Every Kiss You Steal: A Redeeming Love Novel (Book 7)

by Parker, J. E.

  Chapter Twelve

  Chase

  Anthony Moretti looked ready to kill me.

  Blocking the partially opened door with his body, he glared at me, his hard eyes boring into mine. “You’re Chase,” he said, sounding more like he was speaking to himself than me. “The one who saved my girl from falling in the cafeteria earlier today.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I—”

  “You’re Chase Jacobs,” he said, cutting me off mid-sentence. “Clyde Jacobs’ youngest son.”

  Pressure built in my chest at the sound of my father’s snarled name.

  It was bad enough the bastard had nearly killed my brother as a kid and made my life hell as a result, but to be judged because he was half of the shitty parent duo that created me?

  Yeah, that wasn’t right.

  Not at all.

  Biting back the fury that swelled in my throat, I crossed my arms, tucking Ashley’s purse against my chest. “Son or not,” I said, my tone failing to hide the anger raging inside me. “I am nothing like him.”

  As a cop, it was obvious that Anthony was familiar with my police officer father, who just happened to be one of the biggest scumbags to ever exist, both in and out of uniform.

  A monster in every sense of the word, I hated him.

  It may sound cold of me, but after the torment he’d put Ty and me through, I wouldn’t have shed a single tear if he was run over by a semi and turned into a skid mark on the highway.

  Not only did I have no respect for a man who’d spent a decade constantly beating one son half to death while forcing the other to watch, I had no love for him either.

  The shit he did...

  He deserved to die for it.

  Slowly. Painfully. Surely.

  Leaning a shoulder against the doorframe, Moretti lifted his chin in the air. “What do you want, Chase?”

  The answer to his question was a simple one.

  I wanted his daughter.

  But to keep my teeth where they belonged, I didn’t tell him that. If I had, he surely would have punched me.

  Not that I would’ve blamed him.

  “I stopped by to see Ashley,” I said, holding her purse up for him to see. “She left this at school, and I intend to make sure she gets it back.”

  He reached for the purse. “I’ll—”

  “I’d like to give it to her personally, sir,” I interrupted, jerking it back. “If you don’t mind.”

  One look at his face, and I could tell that he sure as shit did mind. Sucked for him though, because I wasn’t leaving without speaking to Ashley first. Even if it was only for a second.

  I had to make sure she was okay.

  “Look, kid,” he started. “I’m not trying to be a dick, but—”

  Whatever tirade he was about to go on was cut short when the door was pulled open fully, and a barefoot Ashley appeared beside him, her long hair pulled on top of her head in a messy bun.

  Damn, she’s beautiful...

  Most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.

  Holding a toddler-sized kid on her hip, she stared at me, her heart-stopping eyes wide. “Chase,” she said, her voice soft. “Why are you...I mean, what are you doing here?”

  Bewitched, my mind blanked.

  When I didn’t answer right away, her lips tipped, a ghost of a smile appearing. “You feeling okay?”

  Pulling myself together—the shit was hard, okay?—I found my voice. “I’m fine,” I choked out, the sounds raw and guttural. Tapping my chest with my fist, I cleared my throat. “Just been a long day.”

  Ashley nodded as Moretti narrowed his eyes, obviously seeing straight through my bullshit.

  “Can I, uh...” Hooking my thumb, I pointed to the space behind me. “Can I talk to you for a minute.”

  Eyes filling with anxiety, she chewed on her bottom lip, shifting her weight from one foot to the next. “Alone?”

  Forcing myself to stand still, I shrugged a lone shoulder. “If you want. If not, I don’t mind an audience.”

  Something I couldn’t read flashed in her eyes at my answer.

  After a few seconds of silence, she turned to her dad. “Is it okay if we talk on the porch for a bit? It won’t be long, promise.” Cheeks reddening, she paused. Leaning closer to him, she turned slightly, hiding her beautiful face from my view. “I told the Mominator that I’d try,” she whispered. “This is me doing that.”

  Moretti looked from her to me.

  Judging by the look on his face, I was convinced he was about to tell me to fuck off.

  But that’s not what happened.

  Instead, he jerked his chin down once in a half-hearted nod and took the kid from her, a little boy who was shooting a puzzled look in my direction. “I’ll be just inside,” he said, his eyes on hers. “If you need me, I’m here, Principessa.”

  Ashley’s face relaxed. “Thank you.”

  Moretti pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before stepping back into the house. Hand on the doorknob, he looked over his shoulder, his gaze meeting mine. “Keep your goddamn hands to yourself, yeah?” Before I could answer, he kept talking. “Lay one finger on my daughter, and I’ll deliver you to my wife on a silver platter.”

  I’d pass on that.

  I didn’t know Shelby all that well. In fact, I’d only talked to her a handful of times. But from what I’d heard around town, she was not one to be trifled with, especially when it came to her family.

  She was Grandmama 2.0. If you hurt or threatened someone she loved, she’d just shoot you.

  No questions asked.

  “Yeah, Detective,” I replied, watching as Ashley’s small shoulders shook from silent laughter. If she hadn’t been so damn pretty, I might’ve been offended. Here I was being threatened, and she was laughing. Part of me secretly loved it. “I’ve got it.”

  Ashley stepped onto the porch.

  “Five minutes,” Moretti barked, before softly shutting the door.

  Shaking my head, I looked down at Ashley.

  Hand covering her mouth, she was staring up at me, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Thought that was funny, did you?”

  Dropping her hand, she shrugged. “It kinda was.”

  Chuckling, I lifted her purse in the air. Distracted by everything going on, she hadn’t noticed it yet. “You left this behind the ticket booth at lunch. Thought you may want it back.”

  Face falling, her anxiety returned, making its presence known on her features. “You didn’t have to bring it all the way out here. You could’ve given it to me tomorrow,” she whispered, gently taking it from me. “But thank you.”

  Hands now empty, I slid them into my pockets. “I know I didn’t have to, but it was something I wanted to do.”

  Head tilted to the side, she fidgeted in place. “Why?”

  “Because I like you.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. Not that I would have to begin with. As much as I didn’t want to scare her, I didn’t believe in holding back either.

  “You don’t even know me.”

  I’d heard that before.

  Still didn’t change how I felt.

  Knowing that she’d likely need breathing room soon, I moved across the porch, giving her space. On the other side, I leaned back against the banister and crossed my arms over my chest. “Beautiful girl, listen. I’m going to be real blunt here, which in turn is probably going to make me sound crazy, but I’m not one to beat around the bush.”

  Pinching the hem of her shirt, she eyed me cautiously.

  “What you said is right. I don’t know you. Not yet,” I stated truthfully. “But I know pieces of you.”

  Her brow furrowed. “What pieces?”

  “The broken ones.”

  She jerked back as if I’d slapped her. Eyes filling with tears, she looked away. “You don’t know anything about me, much less my broken pieces.”

  She was wrong.

  And I was about to prove it.

  �
��I know you’ve been hurt,” I said, truthfully. “And I know it was a man that did it.” Just speaking the words made my chest tighten. “A man I’d like to snap like a goddamn twig.”

  She swallowed, tears now cascading down her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But I can’t do this.”

  Turning, she grasped the door handle.

  Knowing that any chance I had with her would be ruined if she stepped foot back in the house, I dropped my arms and stood tall, my heart beating double-time. “My old man was abusive,” I confessed quickly, the acidic tasting words burning my throat as they tumbled free.

  Ashley froze, her hand unmoving.

  Hoping I could make her understand, I continued. “For over a decade, he hurt my brother. Repeatedly.”

  Emotions stirring, I felt like puking.

  I didn’t talk about this with anybody, yet here I was, spilling my guts to a girl I’d only known mere hours. Either I was losing it, or my mind was finally catching onto what my heart already knew.

  Ashley was special.

  Real damn special.

  “To this day, I don’t know how Ty survived,” I continued, wanting her to understand. Exhaling, I dropped my head forward and stared at the white-washed porch boards beneath my feet. “I know you’ve been hurt, Ashley because when I look in your eyes, I see the same brand of pain that gleams in his.”

  Silence filled the space between us.

  Then, “Did he abuse you too?”

  Looking back up, I shook my head, the guilt gnawing away at me. “No. He tried a few times, but Ty always intervened and took the beating for me.”

  She flinched, the heartbreak she felt for my big brother, the man I owed my life to, written all over her face. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s life, as shitty as that is sometimes.”

  Turning to face me once more, she crossed the porch, surprising the hell out of me. Stopping next to me, she glanced up. Our eyes locked. “It shouldn’t be.”

  “No,” I agreed, shaking my head. “It shouldn’t.”

  Arms crossed, she hugged herself tight. “The guy,” she whispered, body trembling. “The one who hurt me... his name is Dominic.” I remained silent, wanting her to keep talking. “And he’s the devil.”

  Rage built inside me, making my head feel as though it would explode. “Where is he?”

  “Georgia State Prison.”

  I bit my tongue, refusing to speak. Afraid that the words would come out wrong, it was best if I just stayed quiet. At least for the time being.

  After a few moments of silence, she spoke once more. “Aren’t you going to ask?”

  I blinked. “Ask what?”

  “What he did to me.”

  I shook my head. “No, I’m not. I figure if you want me to know, you’ll tell me.”

  Part of me hoped she would tell me, while the other part prayed she wouldn’t. The bastard was in prison, which meant he’d done more than slap her around a few times. If I found out he’d hurt her in other ways...

  I wouldn’t handle that well.

  “I’ll never tell,” she whispered, wiping her cheeks with the backs of her hands. “Not just because I can’t, but because talking about it makes it real, and right now, I just want to pretend none of it ever happened.”

  I could’ve sworn I felt my heart fracture.

  It hurt.

  A helluva lot.

  “Then don’t talk about it,” I replied, wanting to wash away her pain. “We can chat about something else instead.”

  “Like w-what?” Her voice cracked, making the urge to pull her into my arms increase tenfold.

  I forced a smile. “Like where we’re going to sit at lunch tomorrow.”

  “We?”

  “Yes, we.” I leaned back against the banister again, my hands gripping the rail. “So tell me—you want to eat behind the ticket booth where it’ll be nice and quiet, or do you want to stay inside and grab a table? Personally, my vote is for a table. For one, my ass hurts if I sit on concrete for too long, and for two, it’s supposed to rain tomorrow. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not spend the afternoon walking around looking like a drowned rat.”

  My stomach flipped when she laughed, the sound soft and sweet. “How about the library?” she asked, smiling shyly. “It’s inside, and they have tables plus books. Can’t really go wrong there.”

  The air between us grew lighter, erasing the painful fog that had blanketed us seconds before.

  Lifting my chin in the air, I inched closer to her, the invisible rope connecting us shortening. “You like to read?”

  “I do,” she answered, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “What about you?”

  I snorted. “Do the Sunday comics count?”

  She nodded. “Words are words.”

  I’m glad she thought so because I wasn’t sure I’d ever finished a book in my life. CliffsNotes were my best friend when it came to the stuff I was required to read for school.

  Maybe I should change that...

  “You think you could help me pick out a book tomorrow? I just realized I haven’t read much in the way of actual books. Should probably fix that.”

  It was the right thing to say.

  Eyes shining bright, she rocked back on her feet. “That I can do. I know exactly what to pick—”

  Freezing in place, she snapped her mouth shut when the front door opened, and Moretti appeared, his stern gaze taking in the scene before him. “Principessa, it’s time to come inside. Your Mama just called and said she’d be back with the ice cream in five minutes.”

  Pursing her lips, Ashley nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

  Turning her attention back to me, she smiled. “Can you meet me outside the cafeteria tomorrow? I really don’t want to go through the line alone if I don’t have to.” Self-doubt slid over her features. “I mean, only if you—”

  “I’ll be there,” I interrupted. “Promise.”

  “Okay.” Purse in hand, she crossed the porch. Reaching the door, she stepped inside next to Moretti and turned, facing me one last time. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Chase Jacobs.”

  I grinned. “Tomorrow, Ashley Moretti.”

  Without giving either of us a chance to say another word, a pissed-off looking Moretti wrapped his arm around Ashley’s waist and pulled her out of the way before shutting the door.

  Loneliness instantly crept in, stealing the warmth that had possessed me every second that she was close. I hated being separated from her, but what could I do?

  Nothing that’s what.

  So, left with no other choice, I went home.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ashley

  “Harry Potter?”

  Fighting to keep my laughter at bay, I clamped my hand over my mouth as Chase stared at me from across the library table, his pretty blues locked on me.

  For the past two weeks, we’d occupied the same spot during lunch, hidden away from most everyone. Nosy teachers, gossiping pupils, and bitchy drama queens—hello, Bianca—included.

  I secretly loved it.

  There was just something about being there with him that was...

  Magical.

  Even though I was still the same broken girl as before, when I was with Chase, my demons didn’t scream quite as loud. I may not have understood it, but just like when I was with my family, having him by my side made life hurt a whole lot less.

  And by my side is where he stayed.

  At least while we were in school.

  When the final bell rang each afternoon, we both went our separate ways. Not because we didn’t want to spend more time together, but because I wasn’t ready.

  Since escaping Dominic, I’d grown by leaps and bounds, but as my reaction to Chase the first day proved, there was still a part of me—a pretty big one—that was terrified and untrusting of most people.

  Chase was still one of those people.

  Don’t get me wrong, I liked him. A whole lot. I just didn’t trust my own
judgment, which made trusting him nearly impossible.

  It was a crap situation, one which I hoped would only improve with each day that ticked by. However, until my brain found a way to work past the issues that plagued my heart, we were taking our newfound friendship one baby step at a time.

  “Seriously, Ashley,” Chase said, pulling me from my thoughts. “Harry fucking Potter?”

  Looking at me as if I were crazy, he picked up the book I’d checked out for him moments before and dropped his gaze to the cover, his full lips pursed. Turning it to the side, he shook his head the slightest bit and ran a finger over the spine. “How many pages is this? Two-fifty?”

  My shoulders shook, the battle not to crack up at his expense nearly futile. “Closer to three-fifty.”

  “Oh, what the hell,” he mumbled. “This isn’t a book. It’s a phone directory.”

  And just like that, the laughter stirring in my chest broke free.

  “I’m serious,” he hissed, holding the book up. “Damn thing could be used as a deadly weapon it’s so thick. Hit somebody upside the head with it, and you’d knock them slap out.” He smiled from ear-to-ear. “On that note, maybe I should buy the Crazy Old Biddy a copy for Christmas. Then she could give her prized flyswatter a rest.”

  Running my fingers through my hair, I pushed the errant locks back. “Just wait until you see the seventh book in that series. Ya know, since you already agreed to read them all.” I paused for dramatic effect and cupped my hands to my mouth. Then, I whispered, “It’s over seven-hundred pages.”

  Dropping the book to the table, he ripped his faded ballcap off and tossed it onto the chair beside him. “There is no way. Absolutely no damn way.”

  He looked close to panicking.

  It only made me laugh harder.

  Happier and more carefree than I had been in a while, I reached across the table and gently wrapped my fingers around his wrist, giving it a slight squeeze. “Don’t freak out on me,” I said. “If you want, we can read it together.”

  His eyes dropped to where our flesh touched. It was a first, and to my surprise, my skin didn’t burn, not like it did when I touched most others.

  “Yeah?” He swallowed. “And how will we do that?”