Chapter Fourteen
Emma looked around the backyard where her family had lived for decades.
She would always remember the day she and her father planted the rosebush for her mother, or when her brother and mother played with her in the sprinkler.
She laughed when she remembered how her mother had shrieked when the cold water hit her skin.
God, she missed them so much, and it never seemed to lessen, but she learned how to live with the grief.
She knew the house she grew up in would always be home, but she was going to make a new home with Damon once the house he bought was livable enough for them to move into.
Fortunately, her brother was helping with the construction to make it go faster.
She would never get a chance to miss her childhood home, because she could always come back.
Her brother was going to keep the family home.
She worked at home because the bastard stalker was still on the loose, and Damon and Trent liked the idea of her in a safe, locked house with a top-of-the-line security system they had installed.
They also made it a point to stay home with her.
She wished she could have told them they were getting out of hand or overreacting, but she had to admit she felt safer with their precautions.
She was pulling the weeds in the flower garden when the back slider opened and closed. She expected the guys to say something and turned when she heard nothing.
Emma immediately scowled when she saw Marley and felt instantly resentful.
She stood and faced her. “What the hell do you want?”
Marley smirked. “I just came to see how you were doing?”
Emma almost snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“So, how are things working out for you here?” Marley looked around the backyard and frowned.
Emma had no idea what the woman was talking about and didn’t care. “What do you want, Marley?”
“Oh, I heard you still had a stalker.”
Emma’s eyebrows rose. Why had this woman brought it up again?
“Now, where did you hear that?”
Marley grinned. “Oh, a little birdy told me.”
“So, you’re dating a cop?” Emma asked. She wanted to know who it was so Damon could deal with him. The cops in town were usually good about not gossiping and staying out of people’s business unless it was unlawful in some way.
Marley snorted. “No. None of them makes enough money for me.”
“Then how do you know so much?”
The smirk on the other woman’s face made Emma’s back stiffen when things started to connect in Emma’s mind.
The stalking had started shortly after Trent started dating Marley.
The women had hated each other from the very beginning.
Emma disliked Marley because she knew deep down, she was a conniving slut.
Marley despised her because she could ruin her plans with her brother.
It also explained how she knew about it at the beginning when Emma hadn’t told anyone except the police.
“You’re the stalker that’s been bugging me? ” she murmured.
Marley scowled. “Oh, I think it’s more than bugging. It could be dangerous.” She giggled. “Admit it, you were terrified.”
Emma’s mouth dropped open. “Jesus. It was you all along.”
Marley looked surprised and then a bit smug. “Now, why do you think it was me?”
“Because it started when my brother started fucking you. You knew I saw you for the whore you are, and you didn’t want me around to mess things up for you. Don’t you think you went a bit far?”
Marley laughed. “Hell, no. I enjoyed seeing you scared. Poor baby. Locking yourself in your apartment like a little mouse.”
Emma snorted and took a few steps toward the woman. She tried to control the blinding fury of letting this slut control her life for months. “So, you think you’re pretty smart?”
Marley smiled. “Yes.”
“What about when I press charges and get you arrested?”
Marley looked surprised. “They won’t do anything.”
“You stalked me. That’s a crime.”
Marley waved her hand. “I just pretended. It was all a joke. You can’t get arrested for that.”
Emma laughed. “Jesus, you really are a dumb blonde. Of course, you can. The fact that they were involved for months and affected my job and life is enough. Joke or not, in the eyes of a judge, it was still stalking.”
“I doubt it. Once I told them, nothing was going to happen. I just gave you the notes and things.”
“No one knew at the time, did they? I had cops doing drive-bys to check on me several times daily.”
Emma could tell the woman still didn’t believe her. “How about I tell you I’ll do whatever it takes to get you arrested? As you probably know, my fiancé works with the cops, so he knows them well.”
Marley’s mouth turned down.
Emma could see the wheels turning in the woman’s head as she thought about what could happen to her. “Why did you decide to come clean now?” Emma asked, curious.
“Because I have a new rich man in my life, so I don’t have time to play with you.”
Emma tipped her head to the side. “You could have just walked away. Why tell me?”
The smile on Marley’s face grew. “Because I wanted to see the look on your face when you found out it was me.” Emma had slowly gotten closer and was now only a few feet from the other woman.
“Oh, really. Are you enjoying yourself?” Emma asked. If Marley had been smarter, she would have heard the threatening tone of her voice.
“Yes.”
She didn’t get to finish what she was saying because Emma threw a punch and hit her on the nose, instantly making it bleed.
“Oh, my God. You broke my fucking nose!” the woman screamed.
“Oh, I’m not done with you yet, you stupid bitch.” She pushed Marley down to the ground and started to wail at her.
Emma vaguely heard the cursing behind her but ignored it. Someone started to lift her off Marley. “No. I’m not done with her.”
The person snorted. “Yes, you are, baby.” He tightened his grip on her. “Settle down.”
Emma exhaled and leaned against his chest. She watched as Trent and another man lifted Marley to her feet. Emma enjoyed the woman crying and the blood and swelling she could already see.
“What’s going to happen with her?” Emma asked.
“She’ll be taken to the hospital, where they’ll check her over and then to the police department.”
Emma looked over her shoulder at him. “She’ll really get arrested?”
“Yes. She’ll probably not do any jail time, but it will scare her and be on her record.”
“Good.”
A few cops came out of the house and headed for Marley.
“How did they get here so quickly?” Emma asked.
“We called when we heard what Marley was saying. We all knew the stupid bitch wasn’t going to do anything, so it was safe to stand back. But we didn’t know you would be violent, and you’d go and beat the shit out of her.”
“Did you see what that bitch did to me?” Marley screamed, wrestling to get away from the cops holding her. “I want to press charges.”
Trent grinned. “I didn’t see anything. Did you, Damon?”
Damon shrugged. “No. I saw her trip and fall on her face, though.”
“That’s not what happened,” Marley bellowed.
“Ma’am, there are no witnesses,” one of the cops said. “Except for the one that said you fell down.”
“But they’re lying.”
Emma chuckled. “I guess it sucks being you, huh?”
Marley screamed and tried to get to Emma, but the cops grabbed her and led her out of the yard. They heard the cars drive away a few minutes later, and then there was silence.
“I think we need to have a talk about your violent outburst,” Damon said.
Trent grinned. “Yeah, sis. I haven’t seen you fistfight since you were in fifth grade.”
“I guess I lost it. But she deserved it.”
Damon walked her over to one of the outdoor sofas, sat her down, and took a seat beside her. “How much damage did you do to your hands?” he said as he pulled off her garden gloves.
“I don’t think any. The gloves helped.”
Trent snorted.
“What happened to you calling out for one of us?” Damon asked as he looked over her fingers.
“Yeah, sis,” Trent said. “You were supposed to call for us. That’s why one of us was always home.”
She looked back and forth between the men. “Tell me this. If I had, would either of you let me punch her?”
Both men immediately shook their heads.
“There’s your answer,” she said smugly.
The men looked at each other with different levels of trepidation.
“What?” she asked.
“Jesus, woman. You’re going to give us gray hair, aren’t you?” Damon asked her.
“Probably. Now, I’d like to take a shower.” She stood and walked off. The last thing she heard was the guys laughing and Damon’s voice.
“She’ll probably give me an ulcer, but I wouldn’t change a thing about her.”
Trent laughed. “Wow, isn’t that the sweetest?”
Then she heard a grunt from what she assumed was Damon punching her brother.
She grinned as she shed her clothing.
Trent didn’t get it, but that was one of the most romantic things Damon had ever said to her. What woman wouldn’t feel the same way? She was lucky to have a guy like him, and she wasn’t going to ever let him go. He was stuck with her.