Revenge (Phoenix Undercover Book 3) (16 page)

Chapter 44

Josh

It had been three weeks since we found Gabby. And in those three weeks, I watched her go through so many different emotions.

Terror.

Depression.

Anger.

And finally acceptance.

I think we all knew that times would still be hard. There was a lot of healing left for all of us. But we would all get through it together.

The things that bothered me most were her night terrors. She would thrash in her sleep and scream “No!” over and over. The tears that leaked from her eyes nearly broke my heart; all I could do was soothe her fears and hold her close as she let go of the demons inside her mind.

Leo was gone, yet the darkness he inflicted would still be felt. It was yet another form of power he still held over us.

I hadn’t pressed Gabby to talk, even after I sat by her side while she told the detectives exactly the things she had gone through. It was hard to hear how he played with her mind day after day, how he touched her and watched her. It made me wish I had been the one to kill him, but Gray held that honor.

He took his shot.

And I will be forever grateful.

Grayson saved Gabby.

***

With Margo’s help in locating Gabby, her time was reduced.

She was a lost woman who had been sucked into Leo’s world without any escape, but she had threatened Gabby’s life. She willingly participated in the events leading Leo right to Gabby, and for that she must right her wrongs.

She was sentenced to five years in a women’s prison in West Virginia. I’ve been told she has accepted her involvement in the events and is working on becoming the woman she once was.

She has not made an attempt to contact Gabby, but I know that time will someday come. I wasn’t sure how I feel about that, but I would deal with it when the time came.

Nic would also be locked away without hope of being released anytime soon. We found him so high and lost to the fucking world, shacked up in some hotel with four hookers. With the amount of drugs throughout the penthouse suite, he went down for every ounce of coke, amongst other drugs. Plus, his ties with Leo sealed the deal, and if the man ever smelt freedom again I would be surprised.

For now I just wanted Gabby to heal. I wanted us all to heal.

As I drove in the direction of Cape Cod, I looked up in the rearview mirror. I couldn’t help but smile.

Gabby was fast asleep with her head resting against the side of Asher’s car seat. His head rested on top of her head, and with the lack of movement I realized he must have been asleep too.

Choosing to escape to a home I rented along Buttermilk Bay was something I felt we desperately needed. The idea of spending time only to reconnect with both Gabby and our son made me feel secure. I needed to have that feeling again. I think we both did.

The place was actually one where my parents had vacationed often when we were younger. I had some fond memories of my mother in the home.

She would always wake early in the morning and make a huge breakfast so we could all eat together out on the balcony. It was like I could still feel the morning sun heating my skin as I breathed in the warm ocean breeze. My mother made sure we all got the full experience of a vacation just off the Bay.

And sometimes if I closed my eyes, I could still see her smile and hear her laughter as she danced in the sand, twirling around as she held on to Libby’s hands.

Dad, Brett, and I would just watch them with matching smiles. The memories created there, together as a family, were memories I would hold for a lifetime.

I was looking forward to sharing stories of those times with Gabby, as well as creating memories of our own. It was our time now.

We spent many months hiding, and fearful of our every move, but now we could breathe. We could venture out without fear and enjoy all the little things that life gifts to us.

As the homes came into view, I could feel the excitement of our adventure boiling in my stomach.

I felt like a kid again.

Chapter 45

Gabby

I spent hours walking the beach line, smelling the warm breeze, and feeling at peace, something I had not felt in a while.

It was something I had craved, and understood now how desperately I needed it.

I stood on the deck, leaning against the railing. The sun was beginning to set, and the yellow cast that reflected off the water was beautiful. I closed my eyes and just listened to the sound of the water and the chirping of birds.

Josh’s arms slid around my waist, and I allowed my body to rest back against his. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he whispered against my ear.

“Yes,” I replied as I placed my hands over his and snuggled back further against his chest.

We stood like this for what felt like hours, but I knew it was only moments before I turned to face him.

Tipping my head upward, I looked up at him and gently ran my fingertips along his jawline. I smiled when he closed his eyes and leaned in to my touch.

“Thank you so much for this,” I whispered. “We needed this time.”

“We did,” he agreed as he opened his eyes once more and leaned in to kiss me softly. “It’s our fresh start. And this time I’m doing everything right for you and for Asher.”

I could feel an emotional burn rising in my throat as he continued.

“It’s time we start creating happy memories. No more darkness, baby,” he assured me as he cupped my jaw with his hand. “Our new beginning starts today.”

I nodded in agreement.

Reaching up, I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and pulled him closer, covering his lips with mine.

He began to sway me from side to side as we kissed.

And it was in that moment I decided to no longer allow Leo and the things he put me through take away from the moments Josh and I shared. Leo didn’t deserve those moments.

It was time for our new start.

It was time for us to finally be the family I had dreamed of.

And it all started now.

***

I woke when the bed dipped at my side. It was still dark out and we had left the door open on the balcony, which allowed the breeze to filter in.

I hadn’t remembered falling asleep. I just remembered crawling into bed after Asher was placed in the crib, then turning on my side to watch the water through the French doors. It was peaceful, and obviously had overtaken me, because now I woke hours later to Josh sitting at my side.

“Hi,” I whispered. He smiled that sweet smile and it still made my stomach flutter with what felt like a hundred butterflies.

“Hi,” he said in return.

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” I confessed as I rolled onto my back and stretched my legs, finally feeling normal again.

I had healed physically and had been released with a clean bill of health from my doctor. Now it was just the emotional scars that I continued to face.

“It’s okay,” he assured me. “I’ve been watching you sleep.”

I arched a brow at him and he chuckled. “I’ve missed that,” he confessed with a little bit of sadness etched in his voice. “I remember our first nights together after I came back. I would just lay awake for hours and watch you sleep. It gave me peace.”

He moved his body around and positioned himself at my side before continuing.

“I can’t explain it, but it just settled everything inside me after a long day of hell.” He lifted his hand and placed it against my stomach, just beneath my breast. “I’ve really missed that feeling. And I’ve really missed you.”

Tears pooled in my eyes because I had missed him too. So very much.

“I love you so much,” I whispered as I pulled him toward me. “I’ve missed you,” I whispered as he shifted his body over me, his face now only inches from mine. “I’ve missed us.”

His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, and then he placed his lips on mine.

Every movement was so slow, so precise. Josh took his time kissing me and loving me. It wasn’t only a sexual connection, but I felt the emotional connection outweigh every other feeling.

I could feel every touch so deep in my soul it was hard to breathe.

Just before he entered me, our gazes locked and he whispered,
new beginning
, once more. And that was truly what it was.

Our new start.

As he moved inside of me, I felt all the aches slowly begin to wash away.

We were making new memories, our memories.

My back arched off the bed as he hit that spot so deep inside me. I could feel myself building toward my release. My body tingled and hummed with so much pleasure.

“Yes,” I said in a whisper as he continued to move with ease.

It was the perfect rhythm, the perfect pace.

My lower stomach tightened and he tilted his hips just enough to hit the spot once more. I exploded around him as I gripped his shoulders tight. My nails dug in to his skin and he groaned out, just before spilling inside of me. The warmth of his release filled me and he continued to move with small thrusts, riding out his orgasm.

I waited for him to slow, but was surprised when his movements increased once again.

I could feel him growing hard inside me as he pushed deeper and deeper with each thrust.

Wrapping my legs around his waist, I urged him to move harder and faster.

I didn’t want him to feel that he couldn’t be himself. I didn’t want him to treat me as if I was some delicate flower. I wanted us, and that meant I wanted him to be the man he had always been with me.

I needed him to let go.

As if he could read my thoughts, he began pumping his hips harder as the sounds of our movements filled the room.

“Just like that,” I praised him.

“Does that feel good?” he asked, and all I could do was nod. Of course it felt good. Everything with Josh felt good.

“So good,” I said in a gasp, as he slammed into me and my body jerked from the assault.

His breathing became more labored as he kept up his movements, and I could feel myself building once more.

“Let go, Gabby,” he whispered against my neck. “I need to feel you, baby. Give it to me.”

And I did.

A moan of pleasure escaped him as he continued to fuck me.

It was that moment I knew we had found each other once again.

Yes, we have been side by side every day since they rescued me from that cabin, but we felt so separated. It was as if something was lingering between us and keeping us apart. Some invisible force made me feel like a stranger in my own skin, and I knew it only kept us from truly being who we once were.

But it was in a house in Cape Cod where we discovered one another again.

Josh and I spent the remaining part of our vacation enjoying every moment with Asher while he was awake, and during the times he slept, we continued to work on reconnecting. We talked, and we cried. We laughed, and we made love under the stars on more than one occasion.

And when we left Cape Cod, we were stronger than we had ever been before.

Epilogue

Three Months Later

Josh

“Feeling nervous?” my father asked as he adjusted his bow tie. I had to laugh at his obvious distaste for the penguin suit he was wearing.

My father was more of a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy.

“Not feeling nervous, no,” I replied. “More anxious than anything else.”

He smiled, and something told me he knew exactly what I was talking about.

“They all kicked me out last night and I had to sleep on Mike’s couch.” My father wrinkled his nose and I laughed. “Yeah, I know there is absolutely no reason to say a word. I thought all night long about the filth I may have been laying in. It would explain the forty-five minute hot as hell shower I took this morning.”

My father did one of those fake shivers, and I couldn’t help but laugh. The guy was hilarious at times.

“They kicked Grayson out too,” I added. “He pouted all damn night like some lost boy. I never thought I would ever see the day that guy handed his balls over to any woman, but he has. Guy has it bad.”

“Ah,” my father chuckled, “the magic of the Shannon sisters.”

He had that right.

There was definitely something there. Mike, Gray, and I would vouch for that.

“Speaking of Shannon sisters.” I looked up at my father and found him pointing toward the doorway. There stood Audrey in the doorway holding Asher. He wore a tux that matched my own, and he looked about as happy as his grandpa was with the getup.

“Gabby insisted his daddy could soothe his broken heart.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I knew this trick; in fact, Gabby played it often.

Whenever Asher was cranky and irritable she would pull out the “
Daddy can make it all better”
card. That shit worked every damn time and she knew it. There was no hope of me saying no; after all—I wanted to be that guy that made everything right, for him and for her.

I may be a complete sucker when it came to the powers of my son and future wife, I would admit it. There was no reason to deny they controlled my every thought.

I took Asher from Audrey and he instantly lay his head on my shoulder, wrapping his arm around my neck. I was a grown man, one that fought against the powers of evil in the city of New York, daily. Yet when it came to Asher, I became instant putty. Just one little hug and, fuck—I was a goner.

“Hey, buddy,” I whispered as I soothingly patted his back.

He was tired, his eyes were already drooping.

We still had about forty minutes before the ceremony, so I walked over toward the chair in the corner and sat down, holding Asher securely in place. It was the perfect length of time for a power nap.

In just a few short hours I would be dancing with my wife.

That thought made me smile.

We’d made it.

At times I wasn’t sure, and those thoughts broke my heart. Because a life without Gabriella by my side was a life I was unsure I would survive.

The time Leo had her were some dark fucking times for me. It was a test I failed miserably.

I wouldn’t live in some delusional world and allow myself to believe that from this point on everything would be perfect, because I knew that we would still face hurdles. Nothing was ever perfect. But I would have her by my side, so I knew we would make it through.

I wouldn’t allow it to be any other way.

***

Gabby

Everything was falling into place.

Next week we were to close on the house we just bought, only one block away from my parents.

I never thought I would ever move to the suburbs; I loved the city too much. But now everything is different. Everything feels different. All those material things no longer mean anything; it’s my family that holds me together, and for them I would do absolutely anything.

And today, I’ll marry my best friend—the man who gave me the things I never knew I really, truly wanted.

One night, one kiss, and he changed my entire outlook on life. His date from hell brought him to me.

Standing in front of the mirror, I scanned over my dress, adjusting the bodice. My mother stood at my side with tears in her eyes. “Don’t cry,” I told her, “because if you cry, I’ll cry. Then my makeup will be all messed up.”

She sniffled a couple more times, and when she realized there was no way to stop it, she turned around. “I need a damn tissue.” She hurried from the room and all I could do was laugh at her. She had been a complete mess all morning.

“Let’s just hope this one shows up,” my father said, catching me completely off guard.

I stopped adjusting my dress and looked up at my father with my mouth hanging open. He didn’t even acknowledge my surprise as I continued to gawk at him.

Was he kidding me?

Laughter spilled from Brooklynn, and Audrey soon followed. It was in that moment that my father looked over at me and winked.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Listen here, old man, comments like that will only get you hurt.” I could feel the corners of my mouth pulling upward as I fought against my own laughter.

“What?” he said innocently and shrugged as if he had said nothing wrong. “Weddings are expensive, and I’m still waiting for Lance to pay his outstanding bill.”

Something told me that comment was not a joke. I could actually imagine my father created an invoice of sorts and mailed it to Lance for his half of the wedding expenses he so graciously skipped out on.

My father stepped up to my side and wrapped his arm over my shoulders and squeezed me close, placing a kiss against my temple. “Lance wasn’t the man for you.” As if I hadn’t already figured that out for myself. He was a coward. “But Joshua is.”

I looked at my father through our reflections in the mirror as he continued.

“I never thought I would ever feel as if any man was worthy of any of my daughters, but I was wrong. Josh is a strong man, and I know that with him, you will always be loved.” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “He’s who you belong with, and I know that he treasures you. That is all I ever wanted for you and your sisters. I want a man to cherish my girls the way I always have.”

My father was not an emotional man.

My sisters and I had grown up our entire lives with a strong, stern man who took no shit. He was hard and tough, and at times we truly despised his rules and hovering. But today, I learned everything he had ever done, whether it was something I agreed with or not, it was always for us. He spent his life making sure my mother and us girls were provided for and protected.

My father was the greatest man I knew.

“Thank you, Daddy,” I whispered, “for everything.”

Brook and Audrey stepped up to the mirror next to us and shared a moment.

Just a father and his daughters.

It was a moment I wouldn’t trade for the world.

I had learned to treasure every passing moment, whether big or small, because we never know when one of those moments may just be our last.

I think in life we all get wrapped up in the daily shuffle.

We forget to just stop and take a look at the beauty around us. Take the time to appreciate the gifts we have been given. Take a few moments to realize just how blessed we are.

I did that a lot lately, because I had been in a position where I felt it may have been my last. It was terrifying, and it will be something I know I’ll carry with me forever. But I won’t let it rule me. I will just let those memories remind me of how precious the time I do have truly is.