Page 21

Eighteen

The Parents

Blade

R yan is still in bed while Emryn and I are having breakfast. Emryn finally fell asleep last night, but it took me a lot longer. Mainly because I was seething with fury and barely controlling the urge to beat her brother to a pulp.

“Do you want some more eggs?” Emryn asks.

“Leave some for Ryan.” Not that the idiot deserves it, I think to myself.

“He won’t eat those. He’ll want an egg white omelet,” she replies.

“Then he can make it his damn self,” I retort, unable to keep the bite out of my tone. Emmy turns to me, putting her hand on my arm.

“Blade, I’m not sure how long Ryan will stay. He has no concept of a ‘couple of days.’ Maybe it’s best?—”

“Don’t say it, babe,” I cut her off. “Not going to happen. Unless you tell me you don’t want me here, and then I’ll go.

And babe, if I go, I won’t be back. Not because you don’t mean something to me, because you do, but because being together means going through the good and the bad together, and if you don’t think you can trust me to be there for you, I’m not your guy.

” Yeah, I’m pissed at the entire situation, but I’m not going to be the man who’s convenient. I’m the man Emryn can trust.

“I don’t want you to go,” she whispers, gripping my arm tighter, “but this is upsetting you. It’s not fair that you need to deal with this.”

“We don’t even know what ‘this’ is yet,” I remind her.

“I do!” Her voice rises, then drops again.

“Ryan is out of money. He’s probably spent all his allotted monthly allowance from Dad and is going to hang around here, eat free food, and charm the pants off everyone, because he’s good at it.

Then, when he’s got a little more cash in his pocket, he’ll be gone.

Usually, that happens when I’m asleep or out working.

He never says goodbyes, because, according to Ryan, goodbyes are too difficult.

They’re difficult because he’s made me a pariah in town, and I have to live with the consequences.

And although I’ve begged him over and over to stop, he won’t.

Or, maybe he can’t.” Emryn gets up with her plate and goes to the sink.

She begins to clean the dishes to busy her hands.

I can’t bear her anger turning to guilt.

I get up from the table and go to her. I stand behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist, with my front pressed to her back, and press my lips to her temple. “This is not your fault. You cannot be blamed for your brother’s actions.”

Emryn shuts off the water and turns in my arms to face me.

“Tell that to Amanda, who gave my brother five hundred dollars to set up a meeting with his agent so she could become a model. Then there’s Manny, who thought Ryan would become a spokesperson for his product.

Ryan took five thousand dollars from him.

Ryan said he’d be back in a week after he completed a prior obligation and never returned.

There are plenty more, and since there was no one else to get mad at, they picked me, his sister. ”

“They were angry with themselves and took it out on you, and that’s not okay,” I tell her.

She shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter what I do, I still can’t win,” she says quietly.

Then she adds, “I paid them all back, you know. That’s part of the reason it took me this long to get my business off the ground.

I wasn’t getting enough clients, so I had to stop and get a full-time job in an office, in another town, no less, because no one would hire a con man’s sister. ”

“Shit,” I murmur.

“Shit is right. Mom and Dad must have told Ryan where I am. I asked them not to, but obviously, my parents can’t deny Ryan anything, and so here we are.” She throws out her hands.

I tilt my head, furrowing my brow. “Why would they do that?”

“My parents don’t want trouble, and they hate confrontation.

Could you imagine if Ryan tried to swindle one of Dad’s friends?

Mom and Dad would never live down the shame of it all.

My mother is convinced that Ryan can do no wrong and that he’s the most perfect boy in the world.

” Emmy shrugs, then turns back to the dishes.

“Let’s face it, I was a disappointment to my mother.

I’m not a tall, blonde model like she used to be, and Ryan is the male version of what she once was.

And Dad, well, his concern is building his empire. ”

The entire situation is whacked, but I know there are families out there that have their own way of doing things.

It reminds me of Camille’s situation with her family.

Camille is Steady’s wife and Saint’s nurse at the clinic.

Steady fell hard for Camille. Not that I blame him; she’s one of the most genuine people I know.

When he found out how physically and mentally abusive her parents and brothers were, he lost his mind and stepped in.

It turns out that both her brothers were lost souls.

In the end, one brother turned himself around and is now a Satan’s Pride member.

I’m not sure if he’s fully forgiven himself for his past sins, but he’s getting there.

Emryn’s situation is just as difficult. It’s love with conditions when it comes to her parents and brother.

There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’ll never measure up or be good enough unless you do what you’re told.

It’s apparent that her mother makes Emryn feel unworthy because she doesn’t physically fit her image of an ideal daughter.

Emryn’s gorgeous. She’s the girl next door with sparkle.

It’s who she is that makes her beautiful, the way she plays with the young Pride kids, not afraid to get dirty, but there to have fun.

It’s the way she listens to what you have to say without judgment, but asking all the right questions so that you come up with the answers yourself.

My girl is more than a photographer. She’s my friend and my lover, and I’ve fallen in love with her. Truly, madly, deeply, I love Emryn.

I turn off the water, take her hand, and lead her to the couch. I sit and pull her into my lap.

“Blade—”

I place my fingers over her lips. “Shh. Quiet. My turn.” I touch my forehead to hers, my palms cupping her cheeks.

“I love you, Emeryn Ellington. I’ve never said that before to a woman and never thought I would, until you.

The moment I saw you, I knew you were special.

Then you opened your mouth, and that sassiness, clinched it.

You are beautiful. And generous. And sweet. I know you love me too?—”

Emryn presses her fingers over my lips. “Hush. Let me say it,” she whispers. “I love you so much that it scares me. I’ve always been able to pick up the pieces and move on, but if this goes badly, it’ll break me. That’s how much I love you.”

“It won’t go bad.”

“Ryan—”

“He doesn’t factor into us,” I state firmly.

“He has a tendency?—”

“Not this time. And never again with you,” I tell her. “Your parents need to step up and get him the help he needs.”

“They won’t. As long as he isn’t bothering them, Mom and Dad won’t get involved. Mom is convinced her son is a god and can do no wrong, and Dad doesn’t see him unless it causes him grief.”

“Then he needs a hard lesson. This time, he’s not going to find anyone to swindle for money.”

“Ryan is charming,” she replies cautiously.

“We’ll see, baby.” I don’t want Emryn to know our plan. She’s got too much in her head as it is, and before this goes too far, I want to know what Orion and Wildcard uncover.

Right on cue, the doorbell rings. I know we’re expecting Ava, but Emryn doesn’t.

“Get the door, Emmy. I’ll finish cleaning up.

” She drops her lips to mine, a mere whisper of a kiss, but my mouth salivates at wanting more.

I wish I could take her back to our bedroom, but I do the right thing and let her go.

From where I am in the kitchen, I can hear Ava’s upbeat voice.

“Hey, Emmy, I hope you don’t mind me stopping by, but I’m in a bit of a bind and I’m wondering if you can help me out.

” The tapping of heels on the floor lets me know they’re coming my way.

“How’s it going, Blade? She’s got you doing dishes.

” She throws a smile Emryn’s way. “Good girl!” she exclaims with a chuckle.

“Quiet, Queen Bee!” I tease. “You know I’m the first to help out in the kitchen.”

“That’s usually because that’s where Hanna packs up the food, and you want first dibs,” Ava continues to joke.

I roll my eyes. “What brings you over?”

“Guard says my car is making a funny noise and refuses to let me drive it. I have an appointment this morning that I can’t miss.

Vi is on deliveries, Camille is on shift, most of the other girls are at work, so I’m here to beg a favor.

” She gives Emryn her big, sad eyes, then asks, “Could I ask you to take me? Please?”

“Well, sure. But you can have my car as long as I have it back for my meeting this afternoon,” Emryn tells her.

“I’d rather not drive someone else’s car, and I thought we could get lunch afterward and hang out for a bit. What do you say?” Ava says.

“It sounds like fun,” Emryn begins, then looks behind her toward the hall where her brother is still asleep in the bedroom.

“He’s a grown man, babe. And he may not be up for hours,” I remind her.

“Who are we talking about?” I’m sure Guard has informed his wife as to what’s going on, but she’s a great actress, pretending she doesn’t.

“Uh, my brother’s come for a short visit.” Emryn chooses her words carefully.

“That’s great. I’d love to meet him,” Ava replies, but I recognize the glint in her eye, and what she really wants to do is punch him in the mouth for taking advantage of her new friend. “We can head out and be back before you know it. By that time, he might be up, and we can have a chat.”

Emryn can’t mask her fear, and Ava catches it right away, but she covers it up quickly. Ava manages to get Emryn out the door, and they head off on a wild-goose chase for a few hours.

I grab my phone and send a text to Orion.

Me: Yo bro! Do me a solid and add the parents to the list.

Orion: You got it.

Might as well be thorough and get all I can on the Ellingtons.