Ambrose (The Theriot Family 5)

When I finally let him go, I brushed my thumb across his full lips. “No more running. Promise me.”

“If you promise the same.”

“I do. I can run from my past and even my family but not from you.”

Eric smiled and wrapped his fingers around my wrist, moving my hand to cup his face. “I can’t run from you either.”

“Can you feed me?”

Eric grinned evilly. “I sure can.”

“Food. Sustenance.”

He sighed. “I can call for a pizza.”

“That works.”

“You’re not going to offer to go catch some swamp rats and grill them up for me?”

I glared at him.

“Tell me you were kidding when you threatened that before.”

“Hell no. Push it, and I’ll do just that, but I won’t share because if I have to wait that long, I’ll be starving.”

“Pizza sounds much better.” He rolled off the bed and took his phone from his duty belt.

I realized I hadn’t checked my phone since I’d turned it off when I went after him. I had a gazillion messages and ten missed calls from various family members. Fucking great. At least listening to their lectures lying in bed after fucking Eric was more pleasant than they would have been alone at home.

I froze, realizing the enormity of that.

I was happier with Eric than by myself. That didn’t mean I wasn’t still going to need solitude. I was, and I was going to need to retreat to the bayou, but after finding Eric and confessing what I’d done and having him exonerate me, I felt renewed, different, almost like I had years ago before that horrible day.

Apparently, I’d missed a lot along with scaring the hell out of my family when they couldn’t get in touch with me. I sent a quick text to Dax as proof of life, not that I thought for a moment either one of us could die without the other knowing it deep in their soul. Then I figured I might as well go big and just fucking call Remy.

Eric disappeared into the kitchen for several minutes, but when he walked back into the bedroom, he raised his brows. I knew he could hear Remy yelling through the phone.

I’d had enough lecturing. “I’m sorry, okay?”

Remy stopped midsentence. “Wait. Did you just apologize?”

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn’t see me. “Yes. I didn’t mean to scare you. Eric and I are both fine. He’s right here. Can I put you on speaker?”

“Hang up and do a video call. We all need to talk.”

“Everyone is there?”

“Yes.”

“What about Dax? Should I call him later?”

“He and Travis flew home this morning.”

I scowled. The bastard had already been back when we’d talked. “I told him not to.”

“Did you honestly think Dax was going to sit this out?”

“He didn’t need to come home. I’m handling this.”

Eric laid a hand on my arm, and his warmth eased my frustration. “Dax wants to be here for you,” he said in a low voice.

I was not ready to tell him everything about Eric, but he’d already acted like he’d known. Shit. I was going to catch so much hell for this. I glanced up at Eric. He smiled, and all I could think was that he’s worth it.

“I’m calling you back.” I ended the call and pulled Eric into a kiss that went from sweet to ravenous in less than half a second. “You think we have time for another round before I call him.”

My phone dinged with a text before he could even answer.

“Damn it. If we were still at my cabin, I’d ignore everyone and keep you in bed all day.”

“We wouldn’t be able to get pizza delivery out there.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

“You can’t tell me you—”

“I have favors I can call in.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I thought you kept to yourself out there.”

“Sometimes we all need allies. I just don’t need them in my face every day or on my property without my permission.”

“Right. Call your cousin.”

“You ready to see what a family meeting is like?”

“I’m in too deep now to say no, aren’t I?”

20

Eric

Ambrose slid from the bed and pulled his laptop from the backpack he’d brought from his cabin. “I’m not letting you go. You might as well accept us as we are.”

“This isn’t going to be easy.”

Ambrose looked over his shoulder as he clicked keys on his laptop. “The meeting or…”

“Us. All of it. Carlotti. The fact that I’m the fucking sheriff of this parish, and you’re…”

He grinned. “A dirty criminal?”

Heat flushed my cheeks. “Don’t say that when we’re about to…”

Remington’s face came into view on the screen. Then the camera refocused, and I saw Lance, Dax, and Corbin there as well. The sight of them all sizing me up was enough to make me forget all about playing games with Ambrose.

These were the scariest men I’d ever faced. I needed them to remain on my side if I had any hope of fulfilling my promise not to run again.