Page 17 of Guardian of Misty Mountain

Dawson comes running when he sees Amelia’s mother launch herself onto my back and start clawing at me. He restrains her easily, not hurting the woman, simply peeling her off of me and holding her hands behind her back. She’s all skin and bones with infected sores on her face and arms. While part of me truly empathizes with the harsh reality of what addiction looks like, the bigger part of me wants her and her husband to fuck off and leave me and my girl alone for good.

Beast is about to jump in and help, but I have the man pinned to the ground with a knee on his back and a hand wrapped around his neck.

“Call the cops,” I tell Beast. He nods and takes out his phone.

I look over my shoulder and see Amelia huddled next to the bushes, her arms wrapped around her knees while she trembles. “I’ll be right there,” I tell Amelia. “Be strong for me, sweetheart.” She nods, then tucks her head down, resting her forehead on her knees as sobs shake her shoulders.

Less than two minutes later, police sirens fill the air as they speed down the road. Before they reach us, I dig my knee further into this fucker's back, making him yelp in pain. "You want to get to Amelia, you're going to have to go through me, understood? She has people who love her, and who will protect her at all costs. You treated her like shit and used her as a bargaining chip. Once you're out of prison for assault and presumably holding afair amount of drugs on you, I will find you and make damn sure you never go near my woman again."

The pathetic loser chokes out a cough and manages to squeak out, “Yes. Yes, just let me go.”

I do as he says, but only because the cops are here. They slap cuffs on both Amelia's mother and stepdad, then pat them down. Sure enough, they both have drugs on them. One even has a gun that I'm sure is stolen. That should put them away for a while, but I'll make good on my promise. No way in hell are these two going to be near my Amelia ever again.

The two are thrown in the back of separate police cars and I rush over to Amelia’s side, crouching down next to her and speaking softly to the terrified woman.

“It’s all over, angel. They’re gone. You’re safe now.” I place a hand on her shoulder but she tenses and jerks away. I understand, but it pains me all the same. “Can I take you away from here?”

“Yes,” she murmurs, taking a shuddering breath. Amelia lifts her head, looking at me with tears streaming down her face.

I scoop my woman up in my arms, cradling her against my chest as I walk us to my truck. Buckling her inside, I run around the vehicle and hop in. I know I need to follow up with Dawson and Beast and thank them, but right now my priority is getting Amelia home.

When I pull into my property, I make quick work of unbuckling my woman and carrying her inside. I set her down on the bed and crawl in next to her, holding my precious angel as she curls further into my embrace.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t get there sooner,” I whisper. “I saw him and was about to confront him when…” I can’t even say it. Seeing that fucker’s dirty, grimy hand forcefully grab Amelia has rage clouding my vision. That’s not what my woman needs right now, however.

“It’s not your fault,” Amelia whispers. “You saved me, Adrian. You saved me from so many horrible things. They… they were going to…”

“Shh, baby. We don’t have to talk about it right now. I will always be here. I will always protect you and cherish you. You’re mine as much as I’m yours.”

Amelia nods and clings to me, burying her head in my shoulder. Her tears soak my shirt and I hold her close, rubbing her back and giving her all the time she needs to feel whatever it is she’s feeling.

Her tears eventually run dry and she peels herself off of my chest enough to lock eyes with me. "Thank you, Adrian. I don't even know how to repay you for the kindness you've shown me. I was so scared for so long but with you…" She nibbles on her bottom lip, her eyes leaving mine while she searches for the right words. "You make me believe I'm worthy of love."

My chest aches at her words, but I also know there’s hope. She’s starting to see how much I value her and how precious she is to me. I want to show her how much she’s loved every single day for the rest of our lives.

I rest a hand on her cheek, drawing her face back toward mine. She closes her eyes and sighs so sweetly, letting my touch ground her and bring her back into the moment.

“I love you, Amelia. I need you to know that.” Her eyes snap open, a look of longing and disbelief shining back at me. “I love you for who you are, for so many reasons. You don’t have to say it back, I know it’s fast?—”

She cuts me off with a kiss that speaks for her. When we come up for air, Amelia looks at me with those golden eyes that pierce my soul, breaking and healing me at the same time.

“I love you too, Adrian.”

I breathe in her words and let them fill my lungs, seeping into my bloodstream and pumping through my heart. Every beat isfor her. I don’t have words, so I show her what she means to me in a way I know she’ll understand.

I cup the back of her neck and draw her in for another kiss. She opens up for me and I savor her taste, caressing every inch of her mouth. It belongs to me.

Continuing my exploration of Amelia, I run my hand down her throat and over her collarbone, my mouth following close behind, nibbling and sucking on her sweet skin as I go. I feel her breath hitch, her back arch, her chest pressing against my lips as I devour her.

I roll us so she’s on her back underneath me, then peel her shirt and bra off. “Can I show you how much I adore every inch of you?”

Amelia nods, her hands roaming up my chest as she looks up at me with golden eyes filled with desire and awe.

I cup her perfect breasts, weighing them in my hands and flicking her pebbled nipples with my thumbs. Pushing them together, I lick her cleavage and kiss the tops of her perky tits before sucking a nipple in my mouth.

My hands slide down her torso, giving my mouth access to the sensitive underside of her breasts. I nip at one and then the other, earning me the most delicious whimpers from Amelia. My fingers work on ridding her of the last of her clothes while my mouth trails kisses down her stomach, pausing only to lick around her belly button and dip my tongue inside.

I reposition myself, leaning back on my heels and bending down once more to give her pretty little pussy a kiss. I’ll come back to her later, but for now, I need to worship every inch of Amelia and memorize all of her most sensitive spots.

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