Forever We Fall: Broken #4 (The Broken Series) (24 page)

Lee

"Well, my little wife," Kyle teased as he carried me through the doorway of our bedroom.

Our bed had been replaced with a new one, and to anyone who didn’t know better, they would never have guessed the sadness and destruction this room had borne a little over a month ago.

Dropping me down on our cream covered bed, Kyle placed his hands on either side of me and smirked. "What am I going to do with you now?"

"I'm so sleepy," I mumbled. "It's been a very long day." The trial entered my mind and I batted it away quickly. No way in hell was I going to think about Rachel Grayson on my wedding night. "I'm pooped," I half said-half yawned, smiling sleepily up at Kyle's face.

"Well, wake the hell up," Kyle growled in feigned outrage. "I only plan on doing this once. No fucking way am I not making love to my wife on our wedding night."

"You said it," I teased, a huge smile spreading across my lips. "You said
make love
."

"Yep." Kyle laughed before sitting down on the bed next to me. "I figured I'm a big boy now. Gotta use the correct vocabulary."

"Can you believe Derek cried that much?" The memory of Derek weeping uncontrollably on Bob's shoulder entered my mind and I burst out laughing. I only wished I had a camera for evidence.

"I can," Kyle snorted. "It’s the reason I refuse to watch anything remotely romantic with him. The guy is as tough as a marshmallow."

"We're married, Kyle," I giggled, biting down on my lip, as I laid back on the bed. Sighing happily I reached for Kyle's hand and tugged him down to lay with me. "Can you believe it, Kyle?" I whispered. "We did it." I paused for a moment, debating whether to say it or not, before letting the words fall from my lips. "She's gone, Kyle. She's out of our lives. Forever."

"You were amazing today, Lee," Kyle murmured. "I'm so fucking proud of you for standing your ground."

"What about you?" I asked softly. "It must have been hard for you too." Shrugging, I smiled sadly. "Having to face Rachel, and getting married without Linda…"

"I had you," he replied quietly before turning his face to look at me. "Thank you, princess,"

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"For not giving up on me." Twisting onto his side, Kyle rested the palm of his hand on my cheek. "For believing in me and trusting I'd make good on my word. For not letting all the shitty things I've done push you away."

"I love you," I told him, covering his hand with mine, as I stared into his beautiful eyes. "I mean it, Kyle. And I trust you so freaking much. I'd follow you to the ends of the earth on blind faith."

"You're my home, Lee," he admitted, his voice hoarse, his eyes unblinking and locked on mine. "I will never fuck this up again. I promise."

Rolling over, I straddled Kyle's lap and pressed my lips to his. "You have me," I breathed, sliding my hands under his shirt to trace the grooved muscles that seemed to ripple every time I touched him. "You made good on everything."

Closing his eyes, Kyle let out a shaky breath as I freed the buttons on his shirt, desperate to see the taut muscles I was feeling.

The sight of his tanned chest and that single line of hair trailing from his navel under the waistband of his pants was enough to make every muscle in my pelvis tighten and throb. "You're so beautiful," I told him as I bent my head and pressed a kiss to his toned chest. "So sexy."

Jerking off his lap, I lowered myself to the floor and grabbed the waistband of his pants, undoing his fly, tugging his pants down his narrow hips. "No, Lee," Kyle croaked out, sitting up quickly. "Not like this," he whispered, cupping my face in his hands. "Not tonight."

Leaning forward, Kyle gripped me under my arms before standing up and lifting me to my feet.

"I've dreamt of this night at least a hundred times," he whispered, his hands wandering around to my back. "And not once," he purred as he lowered the zipper of my dress. "Did any of those dreams…" His hands trailed up my arms, pausing to fist the fabric of my dress. "Involve my wife on her knees on our wedding night."

Pushing my dress down to my hips, he stepped forward and unclasped the front clasp of my bra before sliding the straps down my arms, his eyes never once leaving mine. "I fucked up your first time," he husked as he shrugged his opened shirt from his broad shoulders. "I'll be damned if your wedding night is anything less than perfect."

"There's no such thing as perfect, Kyle," I breathed, stepping out of my dress, standing naked before him with the exception of the small, triangular scrap of ivory lace between my legs.

"You think so?" he mused. Shrugging out of his pants, I swallowed deeply when Kyle's erection sprung free, thick and heavy and long. The glistening head sparkling with heady arousal. "Watch me prove you wrong, baby," he growled as he grabbed my hips and pulled me towards him. "Better yet," he whispered in my ear as he lowered me onto our bed beneath him and tugged the sides of my panties, ripping them away easily. "Feel me prove you wrong."

Kyle's weight on me was ecstasy as he trailed hot, lush kisses over my breasts, taking one puckered bud into his mouth, swirling his tongue with tortured precision.

I bucked beneath him, spreading my legs, rocking my pelvis against the erotic friction of his grinding. My fingernails dug into the tight skin of his hips, the light dusting of hair on his lower stomach brushed against my smooth skin. His large, skillful hands roamed over every inch of my skin possessively, commanding my body to submit to each searing touch.

"So beautiful," he said in a gruff tone as he placed sweet kisses on my stomach. "Can't wait to put another baby of mine in there."

I didn’t correct him.

I didn’t care.

In that moment, I would have given him whatever he wanted or died trying...

"Kyle," I hissed, when his fingers brushed against my slit, spreading me open before his mouth descended and his tongue found my clit. "God…" My back arched as he slid two fingers inside me, his lips never leaving my clit, suckling, nibbling, and sending sparks of red-hot desire through every nerve in my body until I was a quivering mess beneath him, shuddering and jerking from the intensity of my sudden orgasm.

"Don't even think about going to sleep," Kyle chuckled and I opened my eyes and grinned sheepishly up at him. Hovering above me, he rested his weight on his elbows on either side of my face before lowering his mouth, capturing my lips with his.

"You touch my skin and I feel like I'm about to explode," I moaned, my voice thick with desire, as I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist.

"I'm that good, huh?" he purred, his erection sliding into me, filling me to the point of pain.

I gasped in pleasure and threw my head back, writhing underneath his hard, hot body. "You're that dangerous."

"Well, get used to it," he hissed, his jaw straining from the force of his desire. "Because I'm gonna be this fucking dangerous for you for the rest of our lives."

"Can't wait…" I breathed, closing my eyes, giving myself up to the beautiful man who was dominating my body and possessing my soul…

****

Chapter Twenty-One

Lee

My chest ached as I dusted the photo frames on our mantel piece in the lounge. Hope played happily with her toys on the soft, woolen blanket I had splayed out over the wooden floor to protect the soft skin of her knees.

I debated turning the frame face down – the sadness too much to bear – before catching myself on those thoughts.

Cam didn't deserve to be hidden.

She deserved to be center stage. 

Wiping a silent tear from my eye, I rubbed my thumb over the glass that covered her smiling face. Some days were harder than others, today was one of the hardest.

It was the day.

And I couldn't go. I couldn't face her again.

Kyle was there, right at this moment, and so was Derek. Like two wounded, kindred spirits they had driven to the court house looking for something I knew none of us would ever find. Retribution. We would never have retribution because we could never have her back. She'd been taken from us, too young, too unfairly. 

Derek and Kyle had gone to court in search of justice for Camryn Frey, but to me that was a pointless trip. They would never find what they sought. Maybe I should have gone as a tribute to Cam's memory, or maybe I was doing the right thing by staying away. I wasn't sure.

All I knew was I had looked into that woman's merciless eyes as she'd aimed a gun at my chest. I'd seen the lack of remorse, the absence of humanity inside of her. I never wanted to be looked at by those green, calculating eyes again.

Sentencing her to any period of time in prison was fruitless. The therapists and psychiatrists that had hovered over her as she appealed to the courts on the diminished capacity had wasted their time. She'd given herself up and not once had she apologized for Cam's death. Not one single time. In my opinion the woman was irredeemable because she felt no remorse.

But at least she was going down for her crimes and I was letting go.

I took comfort in the fact that I would sleep a little better at night. Kyle's arms around my body eased the tremors, but they never truly went away.

I was taking my life back, starting today.

My eyes locked on the silver frame, focusing on the two smiling girls in the photograph it encased. It was a photograph that had been taken of us as children. I remembered the day, the weather, the smell of the freshly cut grass in the air, and the comfort of my best friend's arm around my shoulder.

That was the summer Cam had started to shoot up. I, on the other hand, didn't seem much taller now than I did when I was nine. I would never feel that comfort again.

"Momma," Hope cooed and my heart constricted inside of my chest.

I turned around and gazed lovingly at the child who had imbedded the deepest seed of love and adoration inside of me. Her bulging blue eyes–identical to her father's– danced with mischief as she clapped her hands together.

"Momma, Momma," she repeated, crawling towards me on chubby hands and knees. The legs of her pink tracksuit pants had rolled up, exposed her plump little legs, and her brown curls were wild and disarrayed.

She was perfect.

"Hello, sweetie," I crooned as I bent down to sweep her into my arms. Hope curled around me like ivy, her little fingers locked in my hair as she nuzzled her face into my neck. It was one of the most comforting feelings in the world. Unconditional love.

The sunlight poured through the paneled windows on either side of the room, reflecting on the one piece of jewelry I wore on my body. A gold band I wore on my left hand.

The sound of the front door slamming made my heart beat wildly for the briefest of moments, before I shook off the fear. Our home had more security than fort knocks.

There was nobody getting in here uninvited, which meant…

"Princess?" Kyle's husky voice boomed through the house, breaking the silence, followed by a
'fuck yeah'
from Derek.

My legs felt like noodles as I rushed through the house with Hope in my arms. My heart was beating at a frightening pace, only to stop completely when I reached the kitchen and met their triumphant smiles.

"Well," I whispered, forcing the words out. My mouth felt like saw dust my throat was so dry.

This was it. This was it. Oh my god please let this be it...

I clutched Hope so tightly I feared I would break her.

Kyle strode towards me, his eyes alight with relief, his smile a telltale sign of good news.

I needed the words.

I needed the confirmation.

Prying Hope out of my arms, he pressed his lips to her head before setting her down on the floor. I watched him like a hawk, my body frozen, coiled like a tight rope. Standing slowly, he stepped towards and grabbed my shoulders. "Life."

Life…

I never knew how life altering one word could be until I heard it come from Kyle's mouth.

My hand flew to my mouth as a noise I could only describe as an agonized wail tore from my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut, allowing every emotion and feeling in my body to rip through me, piercing me, cleansing me.

"It's over," Kyle murmured. "Shh, it's all over. You're safe. You're safe, baby." Kyle's hands were shaking violently, but it wasn't until I opened my eyes that I realized it was me. I was shaking.

My whole body caved as I sagged into his embrace. His kisses on my hair, my forehead, and my cheeks were welcoming.

I needed his touch.

"You're free, Lee," I heard Derek say. "We're all free."

"Derek," I gasped, pulling back from Kyle. "Derek," I repeated, smiling through my tears as I knotted my fingers in the front of his shirt and dragged him towards us. 

The three of us stood in the middle of our kitchen, with our arms wrapped around one another, each of us silently acknowledging the girl who, in her own way, had changed each of our lives.

For Derek, Cam had been his focal point for most of his adult life. His love. Lost as it had become, Cam had loved Derek, and he in turn had spent two and half years of his life savoring that love.

For Kyle, Cam had been a loyal ally. His sister, unrelated by blood, but by sheer indestructible friendship.

For me, she had been my savoir. My living and breathing angel, who had stepped into my life when I needed a friend most, and stepped out in the most selfless act a human being is capable of.

Camryn Frey had offered me a friendship before I was old enough to talk, and after nineteen years of sisterhood had sacrificed her life to save mine. 

****