Rescue Me (9 page)

The talk of Joel has instantly lit a spark under my ass and I feel so much stronger and more confident than I did when I first heard that douchebag’s voice on the phone. But one thing is for certain- I know, with this man and all of our friends by my side, I will fight this asshole with everything I have in me.

Sierra and Adam are full of jokes this morning as we drive her to school. Seeing how happy she is with him and how good he is to her makes me feel so lucky she has a man like him to look up to.

We both walk Sierra up to the door of her school and as she disappears down the hallway we head into the office. I briefly explain to the secretary, Mrs. Slayton, my situation with Joel and that absolutely no one is to pick her up except for the few people who are on her contact list. She reassures me that they promise to keep an eye out for any suspicious person.

We walk out of the school and come up to Adam’s truck, where he takes hold of both of my hands, brings them up to his lips, and places a tender kiss across my knuckles on both hands.

“You don’t have to worry about her. She is safe here, you know that, right?”

Deep down inside of me I know he is right, but the mother instinct in me just wants to run back in there and get my baby.

“I know you’re right, and I know Luke and Antonio have the best men out there looking for Joel. But...”

“No ‘buts’, Erin,” Adam cuts me off mid-sentence and brings his arms around my waist. “We will find him and when we do, we will make sure that he never contacts you again.”

I lay my head on his chest and close my eyes. A chill runs down my spine, because if Joel is the same man he used to be, they won’t find him until he is done getting what he came here for.

Chapter Eleven

Adam

“We have everyone looking for that worthless motherfucker,” I tell the guys as we are working. I hated leaving Erin this morning. She seems to be handling this so much better than I thought, even though she was scared to let Sierra go to school today. I reassured her that after talking to the secretary at the school and telling her about Joel and giving them a description of him, they would keep a closer eye on Sierra and she would be fine. She also agreed to work from home until we’re able to track Joel down and see what his intentions are. Looking down at my watch I see it’s almost noon, so we break for lunch.

“What the hell is
she
doing here?” Trevor shouts all of a sudden.

I look up, then roll my eyes at the sight of Tonya strutting up in high heels and jeans so tight they look like she painted them on.

“Oh, fucking great.”

Who the hell wears heels on a construction site? I don’t need to deal with her shit right now on top of everything else.

“Tonya, what are you doing here?” I snarl.

“Damn, Adam. What’s your problem? I came by to say hi. I’ve hardly seen or talked to you in over three months. Can we go somewhere and talk for a few minutes?” She leans in closer and places her hand on my dick.

“No. We can’t go and talk, and get your hands off me. Don’t you have any respect for yourself, woman?” I am fuming and annoyed as fuck at her. “I said what I had to say to you a few weeks ago. And I am sorry you can’t seem to understand that what we had is over,” I tell her, trying to put a little extra emphasis on the word ‘over’.

“You really want me to say what I have to say to you in front of everyone?” Her nostrils flare and she looks pissed.
Well good, get the fuck out of here
, I think to myself.

“Come on. I will give you two minutes and that is it.” Even though I want to escort her right back to her car and never have to see her face again, I just can’t seem to be a complete asshole to her. I take off my hard hat and run my hands through my hair with frustration.

“Now what do you want?” I ask her after we walk over to my truck. She places her hands on my chest and practically shoves her tits in my face.

“I miss you so bad, Adam. I know you miss me, too.”

God, I have never been mean to a female in my life, but I am about ready to lose it on this woman, I swear. I step away from her and begin to speak in as nice a voice as I can muster.

“Tonya, I have told you I am dating someone, and I am not going to tell you again. Begging does not become you, so for the last time- what we had is over. Now get the hell off my construction site.”

“I don’t believe this Adam! After everything we have done you’re just going to dump me? I can’t believe you don’t miss the way we used to fuck each other’s brains out. Come on, baby, I know you miss my mouth on you.”

“Stop right there.” I hold my hands up to indicate that I have had enough. “We fucked, Tonya. And yes, we fucked a lot, but that is all it was.”

“So that’s it? You just fuck me for months and now someone else comes along and you just throw me out?” she practically screams at me. “You don’t just get to do that, Adam.” She brings her hands up and shoves me back a little. WHAT IN THE FUCK? 

“Look, Tonya. We never had anything more than that and you know it. What the fuck else do you want me to say?” I seethe.

“I want you to say you love me like I love you,” she pleads.

“You have got to be kidding me right now! I don’t love you and I never have. And I have never given you the impression that I did.”
What the hell is wrong with this woman?
“Tonya, please. I don’t want to stand here and fight with you. Have a nice day and I know that someday you will find someone to care about you the way that I care about Erin.” 

“Erin? Your homely-looking secretary? That’s who it is?” She leans her head back and cackles like a damn hyena. “You have got to be kidding me! You’re going from me to someone like her? Oh, that is priceless, Adam,” she sneers.

Another thing I have never done is called a woman a bitch, but clearly this one standing in front of me is and she has the nerve to call Erin names. Oh, hell no!

“I am done being nice to you, Tonya. I never want to hear you talk about Erin again. As a matter of fact, I never want to see your face again. Now get the hell out of here!”

Her mouth hangs open and she turns around trying to stomp her feet in those dumbass high heels. I can’t help but laugh as she reaches down and pulls them off.

“Stupid bitch,” I murmur. And stupid me for even sleeping with the girl. Knowing Tonya, she won’t give up that easily, but she is the least of my worries. All thoughts of her disappear as I see Antonio driving up. I just pray he has some news on Joel’s whereabouts.

“Hey, man,” I call out as I stroll nearer to him.

“Hey,” Antonio says.

“Did you find that asshole?”

“Neil found where he was staying but the fucker is gone. He packed up his shit and there’s no trace of him, man. You know we will keep looking for him.”

“I know, but we have to find his ass. He didn’t come all the way here just to make a phone call and leave. He wants something from Erin and we have to put a stop to that piece of shit before he gets her alone.”  

“You know we won’t give up. I hate that motherfucker just as much as you do. Any man who puts his hands on a woman for any reason whatsoever deserves to have his ass beat. We will find him. You just take care of Erin and let us do our job. How is she holding up, anyway?” The sincerity in his voice about everything helps ease my mind a little.

“Better than I thought she would. I mean, she broke down big time yesterday and I know she is scared to death of him after everything he did to her, but either she is putting on a good act or she is a lot stronger than we think.” I pause and rub my hands down my face in frustration. “I am hoping it’s the latter, though. She is going to work from home this week and I am thinking about having everyone over for a barbeque and bonfire this weekend so she can be surrounded by everyone who cares about her.”

“That’s a great idea. I am really happy for you, dude. Never in a million years would I have guessed you would find someone.”

“Me either. It’s the best feeling in the world to know you have someone to come home to every night. You should try it sometime,” I hint.

“Not happening with me, man! You and my brother can have that shit. I am happy for the both of you, but the thought of just one woman for the rest of my life? No thanks.”

“Well trust me, when the right one comes along you will know it, and she will knock you out of your slutty ass ways. You will be begging her just to let you fuck her,” I joke.

“Yeah, whatever. Listen, I have to get back to the office and get some work done. If I hear anything you will be the first to know. Take it easy, bro.”

“Appreciate it, Antonio.” We shake hands and I laugh at the silly idiot as he gets into his sports car and fires it up, spitting dust and dirt all over the place. Grabbing my hard hat, I head back over to the job site eager to get this day done and get back to both of my girls.

It’s nice to own your own company and to trust your employees
, I think as I leave an hour early. Erin texted me a few times today to let me know everything was fine and that she got all my invoices done. She has no idea the plans I have for her tonight. I have had a raging hard-on all damn day thinking about having her naked body pressed up against me. God, I want her so damn bad. I am used to fucking the living shit out of a woman and not giving a rat’s ass about anyone’s feelings, but with her I want it all. I want to please her and watch her gorgeous face light up when she comes. I want to feel the goose pimples that erupt on her skin when I touch her, and I can sense that my shy, timid girl wants it just as badly as I do.

Music is blaring from inside the house when I pull into my garage and cut the truck’s engine. Trekking my way into the house, I come to a dead halt as I see Erin and Sierra playing some dance game. While Sierra is absolutely adorable trying to shake and keep up with her mother, Erin is downright sexy as hell as she shakes her delicious ass and shimmies all the way to the floor. My dick comes to life and I swear to God it screams at my brain to have her do that as she is lowering herself down onto me. This woman is going to be the death of my poor dick if he doesn’t get inside her soon.

Fuck! I adjust myself and tear my eyes away from her for a few minutes so he will calm the hell down before I go in there. Thank Christ he goes halfway soft before Sierra spins around and sees me.

“Adam, you’re here! Come play with Mommy and me!”

Erin turns around and gives me the biggest smile. I actually have to breathe in a lungful or air. She is simply awe-inspiring. One glance from this woman and her daughter has me wanting to spend every waking moment of my time with them.

************

“Tell me, how school was today?” I ask Sierra as I am getting her tucked into bed.

“It was the best day ever,” she says with a silly laugh.

“Oh, yeah? Why is that?”

“Well... Zack from my class asked me to be his girlfriend today.”

I lift my brow, trying to be serious with her.

“Your boyfriend, huh?”

“Yup. And I said yes, too.”

“Hmm. I see. Well, tell Zack he’d better be good to my girl, okay?”

Sierra snickers softly, and then my heart overflows when she speaks her next words.

“Adam? Can I call you daddy?”

Damn. Just like her mommy, this girl can take my breath away with how much I love her. The thought of her wanting to call me daddy has me jumping for joy on the inside.

“Do you want to call me daddy?”

She simply nods her head ‘yes’.

“I would love nothing more than for you to call me daddy. If it’s okay with you, can I call you my girl?”

She smiles so innocently at me with her little toothy smile.

“Yes, you can call me your girl, but I really like it when you call me your butterfly.”

“You do, huh?” I ask as I lower my head and place a soft kiss on her forehead.

“I do because I think butterflies are so pretty and that means I am pretty.”

“You’re absolutely right, Sierra. They are so pretty, just like you. Now get some sleep and I will see you in the morning, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy. Good night.”

“Good night, my little butterfly.”

Sierra turns over and closes her eyes and as I shut the door to her room I come face to face with Erin, who doesn’t say a word to me but instead wraps her arms around my neck.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on the two of you,” she says. “Sierra asked me earlier today about calling you daddy and I told her I thought it was something she needed to talk to you about.”

“I want nothing more than to be that little girl’s daddy. I hope it’s okay with you if she calls me that?”

“It’s more than okay. You have no idea how happy this makes me for her. She loves you so much.”

“I love her, too,” I whisper into her ear as I bring my arms around her and pull her flush against me. Her brows furrow and I know she has something else on her mind. “Is something wrong, Erin?”

“Umm, no. But I overheard the two of you talking because I wanted to come in and tell Sierra that I just got finished talking to her aunt Shelby. She is coming here for a visit.”

“Wait? What? Shelby the workaholic is coming here?”

I act surprised but frankly I am not. As close as those two are to each other I would have to guess that her sister is on her way here as we speak.

“Yes, she acts more like the big sister than the little sister. Once I told her about the phone call she insisted she was coming, and she is so stubborn that I just agreed. I hope you don’t mind?”

“Hell, no. Sweetheart, it eases my mind so much knowing she will be with you when I am not, so of course I don’t mind.”

“Oh, God. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve a man like you, but every day you do something that makes you simply irresistible.”

I feel a little bit like I might be turning red, but I quickly beat it down as I watch the changing expressions on Erin’s face go from thankful and compassionate to desire and what I hope is lust.

“Now isn’t this the time of day where mommies and daddies enjoy their alone time?” she questions.

“Oh, yeah, and daddy is about ready to enjoy mommy,” I say with alacrity as I lift her up and carry her down the hall to my bedroom.