Unforgettable Love (Journey of Love 3)

Moving his lips to my ear, Robert spoke softly. “Tell me you love me, Sierra.”

Closing my eyes, I felt my tears fall. “I don’t love you, Robert.”

“Open your fucking eyes and look at me, Sierra.”

Doing as he said, I quickly looked in my closet. “Do I need to remind you of the love we had for each other?”

A sob escaped my lips as I whispered, “No.”

Aaron. Oh God. I need you, Aaron.

Before I knew what was happening, Robert forced me onto the bed and began unbuttoning my shorts as I kicked and punched at him.

“No! Stop this now, Robert, or I swear to God I’ll kill you!” I screamed out. My cell phone began ringing again, but this time it was Aaron’s ringtone. Where in the hell were the cops? I didn’t answer my cell when the alarm company called, so they should have called the cops.

Robert was working hard at getting my shorts off but I fought him back with all my might. Damn it! I was starting to get tired and Robert had managed to pin my left arm above my head.

“Sierra! Stop fighting me. Let me remind you what we had together.”

Closing my eyes, I fought as hard as I could. “Get the hell off of me, you sick fucker!” I screamed as I punched with my free hand and fiercely kicked with my legs. Then he was gone. Opening my eyes, I quickly sat up and covered my mouth as I watched Aaron push Robert against the wall. “You fucking piece of shit. Keep your hands off of her!”

Scrambling up and off the bed, I ran to the closet. Glancing over my shoulder, Aaron punched Robert and then Robert punched Aaron. Screaming, I turned and finished the combination. A loud crash caused me to scream and look over my shoulder. Oh God! Robert has pushed Aaron and he feel into one of the end tables next to my bed. Robert began kicking Aaron as I screamed out, “Aaron! Robert, stop this!”

Hearing sirens off in the distance, I opened the safe and pulled out my pistol and quickly stood back up. Aaron had Robert pinned against the wall as he kept punching him. Aaron punched him hard across his left cheek; it caused Robert to fall down and pass out. Aaron stood over him and pulled out his cell phone as I walked up to Robert. He was passed out and lying on the floor.

“Dad, I made it in time. They’re almost here,” Aaron said from behind me.

Looking down at my ex-husband, my body shuddered as I thought of what he had almost done to me. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and slowly pointed the gun at him. Opening my eyes, I let out the breath I had been holding and tried to steady my shaking hands.

Aaron walked up next to me and softly began to talk. “Sierra, baby, I need you to give me the gun.”

“He tried to rape me,” I said as my voice cracked.

Aaron softly touched my arm. I felt his love rush through my body, and I knew I was okay. Everything was going to be okay because Aaron saved me. He’d kept his promise and kept Robert from hurting me. Turning to Aaron, I let my tears fall freely again. “He tried . . . but you came . . . Aaron you came.” Dropping my hands, Aaron quickly took the gun from my hand and pulled me into his arms as the police came rushing into my house.

Burying my face in Aaron’s chest, I tried to block everything out. Robert had begun to wake up as the police rushed into the bedroom. Attempting to stand up, Robert started moaning. The police quickly began handcuffing Robert as he started yelling out, “Sierra! You belong to me! Only me!”

The police led Robert out of the house as he kept shouting over and over how I belonged to him.

Once Robert was out of the house, Aaron poured me a glass of water as he kept his arm wrapped around my waist. Brice walked into the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief as he looked between Aaron and me. “He will sit in jail for a very long time, sweetheart.”

Smiling weakly, I attempted to talk but nothing came out.

Brice gave Aaron a look that told me he wanted to talk to Aaron alone.

Kate walked in, and I immediately felt tears build in my eyes. Quickly making my way over to her, she wrapped me up in her arms as she spoke softly to me.

“Shh, he won’t ever touch you again, darling girl. Aaron and Brice will make sure of it.”

Leading me away from the kitchen and outside, I let myself relax into Kate’s arms. These last few months she had become the mother I longed for since my own mother passed away. Her fight and win with cancer showed me how strong she was, and I strived to be half the woman she was.

Walking me to her car, I stopped and turned to her. “I don’t like feeling this way, Kate. He made me feel weak. He took something from me, and I’m not sure how to react to that.”

Giving me a smile that caused my heart to melt, Kate placed her hand on the side of my face. “Baby girl, he didn’t take a damn thing from you. You fought him off and you kept him away. He may have scared you and made you feel vulnerable, but he didn’t take anything away from you.”

My lower lip quivered as I said, “What if Aaron hadn’t showed up?”

Shaking her head. “There is no what if’s in life. Everything happens for a reason on a set course. What if I had never gotten cancer? What if you had never met my son? What if you had never caught Robert cheating? We could play that game all day long. What is in front of us, Sierra, is that you held off a man who wanted to hurt you. You did it until someone came to help. You were strong enough to fight him and he didn’t get to take that away from you. That is what we focus on. Nothing else.”

The woman standing before me was beyond amazing. In the short amount of time I had known her, she had changed me. Kate was strong, yet admitted her weaknesses. She was caring, yet no one pushed her around. She wasn’t afraid to take a chance, but always proceeded with caution. Come Saturday, I would become her daughter-in-law, and she would become the mother I had longed for.

Nodding my head, I smiled at Kate. “Thank you, Kate. Thank you for being the mother-figure I hadn’t realized I had longed for all these years. I’m honored to be your future daughter-in-law.”

Pressing her lips together in an attempt not to cry, Kate looked away for a moment before turning back to me. “Oh, Sierra, my darling girl.” Kate’s voice faltered as she blinked her eyes rapidly, causing me to do the same. “I’m the one who is honored to be gaining another daughter. Aaron has no idea how lucky he is.”

Trying to find my voice, I wiped a tear from my cheek. “Oh, Kate, I’m the one who is lucky. Besides my father, I’ve never had anyone love me like your son. My life without him would be nothing.”

Glancing up, I saw Aaron and Brice walking out. Aaron’s eyes caught mine and his smile instantly calmed my crazy heartbeat. Shaking his father’s hand, Aaron made his way over to me. Kissing his mother on the cheek, he turned to me. “They just need a statement and then we are good to go.” Looking at his mother, who was now leaning into Brice as he wrapped his arms around her, Aaron said, “Mom, is it okay if we push dinner off and do breakfast tomorrow?”

Waving her hand, Kate said, “We are good to go. Everything is set and ready to go for Saturday. I want you and Sierra to just spend some time together. Don’t worry about a thing.”

My heart felt as if it was going to explode, I was so blessed with Kate and Brice. I couldn’t even imagine Aaron and his father being at odds with as close as they had become the last few months.

“Kate, are you sure?” I asked. “I don’t want to stick you with everything."

Giving me a big grin Kate said, “Oh please, I’m loving this. Now, Aaron, you take Sierra, and Brice will make sure everything here at the house is secure.”

Turning to leave with Brice, I remembered Kacey. “Kacey! She’s coming to get the furniture.”

Aaron wrapped his arm around my waist and led me to his truck. “I already took care of it. They’re coming tomorrow morning. Em and her boyfriend, Zach, are going to meet them here.”

Feeling utterly exhausted all of a sudden, I stepped into Aaron’s truck. Turning to him, I asked, “Can we just go home? I want to forget this day ever happened, and

the only way I can is to be snuggled on the sofa and in your arms.”

Something in Aaron’s eyes changed as he looked at me. I’d never seen him look so happy and yet so sad. Lifting his hand up, he placed it on the side of my face and it felt as if my whole body warmed with that one touch. “I think that sounds like the perfect way to spend the rest of the day.”

Pulling my head back, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Um . . . yeah no. We snuggle for a bit and then you’re taking me out to dinner and then somewhere for an adventure. I want to end this day together . . . laughing and being . . . us.”

Aaron’s face lit up. “Holy shit! I have the perfect place!” Kissing me quickly on my lips, Aaron shut his door, fist pumped and then dialed someone on his cell phone as he slowly walked around the front of his truck. Looking back at me, he started laughing.

Shaking my head, I whispered, “Oh, holy hell. What does he have planned?”

THE MOMENT SIERRA MENTIONED SHE wanted to go on an adventure, I knew exactly what we were going to do. Quickly calling Em, I told her to meet me at iFly at seven. I thought Em was going to come through the phone and kiss me she was so excited.

Jumping back into the truck, I gave Sierra a wink as she eyed me suspiciously. “You have that look in your eyes.”