TAKING THE FALL - the Complete Series (29 page)

I stand up, look down at him and raise my gun. “That’s where you’re wrong, Dean. She’s mine now, and for the rest of my life I’ll protect her. Her fear ends tonight but I’ll never stop looking over my shoulder. As long as I have a breath in me, she and our baby will always be safe. You can die knowing that you didn’t win, that she’s stronger than you. And one day, when our child is grown and asks who you are, she’ll struggle to remember because that’s how little she’ll ever think of you again.”

The single gunshot rings though the small cabin. I turn and grab the books off the table, then walk out. I hear Saint’s footsteps behind me as we exit.

We’re silent for a moment. “You killed him faster than I would have,” I say, thinking of Marco.

“
Done with this shit, man. I could stay here all night and rip his fingernails off one by one, or I could snap his neck and spend the rest of my night inside my Mama.”

I nod in understanding, and we sit into the car. I understand his point. He’s been fighting to get back into her bed for months now, and I’ve been fighting to be with my Cherry for years. We're not wasting our time with this bullshit. Pulling on to the highway, my only thoughts are of my girl.

LAYLA

“
Wake up, baby,” Carter mumbles against my ear before peppering kisses down my neck. Rolling over, I wrap my arms around his shoulders. I knew he would come back to me – he always does –but I was still worried. I tossed and turned for hours before sleep finally took me.

“
You showered,” I say, rubbing my nose against his neck and breathing him in. I swear I’ll never get enough of this man. “Why didn’t you wake me? I would have joined you.”

“
Had to wash the filth off,” he rumbles and picks me up from the bed.

“
Where are we going?” I ask as we make our way out of our room and quickly descend the stairs. I continue to nibble at his neck while he carries me.

“
We’re free, Cherry, one hundred percent free.” Putting me down on the piano bench, he stands behind me and I take in what he’s said. My father is gone. Dead. I feel a lump rise in my throat, and I’m not sure if it’s because of my father’s death or the fact that now Carter and I can really have a life together. No more looking over our shoulders or wondering when the other shoe might drop. Not only that, but Carter is truly free. I’m not sure he’s been free since he was a little boy and his parents were taken away from him. He has that freedom now.

I feel a pressure I didn't even realize was there leave my chest. I won’t cry for my father. I’ve already wasted so many hours on him and he didn’t deserve them. If my father’s death grants Carter the freedom that he’s needed, then I would’ve pulled the trigger that took my father’s life myself. Now that I’ve had a taste of the life I can have with Carter nothing will stand in the way of that ever again, not even my own silly little self-doubts.

“
Play for me,” he whispers and places an open-mouthed kiss on my shoulder before lying down on the sofa and closing his eyes.

I run my fingers over the keys and begin to play. When I look up, I see Saint and Jeanette staring at me from the top of the stairs. Both smile for a moment before turning to go back into their room.

I let myself fall into the music until I look out the windows and see the sun is finally starting to rise. Glancing over at Carter I see he’s still out and his chest falls and rises with his deep breaths. He looks utterly relaxed. I grab the blanket from the back of the sofa and I lie on top of him. Then I drift off to sleep, feeling happier than I can ever remember being.

“
What the hell is that?” I glance over and see Jeanette standing in the doorway of the gym with her face all scrunched up.

She and I found the gym about a week ago when we couldn’t find the boys one day. We stumbled in to find our men working out in all their glory: half-naked, covered in sweat and grunting. I’m not sure how it took me so long to find – it was freaking massive – but in all fairness this entire warehouse is massive.

After the first time we found them in there I climbed up my man’s sweating body and had my way with him, getting my very own workout. Two days later a girly-ass corner magically appeared in the gym, complete with a comfy pink sofa, a table, and a pink mini fridge. Where Carter found a pink fridge is beyond me. When I asked him about it all he said was, “my woman wants to watch me work out and fuck me to death after I’m done, I’m going to make sure she can,” which only made me giggle. One might think a man wouldn’t want his woman’s “girly shit” all up in his stuff but Carter said I could paint the whole fucking house pink if it made me happy. He said it’s because when I’m happy he’s happy and apparently that’s all that fucking matters.

“
You like it?” I ask, lifting my feet up so she can have a place to sit down.

“
You can get that man to do anything, Lays,” she quips with a half-smile on her face. She sits down and pulls my feet into her lap.

“
You’re one to talk,” I reply, because I’m just as sure Saint would build Jeanette a pink freaking house if she asked. As long as he got to be in her bed in that pink house every night, he’d do whatever she asked. Not that I could ever see Jeanette wanting much of anything pink.

“
If I could get that man to do what I said, I sure as hell wouldn’t be where I’m at.”

“
Where are you at?” I ask. I’m not sure what she means. She and Saint seem great, wonderful actually. I love having them here, and I’m not looking forward to their leaving anytime soon, but I’m sure it’s coming. My father has been out of the picture for a few weeks now, and everyone has just been enjoying being here. Any time there has been talk about going back home or getting back to work, the men quickly dismiss it. I know I’m not going back to the library, but I’m not sure what Jeanette is doing. She runs that place, and I’m not sure how they’re getting by without her. She said something about having a ton of vacation time stacked up, but that has to be coming to an end soon.

She starts rubbing my tiny baby bump and just ignores my question. When she makes eye contact with me it hits.

“
Oh, my God!” I squeal, jumping up and hugging her.

“
Calm down, Lays. I’m not even sure yet. I’m just kind of late and all.”

I can’t stop the stupid smile spreading across my face. It might just crack my face in half. I get to be knocked up with my best friend – that’s pretty freaking kickass.

“
I thought you were on the pill.”

“
It’s kind of hard to take the pill when your boyfriend hides the damn thing from you. And then when you ask him about it he’s all ‘come here, Mama’ and starts sexing you up,” Jeanette complains, mimicking Saint pretty damn perfectly. Her voice seems agitated but her face sure doesn’t look it.

“
Stop smiling like a goof!” she snaps at me, but I just shake my head and keep smiling until she finally cracks one. “Don’t tell Saint yet. I know he’s been pushing this, and I want to be sure. It would break my giant of a man’s heart if he thought I was and then found out I wasn’t.”

“
Mm-kay,” I say, still rocking my giant-ass smile. They’re so perfect for each other. They fit so well together. Saint’s smiles and jokes work so well with the firmness he asserts with her. I don’t think there is anyone who can fit with her like he does. I just hope she really gets that and really lets him get close. She’s still keeping secrets and with a baby possibly coming she needs to straighten everything out so she can be just as free as Carter and I are now. She might not be running from anyone, but something is keeping her guarded.

I’m about to say something to her when the bathroom door inside the gym opens and Carter walks out, freshly showered after his workout. I’ll just have to talk to her about it later.

“
Cherry, I’m hungry,” he says as he makes his way over to me from across the gym, like I have a freaking sandwich in my pocket or something.

“
Then go get something to eat, you caveman,” I tell him impatiently.

“
Babe, if I wanted something I could make myself I would, but I want your pu—”

“
Carter!” I yell at him, feeling myself blush. I know Jeanette and I talk about her sex life. Well, she talks and I nod my head, but I’m still a little bashful about openly talking about mine. I really haven’t had one for long to talk about before.

As he reaches his hands out to help me up from the sofa, I spot something on his ring finger. Carter has been pushing for us to get married, but we haven’t done it yet so I’m more than a little surprised that he has a ring on his finger.

“
Why do you have
that
?” I ask, nodding at it. Before he can respond Jeanette pops up and grabs his hand to look for herself.

“
You got hitched without me, you little whore! I wanted to throw you a bachelorette party with strippers and all that crap!”

“
Over my fucking dead body is she having a bachelorette party with strippers. I’ll drop your asses off at a pottery-making class for a night or something and wait outside but that’s about it.”

“
You can’t be serious right now? You’re not the boss of us!” Jeanette blusters at Carter. This is nothing new. Jeanette and Carter can go at it. It’s actually kind of funny to watch. Saint and I just usually sit back and watch the show.

“
Fine, maybe a knitting class or some shit. I like the color blue. Cherry can knit me something.”

“
Are you fucking serious right now?”

The look on their faces is hysterical, and it takes everything I have not to laugh.

“
Fine. I know Cherry loves pink so she can make me something pink. It doesn’t have to be blue. I bet I would look good in pink, wouldn’t I, baby?” he asks, glancing over at me.

“
What you look good in is that ring, but I want to know why you have it on. I don’t remember walking down a wedding aisle, but you’re one crafty man so I wouldn't put it past you that we’re somehow married already.”

Carter blushes at my words. Actually blushes. I’m not sure I’ve ever really seen that happen. He glances over at Jeanette who has her hands on her hips, still ready to fight about this bachelorette party that’s never going to happen.

“
I just didn’t think it was fair,” he finally says to me, half-pouting. Yes, Carter is actually pouting.

“
What’s not fair?” I ask.

“
Well, if you won’t let us go down to the courthouse like I said the other day and get this finalized up real quick, then I need a ring too. Now. I’m not waiting for that shit. I want everyone to know I’m taken. That I finally got my woman and I’m hers.”