Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Wolfe
I opted to take Amy back to my place so that the three of us could discuss our plan in private. Now that my family was fully on board and they knew what was going on, I managed to relax. A little. Knowing they had my back helped.
Granted, it didn’t seem to do a damn thing for Amy. When we walked in my front door a few minutes ago, she had started pacing the floor and hadn’t stopped.
She shook out her hands as she stared at the floor.
Back and forth. Back and forth. I sat on the couch, Rhys in the chair.
I was getting dizzy watching her, but I could see her brain was working overtime, and I damn sure didn’t want to interrupt her thought process.
Whatever she decided to do, I was behind her.
We would get through this. One way or another.
Finally she turned to me.
“What do you think I should do?”
I should’ve known she would ask me that. “Honey, I can’t make that decision for you.”
“Do you think the detective is right? That I should fight him?”
I shrugged. “It’s not a bad idea. If you bring it up publicly, he’s no longer the boogey man. He can’t lurk in the dark, because someone’s gonna have their eye on him.”
Amy nodded. “Doesn’t necessarily mean I’m any safer.”
No, it didn’t. Considering the kind of power the chief of police had—especially the chief of police of the largest city in the state—the guy could probably pull a lot of strings and make some serious puppets dance.
“On the flip side,” Rhys added, “it won’t be pretty, Amy. Once you make that accusation, people are gonna come out of the woodwork with questions. Your life will no longer be private.”
“So you think I should stay quiet?” she asked Rhys.
“That’s not what I’m sayin’. I just want you to consider all the facts. Do I want that bastard to go down for what he did? You’re damn right I do. And I’ll stand right behind you the entire way.”
“What if people don’t believe me?”
I had already thought about that. “There will be some people who don’t. There’s nothin’ you can do but be honest.”
Amy faced me directly. “Do you believe me?”
I got up from my spot on the couch and walked right over to her. I tipped her head back and stared right in her eyes. “Every word, baby. No one here doubts you at all. But that doesn’t mean someone won’t.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to come out with it. I just don’t. I want to go about my life without having him in it.”
Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen. No matter which decision she made. If the detective was right and Kelly Jackson had visited Embers Ridge, the man knew where Amy was. It was only a matter of time before he played his hand.
“Do I have to do this right now?”
Rhys joined us. “No. You don’t. I’ll make sure my department is aware of the potential danger to you and ask my deputies to keep their eyes open.”
“And my family will keep an eye on you at all times.” No way would any of us not be vigilant from this point forward.
Amy sighed. “So, basically, I’m gonna be a prisoner again.”
I frowned. “No. Not at all.”
“Will I be able to go anywhere without one of you worrying about me?”
Fuck.
“What about sleeping at night? I’m not sure I’ll even be able to.”
She would if she was with us. I would make sure of it if I had to stand guard over her every damn night.
Not that I wanted it to come to that. For Amy’s sake. She’d been through enough already.
I fucking hated this shit. I hated all of it. I wanted to find this fucking bastard and beat him within an inch of his life and make him suffer for what he did to Amy. For what he was still doing to her.
“My point exactly,” she added when neither of us spoke. She glanced between us. “On a more positive note, I think we came out to your family today.”
That pulled a smile from me. We had definitely done that.
“Do you think word will get out to the rest of the town?” Amy appeared genuinely concerned.
“Not unless the detective says somethin’,” I answered. I knew my family. They weren’t the gossipy type. Not when it came to things like that, anyway.
“Which I seriously doubt she’ll do.” Rhys glanced between us. “Lynx drove her to the diner. She had to head back to Houston.”
“Do you think she’ll confront Kelly?” Amy looked fearful of the notion.
“Doubtful. She’s been keepin’ this off the books for a reason,” Rhys said. “I really believe her motives are pure. She’s a detective and Kelly brought out those instincts in her. She followed a lead and it led her here. I truly believe she’s lookin’ out for you.”
“Maybe he’s forgotten all about me,” Amy mused, her eyes dropping to the floor.
I knew she didn’t really believe that. No one believed that.
Rhys stepped closer. “He deserves to pay for what he did, Amy. Too often, victims of domestic violence don’t come forward.
Their abusers go without punishment. And I get why they don’t.
Fear, shame. Those are some powerful emotions.
They cause people to pretend nothing happened when, in reality, they suffered. Their abuser deserves to be punished.”
Amy peered up at him.
“He won’t stop,” Rhys continued. “If he did this to you, he’ll do it to someone else. Hell, it’s possible he already has. Considering his age, you were probably not his first victim, either.”
I watched as Amy processed that information. Her eyes widened in horror, and I could feel her pain. She didn’t want to even think about that man hurting someone else the way he’d hurt her.
“I need some time to think about this,” she finally said, her eyes fixed on my face.
“You let us know when you’re ready,” I told her, pulling her against me and wrapping my arms around her. “And what you decide. We’re not goin’ anywhere.”
Amy nodded, her gaze bouncing back and forth between Rhys and me.
When she pulled back, I reluctantly let her go.
“And I don’t want either of you thinking you have to save me.”
Those words felt like a slap to the face. I took a single step back. “Why would you say somethin’ like that?”
Amy didn’t move. “Because … that’s how it feels. I’ve burdened you both with my problem since day one. And I’ve seen the way you are. Both of you. You’re looking to save me.” She shook her head as though that made no sense. “No one can save me from him.”
“I… Are…? Holy fuck.” Hell, I couldn’t even form a sentence. I was completely thrown by her words. Did she honestly believe that I only wanted to play the hero here?
“Is that what you really think?” Rhys asked, his tone ringing with the same confusion that I felt.
She glanced between us before finally nodding her head and looking down at the floor.
Taking a step closer, I tilted her chin up, forcing her to look me in the eyes once again. “You really don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?”
“Goddamn, Amy. You don’t get it. I’m not tryin’ to save you…” I held her gaze, my voice hoarse with emotion. “I’m tryin’ to love you.”
Amy
Those were quite possibly the most powerful words I had ever heard.
And the conviction behind them…
I hadn’t meant to hurt Wolfe or Rhys by saying that they didn’t need to save me. But that was how I felt. As though I'd become a charity case. At least in the past few hours, anyway. Everyone was coming together to figure out a way to fix this for me. How could I not think that?
What they didn’t understand was that I couldn’t be saved.
Not from him. He was out there, probably counting down the minutes until he snatched me.
I knew him. He would enjoy playing this game.
It was what he always wanted, for me to fear him.
No matter how many people stood between him and me, Kelly Jackson would find me again.
Oh, I was certainly more than grateful that Wolfe and Rhys and the people in this town wanted to help me, but I didn’t want that to be their only reason for being with me.
As I looked up at Wolfe, then at Rhys, I realized one thing. Obviously, I had jumped to conclusions.
The expressions on their faces were of complete shock and anguish. As though I'd called them every bad name in the book.
“Did you hear me?” Wolfe questioned, his eyes hard.
I nodded, not moving when he took a step closer.
“I love you, Amy.”
My breath hitched, the words making my heart constrict. I wanted to believe them. God, I even prayed they were true. Never had I been happier than when I was with Wolfe and Rhys.
“I don’t want to be the goddamn hero. I want to love you. And yes, I want to protect you, but that comes with the territory. It’s who I am. Who I’ve always been.” Wolfe looked over at Rhys. “And you. That goes for you, too.”
Wolfe shifted, moving directly over to Rhys. I could see the tension in his arms, his back. He was coiled tight, the spring inside him dangerously close to breaking. I held my breath, waiting for what he would say.
“I fucking love you. There. I said it. I fuckin’ know exactly how I feel. Exactly what I want.” He glanced back at me. “This”—he waved his arm to encompass the three of us—“is exactly what I want. Do y’all get that?”
He was yelling, but I could tell he was more frustrated than angry. I understood that because this was all so confusing.
Well.
Not entirely.
There was one thing I knew for certain.
I waited until Wolfe looked at me again.
“I love you, too,” I whispered, still standing a few feet away. Scared to move, scared to breathe. I met Rhys’s gaze next. “And I love you, too.”
Maybe it was all happening too quickly, but you couldn’t put a time limit on love. It happened when it was supposed to happen. Did I trust my heart? With these two men, I did.
Sure, my choices hadn’t always been spot on, but with Wolfe and Rhys, this was where I was meant to be.
However, I realized Rhys hadn’t said anything. Not one single word.
I glanced over at him. Wolfe and I were both staring at him, waiting for him to say something. I could see he wanted to.
“Goddammit,” he grumbled.