My heart swelled as the orgasm that had been building since he forced me onto his lap finally broke free, shattering me in the process.
Scream after scream, moan after moan, and more curse words than I'd ever uttered in my life flew from my lips as wave after wave of pleasure consumed me, numbing my body of any other sensation.
Above me, Chase's thrusts became more and more erratic until he suddenly yelled out, his body stiffening above mine as he came inside me, pouring himself into me. "Fuck, Ashley," he said, panting for breath. "I'm pretty damn sure I just saw Heaven."
Pressing my lips to his, I kissed him, as his heart pounded against my chest, his pulse entirely in sync with mine. "You are my Heaven," I whispered against his mouth, fully aware of how silly yet truthful my words sounded.
Chase groaned as he pulled out of me and rolled onto the mattress beside me. I turned, facing him, and he lifted me onto his chest, holding me tight. "You're mine too," he replied, nuzzling his face into my hair. "Forever, Sweetness."
Eyelids fluttering close, I snuggled into him, nearly crawling beneath his skin. "Forever, Jock."
It was the last thing I said, because within a matter of minutes, I was fast asleep.
Chapter Forty
Ashley
I was going to be sick.
Seated in the lobby of Toluca PD, I stared at the door to my left, not so patiently waiting for my Dad to walk out. A little over an hour had passed since he’d called me at work and told me to get my butt down to the station. Since he didn’t elaborate as to why, I was ready to come out of my skin with worry.
And my poor stomach...
The stupid thing wouldn’t stop churning.
If I hadn’t been alone it wouldn’t have been so bad. But with Mama at work and Chase back in Atlanta at practice, I didn’t have anyone. Sure, I could’ve called one of the other ladies to come sit with me, but either they were at work or gone with their families.
I’d been tempted to call Grandmama or even Pop, but they were busy too. I swear some days it seemed like my entire family was going in a hundred different directions.
It drove me batty.
“Principessa...”
I jerked my head up at the sound of my father’s voice. Moving through the now opened door, he wordlessly gestured for me to get up and come with him.
So that’s what I did.
Standing, I followed him back through the door and down the long hallway that led to his office. Once we were inside, he shut the door behind him and nodded toward an empty chair next to his desk.
“Sit, Ashley.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “I’d rather stand. Especially when I have a bad feeling that whatever reason you brought me down here isn’t a good one.”
Blowing out a breath, he slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “Your Mama will shoot me where I stand if this goes badly,” he mumbled, before closing his eyes for a moment. “And if she doesn’t kill me off entirely, your Grandmama damn sure will.”
I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Dad,” I said, brows furrowed. “It’s no secret that I’m easily confused at times, but do you mind telling me what’s going on?”
Pulling his hands free of his pockets, he crossed his arms and turned to face me fully, his eyes locking with mine. “Jeffrey Ellington was arrested last night.”
All the air left my lungs in one quick whoosh. “For what?” I asked, feeling a tad bit faint.
“Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography, among other things.”
“Is it…I mean, is it because of the—”
“It’s because of the phone,” he cut in, knowing exactly what I was about to ask.
I hated thinking about that dang phone.
It was bad enough that my Dad saw the horrendous things that were on it, including me being violated in the most twisted of ways.
But after having to explain to both my Mama and Chase the type of videos and pictures that it contained after Dad stormed out, hell-bent on burning down the town, I never wanted to speak of it again.
Not ever.
Feeling beads of sweat form along my spine, I stepped back and leaned against the wall behind me. “Holy crap,” I murmured. “I know I gave you the evidence, but I never... Well, I guess I just thought nothing would come of it. I understand it’s not your fault, but after you said there would be no justice for Carmen and Jade, I figured there wouldn’t be any for me either.”
“You were wrong, Principessa.”
It would appear so.
“What happens now?”
“The judge denied his request for bail this morning, deeming him not only a flight risk but a hazard to the general public, children especially.”
Disbelief built inside me.
This can’t be real.
It’s too good to be true.
“But he’s the DA. Can’t he just pull some strings and get out of it?” I was hopeful he couldn’t, but he had plenty of money plus friends in high places. If anyone could get out of legal trouble, it was him.
“He’s not going to be the DA for much longer, and he has more enemies than friends.” Well, that wasn’t real surprising when I thought about it. “Trust me, more people want to see him behind bars than free.”
Mixed feelings swirled inside me.
Part of me was happy as could be that Ellington may get sent to prison or at the very least, knocked off the pedestal he’d perched his predatory-self on long ago. But the other part of me—the jaded one—didn’t believe he’d ever see the inside of a prison cell.
Powerful men like him never did.
“Do I need to do anything? Like, fill out a report or something? Is that why you asked me to come down?”
He shook his head. “No, baby, it’s not.”
My brows furrowed. “Then why?”
“Before I reveal my intentions, you should know that Dominic is in a holding cell downstairs.”
Once again, all the air left my lungs, and panic stirred despite the fact that I tried to push it down, back into the depths from which it sprang. “What is...”
Losing the ability to speak, I pressed my back flat against the wall as my heart pounded against my ribcage.
“He has to make an appearance down at the Toluca Courthouse this afternoon thanks to a new charge they uncovered recently. Bureau of Prisons transported him in from Atlanta early this morning. He was supposed to be logged in at county, but they are at max capacity, so we’re taking their overflow until they free up some space.”
Oh God.
“Dad, I don’t understand. What am I—”
“This is your shot.”
Tears filled my eyes though I didn’t have the slightest clue as to why. “My shot to what?”
“To sever the last remaining tie.”
One sentence.
That was all it took for understanding to dawn upon me. “You want me to confront them?”
Closing the space between us, he gently pinched my chin between his index finger and thumb. “What I want,” he said, “is for you to take back every ounce of power they stole from you.”
The moment I began to wonder exactly how in the world I’d do such a thing, Mama’s words from the night she, Clara and Heidi staged an intervention echoed through my head.
You do what every woman in this family has done before you when faced with darkness, she’d said. You stand up, and you frickin’ fight.
My back snapped straight.
That was the night I made a decision to go toe to toe with the darkness that lived inside of me. So far, I’d done that. But if I truly wanted to be free, I needed to go head to head with the two men who’d hurt me the worst.
Like Dad said, this was my chance.
And I wanted my damn power back.
Channeling every ounce of strength from the kickass women in my life, I stood tall. Adjusting my purse on my shoulder, I stared at my Dad. “Where are they?” I asked, my voice stead
y. “Because I have a thing or two to say to each of them.”
A victorious smile crossed his face.
Turning, he opened the door and stepped to the side, making room for me to exit.
Once I crossed the threshold, he took my hand in his and led me down the hall. At the end, we descended a set of stairs into what used to be the station’s basement but now served as overflow cells for the county jail.
My heart pounded the entire way.
But my steps did not falter.
Reaching the bottom, Dad came to a stop and turned, facing me head-on. “You ready for this?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
He nodded, his eyes gleaming with pride. “Ashley Jo, listen to me. There are ten cells on the other side of this door. One is occupied by Ellington and a second by Dominic. Both are secured, and they won’t be able to harm nor touch you. Understand?”
It was my turn to nod. “I do.”
“Alright, Principessa, last chance. You sure you’re ready?”
Again, there was no hesitation. “Open the door.”
A second later, that’s what he did.
After pushing it open, he stepped to the side. “I’ll be right here,” he said. “If you need me, I can reach you in five seconds flat.”
“I’m gonna be just fine.”
Like my heart, my words were confident.
It was a first for me.
Exhaling, he nodded toward the row of cells I could see from where I stood. “Go reclaim everything they took, Principessa,” he said. “And then tell them to go straight to hell where they belong.”
I said nothing as I stepped through the threshold and into the hall running between two rows of holding cells. Unlike upstairs, the entire area was dimly lit and had a creepy vibe to it.
It kinda freaked me out.
Still, I wouldn’t let that stop me.
I held my breath as I moved toward the end of the cells, but just as I was about to exhale, I caught sight of both monsters.
Secured in cells right next to each other, both sat on their beds, their unfocused eyes staring at the place where I stood, momentarily concealed by shadows.
“Come on, man,” Dominic said, clearly thinking I was someone else. “Lunch was over an hour ago. Where the fuck is my tray, pendejo?”
My insides twisted at the sound of his devilish voice.
I hated him.
So damn much!
“Come on, white-bread,” he taunted, still thinking I was one of the men from upstairs. “Move your ass.”
At his words, something inside me broke.
A mixture of pissed off and hurt, I stepped out of the shadows and into his direct line of sight. “El diablo,” I whispered, my eyes locking with his hate-filled gaze. “It’s been a while.”
In the blink of an eye, rage began to roll off of him in waves as he jumped up, his slipper covered feet hitting the concrete cell floor with a slap. “Tesoro,” he sneered, wrapping his hands around the bars of his cell. “Come over here, baby. This little reunion has been a long fuckin’ time comin’.”
I passed on that.
There was no doubt in my mind that if I got within reaching distance, he’d ripped my head off without thinking twice.
He was that pissed.
“I’ll never get near you again, Dominic,” I said, refusing to cower in his presence. “The only reason I’m here is because I have a few things I’d like to say.”
He smiled, his white teeth gleaming thanks to the fluorescent light beaming down on him from above. “Yeah? And what’s that?”
“Almost seven years have passed since I fell into your sadistic clutches.” He chuckled, but I ignored him and kept speaking. My words had been a long time coming. “From the moment we met, until I managed to escape you, you terrorized me to within an inch of my sanity.”
I took a breath.
“You beat me, you raped me, you allowed others to rape me for profit, and you took things from me that I can never get back, including my child and my two best friends.”
My heart climbed into my throat.
But I didn’t stop.
“I will never forget the things you did to me, but I will no longer allow them to hold me back. I may have once thought of you as a monster, but that’s no longer true. Now, you’re nothing more than a caged animal.”
“You stupid little—” he started.
“From now on, I will be at every court appearance and every parole meeting you have,” I continued, cutting him off. “I will do everything in my power to make sure that you never walk the streets a free man again, where you’ll have the chance to hurt another person.”
Keep going...
Speak your truths.
“You may be the devil, Dominic West, but as of this moment, you no longer hold any power over me.” Stepping closer, but not too close, I looked him straight in the eyes and said, “You tried to break me, but you failed.”
“You stupid fuckin’ puta, I own—”
“You don’t own a damn thing!” I hollered, letting my emotions get the best of me. A twisted smile spread across my face. “You’ve been replaced, el diablo.” His eyes flared, the anger brewing in them clear as day. “Far as I’m concerned you don’t exist anymore.”
I meant every word.
“But there’s something I need you to know, and it’s really important so listen up.”
White-knuckled grip squeezing the bars tighter than before, he exhaled so harshly his nostrils flared. “Yeah? And what’s that?”
Squaring my shoulders, I stood as tall as my five feet two inches frame would allow and glared at him with hard eyes. Then, “I’m no longer your Tesoro, Dominic. Now, I’m just me.”
“Bitch, you aint’—”
“My name,” I screamed, “is Ashley Jo Moretti, and whether you like it or not, el diablo, I am done being your fucking victim!”
Chest heaving, I turned my attention to Ellington, whose face was paler than normal as Dominic continued to cuss and sling one threat after another my way. Ignoring him, I stared at the well-dressed man before me, his beady brown eyes filled with pure terror.
“How does it make you feel, Jeffrey, to know that a mountain girl from the hollers of Appalachia is the one responsible for putting you here?” I smiled once more. “Have fun in prison, Mr. Fancy DA. I’m sure there are plenty of prisoners who will just love making your acquaintance.”
Having nothing left to say, I walked away.
With each step that I took, another of the mental chains that held me captive snapped, completely breaking in half. And with them no longer anchoring me to my demons, I became the very thing I’d always wanted.
Free.
Chapter Forty-One
Ashley
It was my birthday.
To celebrate my special day, my entire family had gathered in Grandmama’s backyard for a cookout. The smell of charcoal, along with the sounds of laughter filled the air, and although I was happy as could be, a part of me ached with emptiness.
It was a feeling that had intensified over the past few weeks and one which I doubted I’d ever be rid of when such a huge chunk of my heart walked around free of my body day in and day out.
I missed my Addie.
So much.
Though I’d held her for less than an hour, I’d carried her for nine months. The feel of her moving inside me, followed by the smell of her newborn skin was something I’d never forget.
Often times, my mind drifted to both when I thought of her and one question after another—all of them impossible to answer—echoed through my mind.
Was she ever adopted?
Does she love her family?
Is she happy?
Is she safe?
I prayed that the answer to each question was yes. Giving her up had been hard enough, but if I ever found out that I’d taken her from one bad situation and thrust her into another, I wouldn’t be able to handle that.
Seriously, my heart wou
ld break.
Beyond repair.
“Sweetness...”
I jerked my head up when the sound of Chase’s voice washed over me, pulling me from my tumultuous thoughts.
Plopping down next to me atop the picnic table where I’d sat for the past thirty minutes watching the kids play tag, he took my hand in his and leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” he asked, his voice low so only I could hear him. “You look seconds away from bursting into tears. And that can’t happen. Not on your birthday. So just tell me whose ass I need to kick, and I’ll handle it.”
Of course, he would.
“I’m not going to cry,” I replied. “I was just thinking about Addie.” He made a humming sound but said nothing in reply. “I know I forfeited my right to be her Mama when I gave her up, but I still think about her all the time. I just hope she’s okay, and that wherever she is, she’s happy and safe.”
Both were things I’d never felt as a child.
“I’m sure she’s fine, baby,” he whispered. Wrapping his arm around my side, he pulled me into him, comforting me as best he could.
Head going to his shoulder, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m sure you’re right. But not knowing—”
“Chase!” My eyes fluttered back open when my father, who was standing near the gate that led from the backyard to the front, hollered my guy’s name. “The gift you got my Principessa just arrived.”
His eyes flicked to me.
A small smile graced his lips.
My interest was officially piqued.
“What did you get me?” I asked, sitting straight. “Cause if it had to be delivered, it better be a pony.” I smirked at him. “With a pink tail and an even pinker saddle.”
He chuckled, jumping off the table. “Only you would ask for a pony with a pink tail.”
Pushing my dark hair free of my face, I scrunched my nose. “Grandmama was the one who gave me the idea.”
“Of course she was.” With a roll of his eyes, he circled my upper arms with his strong hands, massaging my bare skin with his thumbs. “Stay here for me, baby.”
Every Kiss You Steal: A Redeeming Love Novel (Book 7) Page 32
