She’s a British citizen. She’s mine,” her mother fumes.
“I’ll keep her away from you any way I can. I’ll find a way so you won’t see her again.” I don’t know how long I have until Emma’s visa expires. I’ll have to get it renewed.
“Tell her I’m cutting her off. You want her. You take care of her ,” her mother screams, and the line cuts off.
I drop the phone on the bed and tug Emma closer.
“What did you do?” she whimpers. She’s trembling all over and won’t look up at me.
“I took an oath to serve and protect. Yesterday you told me how you felt ab out policemen. Today I’m showin’ you what the job is all about.” I take hold of her chin and nudge her face up.
“By doing more harm than good? By upsetting her more?”
“You can’t go through that every day, Emma. Let her cut you off. I’ll help you.”
She yanks loose and staggers back, as if I’ve actually hit her. She has that same look on her face she had last night next to the road. She looks terrified and I instinctively take a step closer.
“Cut me off? She said that?” she gasps.
“You’ll be fine,” I reassure her. “You have me.”
“I don’t know you!” She grabs fistfuls of her hair, looking as if she’s in physical pain. “I’m … nothing. I can’t. How will I? What have you done? Do you know what it takes to calm her down? I’ll have to go back.” Her face distorts and she looks sick. “I’ll have to go back to her. Oh God, you don’t know what you’ve done.”
I grab hold of her sho ulders and pull her in. “Emma, listen to me.” Her eyes snap up to mine and I pin them. “You’re not going back. How long is your visa valid for?” I have to get her thinking. She’s been consumed for too long.
“Six months. For six months,” she whispers.
He r breaths are coming way too fast. This poor girl is really scared out of her mind. I wrap my arms around her, and press her face to my chest.
“You ’ve paid the apartment for six months. You have six months before you have to go back. You’re not going back,” I spell it out for her.
“You don’t understand, Aiden.” She shakes her head. “If she cuts me off I have nothing. How will I get around? What will I –”
I take a breath , I’m so not trained for this. “You said you wanted to experience new things,” I’m grasping at damn straws again. “Experience them here. Experience what it’s like to accept help from someone. Experience what good ole’ Southern hospitality is all about. Just stay and experience what it is you came to experience. Not everyone in the world is out to get you, some of us are just nice.” I lift her face up to mine and watch her, waiting and praying she’ll hear me. I’ve never wanted to help someone this bad in my life before.
~*~
Chapter Seven
Emma~
I focus on getting my heart rate under control. My chest is aching, and if I can just breathe right the pain will go away. I still can’t believe what he just did. My mother must be having a royal fit. She saw Aiden in just his slacks. She saw his bloody tattoo! OMG!
I look at his ruffled hair, then drop my eyes to his chest, and I take in all the ink. I try to look at him the way my mother would, but I can’t. I’m not anything like her. I see his strength, and his words “you have me” run through my mind again.
He ’s really bodged things up for me back home, and I don’t know if anything he told me yesterday is true, because he’s undercover.
“How old are you?” I finally focus on one question.
H e tilts his head and he looks surprised. I’ve certainly gone and pulled the rug from under his feet. Well, he pulled my world from under mine.
“Twenty-s even,” he answers carefully.
“You’re five years older than me?” What’s another shock to add to my already disastrous day? He just looked so much younger. I thought he was twenty-four, maybe twenty-five.
I pull away from him, putt ing a few steps between us.
“I’ll keep her away from you any way I can. I’ll find a way so you won’t see her again.” I don’t know how long I have until Emma’s visa expires. I’ll have to get it renewed.
“Tell her I’m cutting her off. You want her. You take care of her ,” her mother screams, and the line cuts off.
I drop the phone on the bed and tug Emma closer.
“What did you do?” she whimpers. She’s trembling all over and won’t look up at me.
“I took an oath to serve and protect. Yesterday you told me how you felt ab out policemen. Today I’m showin’ you what the job is all about.” I take hold of her chin and nudge her face up.
“By doing more harm than good? By upsetting her more?”
“You can’t go through that every day, Emma. Let her cut you off. I’ll help you.”
She yanks loose and staggers back, as if I’ve actually hit her. She has that same look on her face she had last night next to the road. She looks terrified and I instinctively take a step closer.
“Cut me off? She said that?” she gasps.
“You’ll be fine,” I reassure her. “You have me.”
“I don’t know you!” She grabs fistfuls of her hair, looking as if she’s in physical pain. “I’m … nothing. I can’t. How will I? What have you done? Do you know what it takes to calm her down? I’ll have to go back.” Her face distorts and she looks sick. “I’ll have to go back to her. Oh God, you don’t know what you’ve done.”
I grab hold of her sho ulders and pull her in. “Emma, listen to me.” Her eyes snap up to mine and I pin them. “You’re not going back. How long is your visa valid for?” I have to get her thinking. She’s been consumed for too long.
“Six months. For six months,” she whispers.
He r breaths are coming way too fast. This poor girl is really scared out of her mind. I wrap my arms around her, and press her face to my chest.
“You ’ve paid the apartment for six months. You have six months before you have to go back. You’re not going back,” I spell it out for her.
“You don’t understand, Aiden.” She shakes her head. “If she cuts me off I have nothing. How will I get around? What will I –”
I take a breath , I’m so not trained for this. “You said you wanted to experience new things,” I’m grasping at damn straws again. “Experience them here. Experience what it’s like to accept help from someone. Experience what good ole’ Southern hospitality is all about. Just stay and experience what it is you came to experience. Not everyone in the world is out to get you, some of us are just nice.” I lift her face up to mine and watch her, waiting and praying she’ll hear me. I’ve never wanted to help someone this bad in my life before.
~*~
Chapter Seven
Emma~
I focus on getting my heart rate under control. My chest is aching, and if I can just breathe right the pain will go away. I still can’t believe what he just did. My mother must be having a royal fit. She saw Aiden in just his slacks. She saw his bloody tattoo! OMG!
I look at his ruffled hair, then drop my eyes to his chest, and I take in all the ink. I try to look at him the way my mother would, but I can’t. I’m not anything like her. I see his strength, and his words “you have me” run through my mind again.
He ’s really bodged things up for me back home, and I don’t know if anything he told me yesterday is true, because he’s undercover.
“How old are you?” I finally focus on one question.
H e tilts his head and he looks surprised. I’ve certainly gone and pulled the rug from under his feet. Well, he pulled my world from under mine.
“Twenty-s even,” he answers carefully.
“You’re five years older than me?” What’s another shock to add to my already disastrous day? He just looked so much younger. I thought he was twenty-four, maybe twenty-five.
I pull away from him, putt ing a few steps between us.
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