuckled as he pulled back the bedspread and sheets. “Then how about we just sort of give ourselves the night off from worrying about everyone else? Let’s just be here together. I know we can’t go out, but I just want to hold you and hear about everything you’ve been doing.”

  “So, did you pack me anything to wear under your t-shirt?” she flirted mischievously.

  Delighted that she was already feeling somewhat better, Rainer waggled his eyebrows. “I haven’t seen you in eight days. It took all of my willpower to put the t-shirt on that gorgeous body. Now you want me to cover the bottom half, too?”

  Her sweet giggle righted his world. It always did.

  “Well, I guess this is ok,” she drawled.

  “For now,” Rainer’s tone turned ravenous in a heartbeat. He shot her a look that told her he didn’t plan on leaving the t-shirt on all night. She shivered deliciously as the fire he loved began to slowly return to her emerald eyes.

  He strode to her quickly and lifted her up into his arms. He tucked her into the bed and laid her back on several of the pillows he’d left propped against the headboard.

  “Now, what would the lady like to eat?”

  Excitement lit Emily’s face.

  “I am starving!”

  “I know you are.” Rainer held her eyes with his own, telling her that he knew what she’d been doing with most of her meals. She also knew he didn’t approve.

  “Rainer, they don’t have enough to eat,” she fussed.

  He immediately felt guilty for scolding her, but she couldn’t continue to work if she didn’t eat. He handed her the room service menu and then moved around the bed to crawl in beside her.

  “I know, baby. I also know that Dr. Phil or some guy told you that I’m apparently not supposed to try and swoop in and fix everything that makes my baby sad, but I am going to see if we can’t help with the lack of food as well.” He pointed to the menu and urged her to pick anything she’d like.

  She giggled as she stared up at him. “Uh, I think Dr. Phil was telling that to guys in general.”

  “Yeah, well, he’ll get over it,” Rainer assured her.

  He ordered a vast array of food for them, and watched to make certain that Emily ate enough to make up for just a few of the meals she’d gone without.

  In between bites of some kind of delicious chicken and rice mixture, she turned to him. “What do you mean? How are we going to fix that, too? How are we going to get them more food?” Rainer grinned at her. He leaned to brush a kiss in her hair. It was still damp from their shower and held the scent of her shampoo.

  “Well, we have quite a bit of money, sweetheart, and I’d really like to use it to help people. So, if you’d like to make a yearly donation, or even a monthly one to the orphanage to help take care of Aida and the other kids, then I would really like to do that. I have a very large check for the orphanage in my wallet to give to Garrett tomorrow.”

  Tears pricked Emily’s eyes again. “Really?” she gasped.

  Rainer gave her an adoring smile. “Really.”

  She picked up the empty plates from their multi-course dinner and stacked them back on the tray then she crawled back in the bed.

  She got up on her knees and threw her arms around him. Rainer hugged her to him. She was effectively drowning his face in her ample cleavage. It was a heavenly sensation.

  “You are the most amazing man ever, and I just can’t believe I’m lucky enough to get to be your wife!”

  Rainer cradled her to him and reveled in her energy. It already felt stron
ger.

  “So,” he eased her back beside him in the bed. He inhaled deeply. He wanted to fully immerse himself in Emily for the few short hours he could have her, before he’d have to go two more weeks without her.

  “You wanna tell me about Carys and Dana, or do you want to tell me about Aida first?” He was perfectly willing to start wherever Emily wanted, but he was determined to hear everything she’d been going through.

  With a dejected headshake, Emily sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t think they meant to hurt my feelings, but I’m just tired of hearing about it, you know?”

  “Hearing about what, baby?” Rainer began slowly pulling the story out of Emily.

  “Well,” she stared into his eyes and held onto his hands. Rainer felt his energy give way slightly. She was drawing from him again.

  It felt exquisite, and he had to fight with every fiber of his being not to lay her down and pull his t-shirt off of her. He longed to fill her with all of him.

  His energy soothed her, and she smiled as she began her story. “All of the Angels were up talking one night, because those beds are really way too small for all of us, and we’re having trouble sleeping.”

  “Anyway,” she shook her head and forced herself to focus. “Chloe and Katie kept going on and on about how amazing my brothers are in bed.” Emily pretended to gag.

  Rainer laughed. She was completely adorable. He reclined slightly and guided her onto his chest. He wanted her to be able to draw from more than just his hands.

  She smiled, but then rolled her eyes as he teased her. “Well, it must run in the family.”

  “Anyway,” she shuddered. “A couple of the girls started comparing all of the different guys they’d been with, and Dana asked me if I’d ever been with anyone but you.”

  Rainer bristled at the thought. His jaw clenched tightly.

  “I said I hadn’t, and then they started telling me that it was stupid to tie myself to you and never try anyone else out,” Emily sounded as horrified by the idea as Rainer was.

  “I just want them to shut up about it. I don’t want to be with anyone else. I’ve only ever wanted you. Why can’t they just get over it?”

  He squeezed her tighter and tried to soothe her again, though his own anger made it difficult.

  “Baby, I really think they’re just jealous, or they don’t get it. We are kind of different from most couples.”

  “I know, but that’s just a big deal to me. I know it’s not to everybody, but it is to me. I can’t really imagine letting anyone in like that. Not anyone but you.”

  Her vow made Rainer’s heart beat disjointedly for a moment.

  “Well, seeing as how we’re due to get married here in a few months, I’m really glad you feel that way,” he teased her, and felt her body move against his as she giggled.

  While grinning at the sweet sound, Rainer considered. “Do you want me to talk to them when you get back?”

  “No, Garrett pretty much got them to shut up, but they’re still calling me ‘Mary’. They’re grown women. Why are they acting like that?”

  Dana was a powerful Enforcer, a Vis Virerres Predilect. This would make her more determined than any other Predilect. She was excellent at her job, but occasionally she was a pain to deal with in social settings.

  “Why don’t you ask them?” Rainer suggested as he studied Emily’s reaction.

  “I did this morning, and Fionna sort of went off on them. She threatened to tell Chloe and the owners. They’re big on us being one big, happy family.”

  “They apologized, but I really just think we just need a little space. There’re twelve exhausted women who aren’t getting enough to eat, and who are hot, and miserable, and feel terrible for the sweet kids who have to live that way all the time,” Emily lamented. “I think we’re all just cranky.”

  Rainer was certain that was true, to an extent, but he was still furious that grown women were behaving like bratty teenagers. He turned and brushed a tender kiss onto Emily’s cheek.

  “Ok, well, then the kids should have enough to eat after Garrett gets that check, so I want you to promise me that you will eat your food every meal. You can’t help those kids if you’re starving, Em.”

  Emily’s head lowered, and Rainer cupped her jaw and lifted her eyes back to his. “Promise me, sweetheart. Promise me that you will eat. I know it’s pretty uncomfortable, but try to get some sleep while you’re there. Just tell me to stop texting you. I’ll understand.”

  “If all of the Angels eat more and sleep a little more, maybe everyone will be a little nicer and have a little more patience.” He felt guilty as he thought of the late nights they’d spent on the phone.

  “But I want to talk to you. I miss you so much. I need you,” she begged.

  Rainer felt his heart fracture as he cradled her closer. This just doesn’t work. The thought ricocheted through his mind. The world didn’t work without him and Emily together. It just didn’t make any sense.

  Tell her you want her to stay. Tell her you want to make love to her all night long, and then that you want her to come home with you. Tell her you need to keep her safe and warm, to hold her, and watch her sleep. Tell her that you need to soothe her, and let her soothe you. Her father’s the Crown Governor. He could square everything with the team owners. Just beg her to come home. She won’t tell you no. She’s not happy. Ask her; beg her not to go back with Garrett.

  His own selfish desires waged war in his head, and he fought valiantly to silence them. Unable to quiet them fully, Rainer focused on the few that he could have as he slid his hand under the t-shirt she was wearing, and caressed her thigh and backside. The friction of his hand stoked the fire in her eyes.

  “Tell me about Aida.” He hoped that hearing about the amazing work she was doing might help quiet the restless murmurs of his selfish side.

  Emily sighed and tucked herself further into Rainer’s chest. The movement made his desire increase tenfold in a matter of moments.

  “Oh, Rainer, she’s so sweet. It just kills me that she has to live there,” Emily mourned.

  “What happened to her folks?” he forced the memories of living with his uncle when he’d become an orphan himself out of his mind. He didn’t want to think about all of that now. He didn’t want to think about what Pete and John had discussed during his flight. He wanted to focus on Emily.

  “She had three older brothers.”

  Rainer smiled slightly as he understood Emily’s immediate connection with Aida.

  “She told me that her entire family was killed when a mine collapsed near their home.”

  Rainer grimaced over the harrowing story.

  “But the nuns said that wasn’t entirely true,” Emily shuddered slightly.

  “That’s not how they died?”

  “Well,” Emily hemmed, “that is what Aida was told. She wasn’t lying or anything but, actually, they were murdered.”

  “What?!” Rainer gasped in shock.

  Emily grew pale. Aida’s disturbing tale had her reeling. “I wish you could meet her. She’s the sweetest thing ever. I wish I could just bring her home with me. She deserves to live with people who would love her and take care of her. She’s been through enough.”

  “How old is she?”

  “She’s seven, and she’s just endlessly fascinated with everything. Fionna let her play in her make-up, and I’ve never seen anyone so thrilled,” Emily chuckled.

  “We’re going to throw her and the other girls in her room a slumber party this Friday night. They’ve never even had a birthday party, much less a slumber party.”

  Rainer felt his own heart break over just hearing Emily talk about Aida, and he’d never even met her. “I just wish she could come stay with us for the summer or something. Just give her some stability even for a little while.”

  “Em, baby, if that’s allowed, then it’s fine with me. I don’t think I’m quite old enough or ready to become a dad to a seven-year-old just yet, but she’s welcome to come v
isit whenever you’d like.”

  Emily hugged Rainer tightly. “You’re just the best.”

  Rainer shook his head. He disagreed with her assessment.

  “I’ve told her all about the wedding and all about you.”

  Rainer felt her energy leap when she thought about the wedding. His heart picked up pace. “I wish I could get her up there to be the flower girl. She would get such a kick out of that.”

  Rainer reveled in just hearing Emily’s voice right beside him, instead of over a phone thousands of miles away.

  “Was Aida ok with you leaving tonight?” He didn’t want to cause any more strife in the little girl’s life. Emily smiled sweetly at him.

  “She was a little upset, but I promised that I’d be back tomorrow, because that’s what Garrett told me to tell her. Fionna told her that she could sleep in our bunk, since I wouldn’t be there, so she was pretty excited about getting to stay in the room with all of the Angels. She adores Fionna. They seem completely connected.”

  Rainer’s worry ebbed some as he let his mind work through everything Emily had just shared.

  “Do they know who killed her parents?” he asked softly.

  “No, but they don’t want Aida to know what really happened. They don’t want her to be frightened.”

  It was one thing to tell a fourteen-year-old with an excellent education that his father had been murdered. It was another thing entirely to try to explain to a little girl that her entire family was gone.

  “She’s so smart, Rainer. She speaks fluent Portuguese and English, and she loves to read.”

  “How long has she been in the orphanage?”

  “Since she was four.” The sadness in her voice shattered Rainer’s heart. “She absolutely adores Garrett. She was so excited when he got there Monday. He comes and sees her more than I ever realized. He comes down here more than he’s ever told Mom and Dad, just to check on her. I guess he’s a pretty good guy.”

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