UNSHAKABLE (Able Series Book 4) (32 page)

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Tell Daddy,” I coo in her ears.

“Son, she can’t possibly tell you since she can’t speak yet.” My mom smartly retorts as if I don’t know that.

“I know her cries, Mom. What they mean. And now, she’s telling me she’s hungry. Can you hand me a bottle, babe?”

“It’s my turn to feed her, Damien.”

“But. . . .” I try reasoning with her.

“No! I’ve only held her once since this morning. Just once. She needs her Mommy time, too!” She adamantly says as she stomps her foot. She’s so adorable, just like my daughter.

I sigh loudly. “Okay, but don’t tell me I didn’t warn you. She wants me. Look, she stopped crying. She’s just whimpering because she’s waiting for her foodie.” I gaze down at my beautiful princess. “Right, sweetheart?”

Sophia stands and wiggles her fingers in front of me. “Give her up, Damien.”

Reluctantly, I do. She holds Abby close to her, sits next to me, and unbuttons her top to breastfeed our now very hungry, very impatient wailing child. Even when Sophia offers her nipple, Abby moves her head from side to side as she cries so loudly everyone is in danger of going deaf. I wait for a few more minutes, then I go in hot.

I gently scoop her out of Sophia’s arms. The moment she feels me, of course she stops and opens her eyes as she stares at me. Her pudgy cheeks are wet with tears accompanied by silent whimpers which hurt my heart so much—too much.

“Can someone hand me a bottle, please,” I say calmly, my eyes never leaving my daughter’s face. My lips form an O just like hers as I run the back of my index finger across her face.

Her innocent green eyes hang on mine as mine glimmer with unshed tears. I have a girl that I’ll treasure for the rest of my life, that one day I’ll have to learn to let go. My eyes leave hers to land on my
old/new
watch thinking to myself, until the day comes that I have to hand this off to her shield, I’ll be hers—until then.

Sophia stays seated in shock, which she shouldn’t be since Abby always stops crying when I hold her. My mom hands me a warm bottle with Sophia’s breast milk in it as I sit next to my wife. I can’t peel my eyes off my daughter even if I wanted to. She’s content in my arms sucking on her bottle as her little fingers grab a hold of my thumb.

“I love you, Abigail, so much—too much. Please don’t grow up too fast, too soon because I’m not prepared for that. Not ever.”

“Why do I feel like chopped liver?” Sophia mutters.

I chuckle softly. “Don’t take it personally. She just loves her daddy, what can I say?”

She sighs loudly then starts talking to her belly. “That’s okay. I’ll have my baby boy. He’ll be crazy about me, only wanting my arms to comfort him.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised, babe, because that’s exactly how I feel. He’ll only prove like father like son.”

“Oh my God! You just have to rub it in, huh! Our boy will be just like you, and our girl is crazy about you. Hmmm, I’m sensing a pattern here. I wonder if we get a cat or a dog, would they like you, too?”

I chuckle while burping Abby. “How do you know it’s a boy anyway?”

“Mother’s intuition. Ha! You don’t have that!”

“Regardless, we’ll all be crazy about you, babe. You wanna know why?”

“Please, enlighten me.”

I lean against her, my lips touching her ear. “Because I love you. Everything about me is you. You will be their center, just as you’re mine. So really it’s you and not me—it’s you that makes me be the best for them.”

I gaze into her watery eyes that are my life, which speaks volumes without uttering a single word. Those eyes can truly read my thoughts, what I feel. There’s nothing I can hide from her—absolutely nothing. It’s a connection I don’t want to lose. Sophia’s lips touch mine and I relish in them, what they do to mine, and how they make my heart feel full and complete. A contented sigh leaves her lips while an equally contented spasm rips through my heart.

Pomp
—I never thought how complicated it makes life. At least I didn’t until I met Sophia and witnessed how it affected her. How it nearly destroyed us. I definitely don’t want my kids—our kids to go through that. But this is what surrounds Sophia; it’s what’s attached to her name. Although I want to separate my kids from that, I know in a way I can’t. It’s our history—one that changed my life.

Circumstance
—I wouldn’t change it, not for a second. It has brought me great joy even through the most stressful situation. It pushed me to make the best decision I’ve ever made. One I’ll never, ever regret. So, the pomp that follows my wife is the circumstance that led me to her.

EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER

DAMIEN

AS I SIT HERE WATCHING
my daughter celebrate her eighteenth birthday, I can’t help but look back at how things unfolded for our family. How Sophia grew as a woman, a lover, and a mother. How my kids are thriving. She is my beta toning down the Alpha in me. However, my over protectiveness can’t be toned down when it comes to my family. While I’m not in the Secret Service anymore, the need to protect and serve hasn’t changed. The only difference now is my attention is solely on my family. My time is theirs alone, and no one else’s.

I’m listening to Cody complain about his daughter, Allyson, and a boy in her class. He's as upset as he looks while Jake and Brian are giving him advice on how to bury the body without a trace. I’m about to give my two cents when my eyes land on Abigail, and that’s when my blood immediately rises to my head. Abigail’s boyfriend, who’s still breathing, will probably lose his ability to do so if he doesn’t release his hold on my daughter’s ass.

What is wrong with boys now-a-days!

“Dad, are you seeing this?” Jude’s voice doesn’t peel my eyes off the train wreck happening before them.

“Oh, I’m seeing it alright!” I scoff at him still keeping my eyes on Cole’s hands.

“Oh shit! Dead man walking at two o’clock,” Jake mumbles.

“Definitely dead. Probably needs castration before hitting the ground,” Brian seconds.

“Oh hell to the capital N and O! The guy has some balls of steel, but a head of damn marshmallow to paw at my niece’s ass like that. Somebody’s about to meet the Big J! You want me to tenderize him for ya, LT?”

“No one is tenderizing nobody!” Roxy hisses.

“Wanna bet, love? I can skin him alive too; just say the word, LT. I’ll also throw in that idiot sniffing around Allyson.”

“Who’s getting skinned?” Trish asks.

“I don’t even wanna know!” Tami exclaims, taking a sip of her fruity drink.

“All I’m saying, my wonderful canines, is that violence isn’t the answer. Cole comes in peace!” Neil explains, his hands flailing in the wind.

“He comes in peace? What the hell? Is he an alien?” Jake asks with laughter clearly in his voice.

“Well, I suggest he better phone home, call ET and get on his damn bike before Damien gets his hands on him,” Cody mutters.

I’m not saying anything, waiting for the right moment to strike when my lovely wife comes out of nowhere and ruins my fun.

“Calm down, Damien! I mean it!”

I slowly turn to face Sophia who hasn’t changed a bit in the physical sense. She’s as beautiful today as the day I first met her. And my God, I still feel the strong current pass through every inch of me every single time she’s near me. However, looking at her now she means business.

“Noted!” I bark.

“You better not ruin her party.”

“That dimwit is ruining it all by himself. Look at him!” I point at them. “His hands are . . .”

Sophia interrupts me. “His hands are safely on her waist where they should be! They’re not on her ass or chest.”

“They were there a minute ago! Stupid ass is quick as a whip,” I mumble under my breath.

“You’re just imagining things like always,” Roxy points out.

“We all saw it!” My boys and I answer in unison.

“Of course, you all saw it! The first step to recovery is admitting there’s a problem. It’s part of the ten step program.” Neil’s sassiness comes out in full force.

“Ten step program of what?” Cody questions, his hands on his hips.

“The ten step program of daddies gone mad!” Neil all but shouts.

“Tami, you better talk to Giada because I don’t like how her boyfriend is pawing at her!” Brian scoffs.

Jake’s eyes scan the dance floor. “What the hell! Why is Jillian dancing like she’s having an epileptic attack? And why is Jaelin so close to that. . . . son-of-a- gun!”

Cody closes his eyes. “Love, Allyson better not be engaged in any kind of physical contact or else someone will have a come to Jesus moment.”

Trish whistles, momentarily stopping our tirade. “That’s it! You guys need to go inside the house or put on a damn blindfold. You guys are acting crazy!”

Sophia snickers, “What’s new? I wish our husbands were like wine, they age beautifully with time. But instead, they’re like lunatics. So you guys can have your fun, wooing us, dating, kissing then marrying us, but your daughters can’t. How fair is that?”

“Life’s not fair, babe. Those guys better get used to it.” I reason. “Jude, call your sister.”

Jude runs and whispers something in Abigail’s ear, and she spins around only to shake her head at me. She kisses Cole’s cheek which makes my head just about ready to explode. Abigail trots her very in trouble behind my way. My boys and I circle around her, our arms cross over our chest in a stance that means business.

“Abigail.” Surprisingly enough my voice is steady.

“Dad, seriously, I’m eighteen! You need to lighten up!” She scowls.

“Abigail Noelle Williams, I don’t care if you’re a hundred, you’ll still be my baby girl. Now, explain to me why that bozo’s hands are forever clamped around your waist and ass?”

“Ugh! Are you serious right now, Dad? It’s my birthday. We’re just dancing. You know that thing that people do when there’s music?”

“That’s unacceptable!” Jake chimes in.

“Definitely not on the approved list of hand placements,” Brian seconds. “Verify with Giada, she’ll tell you.”

“What did I tell you, Abby? When someone touches you inappropriately, kick him in the damn nuts!” Cody says.

Trish groans loudly, “This is absurd. Truly. I’ve never seen adult men act like this.”

Sophia calmly says, “Babe, may I have a word with you in the kitchen?”

“We’re not done here, young lady,” I point at Abigail turning to follow her mother.

Sophia is leaning against the kitchen island holding a cup. “At what point will you learn to let her go just a tad bit? She won’t learn if you continue to smother her. You know that, right?”

I shake my head out of sheer frustration. “It’s a mad world out there, babe! There are a lot of assholes waiting for her. I need to weed them out!”

She puts her cup down and saunters toward me. Her fingers anchor on my face caressing my skin. Her touch instantly calms me and a sense of quiet surrounds us like always. “Damien, how do you think we found each other? I found my prince charming in a world full of dumbasses and assholes. She has a good head on her shoulders. We’ve raised her well, so why are you afraid? You trust her, right?”

“I trust her. It’s the devil in those dumbasses that I’m protecting her from. If she meets a dumbass before her prince charming, I’ll be forced to kill him after shoving my gun up his ass. Then my Abigail will get hurt! What then?”

Sophia squeezes my cheeks tenderly. “Then, she’ll have the love of her father who’ll protect her and teach her how to pick herself up. She’ll have the prayers of her mother, and the understanding of her younger brother. But we need to let her make those choices and live through them. Be strong for her. Remember how you were for me?” I nod. “Well, then be strong, Lieutenant.” She shrugs her shoulders and giggles. “Not to mention, the craziness of her aunts and her gun-toting uncles.”

And just like that, my wife redirects my brain to not focus on the fear but on our love for our daughter.

“Excuse me, can I have a word with Damien?”

“Of course, Dad.” Sophia kisses me. “I’ll see you outside.”

I turn to face my father-in-law, the island separating us. “What’s up, Dad?”

“My new love is growing up way too quickly for my taste.” He plants his palms on the counter, eyes aimed at me. “She’s compassionate like Sophia but she has your determination, Damien. Combined, she has an unshakable disposition. But even with that, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t worry about her. I bet your apprehension is double that. I know how you feel and let me tell you, that tug in your heart will never diminish. It’ll only strengthen in time until she finds the one.”