Passion’s Sacrifice (The Doms of Madison County #10)

Chapter One

Damon walked out of the terminal with his duffel over his shoulder and looked for the man, Trent, with whom he’d been friends most of his life.

It was good to be home in Madison County. He’d dreamed of it and certain people the whole time he was away and had missed it ... missed her more than he could say or even thought possible.

He smiled for the first time in months when he saw his name on a piece of cardboard held up over everyone and headed that way. Damon dropped his bag before the two men came together, hugged, and pounded each other on the back.

“It’s good to have you home,” Trent said.

“It’s good to be home.” Hell, that was an understatement.

Last year, he had been fighting his way back to life after being in the wrong place at the wrong time, when a missile hit.

He’d been one of the lucky ones. He had scars all over his body and not a full range of movement, but he had all his limbs, and most importantly, his life.

He’d lost three good friends and teammates that day.

The rest of the team had spent months in Germany recuperating before they were discharged.

Their conditions prevented them from ever going back into action, which was fine by him.

He’d lost his drive for fighting a few years before, but he didn’t want to mess up the team he’d been with since the beginning.

“How are you doing?” Trent asked.

“I’m mobile and not in pain like I was, but I’m just thankful to be here.”

Trent nodded. “Everyone has been waiting for your arrival.”

Damon glanced at him as they walked out of the airport. “Everyone?”

Trent sighed. “Well, just about everyone.”

Damon nodded. He hadn’t expected Trent’s little sister, Emma, to be waiting for him after what he’d done to her on her nineteenth birthday.

He’ll never forget the look of defeat, embarrassment, and devastation on her face that he had caused. He’d been twenty-three and on leave from the Navy. They’d been in the back of Trent and her parents’ house, celebrating Emma’s birthday.

He’d never forget his first look at her that day.

It had been four years since he’d been home, and she’d filled out and gotten the curves that made his mouth water.

Her braces were gone, and she’d started wearing contacts so he could see her beautiful blue eyes.

Her hair was back in a ponytail like it had always been.

The color had been rich dark chocolate, and it looked so soft, he fought to keep his fingers from running through it.

He knew once he touched her, he’d never let her go. He fought himself constantly when he was around her, to keep from reaching for her. He kept telling himself it was for her own good, that he couldn’t be selfish because he cared about her so much.

Damon had nightmares about making Emma his woman and then getting himself killed overseas. The pain she would feel if she lost him would haunt her, and he didn’t want her to grieve for years. He wanted her to have the husband and family she always wanted.

As often as he told himself that, his stomach would cramp with crushing pain when he thought of her with another man, but the chances of him not making it home were high.

That night in her backyard had been hot and humid with a cool breeze. He’d walked off toward the side of the huge yard. He needed some quiet time to go over everything he’d need for his trip back to base the next day. It was crucial for him to get into the headspace.

He needed to do the job. If he wasn’t prepared, it might just mean his life or his team.

“Hey.”

He turned his head to see Emma standing beside him with a soft smile on her beautiful face. Fuck, his whole body tightened, and his cock hardened painfully.

“Hey,” he said.

“I wish you didn’t have to go back,” she said.

“I don’t have a choice,” Damon said, shrugging like it was no big deal. Looking at her and being unable to touch her was physically painful for him, making him angry, not at her but at the situation.

“Is there anywhere we can go to talk right now?” she asked.

Fuck. He wanted to yell, “Yes!” but he was leaving in the morning. He had to remind himself he cared enough about her not to string her along.

“For what?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Just to be alone.”

“For what purpose, Emma?” He hated how she cringed at the harsh tone of his voice.

“We haven’t had a chance to talk and just be by ourselves.”

“Now, why in the world would I want that?” Damon asked.

Emma looked away and then back. She tried to hide the hurt his words inflicted, but he saw everything when it came to her. She had always been so expressive.

She inhaled and squared her shoulders. “Can I write to you?”

God, what he wouldn’t give for letters from her, but if he started anything, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

“Jesus,” he said. It was loud enough to get people’s attention. “The last thing I want or need are letters from a child.”

Her chin lifted. “I’m nineteen, Damon. I’m not a child. Besides, you’re not that much older than I am.”

He always enjoyed her temper and sassiness. It always made him think of his hand on her bare ass and turning it a pretty shade of pink.

He wondered how she would take it when he showed her the Dom side of his personality. He guessed it would worry her at the beginning, but a Dom is exactly what this woman needed.

He tried to laugh. “In my eyes, you’ll always be a child—my best friend’s little sister. That’s it. Now, go play with your little friends.”

The devastation in her eyes about killed him, and when they noticed the quiet, they turned to see most people at her birthday party staring at them with different levels of surprise and anger.

When he looked back down at her, he noticed the dark blush of embarrassment was now mixed with the despair and tears she tried to hold back.

Emma closed her eyes for a moment before looking up at him again. Her eyes didn’t meet his. Instead, she stared at his throat this time. “I see. I hope you stay safe and come home.”

“Come home to you?” he couldn’t keep himself from asking.

“No. You just killed any feeling I had for you. I get the sense you’re being a bully for a reason, but I can’t guess why. It doesn’t matter anymore because you’re leaving. Goodbye.”

He almost reached for her when she turned and walked away. He watched her walk into the house and gently close the door.

Damon turned to see her brother, Trent, and his friend come up to him.

“Let’s talk,” Trent said.

His friend, Trent, knew why he did what he did because he had told him, and although he understood, Damon could tell he wasn’t happy about where it happened.

“I already know what you’re going to say, man,” Damon said. “And you know why. Just leave it. I need to go. I have to get up early.”

“I know. I’m taking you to the airport, remember?” Trent said.

“No. You need to stay here and take care of your sister.”

“My parents are here,” Trent said.

“It doesn’t matter. She’ll need you. Besides, I’ve got another ride.” He didn’t, but being with Trent in the morning when he left would be harder for him to leave, and like he told Emma, he didn’t have a choice.

The two men stared at each other for a long moment. Damon could see the same sorrowful emotion in his friend’s eyes that he knew was in his. He knew both had in the back of their minds that it might be the last time they would see each other.

Trent pulled him into his arms and hugged him tight. “You’re a butthead, and I’ll miss you.”

Damon swallowed. “I’ll miss you, too.”

Trent slapped him on the back. “You’d better come home to us in one piece.”

“I’ll try my very best.” Damon handed Trent the bottle of beer he barely touched. He waved to a few people but kept walking, not wanting to talk to anyone.

He hadn’t come home again for five years.

When his first tour was up, he had reenlisted for another four years because Emma was several states away in college.

He knew staying away from her would be next to impossible if he were in the United States, and he thought she needed college experience.

He wanted her to have a thrilling, joy-filled four years before she came home and he snatched her up.

Now, she might not want anything to do with him.

Damon looked out the airport window as they walked along. Fuck, he might still be gone if not for being injured. The thought of ever returning to that hellhole made his gut tense and his throat tighten.

Now, he was home. He’d deal with whatever came along and try to find things that made him happy. If there was any chance he could be with Emma the way he’d dreamed about for a decade, he’d have everything he’d ever wanted.

He was only twenty-nine years old, but his future looked bleak and lonely to him. He just hoped it would get better over time.