HARLEY
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Once Ember’s hair is dry, I wind the cord up around the hair dryer and put it back in the drawer she had it stored in.
I grab ahold of her hand. “Are you ready to lay down?”
“I don’t think I can hold my eyes open any longer,” she says with a half-smile. Despite the absolute hell she’s endured the past twenty-four hours, she still tries to make me feel better.
We walk into the bedroom and I flip on the fan, turning off the light as she climbs into bed. I climb in next to her, making sure to still keep my distance. PTSD is a bitch, and I don’t want to do anything that could trigger her.
We lay there in the bed, side by side, staring at the ceiling.
After a couple of seconds, Maggie runs in on her late-night zoomies, streaking across the bed.
It takes me completely by surprise, and my soul about leaves my body, but I quickly look over when I hear Ember choke, instantly relieved when I see she’s cracking up.
Her laughing increases, and slowly but surely turns into sobs.
My heart is absolutely broken, and I don’t know how to help her.
I pull her into me and cradle her in my arms. She sobs so violently that she begins hyperventilating, and I try to soothe her by shushing her and stroking her hair.
“I’ve got you, baby, no matter what.” I hold her while she lets all of her pain out.
It’ll never be enough, but I’ll never leave her.
We’ll talk about therapy when she’s ready, and decide if that’s the right option for her healing.
“Harley?” her voice asks softly.
“Yeah, baby?” I say, continuing to stroke her hair.
“What did the guys do?” she questions me. “With Dean?”
“You won’t ever have to worry about him again, Ember,” I tell her, wanting to protect her from any more evil inflicted by Dean.
“I want to know, Harley,” she says, looking up at me. “I want to hear with my own ears that he’s gone.”
I blow out a breath. She’s a strong woman and I know she can handle it, but I know she’s fragile right now.
“They pulled his teeth, we’ve got them in a secure location to pull out when the time is right,” I begin, wary of how much to disclose.
“Chase shot him, right through the head, so there’s no chance of any life. ”
She lowers her head and curls her hands together, like she’s trying to ground herself. “What did you do with the body?”
“Do you want the full version, or the simplified one?” I ask her, trying to decide how much gore to subject her to.
“All of it. I need to hear all of it,” she says, face still pressed into my side.
“They shot him, pulled his teeth, and then dismembered him.” She flinches, but I keep going.
“They lit the trailer on fire. They used the gas lines as the main accelerant. They took him to the pig farm we sometimes use to dispose of bodies. Once the pigs have done their job, and everything has processed, our partners will completely dig up and clean up the pig pen and distribute the bags of fertilizer to farms, gardens, etc. So that any trace of him can’t be pinpointed to one specific location. ”
She lays there, digesting my words and taking everything in. “And the teeth? Why take them out?”
“Just in case, for DNA. Chase has them, and he’ll allow them to be found when he thinks it’s safe,” I tell her, turning over in bed to face her. Eye to eye. Tears run down her face, but she doesn’t look scared or in pain. I can’t quite place the emotions I see written across her face.
“He’s gone.” She’s not asking—its a statement.
“You’re safe, Ember Rose,” I tell her before kissing her cheek that’s streaked with her tears.
I lay and watch her slowly drift to sleep, her hands grasping mine tightly. Once I know she’s out, I finally allow myself to let sleep take me.
It doesn’t feel like I’ve slept for longer than a few minutes before Ember starts thrashing and screaming in her sleep. I try to wake her. “Ember! Ember! Baby, it's okay, you’re home and you’re safe.” She curls back into me without waking. Once she settles, she lets out a soft sigh.
I look up and see Atlas peering through the crack of the door. “Is she okay?” she asks softly, trying not to wake her sister.
“I’ve got her,” I assure her. I look over at the clock; it’s early, and the sun will be rising soon.
“I can’t sleep, so I’m going to see what I can pull together for her to eat,” Atlas tells me.
Checking to be sure Ember is back in a deep sleep, I slide out from under her.
“I’ll make some coffee.” Atlas turns to leave, and I pull a t-shirt from the pile sitting on the dresser.
I’d set them there yesterday, when I was moving my stuff in.
There wasn’t enough room in her dresser, and I was going to get a new one. Yesterday feels like a lifetime ago.
I walk into the kitchen, finding Atlas rummaging through the refrigerator to find food.
“You want a coffee?” I ask her, heading to my little coffee station in the kitchen.
“Oh hell yes, Ember has been bragging to everybody about your skills in the coffeehouse,” Atlas says, turning around with vegetables, eggs, and milk overflowing in her arms. “Is there bread? I was thinking French toast, just to be quick.”
I look around and don’t see any. “I can run to the store when they open?” I tell her.
“No, no, let me check out the pantry.” She rushes over, throwing the door open. I move to turn back, to reach for my ground coffee, when I see Atlas’s head dropped, her shoulders shaking.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” I walk over to her. Atlas feels like another sister to me, and my heart breaks for her. I know my love for Ember is wild and deep, but nothing is like the love of two sisters who have been through hell and back.
“She’s safe, Atlas, and I promise he can never hurt her again.” I let her sob into my chest until she pulls back.
“Like ever?” She looks me in the eye, and I know what she’s asking me.
“Chase took care of it, there’s no chance in hell.” She wipes her eyes with her sleeves.
“Okay, okay, lets get her some food,” she says, clearing her face and taking a deep breath. Once I’m sure she’s okay, I resume my coffee making.
We work in silence before Atlas’s voice cuts through. “Harley?” she asks, and when I look over, her eyes are on the Bisquick mix on the counter. “Did he assault her?”
I feel like this is Ember’s story to tell, but I know her sister means well.
“Yeah, her mind and her body.” My body floods with anger and hate for Dean.
If he were still alive, I’d kill him all over again.
She shakes her head, and we both go to work, preparing breakfast for Ember in silence as we mourn the trauma she will spend a lifetime recovering from.
I finish up Atlas’s coffee and set it in front of her. She snatches it up quickly and takes a long drink through the straw. “Fuck, Harley, that’s good as hell. The baby loves it.”
I smile and offer her a small thanks, a little embarrassed at the praise.
“No, seriously, you should open a shop.” Atlas continues sucking down sweet drink. “We don’t have anything outside of the Sea Lady coffee, and that’s always burnt and tastes commercial as fuck.”
I laugh, seeing that she’s just as picky as her sister about her caffeinated drinks.
“I’ll consider it.” We work together making Ember breakfast—Belgium waffles, scrambled eggs, sliced strawberries, and a large coffee, just the way she likes it.
The sun is shining, and we’ve got all the food laid out on the kitchen island like a buffet when Asher strolls in carrying Aria.
Aria immediately reaches for her mama and squeals when she spots the strawberries on the counter.
I snag three berries, quickly slice them up, and put them on a plate for her.
“Thanks, man,” Asher says, nodding at me in thanks.
Aria goes crazy with the strawberries, and they’re gone before I know it. We all laugh. I watch Aria focus on the eggs before her eyes shoot to the kitchen doorway. I follow her gaze and find Ember.
Ember stands there, and part of my heart drops. The bruises are more visible now, and the bite marks are undeniable.
I walk over to her, slowly placing my hands on her face, kissing her forehead gently.
“I hope you’re hungry, Atlas and I got a little carried away.
” Just then, Aria screams and wiggles, and Atlas places her on the floor where she toddles over to Ember.
Ember looks down, snatches her up, and curls her into her embrace.
Her eyes are closed, but I see the tears beading up in the corners.
I give her the space she needs, so she can have her moment.
I know Aria means the world to Ember. She’d light the world on fire for her.
Atlas is sobbing into Asher’s chest, and finally walks over to Ember, embracing the two girls clinging to each other. They both just cry. My heart swells, and I feel the familiar sting of tears lining my eyes.
Finally, Atlas places a kiss on Ember’s head, just like I did, and squeezes her one more time.
Aria wiggles, and Ember puts her back down, and she runs over to me, putting her arms up, and my heart swells.
“It’s because I gave you food, huh, pretty girl?
” I pick her up and put some scrambled eggs on her plate.
I pull up the chair and sit down, Aria in my lap, shoving eggs into her mouth.
“I made you a coffee, sweetheart,” I tell Ember, pointing to her iced coffee on the counter. She quickly makes her way to it and sucks it down.
After we finish up breakfast, we make our way into the living room. I turn on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse for Aria, and Ember snuggles into me.
“I think we’re going to head home, give you guys some space,” Atlas says from the other end of the couch, grabbing hold of Ember’s hand. “If you’re okay with that?”
“I’m okay, Atlas, you guys get home. Get Aria settled.” She pats Atlas’s hand and gives her a grin. Atlas smiles back and gets up to begin gathering their things.