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It’shours later that I open my bedroom door, equally hoping like hell Amelia is on the other side and concerned she won’t be there.
That she’ll have run.
Scared in a way I’ll never admit to another soul.
The vice around my heart loosens when I find her on the bed.
She’s curled up in a ball, lying on her side, facing me.
She’s bathed in the moonlight.
She’s breathtaking.
And she’s crying.
In two steps, I’m next to the bed and on my knees in front of her, moving her hair out of her face. My lips brush over her forehead and whisper, “What can I do, Snow? How do I make this better for you?”
She sniffs and wipes her face with her sleeve. “Just don’t yell at me right now. I know you want to. I know I should have listened to you and stayed up here. But I didn’t. I’m not sure why or how, but I knew who was at that door. I heard his voice this morning. I tried to tell myself I was crazy.” She sits up and tucks her legs underneath herself. “But I knew I wasn’t. I knew that voice. Then when you answered the phone tonight, I heard his name and thought it couldn’t be him.” She laughs a sad laugh at herself. “I mean, why would George be in Philly? I was wrong. I had to be. But the further you got from this room, the more something pulled at me to follow you.”
“I’m not going to yell at you. But babe, you can’t ever do that again. If he had hurt you, I’d have killed him. No questions. No second chances. No hesitation. That move would have started a war. And wars mean people die. I wouldn’t think twice about doing it for you. I wouldn’t have thought at all. I would have reacted. So, you coming down those stairs when I specifically told you not to would have cost people their lives. I don’t want that on your conscience. But you need to understand that if you’re going to live this life. You have to listen. You have to do what I say. For your safety and everyone else’s.”
She reaches out for my hand, then clasps it to her chest. “I’m sorry, Sam.”
“You showed someone my weakness tonight. You showed Tremblay what you mean to me. If he ever wants to come at me now, he knows to do it through you.” She shivers, but I keep going. “I’ll never let that happen, Snow. But you’ve got to help me.” She tugs harder on my arm until I rise and sit next to her on the bed. With my arms wrapped around her, she cries against my chest.
“I just don’t understand how many times I’m going to be told my life is a lie. First, by my mother when she told me we were in witness protection. Then, by the Kingstons telling me that my father is dead and I’m their sister, even though I was raised as an only child with no family. And tonight, by George, the closest thing I ever had to a father. He may have helped me, but at what cost? I’ve lived the last three years in fear, constantly looking over my shoulder. Always worrying that I would have to run. Scared to ever let anyone close because I didn’t want to risk putting them in the cross-hairs.”
“Amelia, look at me.” I wait for her to tilt her head up and wipe the tears from her eyes with my thumbs. “Are you done?”
Her head snaps back, and her shoulders tighten at the harsh tone of my question. “What?”
I stand up, pulling her with me. Then turn her around so she’s looking at our reflection in the large mirror over the dresser. “Are you done crying? Are you done feeling sorry for yourself? Yeah, it sucks. People you cared about lied to you. But you’re here now. You’re with me now. And I will never fucking lie to you. So now you’re free to make whatever decisions you want without being worried there are people coming after you.” I stand behind her with my hands holding her shoulders, watching her reflection in front of me.
Those brown eyes harden as she steels her spine. “Your mom lied to protect you. And she did it. You grew up safe. It might not have been the idyllic childhood you wish you had, but you were loved. Fuck, George Tremblay. He lied, but his lie brought you here. And I’m so fucking thankful you’re here. And you’re the one in control of what happens now. You want an entire football team of brothers and sisters? You got ‘em. I was a little surprised to see them here earlier, but if that’s what you want, then we can have them for Sunday fucking dinner for all I care. Your whole life is in front of you, Snow. You hold all the power.”
She turns slowly in my arms. “You’d really do that? You’d invite that entire family to your house for dinner?” A hint of a smile graces her face, and I know I’d destroy the entire city if that’s what it took to keep it there.
“Of course, I would. But you have to sit next to Max. He’s a pompous pain in the ass.”
Warm hands close around my face before those lips make me forget why I was mad. “We could always do it at one of the restaurants. We own enough of them. We really don’t have to do it here.”
She pulls away from me and leads me to our bed where she slowly removes her leggings and her shirt. Then she wags her finger in front of me. “Uh-uh. You said we could have them here. No take-backs now.”
Standing in front of me in a white silk bra and panties, she’s as pure as her name.
And I want nothing more than to dirty her up.
“You said something earlier, Snow.” I pull my shirt off and add it to her pile.
Slim fingers play with the button of my jeans. “Oh, yeah? What did I say? Because I said a lot of things earlier.” She pops the button, and I grab both of her hands in mine and turn her toward the bed.
“You told Tremblay to get out of your house.” I bend her over the bed so her chest is flat against the comforter. “Your house, Snow. Do you have any idea what hearing that did to me?” I let go of her hands and run my knuckle down her spine before shucking off my pants.
Snow starts to push up off the bed. “Hands on the bed. If you move, this ends.”
“What ends?” she asks breathlessly.
I drop to my knees and run my nose along the inside of her thigh.
