35. AJ
Cody, Brady, and I drive in convoy back to Val’s apartment in a hurry. We have done defensive driving training, so we know what we are doing. I planned this for the past twenty-four hours since Brady first called me. I had to stop myself multiple times from grabbing her late last night when I got back to Baltimore, but it needed to be at the venue today. It needed to be in front of witnesses. Val is mine, and the fucking world knows it now.
I steal a look at her beside me. Dressed up in white, the gown she is wearing large, the material taking up most of the space in the truck. She looks beautiful in anything, but this is a lot.
“Don’t say it. I feel ridiculous enough as it is. I can’t wait to get it off,” she says, pulling at the fabric, obviously aware of what I was thinking.
“Are you okay? How do you feel?” I ask her, because she seems too relaxed. Perhaps she is in shock. Brady and Cody told me she was counting on me being here. Riding in like a knight in shining fucking armor. Never in my life did I ever think that would be a phrase to describe me, yet here we are.
“Ready for the fight of my life. Seems like I also just found my stalker,” she says, out of breath, and I move my eyes from the road quickly to look at her in confusion.
“Your fucking father?” I almost roar as I try to remain focused while I pull into the garage under her building. I spot some of my team positioned on either side of the roller door. They have been here since yesterday, all guarding my girl.
“He admitted it. Wanted to keep me low. Out of the company, out of the way.”
“He is a fucking piece of shit,” I spit out, feeling murderous.
I see the others pull up, tumbling out of the car and grabbing the elevator. “Let’s get upstairs; we need to secure you inside. There is no telling what your father is going to do now,” I tell her, but before I can open the door, she jumps across the seat and onto my lap in a mess of fabric and tulle and who knows what else she is wrapped in. Her lips hit mine, and it is like I can breathe again for the first time all week, and I find her waist and pull her to me. I taste her, hold her body, touching her everywhere to ensure this is real. That she is real. I feel her hands grab on to my shirt collar as our tongues tangle, and I lift a hand, cupping her face and diving in deeper, never wanting to stop. But I know we need to, so I pull back slightly and look right into her eyes. “I fucking missed you,” I tell her quietly.
“I missed you too,” she says as her forehead leans against mine.
“We’ve got to move.”
She nods so I open the door, pulling her out and into my arms. I carry her to the elevator, not yet wanting to let her go.
I am sure we left her father in a wake of media barrage and confusion. But he made the mess, so he can clean it up. Unfortunately for us, now we have no idea of his next move, other than knowing a man like that won’t stop. He will want revenge.
As soon as we are in the apartment, everyone starts talking at once and Bordeaux is barking the walls down, chasing everyone”s feet. The girls crowd around Val, and questions fly.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” Chloe says, walking straight up to us.
“Garage is secure,” Brady confirms to me.
“Got any snacks?” Levi yells, and my head whips in his direction, where I see him in Val’s kitchen, currently looking in the refrigerator.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, surprised. Last I saw him, he was with me when I had the visit from Valerie”s father and my bike got smashed. After that, things are a blur, and I assumed he went home.
“Looking for something to eat.” He smirks back at me, and I growl. Him being here is something else I need to get to the bottom of, but Levi can wait. I look Val up and down, assessing for any damage, and my anger at this whole situation starts to unravel.
“Brady, I need you with Victor downstairs. I have a feeling there will be a lot of people hanging around very soon.” I bark orders out to the room, my eyes remaining on Valerie. It will take less than five minutes for the media to be at the front of the building, and it is going to be hectic.
“On it,” he says, walking straight out the door.
“Levi!” I yell at him, and he pulls his head out of the open refrigerator as he raises his eyebrows. “Get on that computer of yours. Find out what you can about today and what is happening.” I might as well put him to work. He has the skills, and we can use them.
“Pfft, easy,” Levi says, shutting the refrigerator and biting into an apple and holding it with his teeth. He grabs his laptop and slouches on the sofa like he lives here. Bordeaux jumps up next to him, settling into his side like they are best friends. How long has he been here?
“Cody, we need more guys,” I tell him, and he nods.
“On it.” He pulls out his cell, taking a seat at the dining table off to the side, using it as his work desk, then he starts calling people in. We don’t have many more to call, but we will get as many as we can to help us.
Brady, Cody, and I have already organized how today is going to roll and we know what we need to do. Victor downstairs is fully briefed, the security team from this apartment complex all alerted and now double in size. I have some Fortress men positioned around the apartment block, a small team working with Victor downstairs and others based in the garage. No one is coming in or out without me knowing about it. She wanted me to run her security, and that is exactly what I am going to do.
“What is going on?” Valerie asks me, her hands going to her hips, obviously not liking being kept out of the loop.
“Ladies, thanks for watching my girl all week for me. Given the situation, you are not to go anywhere alone. Brady, Cody, or one of my guys needs to be with you all the time. Including at your jobs, if you go out…” I start to brief them, and Simone interrupts.
“We know the drill. Brady briefed us. I will be here, work, or home. That’s it,” Simone says, nodding.
“I’ve closed the shop because I knew the media would be insane,” Chloe says, and I nod in agreement.
“Me too. Customers will come in for the gossip, not for beauty, so I shut my books this week,” Chelsea says, and Val looks at them with concern.
“I’m sorry you had to do that,” Val tells them.
“I’m not. We would do anything for you, Val,” Chloe says, and the girls all hug.
“Ladies,” I say, interrupting them. As sweet as this is, I need Val to myself. “I believe you have a change of clothes in the spare rooms down the hall?” I ask them, insinuating that they make themselves scarce, because the longer I see her in this goddamn wedding dress, the angrier I get. At the situation, at her father, at myself for leaving her in the first place.
“Oh, sure,” Chelsea murmurs, looking at the others.
“You okay?” Chloe asks Val, not even looking at me. Val nods to her, and the girls gather the bottom of their dresses and walk down the hall in their heels, chattering the entire way.
“What’s the plan?” she asks, looking up at me.
“What’s the plan? The plan is that you need to get that fucking dress off your body right now,” I growl, stalking toward her. I want to burn this fucking dress and then bury the fucking ashes.
“Stop!” She holds up her hand, and I still, mere feet away from her.
“You left me,” she states, pursing her pretty lips. She looks delicate now. Like the adrenaline is wearing off. Her eyes are glassy, and her bravado is thinning.
“I had to,” I say, nodding, my jaw hurting from how hard I am clenching it.
“You left me?” she says again, her voice breaking, her breathing becoming more rapid. She is upset and pissed off. Good. Because so am I.
“He threatened to hurt you. He threatened your rightful position at the company your grandmother built,” I grit out, trying to explain my weeklong absence, my nostrils flaring as I think about it.
“I know,” she says calmly and swallows.
“You know?” I frown, trying to work out what she knows.
“Levi has been staying with me all week. He told me all about it.” My head swings around, looking at him sitting on the sofa, his feet now up on her coffee table and a bowl of snacks by his side that he obviously grabbed from her kitchen without me noticing.
“What?”
“I went through with this stupid stunt today because I thought it would be the only thing to get you back,” she explains, looking a little remorseful. “And Levi is currently sleeping in my spare room down the hall.” I raise my eyebrows. She doesn’t even know the kid, yet she opened her home to him in his time of need, when his parents are too out of it on drugs to notice he is even gone. She is kind as well as infuriatingly stupid. No man should have access to her like that. Not even fucking Levi. That will be a discussion for another time.
“I spent the last twenty-four hours planning and getting a team in place so I could come and get you,” I explain. “But what if I didn’t show?” I ask, wondering what she was thinking. I did wonder why she didn’t run earlier, why she was going through with a wedding she didn’t want.
“I trusted you to show. I knew you would come for me. You just needed a little push,” she says with so much conviction, it is pulsating in my chest.
“And if I didn’t?” My fists clench at my sides. I am itching to touch her.
“I would have run. Then I would have gone into hiding somewhere.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal, that running from your arranged marriage is just part of life. Maybe it is for her. “It was very admirable to fall on your sword for me to get the CEO position, but AJ, I don’t need you to fall on any sword for me.”
“I will always save you in any way I can,” I tell her, ensuring she understands. My life for hers, always.
“But I don’t need you to save me like that. I just need you to be by my side and cheer me on while I save myself.” This woman is fucking amazing. There is no way that I will ever stand by when things get tough, but I underestimated her strength. She is strong, capable, and can do anything she puts her mind to.
“I can do that. And maybe I should have spoken to you before I took off. But sweetheart, there is no doubt in my mind that I will always protect you. My life for yours always.” It is the best she is going to get from me right now. I will always lose so she can win.
“Just promise me you won’t leave like that again,” she pushes. I can’t win this argument because I never want to leave her side again. I take in a deep breath and step into her, our chests touching, and her head tilts up so she can look at me.
“Fine. I promise,” I growl. “Now get this fucking dress off your body so I can burn the fucking thing.”
“I think I’ll let you do the honors,” she says, grabbing my hand and leading me into her bedroom. I kick the door closed, wanting privacy, as she turns and gives me her back.
“The zipper is in the middle.” She holds up her hair. I spot it, grip the material on either side, and pull, tearing the zipper from the fabric, and the dress shreds right down the middle.
“Oh my God!” she squeals, laughing, as I kick out the tulle, letting it pool at her feet.
“Step out,” I demand, and she steps out of the material that gathers at her ankles. I pick it all up, like it is a large bedsheet and walk to the windows.
“What are you doing?” she asks, confusion in her eyes and a small smile on her lips.
“Getting rid of this fucking thing.” I open the French doors that lead to her balcony.
“AJ?” She steps toward me in her sexy-as-sin underwear, looking like all my fantasies rolled into one.
“Gimme me a second,” I tell her as I hoist the material high and throw it over, watching it fall to the ground, settling on the street below.
“AJ!” she gasps with a surprised smile, running to where I am. We both peer over the ledge in time to see a cab run straight over the top, the dress now black, ripped some more, and floating down the street.
“Well, I guess we now know what will be on the news tomorrow…” She giggles as her eyes meet mine.
She looks tiny now without the monstrosity on her small frame, and I grab her around the waist, pulling her to me, her feet dangling as I walk us back inside.
“There, you look much better without that,” I say, putting her back on her feet and closing the balcony door again. The room is quiet as I look at her. My heart races as I think about the day we have had and the fight that is coming. We stand facing each other and are quiet for a moment as the impact of the day hits us both.
“I’m scared of my father… He is… so evil,” she whispers, her body starting to shiver. I rub her arms, needing to touch her and wanting to ease her at the same time.
“He won’t get to you. I’ll make sure of it,” I tell her, knowing that he will need to get through me first.
“I just can’t believe this all happened. He has completely ruined my life, and now he has me in fear for my life. Like, how could a parent do that to a child?” She looks at me for answers that I can’t give.
“Well, you may share blood, but in my mind, a parent is more than blood. He has shown his true colors, none of them a quality fit for a parent,” I tell her, watching her closely, concerned as I know she is about to break down.
“Thank you, AJ.” Her eyes start to shimmer, tears gathering but yet to fall. “Thank you for coming back for me.” I feel her body trembling, the shock now coming to life as the adrenaline officially wears off.
“I should be the one to thank you, sweetheart.” I skim my fingers down her cheek, wanting to soothe her and commit her to my memory, never wanting to forget the way she is looking at me right now. My chest feels heavy. My heart felt broken and was now patched back together, the anxiety of keeping her safe filling my bones, but I know love blooms as well and that is what scares me the most.
“I didn’t do anything,” she says, shaking her head, her eyes crinkling in confusion.
“I might have helped save you today, but Val, you have truly saved me. You walked into my life like a hurricane. From the moment those drinks spilled all over me, I could feel it. You have this presence that makes me feel completely at ease and riled up all at the same time. I had a deep desire to make my life better, but since you walked into it, I want nothing more than to make it my mission. Fuck, seeing you in that dress today…” I say, shaking my head, hating how close she got to being someone else’s.
“AJ,” she whispers, and I watch a tear fall. I run my thumb across her cheek and gather it up, wiping it from her face.
“I don’t want you to be anyone else’s. I want you to be mine,” I tell her, barely able to breathe as I say the words.
“I want to be yours too.” She nods, a sweet smile lifting her lips as her body relaxes into mine.
“Come on, sweet thing. Let me run you a bath, get you in some comfy clothes, if you even have such a thing,” I tease her, and she hiccups a laugh between the tears. “Let me take care of you.” More tears fall, and she nods, no longer able to talk without sobbing. I pick her up bridal style once more, happy now to know that I am the only man who gets to do so today.