he grabbed some bread and began to dip it into the sauce and eat.
“I’m cooking. This kitchen is the bomb. I’ve missed cooking. Earl doesn’t let me do this on the boat.”
“You call it a boat?” Drake asked.
“It’s what it is.”
“It’s a yacht, Ashley.”
“Don’t care. It is what it is. I don’t have to remember every single little detail, do I?”
Drake shrugged. “When Earl’s done with you, you can always come here and we’d put you up.”
I watched the sadness Ashley quickly tried to hide. Fuck! I had a horrible feeling she was already falling for Earl, and what was worse, he was only going to hurt her.
The bastard.
****
Vadik
I was tired, hungry, and wanted Emily.
She wasn’t in the kitchen. We’d missed dinner, and after Ashley had left with Earl once again, she’d disappeared.
I checked her room, the garden, and as I came to the office, about to head on inside, the soft sounds of a piano playing drew my attention.
Drake had played for her last time, and he’d gone with Caleb to run an errand. Even though we had our fathers to deal with, work itself didn’t stop moving.
We were still the bosses and had to make sure our work didn’t implode on itself.
Emily sat at the piano, alone.
From the haunch of her shoulders, she looked sad. Stepping into the room, I was as quiet as possible, listening to her play.
Her fingers were light on the keys as she moved achingly slowly from one tune into another. When I sat down beside her, she didn’t jolt or act startled.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she said.
“You didn’t. You sound beautiful.”
“I don’t play all that much. I’m not good at it.” She stopped playing, putting her hands between her thighs.
I didn’t understand the sudden change in mood. Reaching between her thighs, I took one of her hands within my own.
“I’m here.”
“I know.”
“What is it you need? Tell me and I’ll try to get it.”
“It’s nothing, Vadik. Really.”
“Emily, I wasn’t born yesterday. I know you’re upset. Let me help you in any way I can.”
She sighed. “I was thinking about Ashley.”
“I know.”
She turned toward me and smiled. “Is it that obvious?”
“You’ve become her protector. Of course, it is.” I kissed her knuckles. “Do you have any reason to believe he’s been a monster to her?”
“No. Quite the opposite, in fact. I know it makes me seem strange, but I just, can’t we get rid of him?”
I looked down at her hands. “Yes, we can, Emily. You know that. We can take out whoever we want. It’s what we do.”
“There’s a but there.”
“There is always a but.”
“Tell me why,” she said.
“There are always consequences, Em. Like the men who took River when he was sixteen. They had to pay the price, but we also did. We had to fight and learn to take care of ourselves, even more than before. It swings both ways. Earl is not alone. He has contacts. He probably suspected before he arrived that we wanted to kill him. Anyone with any sense wouldn’t enter Crude Hill without safeguards in place.”
She turned toward me. “Ashley’s falling for him. Her feelings, they’re not … he’s going to hurt her. I know he is and I can’t think of a single fucking thing to do to stop it.” She let go of my hands and covered her face.
I felt her pain but I had no way of relieving it.
I wrapped my hands around her.
She didn’t cry. She growled and pulled away, getting to her feet. I couldn’t help but admire the shape of her ass as she started to pace the length of the piano. I watched her. She hadn’t put a bra on and the shirt clung to her body. Her nipples were nice and tight.
My cock instantly responded. I stood up, trying to relieve the pressure in my pants, but nothing would do as I watched her.
She suddenly turned toward me and when she flung herself into my arms, I held on tight. Running my hands to her ass.
“Make me stop thinking about them. About her.”
I squeezed her ass cheeks, hearing her whimper as I applied a little more pressure than she was used to.
There was no a good surface in this room, but I didn’t care. Removing my clothes, I broke the kiss long enough to get us both naked. The moment she was, I took a step back to admire her body. Sheer fucking perfection was what she was.
She sank to her knees before me. Her