I giggle as I type out a reply.
Me: Hey Trent, its Em. Harper is most certainly not mad at you. Stop worrying. You sound like a chick.
Trent: You would flip shit too if someone said “we need to talk”, so eff you.
Me: You’re right, but seriously, she’s not breaking up with you or anything. I’ll drop her off shortly.
Trent: You’re the best.
Harper is completely oblivious to our text messaging as she paces around the living room. I have to get her to Trent before she creates a faded path in Dalton’s wood floor.
“Moose, it’s time to go.” Harlee slowly comes down the stairs and walks to Dalton.
“No. I stay here.”
Dalton gets on his knees and wraps his arms around Harlee, “I wish you could, but I have to work in the morning, honey.”
“No, you stay home. Unkey Bake can work for you.”
Dalton looks up at me with sad eyes. I love how connected these two are, but it hurts my heart to think about him leaving. She’s too young to understand. “I’ll come see you tomorrow, Moose. I promise.”
Harlee squeezes Dalton and kisses his cheek, “Ooookay, Peaches.”
After he releases Harlee, he walks over to me. Moving a strand of hair away from my face, he kisses my forehead and hugs me, “What am I going to do without my girls?”
His admission instantly makes me sad. I know he has a mission and I respect his job, but it still sucks. Snuggling close to his chest, I savor the feel of his body against mine. “I don’t know, but I already miss you and you haven’t even left yet.”
Dalton pulled back and gave me a knowing look. This will be hard on all of us. He kissed my forehead once more, and after giving Blake a quick hug, we head for my truck. We were less than a mile down the road and Harlee was asleep. They wore my little girl out tonight.
“What am I going to say to Trent?”
“Tell him how you feel and then tell him the news. It won’t be easy with him being gone, but I’ll be here to help you through it all.”
I told Harper about Trent’s text message and when we pulled into his driveway, she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and bolted from the truck. I really wish I could be a fly on the wall for their conversation. They are so sweet together and I know they can make it work. Sadly, it’s shitty timing for all of us, but we will do what we have to.
I didn’t hear from Harper the rest of the night after I dropped her off at Trent’s house. Her vehicle was still in my driveway the next morning, so that was a good sign. When she finally came to get her car at night, she was gushing. She said that Trent was elated and he couldn’t wait to start a family with Harper. She seems genuinely thrilled and I was so happy for her.
The guys are set to leave in two days. Austin has only been home a few hours a night, if that, and we have hardly spoken two words to each other. They gave some of the guys, Austin included, today and tomorrow off, so Austin has been sitting on the couch playing video games all day. As I head to the kitchen to start dinner, the doorbell rings.
Austin doesn’t even attempt to get up and answer it, so I make my way to the front door and open it, “Dalton. Hi.”
Austin stands up when he realizes who is at the door, “Bates, what the fuck are you doing here, man? We’re off tomorrow, go get laid or something.” Dalton shoots Austin a disgusted look.
“I’m not interested in pre-deployment hookups, Austin. I came by…”
Before Dalton could finish, Harlee came running out of her playroom and into his arms, “Peaches! I missed you.”
“Why the hell do you let her call you “Peaches,” Bates?”
“Because that’s the name she gave me and I liked it.”
Before Austin could open his stupid mouth, I changed the subject, “Dalton, I was just starting dinner. Care to join us?”
Dalton had the biggest shit eating grin on his face as he agreed to stay. I busied myself in the kitchen while Austin went back to his video game and Dalton read books to Harlee on the couch. After getting the corn and potatoes to a boil on the stove, I went outside to crank the grill.
When I came in to get the hamburgers, Dalton snagged the plate from me, “I got this, Em.” He winked and then looked down at Harlee, “Come on Moose, let’s go play outside.”
I watched Dalton from the slider as he cooked the hamburgers and played bubbles with Harlee. Austin never once moved from his position on the couch. When he gears up for a deployment, he is always extremely busy and keeps to himself at home, which is a definite plus for me, but this is the first time he hasn’t even bothered to spend time with Harlee. He wasn’t exactly father of the year before finding out about this deployment, but he at least spent time with her.
Dinner was actually quite pleasant. We made small talk and shared some laughs, which was surprising in itself. As I started doing the dishes, my phone rang. A few nurses called in sick and they needed someone to work four hours tonight. I told them I would call right back and hung up so I could think of what to do with Harlee.
“You okay, Em? You look conflicted.”
“Oh, that was work. They need me to work tonight for a few hours. I have to be in at 7:00 p.m.”
Before Dalton could reply, Austin gave me an irritated look and said, “Tell them ‘no’. I’m goin’ out with some of the guys tonight. I can’t babysit.”
“It’s not babysitting when it’s your own kid, Austin. You haven’t spent any time…”
Dalton put his hand on my shoulder, instantly silencing me. Looking to Austin he said, “No worries, man. Moose can come home with me tonight. I don’t have a damn thing planned tonight or tomorrow.”
“Shit, come drinking with us, Bates. The last thing you want to do is babysit when we’re about to deploy. Let’s go live it up while we still can.”
“I love spending time with Harlee. I would much rather be with her than out drinking.”
“Suit yourself, man.” Austin got up from the table and went upstairs.
I looked at Dalton, then back at my phone. I couldn’t let him watch Harlee when he only has a short time left to relax before they ship out.
Sensing my stress, Dalton steps closer and cups my face, “I’m taking Moose home. Stop overthinking. I offered because I want to spend time with her.” He kissed my forehead and went into the living room the find Harlee.
I packed her bag and gave her a kiss. She was so excited to have a sleepover with him and Blake. Austin left the same time Dalton did, so I rushed upstairs to change before I headed into work. I hope my relief makes it there on time. Four hours isn’t long, but I’m exhausted tonight and I really need some rest.
My four-hour shift turned into seven hours. To say I am half dead, would be an understatement. As I walk to the front door, I’m careful to be as quiet as possible so I don’t wake Austin. I hang my keys on the hook by the door and head up the stairs. When I walk into the bedroom, Austin is standing by the closet and there are clothes and military gear strung all around the room.
“Austin? What’s going…?”
“Where is the stuff I told you to pick up for me at the commissary?”
“What? You never told me you needed anything from the commissary, Austin.”
Austin’s eyes are bloodshot and his face is dripping with sweat. I have no idea how long he has been running around this bedroom, but even his shirt is soaked with sweat.
“Bullshit. I gave you a list when you came back from Alabama.”
“I would remember if you gave me a list. You must have misplaced it.”
He rushed toward me, wrapped his hand around my throat, and shoved my back against the wall, “Are you questioning me, bitch? I know damn well I gave you a list and you know damn well that I need certain items before every deployment.”
With each word his grip on my neck slowly tightens, cutting off my air supply, “Austin… Let go. Can’t…Breathe.” His eyes are dark and completely void of emotion. I can barely get any air into my lungs and my vis
ion is darkening. “Ssstop, ppplease.” The words are slurred and barely a whisper comes out. His grip loosens as he reaches across his arm and backhands me in the face, sending me tumbling to the floor.
“Get up!”
I can’t get up. I lay limp on the floor as I fight to put air back into my lungs.
“Get the fuck up now!”
Austin is yelling so loudly that the neighbors can probably hear him. I put my hands on the edge of the bed and pull myself up. Austin stands in front of me again, gripping my chin hard between his thumb and pointer finger. I turn my head to get out of his grasp, but he only squeezes my chin harder. I try to stand but he pushes me onto the bed and takes both of my wrists in one of his hands, holding it roughly above my head.
“Why don’t you do anything you’re fucking told? You think you can do whatever the fuck you want, but you’re wrong. You’re my wife and I own you. Pick up this room and as soon as the commissary opens tomorrow morning, your ass better be in the parking lot.”
“I…I need to sleep. I’m exhausted from work.”
“Oh you’re tired. I’m the one who has been working non-stop. I’m tired, Ember. Me.” I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but his body was heavy on top of mine. He licked his lips and shifted his weight to the side. Grabbing one of my hands with his free hand, he placed it onto his erection, “Do you see what you do to me? Do you fucking feel what you do to me, Ember?”
I didn’t respond. I struggled harder to get out of his hold, but he wrapped one leg around mine, locking it into place. He moved my hand from his hardness and put it back above my head. His hand slid into my pants as he roughly began to circle my clit. “You’re so wet for me. Tell me how bad you want me.”
I shook my head as the tears fell in large drops down my cheeks. He inserted two fingers inside me and slid them in and out with so much force, that it hurt. “Tell me how bad you fucking want my cock.”
He withdrew his fingers and stood up to take his pants off. When they were at his knees, I sat up and pushed his chest, causing him to trip and fall. I jumped off the bed and ran down the stairs as fast as I could. Grabbing my keys from the hook, I bolted out the front door.
Before I hit the bottom porch step, Austin grabbed my hair and yanked me backward. He dragged me across the porch and back toward the door. He stood me up by my hair and as he began to pull me back inside, I maneuvered my keys between my fingers and punched him in his bare chest as hard as I could. As blood started to trickle down his body, I spun around and hauled ass to my truck. I was inside and backing out before he made it halfway to the driveway.
My phone rings, waking me out of a dead sleep. I roll over and glance at the clock, it’s only 0300. Ember’s picture flashes across the screen and I instantly begin to panic, “Baby, what’s wrong?” All I hear are loud sobs coming from the other end. “Em, what is going on? Are you home? I’m coming to get you.”
“I… I left.”
“What? Are you driving?”
“Y-yes”
My heart is racing. I jump out of bed and try to put pants on, but my entire body is shaking, “Pull over, I’m coming to get you.”
“N-no. I’m a-almost to your h-house.”
I run downstairs and out to my porch to wait for her. “Please be safe, Em. If you need to pull over, I will come get you.”
She doesn’t reply. I try to calm her down over the next five minutes, but her sobbing only increases. Finally, I see headlights coming up my driveway. I shove my phone into my back pocket and sprint toward her truck. I have her door open before she can even put it into park. Her eyes are puffy and bloodshot.
“Em?”
She slowly turns her head to face me and I can see that the side of her face is swollen and bruised. I reach in to unbuckle her seatbelt, and when she’s free, I wrap my arms around her and pull her into my chest.
As her sobs increase, I pick her up, kick the truck door shut, and carry her inside. I sit on the couch, keeping her wrapped tightly against me. Two shadows appears next to us and I about jump out of my skin, but luckily Ember doesn’t notice.
Blake is standing there, worry written across his face as his dog stands by his side with perked ears, “What the fuck happened?”
Ember picks her head up, her swollen eyes and bruises are now visible to Blake. He opens his mouth to say something else, but I shoot him a proceed with caution look and he walks into the kitchen. By the time he comes back with an ice pack and tissues, Ember has stopped crying.
“Ember, put this ice pack on your face. It’s really swollen.”
“Thanks, Blake.”
Blake’s eyes are filled with sympathy and concern, which I’m pretty sure mirrors my own, but mine are also filled with rage. I have a damn good idea as to what happened and I am pissed beyond words. Blake sits next to us on the couch and takes one of Ember’s hands in his. When she winces, we both look down and see the bruises surrounding both her wrists.
Blake’s mouth falls open as he looks at me, but he quickly erases the look of shock from his features before she notices, “What happened, Ember?”
Ember slowly told us what happened in-between sobs. The more she spoke, the angrier Blake and I got. “We need to go to the police.”
“No, Blake. We can’t.”
“What? He beat the shit out of you!” Blake’s voice was raised when he spoke and the look on her face instantly made him feel bad, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get loud. Why can’t we call the police, Em?”
“The guys leave tomorrow. If I say something, Austin will have to stay back and it will only make things worse. If he’s gone, at least I’ll be safe.”
I understand where she is coming from, but he can’t get away with this. “We have to do something, baby. He can’t do this to you and just go on like nothing happened.”
“No! He needs to leave. Can we… Please I’m just so tired.”
“Okay, baby. I’m sorry. Let’s go upstairs.”
I gave Ember some pain medicine and tucked her into bed. I held her tight against me, and it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. As I made my way back downstairs, the smell of coffee consumed my senses. “Brother, its 0430, why didn’t you go back to sleep?”
Blake poured me a cup and set it on the counter, “That son of a bitch needs the fear of God put into him, Dalton.”
“I know, man. I’m going to see if I can get Harper on the phone and have her come sit with the girls while we go over there.”
Blake nods and I pull out my phone to call Harper. It goes to voicemail and I contemplate calling Trent, but before I can pull his name up, she calls back.
“Dalton? What’s wrong? What time is it?”
“Sorry Harp. I know it’s early. Austin fucked Ember up pretty bad and I just got her to sleep. Can you come here while Blake and I handle a few things?”
“Oh my God. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
“Don’t rush, just drive safely.”
Blake and I slam a couple of cups of coffee while we wait. About thirty minutes later, the front door opens and Harper rushes inside wearing My Little Pony pajamas. Trent walks in behind her and closes the door.
“Where is she?”
“She’s sleeping, Harp. So is Harlee. Those are some sexy pajamas. I can see why Trent can’t resist you.”
“Kiss my ass, I need to do laundry. What happened?”
We filled Harper in on everything and I made her a bed on the couch. Blake brought Sniper’s dog bed downstairs so he could lay down and keep watch over the girls. He is the best military dog we have on post and I know he will protect the girls should Austin come looking for Ember before we get to him.
After Harp and Sniper are settled, Blake, Trent, and I make our way to Austin’s house. “Thanks for coming, Trent. I hate to have you involved when we’re both about to deploy with Austin.”
“I love Ember like a sister. I’m not worried about Austin. We will push our issues aside when it comes to our mission, but ri
ght now, he needs a fucking reality check.”
We make it to Austin’s in no time. The guys and I file out of the truck and head to the front door. We can hear the television blaring from inside so I knock loudly. After knocking a few different times, the television is silenced and Austin opens the door, “What are you fuckers doing here?”
“Can we come in?” We are going in regardless, but I figured I would ask first.
“Yeah, man. What’s going on?”
Trent and Blake stood behind me and let me do the talking, “What happened with Ember?”
Austin eyed me suspiciously. Clearly he thought Ember would go to Harper’s instead of coming to me. “We got into an argument. What’s it to you?”
“You put your fucking hands on her. You think it’s okay to hit a woman, Austin?”
Austin stepped forward and pushed me hard in the chest, “Fuck you, Bates. You don’t know shit.”
I lunged toward him and wrapped my hand around his neck. My anger gave me hulk like strength. I pushed him against the wall and got right into his face.
He fought to get my hand from around his neck, but my grip was lethal.
“Let me explain something to you, Austin. You have no business hitting a woman, ever. The only reason the police haven’t been called, is because we deploy tomorrow, but if you ever touch Ember again, I will fucking gut you myself.”
Austin gasped for breath as his face turned bright red. In one last effort to loosen my hold on him, he lifted his knee and kneed me right in the stomach. I let go of him and as he rushed toward me yet again, my fist met his nose with so much force that we all heard it crack. Austin fell to the ground, blood pooling around him.
“You have the entire day to get your shit together, Austin. We leave tomorrow. Ember and Harlee will be staying with me until you’re gone. We have a mission and we need to focus, so clean yourself up, man.”
“You had to bring bodyguards with just to threaten me?”
Before I could answer, Trent moved closer to Austin, “It’s not a threat, it’s a promise. I’ll help him fuck you up if you put your hands on her again. I suggest you lay off the bottle so you’re in your right mind before we leave tomorrow. I won’t hesitate to go to the command and make shit a whole hell of a lot worse for you, man.”
Ember Skies Page 13
