“Kasper doesn’t scare me,” Jami says, her hands curling into fisted balls. “He makes me angry if anything. If I could kill him and get away with it, I would.”
“I know, Jami, but he’s still dangerous regardless. I don’t want you around him more than necessary, okay?”
Jami smiles at me then, that teasing smile, and taps her lip with her index finger. “I can’t decide whether I’m annoyed that you’re bossing me around or flattered that I have such a great protector by my side.”
“Woman, I will protect you until the day I take my last breath.” I get up and cross around the table to kiss her, and she kisses me back with a kind of desperation that drives me wild. Her tongue teases my lips as she reaches a hand out to place it on the growing bulge under my jeans. She rises from her chair, slipping her tongue between my lips, and in one quick motion, I lift her off the chair and carry her toward the bedroom.
Jami’s legs are around my waist, squeezing tight as I pull her shirt over her head and throw it to the side, reaching one hand behind her to unclasp the bra she’s wearing. She moans as I take a nipple between my teeth, feeling it harden under my tongue. She throws her head back, thrusting her hips into mine, and we barely make it to the bedroom before I pin her to the mattress and kiss her hard until she’s squirming beneath me, her body hot against my own.
“Oh, God,” she moans. I flip her skirt up over her hips and reach into the nightstand for a condom, and Jami reaches up to undo the button on my pants. I slip the condom on, pull her panties off and toss them to the side, and then settle into her, filling her completely, and Jami gasps, tangling her fingers in my hair.
“Don’t stop,” she whispers, bringing my face down to hers. “Don’t ever stop.”
17
JAMI
I wake the next morning in Ely’s bed, both exhausted and sore, yet absolutely floating on cloud nine. Ely is already gone when I open my eyes, but there’s a handwritten note on the mattress next to me with his nearly illegible scribble.
I couldn’t wake you from such a beautiful slumber.
The coffee is on. I’ll see you tonight.
Love,
Ely
Grinning,I hop out of bed and get dressed, then head to the kitchen, where a fresh pot of coffee is brewing, along with a chocolate chip muffin waiting for me on a plate. I’m running late already, something I’ve never done in my life, but I try not to let the stress of my schedule weigh on me as I pour a travel cup of joe and take a bite out of the muffin, gathering up my bag and jacket to face the day.
I go straight to the shelter to pick up Tara and Maddy, who are already packed and ready to go, and then drive them to the new apartment I found through a good friend. The landlord meets us there with the keys, introduces herself, then leaves us to it.
“Welcome to your new home.” I step into the doorway of the quaint two-bedroom apartment and hand Tara the keys to the front door. Maddy, still holding that old bear, walks ahead of us, and the smile on her face is genuine, just as a child’s smile should be.
“Can I pick my room?” she asks and then wanders down the hallway to explore her new space.
“I know it’s not much,” I say. “It’s small and modest, but it’s safe. And clean.”
Tara turns to me then, the keys still dangling from her fingers, and I’m shocked to see tears streaming from her face. Without a word, she wraps me in a hug, and her body quivers with silent sobs.
“I didn’t think it was that bad,” I tease gently, and Tara shakes her head, releasing me.
“It’s perfect. Thank you, Jami, for everything. If I hadn’t met you the first night at the hospital, I probably wouldn’t have reached out the second time. I was feeling so lost, honestly. I didn’t think anybody could actually help us. So thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You made the decision to get out, and I’m glad you did. You and Maddy deserve far better than living with Kasper, okay? You both deserve to be safe.”
Tara’s smile grows; a smile that reaches her eyes for the first time I’ve known her. In the other room, Maddy is happily chatting it up, making voices for the stuffed animals, and my heart swells. As I turn to leave to allow them to settle into their new home, Tara grabs my arm to stop me, and when I turn back around, her smile has been replaced with that all-too-familiar terror that I hoped she’d never experience again.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, and Tara glances over her shoulder to make sure Maddy isn’t around before she turns back to me and lowers her voice.
“Have you heard what the outcome will be for my husband?” she asks. “Will he be going to jail? Or be fired?”
“I don’t know quite yet,” I tell her. “I’m going to see Ely after this to see if he’s heard anything. You’ll be one of the first to know, okay?”
“Sure.” Tara nods but doesn’t look convinced anything will happen. To be honest, I don’t think anything will, either, but I’m not about to tell her that.
“Just hang in there, and enjoy your new place,” I tell her. “Don’t let Kasper dampen this for you.” I turn to go, but Tara stops me again, and this time the expression on her face is intense like she’s unsure she should even say what she’s about to say.
“My husband is a bad man,” she says, so quiet that only I can hear her. “But he’s also a bad cop. A dirty one.”
