Page 57 of Liberate Us

“I am.” She placed her hand on my knee. “I promise.”

A part of me still didn’t believe her but I would take her wordfor it. For now.

“Here.” Tiny came back with a bottle of blue Gatorade and abrand-new toothbrush still in the package. “This will help put some color backin those cheeks.”

Amber took it from him and twisted off the cap. She took acouple swigs before letting out a sigh. “Thank you. Why do you have a randomtoothbrush lying around?”

“Sometimes I sleep here,” Tiny explained. “It’s better to havethese things in stock for when I, or any of the guys, spend the night.”

“Oh.” Amber took another sip of the Gatorade. “But I didn’t comehere for you to take care of me.”

“No, that’s my job,” I said the words before I could evenprocess what I was saying.

When they both looked at me, I shrugged.

“What? I said what I said.” I rested my arm on the back of thecouch behind Amber. “You know it’s true anyway.”

She huffed. “It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Willwon’t stop asking me for information and I... I’m here because I came home tosee my mom. She didn’t even want me to come over.”

“Why would she? Look what happened last time.” Tiny went to thedesk and picked his phone up off the top of it.

“What happened last time?” I asked Amber.

“Aaron offered me up to the guys after they went on a ride.” Shesaid it so casually, I almost didn’t believe her but the pain behind her eyesat the memory revealed all. Being with her late husband was an agonizing timefor her and I couldn’t imagine what she had been through. I made a vow rightthen and there that I would show her that I wasnotAaron.

I would show her that I could be better for her. That I could bewhat she deserved and she the same for me. Sure, I only went into this wantingsex, but things changed fast when I realized that Amber was exactly the sub Ihad spent many years looking for. If my brother could find his, I knew I couldfind mine. And I had.

“He actually did that?” I asked, taken aback by how she didn’teven flinch when those words left her mouth.

“Yup.” Amber pulled away from me and stood from the couch. Shewent up to a door and opened it before turning to Tiny. “Will you contact yourpeople for me please and let me know when you hear why Will won’t leave me thehell alone?” She slipped through the door and closed it behind her. Runningwater sounded a moment later, forcing Tiny’s head up from the phone in hishand. He glanced at the closed door before looking at me.

“You be good to her,” was all he said when the door opened.

Amber stepped back out into the office and threw the toothbrushinto the garbage can. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Tiny gave her a hug.

“You never answered my question,” she told him, her wordsmuffled by his shirt.

“I’ll do what I can, Red, but I really think that Will is theonly person who can help you with that.” Tiny pulled away from her andcontinued typing away on his phone.

“Sam,” Amber said softly. “Take me out of here.”

I jumped to my feet. She didn’t have to ask me twice.

“Leave the back way,” Tiny instructed, not looking our way. “Theguys are hungry. It’s been a while.”

Amber hugged her arms around her middle, cowering into herself.

Before she could lose herself completely, I went up to her andgrabbed her hand before leaning down to her ear. “You’re so fucking strong,pet,” I murmured, pressing my lips against her. “So damn strong. You need me?You got me. Always. You never have to ask for anything.”

She looked up at me then. So many emotions swam behind her eyesbut the one single emotion I craved the most at the moment, was lust.

I kissed her cheek before standing to my full height and peeringat Tiny who was still playing on that damn phone.

Slipping my hand from Amber’s, I went up to Tiny. He never evensaw me coming. Slapping the phone out of his hand, I grabbed the collar of hisshirt and slammed him up against the wall.

“What the fuck?” he yelled, trying to shove me away.

---