And if I lost her...
I wouldn't make it.
Using a technique the woman who birthed me had taught me—may she rot in the shit-hole where she currently resided—I swooped and swerved, steering the conversation in a different direction. "I thought you didn't like Chase?" I forced a laugh, but there was no humor behind it. "Is he growing on you?"
Dropping her hands from my face, she crossed her arms. "That little turdnugget may be growing on me just a bit." It was about time! "But don't tell him that. It'll go straight to his dang head, and his melon is already big enough."
That earned a genuine laugh from me.
"I won't tell him"—I held my pinky up in the air—"pinky promise."
Smiling, she hooked her finger around mine. "Now go get the pain in the ass before he chews through the shelter door."
I nodded, and unable to stop myself, I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her as hard I could. "Thank you," I whispered.
"For what?" she replied, hugging me back.
"For not killing him."
She snorted. "Trust me, sugar, it was touch and go there for a bit. Your Daddy already had a place picked out to hide the body and all. Even bought a special shovel for the occasion." Burying her face in my hair, she rocked me from side to side as I smiled against her. "Just take it slow, okay? Just because I gave you my blessing doesn't mean it's time to hit the gas like a Nascar driver and rush into things."
"I won't. I swear it."
Releasing me, she took a step back and nodded toward the door. "Go before I change my mind and decide to run the jock over with Hendrix's truck."
She didn't need to tell me twice.
Blowing her a kiss, I turned and took off.
* * *
I opened the back door to find Ty and Chase standing on the concrete ramp that led to the gravel-covered lot.
Butterflies in full-flight, I smiled at my guy.
"Hey, Sweetness," he said, holding out his arms. "Do I get a hug or what?"
It was the same question he always asked, and one I answered by throwing myself into his waiting arms.
That time was no different.
Biting back a squeal, I slammed my body into his without hesitation.
Wrapping my arms around his torso, I buried my face against his chest and took a deep breath, pulling his scent deep into my lungs.
Then, feeling eyes on us, I glanced over at Chase's big brother. He was such a handsome guy which wasn't surprising considering he and Chase looked almost identical. The only difference between the two was their haircuts and age difference.
While Chase was only twenty, Ty was around thirty.
"Hey, Ty," I said, smiling. "Heidi is inside waiting for you."
And waiting she was.
I swear the poor girl was about to come out of her skin.
I wasn't sure how Ty had gotten through to Heidi, but she'd gone from pushing him away at every turn, to wanting to spend every waking moment with him.
It was such a drastic change, but one that made me ecstatic, because Ty made her happy.
I couldn't ask for more than that.
His spine snapped straight. "Where?"
Biting back a giggle, I leaned further into Chase, who was silently holding me, watching my exchange with his brother. "She was in the storeroom downstairs last I saw."
He nodded and pointed from me to Chase. "You two coming?"
Chase tightened the arm he had twined around my lower back. "Give us a few minutes, then we'll be right behind you."
Grabbing the door handle, Ty shook his head. "Stay out of view of the cameras. If Evan sees y'all all hugged up, he'll radio Shelby. We all know what will happen then."
I flinched, because yeah, we did.
She'd either threaten to shove her cowgirl boot up his behind, or she'd chase him around the parking lot with Grandmama's borrowed flyswatter.
Despite giving me her blessing just minutes before, she tended to get dramatic like that.
"She'll get over it," Chase replied, his tone a tad hard. "Ashley's twenty, not twelve."
That was true.
But I wasn't exactly a normal girl either.
With a past darker than coal, my parents went overboard trying to protect and keep me safe.
Chase understood that though.
If he didn't, he would've dipped long ago.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Ty replied, pointing at me. "When her Mama whoops your ass, don't yell at me for help."
Chase smirked. "Don't tell me you're scared of Shelby Moretti, big brother."
"I sure as shit am," Ty fired back, no hesitation, making me giggle. "And if you had a lick of common sense, you would be too. You don't ever mess with a Mama Bear, especially one whose husband is a homicide detective that knows how to get rid of a body without getting caught."
With that, he walked inside.
"That always makes me laugh," I said, looking up at my guy.
Grabbing a lock of my hair, he wrapped the dark strand around his finger. "What does?"
"To see such big strong men act like they are terrified of my Mama. I mean, she's an entire five foot three."
"Beautiful girl," he said, chuckling. "Shelby may be small, but you tend to forget about some of the things she's done in the past."
I did tend to forget.
Not ever about what she'd done to save me from Dominic, but many people didn't know what she'd done to save Lucca from his biological father.
The moment he threatened Lucca's life, she'd ended him.
As in, she'd killed him.
Without a second thought.
It's what I should've done too.
If only I'd been stronger...
I'd still have my girl.
Throat clogging with suffocating regret, I swallowed, fighting to hold back the tears that I knew were likely to fall. "Hey," I said, forcing a shaky smile. "Do you mind if we go for a walk? I could really use some fresh air before we go back inside."
Knowing that something was bothering me, but not wanting to set off my anxiety by asking, Chase took one of my hands in his and lifted it to his mouth, where he pressed a soft kiss to my knuckles. "Anything you want."
Despite the hurt swelling in my chest, I melted. "Thank you."
Lacing our fingers together, Chase extended an arm, gesturing for me to lead the way down the ramp. "Ladies first."
I rolled my eyes. "How chivalrous of you."
"Yeah, well, you know me," he said, "always acting all proper and shit."
"Oh, good heavens." I took a step and tugged his arm, wanting him to follow me. "You're so full of it, I'm surprised your eyes aren't brown, Chase Jacobs."
Pulling his hand from mine, he clutched his invisible pearls, a faux look of hurt plastered on his perfect face. "How dare you," he said, stumbling back. "Your words, Sweetness, they wound me."
Feeling the darkness weighing me down momentarily abate, I glanced over my shoulder toward the back lot of the shelter. "Wanna know what else will hurt?"
He lifted his chin in the air. "Tell me."
"Getting outran by a girl."
His eyes narrowed. "You think you can outrun me?"
I shrugged. "I don't think anything. I know I can."
"Oh yeah? Then how about you put your money where your mouth is. You run, and if I catch you, I get something I want."
I tilted my head to the side, excitement nipping my nerves. "And what is it that you want?"
"I'll settle for a kiss. But not one of those quick ones. I want a deep one. One that lasts."
Heat bloomed in my cheeks.
"Okay," I replied, agreeing to his terms. "But if I make it to the back gate without you catching me, then you have to wear a shirt the day you go back to camp that says, 'my girlfriend beat me at tag'."
Chase's eyes twinkled. "Girlfriend, huh?"
I shrugged, refusing to say more.
"Alright," he continued. "I'll wear the shirt. If I lose. Not that I'm going to."
"We'll see." I took a small step back, fully prepared to bolt. "Ready?"
He nodded. "Whenever you are."
I pulled in a breath.
Then, without giving him any warning, I turned and ran for it.
Even as fast as I was—which was faster than most girls—I never stood a chance. At the end of the ramp, Chase's arms wrapped around me from behind. A squeal slipped past my lips as he lifted me off the ground and pulled me into him, my back against his front.
Moving around the back of the building, he dropped my feet to the ground and then spun me around before pushing me up against the brick.
Arms caging me in, his chest rose and fell as he dipped his face to within an inch of mine. Noses nearly touching, he stared into my eyes, his gaze hungry. "Got you, Sweetness," he said. "Now it's time to pay up."
Skin overheating, I slipped my hands under his shirt and rested my palms against his granite abs. "First, you need to know a secret."
"Yeah?" He dropped one hand and placed it on my hip, giving it a slight squeeze. "Then tell me what it is."
Lightly digging my nails into his skin, I lifted my right leg and hooked it around his hip, pulling him closer.
He groaned in response but made no move to further touch me.
He'll never take what I don't give.
He's not like them.
Lightheaded as could be, my heavy-lidded eyes slid half shut. "I never intended to win," I admitted. "Because I wanted you to catch me."
His lips dipped closer. "That's good, baby." He paused and raked his tongue over his bottom lip, making me squirm. "Not that I would've ever let you get away."
Emotion rising once more, my heart swelled. "You can't let me go, Chase." I slid my hands around to his lower back, anchoring myself to him. "Even if I run, please don't ever let me get too far."
"I won't," he whispered. "I swear it." Swiping away the single tear that had rolled down my cheek, he dropped his forehead to mine. "I love you, Ashley Moretti." The unexpected confession stole my breath. "And I'll never stop."
Not giving me a chance to respond, he slammed his lips down on mine and did exactly as he wanted.
He kissed me long.
He kissed me deeply.
And he kissed me hard.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ashley
My hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Standing in the shelter's main office, I stared at the young girl seated across the room, her tear-streaked face bruised and puffy.
Less than thirty minutes before, my outreach group, which consisted of Ty, Heidi, Chase, and me, had found her on the street, terrified and close to freaking out.
She'd been on the run.
From her father, of all people.
A drunk who made her sit in the car while he pounded down drink after drink at the local Watering Hole, he'd beaten the crap out of her after she tried to get out of his vehicle and leave.
Ty, in turn, had beat the crap out of him once the worthless monster came looking for his daughter, only to find us with her.
Chase had told me numerous times that his dad had beat Ty more times than he could count, but up until that moment, I'd never witnessed Ty be anything but kind.
But when the girl's Daddy showed up...
He went ballistic.
Not that I blamed him.
If he hadn't done it, I would've tried.
Though I was well aware that violence wasn't the answer, I still wanted to throw that man a butt whooping like he'd never experienced before. He'd hit his daughter, his beautiful fourteen-year-old little girl.
They didn't make them any lower than that.
Knowing that I needed to comfort the girl—Mackenzie, her name was—I slowly crossed the room, making sure to keep my hands visible at all times and sat down in the seat directly across from her.
"Hey, Mackenzie," I whispered, wrapping my arms around my belly. "I don't know if you remember, but my name is Ashley. I work here along with the other ladies that you met a few minutes ago."
She sniffled but said nothing.
"I know you probably don't want to talk right now, and that's totally okay, but I just want you to know that you're safe now. I understand how terrifying this whole ordeal is, trust me, but just know that no one else will hurt you."
And they wouldn't.
Every single person who worked at the shelter would willingly throw themselves in between Mackenzie and her father if he showed up, trying to cause trouble.
Not that I expected that to happen.
Because I didn't.
With the way Ty pummeled his face and body, I doubt he could even walk.
But as I said before, he deserved it.
When Mackenzie didn't speak, I continued. "Is there anything I can get you? A drink perhaps? Maybe something to eat?"
Silence.
"Okay," I whispered, a small smile on my face. "I'm going to leave you alone so you can catch your breath. But I'll be right outside the door in case you need anything, alright?"
More silence.
Then, when I started to stand, she whispered, "Please stay."
It was a request I was happy to oblige.
Sitting back down, I crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in the chair, waiting to see if she'd speak again.
I didn't have to wait long.
"Is my Aunt coming now?"
I nodded. "Yeah, honey, she is. Maddie already got in contact with her, and she's on the way. May take her a bit to get here, but she's coming."
She blew out a relieved breath, which, in turn, lessened my anxiety.
"I like my Aunt," she said. "She's nice to me." That made me smile. "And she doesn't..."
I tilted my head to the side. "She doesn't what?"
One tear after another streamed down her cheeks.
Reaching over, I grabbed the box of tissues from Maddie's desk and handed them to her. "Here, sweet girl. Take a few of these."
Taking the whole box from my hand, she grabbed a handful of tissues and wiped her face, then blew her nose. "My Aunt Patty," she started. "Doesn't hit me." Shaking her head, she bounced her legs, unable to sit still. "Not like him."
"Mackenzie—"
I snapped my mouth shut when her heartbroken gaze met mine. "Why does he hate me so much?" The hurt in her voice nearly broke me. "I always try to be good. I listen to what he says most of the time, do my homework and don't act up. I don't understand..."
Her voice trailed off as the sobs started.
Needing to comfort her, I stood up and moved to the empty chair next to her. Holding out my hand, I asked, "Can I hold your hand?"
She nodded, then put her hand in mine.
Lacing our fingers together, I caressed the back of her knuckles with my thumb. Feeling my throat tighten, I swallowed, fighting to make it loosen. "I've been where you are," I whispered, needing to erase the pain that brewed in her pretty eyes. "I spent my entire childhood wondering how my Mama, the woman who'd given me life, could hate me so fiercely."
"You did?"
"I did."
"Was your Mama mean?"
I bit back a humorless chuckle. "My Mama was lost. Much like I expect your Daddy is."
Her brows furrowed. "What's that mean?"
"It means that their hearts are full of hurt, and instead of working on getting better, they take that same hurt out on others. It isn't right, and it isn't okay, but sometimes the world can be ugly." Feeling as though I would burst into tears at any moment, I pulled in a deep breath and worked to center myself.
Keep it together.
Show her how to be brave.
"But the world can be a beautiful one too," I continued, holding her hand tight. "Like tonight. What happened to you, sweet girl, will never be okay. But it happened, and you survived. Now, you'll get your second chance. And that second chance? It's going to be a lot better than what you leave behind."
"Did you get a second chance?"
I didn't miss the twinge of hope i
n her voice.
Lower lip trembling, I nodded. "Yeah, I did. And it started here, at this very shelter."
"Really?" she asked, eyes widening to the size of saucers. "How?"
I shifted in my seat, some of the heaviness weighing me down suddenly lifting. "Do you remember the blonde woman that came in here a few minutes ago? She was wearing a pair of denim shorts, a white button-up shirt, and knee-high cowgirl boots?"
Mackenzie nodded. "I liked her boots."
I laughed. "Well," I said, smiling. "That woman's name is Shelby, and she saved me from all the bad stuff that I was running from when I wasn't much older than you."
"Really?" she asked once more.
"Really. She even adopted me, so now I get to keep her forever."
My heart climbed into my throat as I watched the pain that filled Mackenzie's eyes vanish before mine. "You see, my life was really ugly there for a while, but then it got better and a whole lot more beautiful."
"Do you think mine will get better?"
"One second."
Releasing her hand, I stood and rounded Maddie's desk. Opening the top drawer, I pulled out a business card. Along the backside of it, I wrote my phone number, followed by my Mama's.
Moving back to her side, I kneeled next to her, bringing us eye-to-eye. "I want you to do something for me, okay?" Pointing at the phone numbers, I continued. "When you leave here, if your life doesn't get better, you call me, and I promise I will fight with everything I have to fix it."
Taking the card from my hand, she stared down at the numbers, a look of disbelief in her eyes. "Ashley," she whispered, clutching it tightly. "Even if it does get better, can I still call you? Because I like you, and I don't have many friends."
I choked back more tears.
"You can call me, or you can text me. It doesn't matter which." Pinching a stray lock of hair between my fingers, I tucked it back behind my ear. "Whenever you need to talk, even if it's about simple, everyday stuff, then I'm your girl. Morning, noon, or night, I'll always answer."
She looked up, meeting my gaze. "Can I hug you?"
It was one of the sweetest questions I'd ever been asked. "Yes, you can hug—"
A squeal, followed by a burst of laughter escaped my lips when Mackenzie jumped into me, knocking me back onto my butt. "Thank you," she said, hugging me tightly. "Thank you a whole lot."
Every Kiss You Steal: A Redeeming Love Novel (Book 7) Page 21
