“You couldn’t wait?” River asked.
“It’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one who’s had to wait all this time. You’ve had a taste of her.” Gael stepped into his pants.
“I had one taste.”
Gael and I didn’t get a chance with Emily before our fathers interfered. To a point, it had put a strain on our friendship with River and Vadik, especially when we were drunk and our anger reached a new kind of high.
Much to my surprise, neither River nor Vadik minded. They seemed to get that we’d missed out on her.
“Where is she?” I asked. I don’t want to reminisce about the past. There was no point. All I wanted was to see our woman. We’d been too long without and we’d made a deal with the fucking devil to get her back. Before she could realize what we’d done, we needed to get her home. Not that Crude Hill could be called home.
The moment Ashley didn’t come home tonight, she’d realize we sacrificed her best friend in order to claim her. We’d deal with the fallout so long as we had a chance to chain her to us in every single way that mattered.
I didn’t trust Earl one bit, and that was another reason I wanted Emily back in our town. Once we had her within our protective circle, she would be safe.
“You need to leave,” Emily said.
She was completely wet. Her hair fell down around her shoulders and she had a towel wrapped around her body. She hadn’t looked up at us, and just seeing her now, my cock went so hard. She’d lost weight, which I didn’t like.
We’d take care of her.
Seconds ticked by, and she looked up, coming to a stop.
“Fuck me,” she said.
All four of us were in her apartment, which was so tiny compared to our place back home.
Her gaze moved over all of us until she finally settled on me.
“What is this?” She stayed perfectly still.
“It’s time for you to come home,” I said.
Her hands went left to right. “No, I am home.”
“This isn’t your home,” Gael said. “You know it. I know it.”
“I don’t have to listen to this. You had your fun.”
Her glare was so fucking cute.
Gael chuckled. “I seem to recall you had your fun just as much. You used me to scratch that itch of yours.”
“You think you’re funny?”
“Hilarious.”
She rolled her eyes and it was so good to watch her. I’d missed this.
“You can all leave.” Her teeth sank into her lip and I caught the glistening of her eyes. It cut me deeply to know we were the ones responsible for the way she felt. We’d hurt her. No one else.
It made me want to beat the shit out of myself, but I couldn’t do that. “Em, you’ve got to come with us.”
She burst out laughing. “You’re all joking. Not happening. You need to leave. With Earl’s appearance, Ashley’s already having a hard time dealing with everything. Unlike us, she loved her mom.”
“We’ve got Ashley,” I said. I was going straight to hell for the lies that spilled from my lips. “Do you think we’d risk coming here if it wasn’t important? You and Ashley are in danger. We’ve already got Ashley on the way back to Crude Hill. Your lives are in danger.”
“You’re lying. Ashley told me you sent me here for my own good.”
“Yes, and she didn’t lie, but things change, Emily. You know this life better than anyone. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.” She was going to hate me, but so long as I got her ass back in Crude Hill, in our home, I didn’t care.
Her gaze left mine and she looked toward Vadik, River, and Gael. I hoped they kept straight fucking faces.
I was doing what I needed to in order to get her home.
“Ashley’s safe?”
“Yes.”
“I need to call her.” She moved as if to go and see, and I reacted. Wrapping my arms around her, we were going for plan B. I didn’t want this one, but she was too damn stubborn. River was there with the needle, and he pressed it into her skin. “What the hell are you doing? Let me go. Let me the fuck go.”
She was no match for my strength. I held her as the sedative took effect. Her grip on the towel loosened and it dropped to the floor. I kept my arms around her as she slumped in my arms.
I looked toward Gael. “Get her some clothes.”
“Since when did I become your servant?”
“Just get her some fucking clothes.” I didn’t have time to argue. The moment the sedative went into her, we were on a countdown. We only had one other dose and I didn’t want to waste time.
The sooner we got her to Crude Hill, the better.
Vadik and River watched me. I hadn’t let her go.
“You lied to her,” River said.
“You think she was going to come with us?” I didn’t know why I was trying to justify myself to them.
“I don’t know, but lying to her wasn’t exactly ideal, was it?” Vadik asked. “She’s going to know the truth now, and we’re going to have to fight her.”
“If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll do as she’s told.” I sounded like an asshole, but I didn’t care. I was trying to keep her safe, protect her.
Gael returned with a pair of sweats and an ugly-ass t-shirt with a cat on it. Kind of strange for Emily, but I didn’t care. With Gael’s help, we got her changed and I lifted her in my arms.
“Wait,” Gael said, stopping me as I walk toward the door.
“What?”
“You think we should, you know, grab a few things for her?”
“We’re about to have a fight for our life in keeping her. Do you really fucking think this is going to help us if she has any memories of all that we’ve taken from her?” I was losing my temper now.
“It may help,” Vadik said.
“If you guys want to stay behind and grab sentimental shit, be my guest. I don’t have time.” I worked the door open and left, carrying the love of our life with me down toward our waiting car.
****
Vadik
Emily hadn’t woken up yet.
We were on our plane, heading to the airport, where a car was waiting for us to escort us all back to Crude Hill.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
We’d lain down her seat and she was curled up. River threw a blanket on her, and she looked so perfect. Peaceful within sleep but also because we finally had her back.
Caleb sat beside her, drinking some whiskey. I noticed his hands shook a little, but I didn’t comment. He wasn’t afraid. None of us were. With the life we’d lived these past few years, fear wasn’t easy to come by.
Emily, though, she was finally with us, and Earl had come through. Ashley was gone and she was still alive.
We’d fucked up. I knew we had.
Gael sat a couple of seats down from me, staring at her. He’d finally tasted her, and I knew what he was going through. The pleasure that rushed through you, the feel of her wrapped around you. I’d had a chance to experience it once myself, but since then, nothing else.
I missed it.
I missed that feeling.
Seeing her now, I was overcome by guilt. There had been women over the years, some I’d tried to use to make me forget her. I’d never gone all the way with them, but the intent had been there.