Page 4 of The Awakening (The Morton Family Saga #3)

Chapter Three

Gavin

A loud banging shook me from my peaceful slumber. Who could be awake at this hour? Who cared? I nestled back into my pillow, my arm tightening around something—no, someone.

I cracked one eye open, the realization that I wasn’t alone overcoming me. I had an armed wrapped firmly around Ellie, and she was snuggled up tight against me.

Looked like I was the big spoon, after all.

It had been so long since I’d held anyone, and she looked so peaceful in my arms. Maybe needed to be held as much as I needed to do the holding. I didn’t care who was at the door. They hadn’t banged again, so maybe it had been a dream.

Just as I closed my eyes again, ready to soak in the feeling of a beautiful woman in my arms, the door flew open with a bang. Ellie startled awake, looking between her father and me in a half-awake state of confusion. I pulled her closer.

“Morton, what are you doing to my daughter?” His voice boomed out.

Guess it wasn’t a dream.

“Hank, what are you doing breaking into my home?”

He put his hands on his hips, pulling back his jacket as he did and revealing a holster on his hip. I didn’t dare move. The bright metal grip of his gun shone in the moonlight.

“Elyse, get out of that bed at once.” She twitched in my arms but didn’t move.

The man was a force. He was as wide as he was tall, the skin on his cruel looking face ruddy.

Word had it he ruled his home with an iron fist, and anyone on the mountain who was outside of his twisted community had the sense to avoid him.

Anyone except me.

“Now, Hank, come on, let’s talk about this. No need for shouting.” I took care removing my arm from Ellie and rolled out of bed to stand face-to-face with the man as two other men appeared behind him.

“Elyse, get up, you’ve had your fun.” He spat.

“Ray told us you were gone. Said you’d be out sleeping around.

I almost didn’t believe him.” He shook his head as Elyse sat up in the bed.

“I thought I taught you better than this. A man needs his woman at home waiting on him hand and foot. Not off sleeping with some makeshift city boy out here flashing his cash and pretending to be a rancher.” The man puffed out his chest. “Like your mother. Now she’s a wife.

Come on you trash, get out of that bed.”

He could trash talk me all he wanted, but as I looked back at Ellie, the sadness in her eyes broke me. I’d promised her she could stay for as long as she wanted. I thought she’d be safe out here.

“Don’t talk to my wife like that.” Who was speaking, and why did it sound like my voice?

“Your wife?” He repeated, as startled by my words as I was.

“Did I stutter?” I took a step toward him.

There was no backing down. Either I’d just had the biggest stroke of genius, or I was about to get a chest full of lead.

“Now, get out of my home and away from my wife.” There I went, saying it again.

“If you ever set foot on my property again, or make contact with Ellie, I’ll have you arrested.

” I kept stepping until I had him backed into the living room.

“Her name is Elyse, not Ellie.” Her father growled.

One more way he controlled her, I figured. “I don’t come into your home and tell you what to call your wife, now do I? Besides, Ellie rolls off the tongue so much better than a stuffy name like Elyse.”

“It was my mother’s name.” He said through gritted teeth.

“I’m sure your father called her Ellie in the bedroom, too.” A chuckle escaped as I imagined this big man thinking about his parents.

Flicking the light on as I went by, I saw there was a fourth man. These must have been his sons. All three were carrying hunting rifles, and they were pointed at me, but all they were shooting was daggers as they stared at me.

Ellie was hot on my heels, and I held out my arm, keeping her behind me. These assholes weren’t going to intimidate me into anything. They’d picked the wrong man. I had nothing left to lose. And I wasn’t about to offer her up to them when she’d made it so clear she needed to escape.

“Married? Shacking up is more like it.” One of her brothers mumbled loud enough to hear it.

“Just so you’re aware, Ellie and I eloped. Where did you think she’d been these past few days? Hiding out at a hotel on the highway?” I didn’t bother to suppress my smile. “We just got back from our honeymoon.”

I looked over my shoulder at her from the corner of my eye. Her mouth was open wide enough to catch flies. As long as it stayed that way, and she didn’t contradict me, we’d be all right.

Her father waved his hand at his minions, signaling them to lower their weapons. I turned, wrapping my arm around Ellie and pulled her tight to my side.

No time like the present to make them squirm more.

Leaning down, I tipped Ellie’s chin, and she met my gaze as I winked before I pressed my mouth to hers.

Her lips were soft, and delicious pressed against mine.

She melted into me as I wrapped both arms around her, once again breaking my promise to keep my hands to myself.

She opened her mouth, and I took the opportunity to swirl my tongue around hers.

She didn’t seem to mind too much.

She was the best kisser I had ever had the privilege of kissing. At that moment, it was like the world around us fell away. It was just me and her and this kiss.

Lost in the haze that formed around us, I vaguely registered the sound of a throat clearing.

Oh right, we had an audience.

I broke the kiss and turned to face them again, but she remained close with her hand on my chest. Sparks had flown, and my world was spinning. What had I just done?

“She ain’t wearing a ring.”

“That’s because I want to get her the best. It’s being custom made by my family’s jeweler in Dallas. Sent her measurements yesterday.” I looked down at Ellie and smiled. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” This was getting more far-fetched by the second. I needed her to corroborate my story.

Her eyes widened, but she mustered a nod. That would have to do.

“Elyse, is this true?” Hank’s attention turned from me to his daughter.

My pulse raced, and doubt crept into my head. What would happen if she said no? They caught us in bed together. We’d had pure intentions, and nothing had happened between us, but Hank’s narrow mind wouldn’t accept that answer. What she was about to say would determine whether I was a dead man.

“Yes, Daddy, it’s true. Gavin and I are husband and wife.”

Her voice was firm and confident. If I hadn’t known better, I would have believed her myself.

“I see.” He stroked his chin. “Let’s go home, boys.

” His shoulders slumped, and he glanced back at his sons.

“This is going to kill your mother, Elyse. Your actions have shamed us all. I hope you’re happy, because you aren’t welcome in our home any longer.

” Hank turned and left the house, followed by his sons, who didn’t give Ellie a second glance as they left.

Ellie had a death grip on my arm, and she was shaking, but she stood proud and strong beside me as they left.

“Oh, no.” she whispered as she crumpled to the floor in a heap. Quiet sobs made her shoulders shake.

I gathered her in my arms and carried her to the sofa, the kneeled before her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how else to get us out of that situation. I didn’t think they would turn their backs on you. Ellie, I’m sorry.”

She shook her head against my shoulder. “It’s not that, that was inevitable. But I’m worried about what they’re going to do once they figure out it is all a lie.”

“Inevitable? But you’re his daughter.”

“Exactly, I’m a daughter. Unlike my brothers, I’m a liability to him. My father always made it clear I was a burden, and the only way I could fix that was to marry someone he felt was fit to join the family.”

I took both her hands in mine. “You could never be a liability. Your spaghetti making skills alone make you an asset in my eyes.”

She gave me a sweet smile, but it quickly faded, and the tears returned. “He chose Ray for me, and it was my duty to eventually come around to him. I was told I would learn to love eventually, even though he repulsed me from the very start. Still, I tried, Gavin, I really tried.”

As her tears dried up and her sobs stopped, she told me more about the environment she was raised in. She’d been robbed. Of her happiness. Her choices. And of her self worth. She deserved a family that thought the world of her and accepted her for who she was.

Speaking of families, the chances were slim that this story wouldn’t get back to mine. Elyse’s mother wouldn’t be the only one disappointed to hear that we’d eloped. But I supposed bringing my “wife” home for Christmas would make up for it.

“This ranch hand friend of yours, Matt. How experienced is he?”

She tipped her head at me. “He’s worked on ranches his whole life. Why?”

“He’s about to get a temporary promotion to ranch manager. If he can hack it, we’ll see about making it permanent. That is, if you’ll agree to come to Texas with me for Christmas.”

She eyed me cautiously. “Are you serious?”

I nodded.

The bright smile on her face was contagious, and before I knew it, she’d thrown her arms around my neck and hugged me tight.

“Thank you, Gavin. Thank you so much.” She damn near knocked me off my feet with the force of her hug, her scent—something floral with a sweet hint of vanilla—invading my senses.

It looked like we were heading home together.

Me and my fake wife.