Chapter 15
I needed to get out of the house, so I was going food shopping with Evelin and Hope. I enjoyed food shopping with Evelin as they had no limits. I had only ever gotten Home Brand and half-price food when Hope and I lived in our little apartment. Toby had always been the one to treat Hope and I. OP shopping was where I got a lot of things. I’d found some great clothes that way, and Kmart was my go-to place. I would bet everything I owned, which still wasn’t much, that Evelin didn’t shop at either.
I was marrying Derick in less than forty-eight hours. I was terrified, but not because I didn’t want to marry Derick. I’ve never been this happy, and I just hoped that it was real and not a dream. My life with Derick was better than any fantasy. I was scared I was going to wake up or this had all been some fucked up game my father had done to screw with me because I kept messing with his business. I needed to get out of my head, and Evelin always kept my mind busy.
Sitting in the back of the SUV, I looked over to see the huge smile on Evelin’s face as she played a game with Hope on her iPad. Evelin had downloaded a bunch of fun educational games for Hope, who loved playing them. The beaming smile hadn’t left Evelin’s face since she’d first seen Hope this morning.
Hope was dressed like she was ready to go to a fancy ball, in a cute pink princess dress with sparkles all over it. Her shoes were silver and covered in glitter, and she had matching silver glitter clips in her hair. Evelin had bought this for her, and it looked like it cost more than what I spent in a couple of years on Hope’s wardrobe. She looked beyond adorable though, and for the first time, I didn’t feel any guilt that the Silvermans had spent their money.
The car stopped, and I looked out the window and frowned when I didn’t see the supermarket. “I thought we were doing food shopping. Where are we?” I didn’t recognize the place. It looked like a nightclub.
The door opened and our guards already had Hope’s pram set up. We slid out of the vehicle.
“Mummy, where wes going?” Hope gazed up at me as I placed her in the pram.
I bopped her nose and then kissed her cheeks. “That’s a good question, baby girl.”
Evelin took the pram and made her way to the building.
“Hey Evelin, I asked you where we are.” She had never been rude like this and ignored me.
Evelin let go of the pram, stopped, and Brand took over holding onto it. She gathered me in her embrace and kissed my forehead. “I don’t know if you know this, but Jade’s grandfather knew your father’s gang.” She squeezed me tight. “I have three new daughters, and they’re all fighters, but you, my dear, are the strongest.” She caressed my cheek. “I am in awe of you. Trust me. Come.” She guided me through what looked like a huge foyer and stopped before two closed doors. “We wanted to show you how valuable you are. Please don’t be mad, but Derick told me about your other brothers and sisters that you saved.”
Reaching up, I wiped my tears and took a step away from Evelin. A warm body came to rest behind me, and a calm settled as arms circled my waist and Derick’s lemon shaving scent surrounded me. “Hey, precious.” He spun me and tilted my chin up to stare at him. “Please don’t cry.” He gently wiped my cheek, following his path with a kiss. “This is something good. I wanted to show you how amazing you are.” His lips brushed over my own, then he took a step back, spun, and opened the door.
The room was filled with people; some I remembered, and others looked familiar, but a lot older. An old lady I didn’t know pushed her way through the crowd that stared at me. She came right up in my face as her arms circled my waist. “Thank you. I can’t thank you enough for saving my daughter and granddaughters. You are an angel. If you ever need anything and I have it, it’s yours.” I gasped and my mouth gaped open. The older lady tapped my chin up. “You’re my hero, and hero’s mouths don’t gape open.”
I snapped my mouth closed and darted my gaze around the room again, stopping when I saw my three half-sisters and two half-brothers. I was surprised to see them among this group and couldn’t stop myself when I burst into tears. I pushed my way to them and gathered them into my embrace. “Oh my God. How are you? You are all safe now? You’re happy? I missed you.” I patted all five over, checking to make sure they were okay.
Miller, my youngest brother, giggled as I ran my hands over his hair and down his body. “Ruuuubbbbyyy. I’m okay,” he whined.
Miller looked a lot like our father but had dark brown skin. He was so adorable. His mother, Emma, was aboriginal and one of the nicest people I’d ever met. I looked around to see if she was close and let go of Miller when I spotted her.
Emma stood to the side, next to the exit sign. She smiled, showing her bright white teeth and big, warm brown gaze. Four years ago, she was the first woman I helped get free. She was the person I risked it all for and knew the punishments were worth it.
Emma had once helped me almost get away from my father. She brought me back to life after Hope was conceived. She and her family would have happily kept me, but when I went for Hope’s first checkup the doctors found out I was a minor, and they contacted my father without my knowledge. I had no idea how they found out who my father was as I’d thought I was invisible. I’d never gone to school and had only been to the hospital. There were no records of me, or so I thought.
When my father found out where I was and that I’d had a girl, he saw dollar signs. My brother had helped me keep Hope. He’d sent off her birth certificate and somehow convinced our father it would be an unbelievably bad thing to let anything happen to Hope or me.
Emma was one of the most important people to me. She gave me love when I needed it the most. When I was so down, I thought I might not live, she gave me courage. She’d done that from the moment I met her. She’d been what she called ‘hooked’. She’d met one of my father’s better-looking men and he’d lured her away from her parents, and as soon as she turned eighteen, he convinced her to run away with him. I met her when she was brought to the compound, and I knew when my father saw her, he would want her for himself.
“Ruby, I’m glad to see you’re finally free,” Emma said as she wrapped her arms around me. “I’m so proud of you.” She kissed my forehead. “You’re amazing. You helped save so many.” She squeezed me tight. “You’re superwoman. Come on, go meet everyone. I’m here for a couple of days. That man of yours put me in a mega mansion.” She chuckled. “He said you and Hope live in there somewhere too.” She let me go and spun me to face the families that were all watching.
“You saved them all, precious.” Derick came up behind me again, and I leaned back against him and sighed in contentment as his arms wrapped around me. He leaned down and kissed my cheek while he nuzzled my neck. “I love you, my amazing woman.”
I didn’t care about the tears that fell as I stared at the people I’d saved. My heart soared as I realized what I had accomplished.
It wasn’t a dream. I was free, and so were all these people.
I was exhausted, but proud of myself. I’d never thought I was anything special, but after today and what Derick and his family had shown me, I didn’t believe that. I had set people free. Saved them. I savored every second of today, and my jaw was sore from not only smiling, but crying, laughing, and every other emotion.
I’d fallen asleep in the car on the way home. I didn’t remember waking as Derick must have carried me to bed. I had no idea what the time was now, but I was damn horny. I awoke and my body was on fire.
“I tried to let you sleep longer, precious, but you’re so beautiful, and I’ve been turned on all damn day watching you in your element. You know your goodness shines so brightly, and today it was blinding. You’ve just made me so much more eager for you to be a Silverman. I can’t wait for Sunday.” He nibbled on my neck. “I love you.”
He plucked my nipples and squeezed my breasts. Oh, I did love my man. Derick’s cock rubbed against my pussy lips. Opening my eyes, I took a deep breath in as he held me tight, and his chest rubbed my back as his cock slammed home. Holy shit, my whole body ignited, and I moaned so loud I felt it vibrate through me. His head buried into my shoulder, and he kissed it before he started nibbling on me as he pulled out and thrust in.
I screamed as pure pleasure flowed through me as his dick hit just the right spot as he hammered into me. Reaching out, I gripped the edge of the bed, moaning as he rammed into me over and over. Derick sucked on my neck like a hungry animal, and my whole body went from being ablaze to a blazing fire.
Derick was driving me mad. His hands tightened on me, and the slight bit of pain added to my already building pleasure. The force of each of his thrusts had my grip tightening on my anchor and helping me stop my body from moving with the force of each slam into me. He’d been sucking on my neck, and it throbbed, building my desire higher.
He nibbled on my ear, hovering, and he growled, “You’re so God damn tight.” He bit the tip of my earlobe. Shards of ecstasy shot straight through me and settled at my core as he pistoned into me. Derick pounded into me, and I loved every minute of it. He’d never been this crazed, and I was loving it.
His hand trailed down my stomach and stroked my clit. “Oh God, I’m gunna come.” I was so close. I knew Derick was close too as his muscles strained against me.
Derick’s teeth scraped over my neck before biting my shoulder and sucking hard. “You’re mine.” His whispered words of possession had me falling over the edge and crashing into euphoric bliss. Derick pushed deep, holding himself still as he grunted, and then yelled, “Ruby.” He kissed my neck and held me tight. “I’m so proud that you’re mine. I love you.”
Smiling, I snuggled against him, still on a high from my orgasm. “I love you too.”
I was getting married today.
Staring at myself in the mirror, I had never felt so beautiful. I looked like a Disney princess. I had an almost identical gown to Belle’s ballroom dress, just in white, not yellow. I had a light touch of makeup perfectly applied by an artist who did my hair too. It was twirled into an updo with some curls framing my face. My shoes were white satin Mary Jane style with a small heel, but were actually pretty comfy; I’d been wearing them around the house as much as possible.
“You ready yet, Ruby rare? You’re already five minutes late. Want me to grab Hope and run? It’s not too late.”
I knew my brother would do it if I asked him to. On a sigh, I went and opened the door. Gasping, my gaze set on my brother, but it was him like I’d never seen him before. He wore a black, perfectly fitted suit, with matching black shoes. The slash of color was the dandelions pinned on his pocket jacket. He was clean-shaven, and his hair was in a neat, slicked-back ponytail. I knew my brother was good-looking—women had always oohed and aahed about it—but right now he looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine.
“You look so handsome,” I said. Toby’s cheeks got a slight pink to them, and I giggled.
He grabbed me by the waist and hugged me. “Wow, Ruby rare, I can guarantee you right now I’ve got nothing on you. You look like one of those Disney princesses in the movies you made me watch.”
“Toby, you’re messing me up, and this took hours.” I batted him away, still giggling. I was about to marry the man of my dreams. A man who treated me better than I could have ever even imagined. I was going to marry the man I loved. “Come on, I don’t want to be any later to my wedding.”
“It’s not like you have far to go. It’s just down the hall and outside. Ruby rare, this place is like a fucking palace, so it may take like a good ten minutes to walk down. The outside is just…” He shook his head and stepped back and offered his arm. “Let’s get you married to your man.”
We started walking arm in arm down the hall to the French doors that led outside. I smiled. “I can’t wait.” I walked faster, eager to see Derick and start living my happily ever after.
Toby picked up his pace to match mine. “You know I’m happy for you. Ruby, you deserve all this. That man out there worships the ground you walk on.”
“You’re damn right I do.” I burst out laughing when Derick stormed toward us only to stop a couple of feet from me. “Precious, you look breathtaking.” He stepped closer. “You were taking too long.” He shouldered my brother out of the way, took my hand, and jogged me outside and down the aisle as our family giggled and laughed until we stood before a priest. “Hurry up, I want her married to me now. She’s mine. Hurry and talk so I can say what I need to, because I do.”
Rolling my eyes, I beamed, because I loved it when he got all bossy and possessive like this. The priest started talking, and I gazed around me, my heart so full at all the faces I saw. I was so deliriously happy, and when I said ‘I do’, I knew that my happily ever after had just begun.