24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

ISABEL

“Long time no see.” I felt an arm slide around my shoulders and smiled when I glanced over, leaning into the hug.

“Hey, Kurt.”

“Hey. Dang, this food looks great. I’m starving.” My cousin set down a heaping plate of food across from where I was sitting and dropped into his seat, looking around the table. “‘Sup, man?” He fist bumped Tucker. “Man, I can’t believe y’all are graduating today. Congrats.” He looked between us, and I smiled.

“Thanks. I can’t believe it’s already been two years since we were at yours.”

“And four since that bastard’s.” He nodded at his older brother where he was seated with his wife Julia a few seats down.

Gabe just raised an eyebrow. “Do you have to curse?”

“Yes.” Kurt lowered his fork full of food to nod with each word. “Yes, I fucking do.”

I pressed my lips together to try to hide my smirk, watching Julia do the same while Tucker grinned. Gabe somehow missed the humor and rolled his eyes .

“Ignore him, Izzy.”

“I’m okay.” I popped my shoulder in a shrug.

“See?” Kurt sent him a triumphant grin. “She’s not little anymore. I’m sure Tucker and Jet curse around her all the time. Hell, Annie probably even more.”

Tucker barked a short laugh and pointed his fork. “Even Izzy knows how to lay down a good curse word when it’s needed.” He squeezed my thigh proudly.

“Why are we talking about this?” Julia looked at me, and I just smiled as I shook my head.

“I don’t know. How’s married life? Y’all are past the one year mark now.”

“I know. It’s been good. We’ve had to learn to adjust to some things, but I’m loving every minute of our journey.” She smiled, hearts in her chocolate eyes as she looked at Gabe, but then she swatted his leg like she remembered something and looked back at me. “Speaking of, I haven’t seen your ring.”

“Oh.” I held out my hand, letting the ring sparkle in the sunlight, and Julia grabbed my fingers to admire it.

“Oh, my gosh. It’s just stunning, Izzy. Good job, Tucker.” She sent him a wink as he shoveled another bite of food in his mouth.

Kurt just frowned. “Uh…did I miss something?”

“Looks like we’ll be making another trip east, little bro.” Gabe grinned at Kurt’s expression. “Tucker and Izzy are tying the knot next summer.”

His mouth dropped. “Now, that’s surprising. Wait. How am I the last to know?”

Julia sent Gabe a look. “Didn’t you tell your dad that you would tell Kurt? ”

“I am telling him. Now.” He grinned, and Kurt’s face fell into a wry expression as he looked at Tucker and me.

“Be glad that y’all are the oldest in your families. Shit.” His eyes bugged as he cursed. “Hey, not to bring up a sore subject, but this isn’t because of another situation like before, is it?”

“No.” Tucker gave a sharp shake of his head. “We’re definitely waiting on that. College first, and Izzy has dance.”

“ If I do okay on my audition.” I shot him a look, nerves flaring in my middle. It was one week from today. One week I had left to prepare with my dream on the line.

Tucker gently squeezed my leg again, those whiskey eyes of his staring into mine. “You’re going to do great. Stop doubting yourself.”

I nodded, pulling my hair behind my ears. The others were watching us when I looked back around the table, and I was suddenly feeling exposed.

“Have you considered having your uncle walk you down the aisle, Izzy?” Julia said, saving me from awkward silence with a table of boys. “It was hard for me to decide. My stepdad’s just as much of a dad as my real dad, and I know your situation is different, but if you’re still up in the air about that when the time comes, I’m sure Blake would be happy to.”

“Absolutely,” Uncle Blake said as he and Aunt Rosa approached. “If you want me, just ask.” He smiled, and I offered one back, not sure what to say. It was the first moment that I’d taken in the fact that Daddy wouldn’t be here to do it.

“Blake.” Mom suddenly appeared. “Can I talk to you?”

“Sure. I’ll be right there.” He leaned in as she headed towards the house. “Sometimes, I feel like she should have been the cop. That look she can give would scare some of the nastiest criminals into confessing.”

“Blake!”

“Shit. Coming!” He pressed a kiss to Aunt Rosa’s cheek and hurried off.

She shook her head, smiling. “Good gracious, mija, you look gorgeous. You and your sister look more and more like your mom each time I see you. I’m so proud of y’all. And you, too, Tucker. Congrats to both of you, by the way.”

“Thanks, Rosa.”

“Nope. It’s Aunt Rosa, now. I won’t accept anything else.” She slid an arm behind Tucker’s shoulders, and he stood to hug her back. “Lord, when did you get so tall?” She laughed. “Have you seen your sister, Izzy? Or Jet? I haven’t gotten to see them yet.”

“They had something to work out. They should be out here soon.”

“Ah, well, I’ll let y’all get back to your meal. Tucker, Izzy, I know my boys and new daughter are awesome, but don’t forget that y’all have other family visiting, too, okay?” She grinned with her teasing and left for the table where the grandparents sat.

Tucker stiffened beside me and scooted close, his arm draping around my shoulders, and I was about to glance up and ask when I saw his uncle Drew step into the backyard.

My stomach dropped. “Do you think they’re here?”

Tucker was like a statue at my side, his eyes scanning every section of the yard. “If they are, they’re still inside.”

“This is a bad time to tell you I need to pee, then,” I whispered, and Tucker smirked .

“Come on.”

We were weaving through the crowd on the patio when Chuck motioned for Tucker and I to come over.

“Can it wait, Dad? I was heading inside with Izzy.”

“It won’t take long. I have some news. Izzy, where’d your mom go? Drew!”

Tucker’s uncle turned around, and a smile split his face when he saw us. He was the complete opposite of Chuck in coloring. Dark hair, blue eyes, but the brothers had a similar strong bone structure and height, except Chuck was a little taller.

Drew came up to stand by his brother and clapped Tucker on the back. “Congrats. To both of you. In more ways than one, I hear.” He glanced down at my hand.

“Thanks, Uncle Drew. I’m glad you made it.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. You made it to both of my boys’ when they graduated. Family shows up for family. Feels like you’ve disappeared some this past year, though.”

I could feel the way Tucker hardened beside me as Chuck gave his brother a look. “You know what kind of year–”

Drew waved him off. “I know. You’re right. My boys have been off at school, anyway. Giant mess that’s turned out to be.” He frowned.

“Are they here?” Tucker asked, cutting in.

“What? Oh, no. Not yet. Micah had to take care of something before they came. Anyway, that kind of brings me to my offer. I’d say let me wait for your mom, but you’re eighteen now, so that’s just an extra step.”

“An extra step for what?” I asked as his focus turned to me .

“Well, you know I’m a lawyer, and Chuck told me about this hearing you have coming up concerning a restraining order. That the boy you’re filing it against has lawyers for parents? And since you’re about to be family now, I’d like to offer to represent you. Free of charge. What do you say?”

I blinked, not sure I’d heard him right. “Um.” I looked up at Tucker, his expression telling me it was my decision. He’d support me either way. I just wasn’t sure. Tucker was so often against using his family connections, but he raised his brow, asking what I wanted to do. My teeth pressed into my bottom lip, worrying, not wanting my decision to cause tension, but when Tucker squeezed my elbow, reassuring me that it was my choice, I nodded.

“I’d really appreciate that. Thank you.” I smiled at his uncle, relieved not to be facing Zane and his cruel father alone.

“Perfect. Yes.” He and Chuck beamed. “Like a welcome to the family thing. Even had to help my dad bury some skeletons about Tucker over this guy you’ve filed against last December. So, it’s probably a good thing I’m there in case anything gets dragged up.”

My stomach suddenly felt sick. “Excuse me. Bathroom.”

I slipped past Tucker, hearing Chuck call him to stay back, and hurried inside to duck into the bathroom downstairs. Pacing for a moment, I forced a few deep breaths to calm myself down. How did I not know that Tucker’s grandpa and uncle had to step in last December? Or was it something I’d been told and just forgotten in the haze of that time?

Not that it mattered now. Tucker was fine. I just didn’t want this hearing to provoke any retaliation from Zane. God, I wish I knew how Mom and Uncle Blake knew his dad. If it would have any effect on the outcome.

You’re overreacting. It’s fine. That restraining order is going to go through against Zane, and you’re going to live the rest of your life in peace away from him. He’s even getting help.

Nodding, convincing myself, I finally peed and quickly washed up to head back out to the party.

“Just a sec. I’ll be out after I piss.”

I came face-to-face with Ryder when I opened the bathroom door.

My entire body froze. So did his. Then his lips came up in a twisted smirk, and he leaned against the doorjamb, his large body blocking me inside the small room.

Air. There wasn’t air.

“Look who it is. Little miss fuck my cousin up in the head. Guess I’d ask how you do it, but we all know you’ve got him addicted to that snatch of yours. Can’t say I blame him.” His eyes raked over me, lingering as they dragged slowly down every curve of my body. I wanted to curl into myself. Hide. But there was nowhere.

“I thought you wanted to make amends?” I set my jaw, one of the few parts of my body I could move as I glared.

“Ah, gorgeous, that was before you played favorites. You think Micah’s that much better than me?” He leaned in, and my body took an involuntary step back. “That we all should bow to the fucking snatch queen and who she deems worthy?” He stuck an arm out, and my back hit the wall as he pinned me in.

And like a shot, my vision faded, spinning back through the fleeting, haunting images. Sound and smells from the nights he’d assaulted me fresh around me, like I was there, reliving them instead of trapped in a bathroom, just seconds away from whatever he’d planned next.

“The fuck is taking you so long?”

The door smacked the rest of the way open, and I sucked in a breath, the present sweeping over me like a wave. My legs gave out, and I sank to the floor as Ryder was torn away.

“What the actual fuck?” Micah hissed, throwing his brother back against the door, pinning him up by the grip on his shirt as he closed us in. “You swore you weren’t going to do this shit anymore. After all the shit Dad just did to save your ass, our asses over what you did, you couldn’t even make it five minutes here without pulling something. On her especially. If there was ever a girl for you to leave alone, it’s her . Izzy. Annie. Off limits. You selfish asshat.”

“Everything okay in there?” I heard Nic through the door.

“You okay, Izzy?” Micah said over his shoulder. I just nodded. “Izzy?”

“Izzy?” Nic sounded alarmed now.

“Izzy, you gotta talk to us.”

“I’m fine.” But the words sounded far from it.

“Fuck. I’m getting him out of here, Izzy. Hang on.” He yanked Ryder forward to open the door. “Say a single damn word, and I will tell Dad and Uncle Chuck and every person here all the shit you’ve done,” Micah growled at his brother. Ryder just sneered back, but he kept his mouth shut. “I mean it.” He shoved his brother out and looked at Nic. “Check on her.”

Nic was kneeling beside me in a heartbeat, and I leaned my head against his chest from my place on the floor .

“Izzy, are you okay?” He patted my back like he wasn’t sure it was safe.

“I will be. Can you find Tucker? Or Annie?”

“Of course.” He helped me lean against the wall and rushed out, but Tucker must have already been on the way because he was there what felt like just seconds later.

“I’m gonna kill him.”

“It was Ryder. Not Micah.” I tried to clarify as Tucker scooped me up. The room spun as I laid my head on his chest.

“Like I said, I’m gonna kill him.”

“No.”

“Izzy.” I could feel his growl through his chest just before I felt the slight jostle of Tucker climbing the stairs.

“Just let me lie down a minute before we fight.”

He at least granted me that, laying me down on his bed a few minutes later when we made it down the upstairs hall. I pulled an arm up to rest over my eyes, trying to get my body to regulate. It had been so long since I’d had an attack that extreme. I’d thought my PTSD had been improving. Turns out, I had the wrong trigger.

When I lowered my arm, Tucker was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Every muscle in his body tense. “Tell me what he did.”

“Nothing.”

Those whiskey eyes flashed.

“Nothing,” I insisted. “Nothing physical, at least. Not like in the past. He just cornered me, and I went into a PTSD attack.”

Tucker cursed. “And he wanted me to forgive him.”

“Yeah, apparently he’s pissed because I got you to forgive Micah and not him. ”

“And he wonders why?!”

“I don’t know, Tucker! I’m just telling you what happened.”

“I swear, Izzy. If you don’t go to the cops this time…”

“And file another restraining order?” I half-laughed. “Bet your uncle would love to represent me on that one.”

“I’m not laughing.”

“Neither am I. I stand by what I said. I will not mess up your family. But I will make a bargain with you.”

“You promised the last time he pulled something you’d come forward if he did it again.”

I pressed my hands to my face. “Just listen .”

“What?” Tucker grated, apparently as fed up with me as I was getting with him.

I huffed, frustrated, then shifted into a sitting position with my legs crossed on his bed. “Something went down with your cousins. Micah mentioned it when he was telling Ryder off. He’s done something, Tucker. Something that your uncle had to fix to save him and Micah. So, while I’m not willing to run to our parents and screw everything up, I am willing to go to your uncle, who’s already well aware of the shit his son pulls.”

Tucker closed his eyes, clearly warring with himself before he walked over and ran his hand through my hair, tucking a lock behind my ear. “Izzy. He’s helping Ryder get out of the shit he does if this is true. You really think my uncle will take your side over his son’s?”

Realization washed over me, and I dropped my head. I just didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to ruin his family. “What if you resent me one day for breaking your family apart? ”

“What? Tell me that’s not why you’ve been holding back on this because I swear to you that won’t happen. Izzy, look at me.” He tilted my chin up with his fingers, and I nearly burst into tears at the love and ferocity I saw looking back at me. “You are my family. You’re going to be my wife, and I will gladly send my cousin’s ass to jail and wave while doing it if it means you’re safe.”

Tears poured down my cheeks then, and I scrambled into his arms. Tucker stepped back at the surprise but quickly adjusted, his hands gripping below my thighs as I wrapped my legs around his waist. I pressed my mouth to his. Overwhelmed. Loved. Relieved.

My hands reached between us to undo his belt buckle, and Tucker paused.

“Stay with me, whiskey,” I said against his lips before giving the lower one a swift bite. Tucker growled, and I sucked it into my mouth, running my tongue over it to ease the sting, my hands still working on his belt. The buckle finally freed, and I flicked open the button and dragged down his zipper, immediately reaching my hand inside to grab his cock. We both groaned.

“Izzy, are you sure?”

With a growl, I used my free hand to grip his hair, pulling his head back to look into his eyes. Showing him the answer in mine. I wanted him. Every piece of me wanted him. It wasn’t about distractions or triggers or anything else but the fierce way that I loved every piece of this man and how he loved me. That he was willing to do whatever I needed to make me feel safe.

He was my protector.

My rock.

My soul mate .

My everything .

He must have seen what I needed him to because he tossed me to the bed with a growl, his hand going to stroke his rigid, perfect cock as he opened his nightstand for protection. He shoved his jeans down and rolled it on, pulling his shirt up over his back in one swift movement that had him displayed gloriously naked in front of me. Tucker walked on his knees to meet me at the center of the bed as I pulled away my dress, but as soon as I tossed it to the floor, I pushed him onto his back and straddled his hips.

His brow shot up, but the excitement in his eyes was hard to miss. He loved having me this way. He openly gave me control when I craved it, letting me demand what I needed from him. And right now, I just wanted to ride him senseless.

Lowering myself onto his cock, I leaned back with my hands on his knees and adjusted to my feet, giving Tucker full view and access to my body.

“Holy, fuck, princess. Yes.” His hands gripped my legs, his eyes fixed on my core. Slowly, I began to move, testing the new position I’d wanted to try, and as soon as I was used to the movement, I sped up, my hips rolling to a faster rhythm. Tucker bit through a curse, his grip moving to my ankles to give me purchase on the bed.

“Izzy– I–” His words cut off the faster I moved, and I began tightening my core each time I lifted from his cock, loving the expressions on his face. Every moan he couldn’t hold back. Wanting to see what all I could drag out of him.

“Fuck.” With one last groan Tucker grabbed my hips and flipped me. “One more minute with you riding me like that, and I was gonna come.”

I smirked, knowing I’d found his kryptonite position, and then he dragged my hips into his lap, pulling me into mine.

“Not gonna work when I haven’t seen you shatter around my cock yet.” He smirked back as he began to thrust, and it was my turn to bite my lip and hold back a curse. The way his cock hit in this position, stroking every perfect angle all at once. I wasn’t even sure half a minute had passed before I felt my orgasm building, but when Tucker reached between my thighs and brushed my clit, I was done. My back arching off the bed as I cried out through my release.

He just kept going, dragging another two from me before flipping me over so my ass was in the air. I quickly turned around, moving to my knees, and he gave me a playful, challenging look at my defiance. With a smirk, I pushed against his shoulders to let him know I wanted him back on the bed. It was my turn at control again, and I quickly climbed over him the way I’d been before. Except this time I didn’t need any lead up. I knew how to move, and I knew how to bring him close.

I tightened my core around his cock with the first roll of my hips, taking no mercy. The control I had over my body was like a dance as I rode him, and as he let out a string of curses, he slipped his thumb between my thighs one more time, sending me into an unexpected release right before his own .

When we were both done, he reached out, and I gave him my hand to pull me up, my body collapsing over his chest.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“With everything,” he murmured back, making my heart melt all over again. The exact way he’d told me the very first time. The same room. Same bed. But two very different people now after a whirlwind of a journey together. One that was long from over.

Our breaths were rapid as our hearts beat wildly in our chests, and I listened to his beneath my ear, every piece of me thankful and knowing I was blessed that it beat for me. That it kept this man alive and in my life.

After catching our breath, we got dressed quickly, knowing we’d be missed outside if we were gone too long, but Tucker wrapped his arms around me before I could walk out his door, lifting me into the air, and he spoke in my ear from behind me.

“You know we didn’t solve our problem yet, right?”

I sucked in a breath. I’d honestly forgotten, so caught up in how I felt, but I’d already decided what I was going to do…