“Easton, I want to chew your ass out right now and tell you everything you did wrong, but I know it won’t do any good. So instead, I’ll just say this—I’m glad you’re both safe and alive. I love you guys.”
“Love you too, bro.”
I'm lucky my brother knows me so well and always looks out for me even when I don't think I need it.
"You have permission to relax now," he tells me with a soft laugh.
"I guess you can, too," I retort.
We say our goodbyes, but then Piper snatches the cell from my brother.
“So, have you proposed yet?” she blurts out with any sort of filter.
"Oh my God, Piper. You're on speakerphone!" I scold, but a smile touches Tatum's lips.
"Oh, whoops. Hi Tatum! Don't mind me."
“It’s fine,” Tatum says, and I can tell she’s out of it.
“Anyway, I think we need to make our way back to the house. We’ve had a long, exhausting day.”
"No problem! Bye, you two love birds," Piper sing-songs, then she ends the call.
On the way home, Tatum closes her eyes and falls asleep. I hold her hand and softly rub the pad of my thumb over hers.
When I park in the driveway, I can see how mentally and physically exhausted she is.
“You okay?” I ask once we make it inside.
She shrugs, and I open my arms, allowing her to fall into them. I can smell the sweet scent of her coconut shampoo mixed with sweat.
"It's okay to be sad and upset. I know you loved him at one point, and everything happened so fast it's hard to comprehend it all. I can't imagine what's going through your mind right now."
I can tell she’s crying and all I want to do is hold her for the rest of the night. Once she’s let most of it out, she pushes back and meets my eyes. I wipe away her tears.
“I don’t know how I should feel about any of this.”
“I’m sure it’s hard to put into words. Whatever you’re feeling is a hundred percent valid.”
"Yeah. I feel guilty for being relieved. Like I'm finally free, and the shackles are gone. But I never wanted him dead."
“I know, sweetheart.” I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“He would’ve killed me, Easton. He wouldn’t have stopped until I was dead.”
I clear my throat, hating how much truth is behind those words. But after seeing the maniacal look on that man’s face as he pointed his gun, I know she’s right.
“There’s no way I would’ve let that happen.”
"Then you'd be dead. Either way, I lose. That's how the game was played with Justin. The cards were always stacked against me no matter what. He wouldn't have stopped. And I almost lost you. I saw him throw a blow at your head, then he pointed the gun at you." Then he aimed it at her. Motherfucker.
Her emotions boil over again, and I try to calm her down.
“Let it out, baby. I’m here with you. I always will be.”
I allow her to cry for as long as she needs, and when she settles down, I pull away and meet her big blue eyes. "Do you want to take a bath? With me?" I ask, knowing it’d do us both good.
She nods and gives me a small grin. We go upstairs, and I draw the water while she lights candles. Carefully, I undress her and notice the marks on her arm. Tatum tries to pull away, but I don't let her. Instead, I kiss every single tiny bruise and scrape he left on her. "You'll never have to worry about this again."
I hate that he grabbed her while under my watch. Even more so that he laid his hands on her. If Bear hadn’t gotten to him first, I would’ve done whatever it took to stop him.
She steps into the tub, and I follow behind her. As she leans against my chest, I wrap my arms around her. Tatum lets out a sigh and relaxes against my chest. We take our time washing up and stay snapped together like two puzzle pieces. When our skin has pruned, we get out and dry off, then go to my bedroom.
I lift the sheets and blankets, allowing a naked Tatum to crawl underneath. I join her, wrapping her tight in my arms, thanking my lucky stars we’re alive.
Tatum rolls over and faces me. “Will you make love to me?”
I search her face, making sure I heard her correctly. "Of course," I whisper, then gently press my lips to hers. She devours my mouth as I brush my hand over her hard nipple, then down her stomach. Our tongues twist together, and I know I can't wait to be inside her much longer.
We take it slow as I move on top of her, holding myself up. She opens her legs wide, repositioning her body, giving me all the space I need to slide inside. Tatum gasps, slamming her eyes shut, allowing me to sink in all the way.