Page 53 of Encircled in Darkness
“Who is it?”
His grin grew and he looked at me when he simply responded. “Preston Pierce.”
I stood from my chair and looked at them like they were crazy. “Bullshit! There’s no way her father is Preston Pierce. The daughter he was looking for belonged to Everly Jenkins and Amaya’s mother’s name is Valerie Cordera. There has to be a mistake.”
“Is it possible her mother used aliases? It might explain why we haven’t been able to locate her.”
Looking up, I acknowledged the possibility. “It’s possible. Fuck, I don’t want to talk to her about this. Not after her sister just died and all that shit yesterday.”
“If the test is right, you’ll be giving her the biggest gift of her life. A family that’s been looking for her and enough love to lessen the pain. This is a good thing, James.” He gripped my shoulder and saw the hesitation in my eyes. Looking over his shoulder, he advised, “Give us a minute.”
Skid and Freddie nodded and walked out the front door of the office. “Giving her a piece of herself doesn’t mean she’s going to love you any less. If anything, she’ll love you more. Why are you worried?”
“I don’t want to get her hopes up and then be disappointed. Losing her sister has dimmed her light, and I couldn’t stand for her to be hurt again. As it is, I’m going to kill her mother when I find her. Her selfishness caused all of their pain and she doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as Amaya.”
“Amaya is the toughest woman I have ever met. What she did to them...” he shook his head and the fire danced in his eyes. “She’s strong enough to handle whatever you present to her as long as you’re by her side, holding her up when she needs you to and encouraging her to fly when she’s ready.”
He patted me on the back, and I glanced at the phone still in my hand. Amaya was leaned back on the chair, a blanket covering her legs. She looked peaceful and I hoped after I talked to her, she still was.
“I’ll be in touch later today. Mention to Elise that I want the two of them to meet. I think they have more in common than we realized, and Amaya needs a friend who can understand what she’s going through.”
We walked to the door to find Skid and Freddie waiting in the entrance. Skid was reenacting the grip and slash to Victor earlier, and we all chuckled when Freddie grabbed his crotch in pain. He looked at me with wide eyes and I felt one cheek raise in a smile. Wagging my eyebrows, I remarked as the elevator door opened and I entered the small space.
“And she’s all mine.”
Devlin broke into a cackle as the doors closed behind us and he looked at me. “I’m happy you found her. I meant it when I said you’re perfect for each other.”
“For once, luck was on my side.” I departed on the fourth floor and waved my watch over the sensor to unlock the door.
Walking in, I found the furry orange cock blocker stretched out on the carpet. Shaking my head, I stepped over him. “I didn’t mean to get in your way, your highness.”
Meowwwww.
“Asshole.” I chuckled and started a cup of coffee brewing.
Opening the sliding glass door, Amaya turned her head over her shoulder and smiled when I walked out on the patio. Kissing her on the cheek, I looked at her empty cup and asked. “Would you like another cup?”
“Yes, please.” Her smile was slight, and I could see she had been crying. I refused to ask if she was okay because I knew she wasn’t.
I left her on the patio and placed her cup under the machine as I rolled her another joint. I wanted her open-minded and if it made her sleepy; she needed the rest. I didn’t know how to take care of another person, having been on my own since I was seven, but I followed her cues and tried to foresee what she would want or need. I knew I would mess things up from time to time, but what I had to tell her, I needed to get right.
Carrying the two cups to the patio, Nova followed me, somehow sensing she would need him. Setting the cups on the table, I lifted her from the chair, and she let out a squeak as I sat down, placing her on my lap and covering her naked legs. Nova crawled up on the couch beside us and curled into a furry ball. I stared at her beautiful face and felt the rage burning deep inside at the wounds they had inflicted.
Her brown eyes were surrounded with blue and purple bruises dotting the skin on her cheek and forehead. I kissed them softly, wanting to take the pain away from her. She turned on my lap and brought the blanket around her as she straddled my legs. Her understanding eyes met mine and she leaned over, kissing me softly as she held my cheeks in her soft hands.
Smiling, she took the joint from the table, lit it and inhaled deeply before handing it to me. We passed it back and forth, her eyes locked with mine, no words spoken between us. I tried to keep my libido under control, but having her naked pussy pressed against my crotch was making it difficult to think.
She tossed the roach into the ashtray and took a sip of coffee before she spoke. “Whatever it is, I can handle it.”
“How did you know I needed to talk to you about something?”
She ran her thumb between my eyebrows, and I felt the tension seep from me. “You get these little wrinkles between your eyes when you’re worried or upset.”
Taking her hand, I kissed her wrist and linked her fingers with mine. She licked her lips and squirmed on my lap. Gripping her hips, I stopped her movements over my growing length. I would give her everything she needed, but only after I had told her what we discovered.
“I need to ask you a few questions, if you’re up to it.”
“Is this about yesterday?” her eyes filled with tears and I pulled her into my chest.
