I wake up with a big fucking smile on my face, and a hard on that could last for ages. All of that soon disappears when I realize what today means. It means past passions, debilitating fears, and close encounters with the worst kind. It means I might have to kick some ass.

Well, I’ve got Hanson on my side, I guess. Last night, after she fell asleep, I snuck out of bed to give him a call. He was reluctant, but he’s on board. However, there was one condition: he gets to hold stock in the company. In all honesty, it was one of the easier choices to make. I took the deal, all without talking to Susan about it. I’ll confront that later…

I roll out of bed, but it’s early, so I don’t wake up Emily. She deserves an hour more of good dreams. I take one look at her and I see that she’s smiling, eyes closed. I can’t ruin that. Not yet.

I walk out of the room and find Lisa in the kitchen. She has made herself some cereal and she’s intently eating at the table. “Hey, Dad,” she says, while scrolling through the news on her tablet. At least she’s reading the news, I guess.

“What’s up, girl?” I smile.

She shrugs. “School.”

I grab an apple and peel the skin away. I cut it up into smaller pieces and put it in a bowl. I place it in front of her on the table. “Eat this,” I tell her.

“I’m already eating something,” she says, annoyed.

“This is actually good for you. Now eat,” I tell her. She takes a few bites.

“Morning, everyone,” I hear Emily’s voice say.

“Hey!” I smile. “You’re not supposed to be up so early. Go back to bed.”

“It’s alright. I feel okay. Besides, I couldn’t go back to sleep now that I’m awake.” She rubs her eyes and stands behind me, placing her hands on my shoulders. She squeezes and I groan.

“You guys are still really gross,” Lisa reminds us.

“That’s good, honey. At this point in your life, I know I’m the grossest person you’ve ever seen, but trust me, it gets much worse,” I tell her.

“Ugh,” she snarls.

I check my phone and sigh. “You’re going to be late for the bus,” I tell her. “Hurry up, pup.”

“I’m done.” She smiles and grabs her backpack.

“I love you, baby girl,” I say. I kiss her cheek and the top of her head, as she slightly pushes away.

“Okay Dad. Love you too.” She breaks free from my grip and heads toward the front door. “Bye, Emily. See you after school.”

“Bye, honey!” Emily smiles.

The door closes and silence commences within the household. I turn to her, as she sits down next to me at the kitchen table, slumped into her chair. I say, “It’s going to be okay. You know that, right?”

“I don’t know much,” she shrugs.

The doorbell rings before I can give her any consolation. Hanson peeks his head inside and waves solemnly. “Let’s do this thing,” he says.

I nod. “Yeah, I guess it’s almost time,” I say.

We don’t say much in the next hour. The plan has been laid out for us. All we have to do is meet with the guy, as Hanson keeps a look out for any possible signs of danger. That’s it, really. When we pull into the café parking lot, Hanson is laying in the back of my car, out of plain sight.

“There he is,” Emily whispers.

“Where?” I ask her, looking at every individual sitting on the patio.

“Right there. The only guy here that’s dressed in a suit,” she says. “Oh, fuck. I can’t do this, Michael. I can’t!”

“It’s okay,” I whisper. I hold her close to me and kiss her cheek. I whisper in her ear, “I’ll be right next to you the whole time.”

“Promise nothing bad will happen,” she says. “Please. Promise me.”

“I promise.”

One more kiss before we get out of the car. It’s easy to see that she’s freaking out. I would be too if I was in her position. Instead, I have to take it all in and do what I have to do to protect the woman I love. This is it. This is when things finally start to stabilize.

I hope.

I feel the asphalt underneath my boots crunch slightly. The wind blows against my face. Emily squeezes my hand, vowing to never let go. “Dennis,” I call out.

“Emily.” He smiles. “Order some coffee and breakfast before you sit down.”

“We won’t be eating,” I tell him.

“No?” He laughs. “Fine. So be it.”

“What do you want?” I ask him. All three of us sit down, and all of a sudden, it’s like a scene out of the Godfather or something. I’m meeting with this “suit,” who’s sporting a Rolex watch and gold necklaces probably worth a fortune. Who am I? I’m just a carpenter. I’m just a man with a daughter and a heart full of love for the women in my life. I’ve made my share of bad decisions, but I’ve never done anything remotely as bad as what he’s done to Emily.

“I want us to all be friends,” he says. He takes a sip of his coffee and sighs with pleasure.

“No can do. I need you to stay away from Emily,” I say. “This time, it has to be for good.”

“She doesn’t need you to talk for her,” he says, turning spiteful. “Besides, I came to apologize. That’s it.”

“Stop it, Dennis. This is done. We are done. Can’t you get that in your stupid, thick skull?” Emily’s face has turned completely red. Her pupils have dilated. She’s probably more dangerous than I am right now. What happens next is weird and takes me by total surprise.

Within a fucking instant, the man stands up and clenches his fist. He shakes with rage, like a child would. Only, this man is an adult. I have to admit, it’s frightening to me at first. However, when he flings his coffee from the table, shattering the glass, something has to be done.

Hanson and I both jump at the guy, but he’s much quicker than we expected. From his pocket, he grabs a single blade, probably at least nine inches in length and about as thick as my fucking cock. Only problem is, it’s sharper than all hell and rigid, so it can lacerate. It all happens so quickly.

He swings the knife upward, nearly connecting with my chest. The blade slightly nicks my arm pit as he comes back down and I sigh with slight pain, yet I’m relieved I’m not laying on the floor in a pool of my own blood.

The rage inside of me quickens. My heart pumps pure adrenaline and suddenly, I can see everything more clearly than normal. Dennis swings his arm back, connecting with Hanson’s nose. He drops like a sack of old potatoes. He never stood a chance. At this point, a large crowd has formed around us, but I can’t pay attention to any of that. I have to stay focused or Lisa might lose a father.

As Dennis attempts to stab my pelvic area, I grab his wrist, right below where the blade connects. I twist as hard as I fucking can and snap the wrist back. The sound echoes in my ear, screaming, “Victory.” I’ve never fought like this before, but anyone who threatens my family can get the worst hell I have to offer.

“My wrist!” he screams and drops to the floor. Hanson grabs the knife and lunges back, holding it in front of him. Sirens wail, coming from just blocks away.

I turn toward Emily, who is standing nearly three feet away, shaking. She closes her eyes and steps forward. “Are you okay?” I ask her. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“Keep him down!” someone in the café yells. “The police are almost here!”

“I’m okay,” she says. “I’m finally okay.”

“Come on. Let’s go inside,” I tell her.

We walk inside as customers begin to cheer. Some ask if we’re okay, but we’re both too shocked to know how to respond. All I know is one thing. I need this woman. Forever. For real.

“Now what?” she asks, still trembling against me.

“Look, there’s something I want us to do,” I tell her.

“Sell the business? Oh God, Michael. Now what? Can’t we just tell the police what happened and go home?” she asks.

“We can do anything that you want. But first, I want to say one thing. I know we haven’t been together for too long. I know that just about every situation we’ve been through has been met with a dark cloud. But I want that to change,” I tell her. I place my hands on her waist and look her directly in her eyes. She searches my pupils for the truth. I’m about to give her that truth with a question.

“I don’t own all the riches in the world. I’m just a carpenter. However, I’m a father too. I haven’t been a husband in a long fucking time, but I’ve tried to do my best for you as your boyfriend,” I say. I can hear the police enter the building, boots catapulting off of the tiled floor. They’re yelling, muffled, inaudible things. Right now, they mean nothing to me. “I don’t have a ring to give you yet, but I do have intent. Emily Carter, you’re the best thing to ever happen to me. Lisa loves you. I love you. And I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”

“Sir, please step over here,” a police offer says, while grabbing my shoulders. We’re both pushed off to the side. “Can you tell me what happened here?”

I can’t answer anyone’s questions yet. I can’t even look at the officer speaking to me. I’m just staring at Emily, waiting for some kind of response. Her eyes have turned into large globes, full of tears. She nods slowly and her frown turns into a giant smile. “Yes,” she whispers. “I’ll marry you. I’ll be your bride.”

“Sir?” the police offer asks one more time.

I laugh loudly and push past the officer. I grab Emily and kiss her hard. Within seconds, I am tackled to the ground and handcuffed. “You have the right to remain silent…”

“We’re getting married!” I announce triumphantly. “We’re fucking getting married!”