Pulling out of her I instantly feel the loss of her warmth and by the whimper she lets out, she must feel the same.

Leaning down I place my lips against her forehead. “I’ll be right back.” With so many things running through my mind, I need to take a moment to breathe.

Walking into the adjoined bathroom I shut the door. Still in disbelief, I place my hands on the sink and meet my reflection in the mirror.

Blue eyes bright with life look back at me. Replaying the events that just happened I shake my head, I never thought it would happen like this.

I never intended on pushing her to remember. I only came here with one goal in mind and that was to get her to a place where she was happy, where Drifter wouldn’t force her to go back to Texas… but when I heard my name on her lips for the first time in years I couldn’t fucking believe it. I lost it.

I had forced her to remember.

Seeing her cave in on herself and the scream that came from her… I was fucking terrified. Forcing Bailey to leave the room, I did the only thing I knew and that was to pick her up and hold her tight… to hold her like our lives depended on it. Because in that moment it felt like they did.

Turning on the water I wait until it warms then rinse off my dick, the smell of sex clinging to my skin.

No condom.

When she told me she wasn’t on anything I couldn’t find it in me to do the right thing. I had been waiting for this moment for years, since before we even got out of that hell. I had been dreaming of having my girl in my arms and showing her just what she means to me; no restraint, no guards… just us. I hadn’t planned on it happening the moment she got her memory back. I had planned on taking my time and doing right by her. But that’s the shit about plans, isn’t it? They never go how you thought they would. Life controls your plans and fate controls your life. The only thing you have control of is how you handle it all, how you brush off the dirt and keep fucking going when it’s all said and done. This girl has been my light in the dark for so long the thought of taking that step with her… beyond our body and soul… the thought of creating a life with her…

Shit.

My heart pounds so hard in my chest I have to hold my hand there to keep it from ripping through.

Grabbing the washcloth off the rack, I wet it with the warm water and shut it off. Opening the door, I walk back in the room and stop. The blood in my ears pounds making everything seem underwater. Laying on her side completely naked, the sheet drapes over her just as it did the last time I saw her like this.

This doesn’t seem real.

Having heard me enter the room she turns her head, exhaustion lingers in the depths of her eyes but so does something else.

Clarity.

She gives me a small smile. I swallow hard and force my legs to work. She’s only just handed me everything I have ever wanted and already this girl has me tripping over my own feet.

Crawling onto the bed I gently guide her to her back and run the warm washcloth over her sensitive pussy. Wincing, she lets out a shuddered breath. “You sore, baby?” I ask, leaning down and placing a kiss to her lips, tossing the rag to the side.

I should have taken my time, worshipped her. But I couldn’t hold back.

Giving a small nod she says, “In a good way.”

As I lie down next to her, she brings her hands up under her chin. We lay there facing each other, our eyes watching and searching for every emotion.

“Do you remember everything?” I ask, not sure what to say or how far to push.

Closing her eyes briefly she answers, “I don’t know.” Taking a deep breath, her brows furrows as she tries to explain. “The memories that I had before, it was hard to tell if they were real or if they were a dream. Most of the time they were nameless faces but other times I could put two and two together. Like I knew you were the boy I was seeing in my memories but I couldn’t remember your name or how well I knew you.” Shrugging her shoulders her eyes cloud with sadness. “Now I can remember the faces and names. I remember being there.”

Reaching out I grip her face and force her to look at me. “You don’t need to go there, Emmy.”

“I thought you were dead. All this time you have been watching over me…” trailing off, her eyes glaze over.

“Baby,” I say with conviction, bringing her back to me. “I don’t care about what happened. I don’t care how long it took us to get here. All that matters is that I have you now and you aren’t going anywhere.” Running my thumb along her cheek I keep going, “Everything I have ever wanted in my life is right here in this bed with me.”

Her bright green eyes look to me with so much love that it’s hard to breathe. Swallowing the lump in my throat I lean forward and kiss her.

This fucking girl.

Hours go by as we just lay there talking about the shit we have done. She tells me about her paintings and how they’ve helped her, I tell her about my first time riding my bike and the freedom that came with it. She tells me about her life over the last five years and all the things I didn’t know. I hang onto her every word, her every smile and her every tear. We soak up the time that was taken from us and we fall harder and deeper in love.

We just pick up where we left off.

“What happened that night?” she asks, hesitating a little. “When I woke up you were gone and everything was coming down around me.”

Swallowing hard, I squeeze my eyes shut as I go back to that fucking night. Meeting her gaze, my body numbs at what happened. “I couldn’t just sit there and hope that there would be less guards…I couldn’t take the chance of that monster having you. I thought I could get a jeep and get you before getting caught, or at least I was willing to die trying.” Taking a breath, I continue, “I just didn’t know that Buck and Drifter already had shit in motion,” I say. Seeing hurt flash in her eyes at the mention of their names I decide to leave out how I knew about them… for another time.

“What happened?” she urges, needing me to continue.

“Marshall,” I growl. “He caught me near the jeeps.”

Gasping in fear, her eyes widen at the mention of his name and her hands go to her necklace. Reaching out, I pull the necklace from her grip and stare down at it as I continue…this little thing was the start of it all, the start to her remembering. “He’s dead now,” I say not meeting her eyes. “I killed him, leaving him to burn in a jeep.” The cold way I talk about it forces my eyes to hers, worried about her reaction, but the fear I see isn’t fear of what I did, but fear for me.

Fuck, I love her.

“Are you okay?”

“Yea, babe, it was a long time ago,” I say, letting go of her necklace and tangling our fingers together, letting them rest in the space between us.

“I want you to meet my brothers,” I say, ready to take her there and make her my old lady. Ready to start our life…our future.

Furrowing her brows, she nods but doesn’t say more. Not quite the reaction I was going for, but I can’t hold too much on her.

The sudden sound of the front door slamming makes us both jump.

Jumping out of bed I grip my jeans and tug them on, not even bothering to button them, as I search for my gun and train it to the door as boot steps sound up the stairs.

Throwing the door open Drifter barges in, his eyes wild as he searches the room.

“What the fuck!” I bark, lowering my gun. Looking over to the clock I see it’s 2:50 in the morning. “What the hell is going on? I thought you were going to the city?”

“We got a call from Bailey, said Emmy was-”

Stopping mid-sentence, he really surveys what he just walked in on and I tense. Looking from Emmy, who is wrapped in her bed sheet, to me with my shirt off and jeans unbuttoned, hanging low, his nose flares. Doesn’t take a genius to guess what’s been going on.

“You stupid little shit,” he spits out before he lunges for me. Dropping my gun at the impact he shoves me into the wall and cocks back socking me in the face.

Screaming, Emmy wraps the sheet tighter around herself and jumps from the bed.

“I thought I could fucking trust you,” he seethes, going to hit me again but this time I see it coming and dodge it. Throwing my elbow in him I push him back and rush him into the opposite wall causing pictures to rattle and fall off.

“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” I shout, pulling back only to rush him again, knocking the air from his lungs. “I’m the only one you could ever trust with her.”

Shoving me back, we both throw punches, each trying to gain the upper hand. Each trying to let out frustrations that the other caused.

The sound of a gun cocking draws us both short.

Turning to the sound, I come face to face with a gun. This is fucking familiar. Holding it steady Buck looks from me to Drifter, back to me, and then over to Emmy. All the pieces falling into place.

“You take advantage of her?” he asks, his tone icy calm.

“Buck!” Emmy cries, coming to stand in front of me.

Not taking my eyes off Buck I wipe the blood from my nose and answer, “I’d never fucking do that.”

Seconds tick by before he lowers the gun and looks to Emmy. Something passes between them. Something that makes me feel like I’m intruding. Something only meant for them two.

“Emmy,” Bucks starts to say but she cuts him off.

Lifting the sheet higher, she takes a step toward him and places her hand on his arm. Shaking her head she stares right through him, right into his soul. “I forgive you,” she whispers.

Something happens to the man in front of us, something I have never seen before, something I will never see again.

Reaching out he cups her cheek and opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Instead one single tear tracks down his cheek and we all just stand there in shock. All of us but Emmy.

Taking in the remaining distance, she wraps one arm around him while the other holds up the sheet and she places her head on his chest.

“No matter what, Buck. I love you.”

The normally cool and collected man now looks shaken to his core; lost. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugs her like she is the only person to ever give him that…love. Maybe she is.

Clearing his throat, Drifter draws her attention and she pulls back and faces him.

“You remember, sweetheart,” he says looking just as shaken.

This time she walks up to him and does the same thing. With one arm wrapped around him she hugs him. “Thank you for saving my life.”

Clenching his jaw, he just stares down at her.

The sound of more people coming up the steps breaks the fog and we turn.

Standing in the doorway are Bailey and… JB.

What the fuck?

“What’s going on?” JB asks, taking in the whole situation. Emmy wrapped in a sheet, blood pooling under my nose, Drifter’s shirt ripped at the neck and Buck still with a gun in his hand.

“Bailey? Rage?” Emmy questions. Looking between everyone something finally clicks and she spins around to Drifter, her eyes wide with fear. “Did something happen?” she asks, terrified thinking this is about Marx, not remembering Bailey coming in here when she lost it. I should have known she would have called Drifter, I should have reassured her everything was okay but I got so lost in Emmy I forgot she was even here…but that doesn’t explain why…

“What the hell are you doing here, JB?” I bark. “Thought you were fucking leaving,” I say, hinting at where he said he was going.

Clenching his fists, he stares me down. “I was. Drifter called and asked if I could come here. Said she sounded scared that something was going on,” he says gesturing to Bailey, causing her to bow her head, a blush creeping to her cheeks.

Christ.

“But I was as far out of town as they were. You weren’t answering your phone. No one knew what was going on, so I turned around.”

He didn’t go? Looking at him my eyes widen; his monster is tamed. Shooting a glance at Bailey and then to him, he just stares me down.

Holy shit, maybe they will save each other.

“JB?” Emmy questions, something dawning on her. Looking to him she remembers. “You’re from?”

Clenching his jaw, he just nods.

Looking to me she asks, “He’s the same one?” Her cryptic half sentences cause me to smirk as she pieces things together.

“Yea, babe.”

“Emmy?” Bailey questions, her voice small and timid. I don’t miss the way JB crowds behind her at the sound of her voice.

“You remember?” she asks, looking at Emmy with hope.

Nodding, Emmy gives a watery smile and the girls meet in a hug.

“That’s what happened?” Drifter asks quietly as the girls talk in hushed tones. Drawing Buck’s attention, they both look to me and I nod.

“Yea.”

“She remember everything?” he asks and something in the way he does it draws my attention and I look at him in suspicion “Not really sure. She seems to remember what happened to her but I haven’t really let her talk about it. I don’t want to fucking have her reliving shit,” I say my eyes narrowing as I watch his jaw muscles work.

“It doesn’t fucking matter right now anyway, she needs fucking sleep. Drifter and I have to go back to the city. We will be back around noon. Turn your fucking phone on,” Buck says, then turns for the girls.

Placing his hand on the back of Emmy’s head he draws her attention. Then without a word he heads downstairs.

“If anything fucking happens call,” Drifter says, then follows suit.

“What are you doing?” I ask, pulling JB’s stare away from the girls… away from Bailey.

“You can sleep in one of the guest rooms or on the couch,” Emmy says.

“Or he can go back to the club,” I grumble.

“It’s really late,” she counters, looking at the clock. “I can show you one of the rooms.”

“Bailey can show me,” he counters, his voice low and demanding. Blushing Bailey gives a small nod and leaves Emmy’s side to head for the door. “Good night,” she whispers and they both leave.

Running my hand down my face I sigh, exhausted. Removing my hands, I look at my girl and she stares right back at me.

“You ready to get some sleep, baby?” I ask, walking up to her.

Nodding she just tilts her head so she can see into my eyes. Pulling the sheet from her grip, I let it fall at our feet.

God, she is so fucking beautiful.

Placing both hands on her shoulders I move them down her bare arms and thread my fingers through hers and guide her back to her bed.

Laying in each other’s arms I listen to the sound of her even breaths as they fan across my chest, the sound like music to my fucking ears.

I have waited forever for this moment. I spent years making promises to a girl I had no right making them to then I lost her. I lost it all. I have fought, I have lost and I never gave the fuck up. I have made myself worthy of her and I will never let her go again…. Ever.

No matter what tomorrow brings, no matter what evil knocks on our door, we finally have each other, and that is all we fucking need.