Guarding Hearts (Living Again #3) (29 page)

The men parted from around her, and Ellis sighed with relief when he saw her leaned up against a tree, her foot wrapped in some gauze. He dropped to his knees in front of her, and her wide eyes met his. He gripped her hands, wishing he could say everything that he needed to say to her, but nothing would come out. He had never been more relieved in all of his life. Scanning her body quickly before meeting her eyes again, he saw that she wasn’t injured except for her foot.

“Ellis,” she breathed finally, a small smile playing on her lips. “I knew you would come.”

He pulled her into his arms and she wrapped her arms around him. He couldn’t help it, he started sobbing into her hair. As his body shook with emotion, he felt her tears against his neck as she buried herself into him. “I love you, Samantha. I never got a chance to tell you, and I thought I might never see you again. I love every single thing about you.”

“Ellis,” she cried into his neck. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry, for everything. I’ve been so scared. I can’t believe it was him this whole time. I love you, Ellis Warner. I have from the moment I laid eyes on you. You’re here. This is really over.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” he said, pulling back so he could look into her face. “
I’m
the one that should be sorry. I was a complete fool to leave you like that. I did what I always do. I ran away. But never again will I walk away from you, Sammi. This is my solemn promise to you.”

“You told me you loved me,” she said through her tears. He nodded. “Say it again.”

“I love you, Samantha.” She shook her head no, and he raised his eyebrow at her. “I love you, Sammi.” She pulled him to her, and despite the fact that they were surrounded by an entire team of SWAT men, he kissed her for all of the kisses he thought he’d never have again. When he pulled away, he saw the paramedics standing behind her, Brian and Carl next to them.

She started giggling, and he couldn’t help but laugh along with her. “I think she’s fine,” Ellis joked. “I checked her vitals.”

The men all laughed, but Ellis moved to the side, still holding on to her hand. “Sammi, this is Carl, the only dad I’ve ever known.” Carl stepped forward and shook her hand.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said. “My son was very worried about you. We all were.”

“He came from Florida to help with the investigation,” Ellis explained. Sam smiled at him, then at Carl.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “For loving Ellis, and for helping find me.”

“Sam,” Brian stepped forward. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

Sam shook her head. “There was no way for you to know. None of us knew. But, Brian, did you know that he-he,” her voice broke, and Ellis squeezed her hand.

“He killed Amelia. I know,” Brian said, a tear escaping down his cheek. “I’m so glad he didn’t hurt you. He didn’t, did he?”

She shook her head. “He wanted me to-to…”

“He didn’t touch you, did he?” Ellis growled. He would go back right now and finish what he started.

“No. He rubbed himself on me and he showed me his-his… but no, he never forced himself on me.”

Ellis blew out the breath he had been holding, waiting for her answer.

“Where are my parents?”

“They’re at the police station, along with Lacey. The team wouldn’t let them come. We’ll call them and tell them you’re okay as soon as the paramedics check you out.”

The men moved back to let them check her injured foot, but Ellis stayed right next to her the whole time. She gripped his hand and he used his thumb to trace the inside of her palm. Every few seconds she would look over at him, and a knowing smile would cross over both of their faces. As they finished and declared her foot didn’t need any stitches, just a bandage, Ellis leaned over and pressed his lips against her ear.

“I love you,” he whispered again. The funniest feeling came into his chest when he said that. It almost tickled. He liked it.

She turned her face so her nose was touching his. “I love you,” she whispered back. “I feel like I’m dreaming.”

“Can we get her out of here?” Ellis asked. The team didn’t need her for anything at that time, though she would have to give her testimony
again
at the station. They were sealing off the house to finish their investigation and she was free to go.

She slid into the backseat of the SUV and moved as close to him as possible, even though they were the only two in the car besides the driver. Carl and Brian had ridden with one of the other guys to give them some privacy. He put his arm over her shoulders and pulled her into him. She rested her head on his shoulder. Ellis kissed the top of her head, grabbing her hand and entwining their fingers together.

“I can’t be close enough to you,” she whispered, tilting her head back to look at him. “I missed you so much.”

Ellis rubbed his nose against hers, breathing in the smell of her. Feeling the warmth of her body next to his made him feel intoxicated. He rested his forehead against hers. “Sammi.”

“Tell me again,” she whispered against his lips.

“I love you,” he repeated, knowing what she meant. Those three words had always been so hard for him to say, but he found no trouble in them right now. “And I love the song you sang. The new one.”

“You heard it?”

“I was there, Sammi. I was in the audience. Your dad let me in backstage after the show. I was going to tell you everything then, but you were gone.”

“You were there?” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “You heard the song? You came back for me?”

He cupped her face, looking into those gorgeous brown eyes. “I was miserable. Devin and Andrew finally forced me to come to you. I knew I had pushed you away long enough. I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for what I did to you, to us. I’m sorry.”

“If you had been back there five minutes earlier,” she cried, tears dripping onto his hand.

“I know,” he said, wiping the tears as they came. “I know, baby.”

“I had no idea what he was going to do to me,” she admitted. “I had to play along with him, because he was so unhinged. How can someone I’ve known for my entire life have fooled me so badly?”

“He’s sick, Sammi. That’s the only explanation. But it’s over now. He’ll never bother you again.”

“How do I trust anyone though, Ellis? I’m in the position in my life where people want to use me, to get to me. How do I even know who anyone is anymore?”

Ellis wondered if she included him in that. Before he could wonder for long, she kissed his lips softly. “The only thing I know for sure is that you mean everything in the world to me. You took my heart the moment I met you, before I even knew what an amazing guy you really are. I know that I only know what I’ve heard in the news about your past, but it doesn’t matter, Ellis. There are things we both need to talk about, but I’m not worried about what happened to you ten years ago or ten minutes ago. I only want you, right now. Please, don’t ever shut me out again.”

He couldn’t stop himself one more moment. He pushed her against the door and devoured her lips, pushing his tongue into her mouth to meet hers. She whimpered, and he moaned into her mouth. He momentarily thought about the guy driving the SUV, but he couldn’t care less. He kissed her for so long he felt dizzy. His hands ached to touch her everywhere he could, but he knew he had to draw the line in a vehicle driven by a guy he didn’t know.

He broke away, hugging her tightly to his body as they both regulated their breathing. He couldn’t wait to be alone with her. Tonight.

Ellis opened the door to the precinct, Sam tucked to his side. He hated that she had to go through another interview, where she had to spell out what another freak had done to her. This time, it was worse because it was her lifelong friend. He couldn’t imagine how she must be feeling, but you couldn’t tell. She was so strong and held herself with such grace. He wasn’t sure he could be that strong.

“Samantha!” Her parents rushed from the waiting seats and wrapped their arms around them.

“Oh my god,” Ella crooned, crying into her daughter’s hair. “I was so scared. Are you okay?”

Sam nodded. “I’m okay, Mom.”

Samuel ran his hand over her hair, her face. “I can’t believe it was him all along,” he said, tears filling his eyes. “If something would’ve…”

“Dad,” she said, smiling. “I really am okay. You guys saved my life.”

“Brian figured it out,” they told her. “And Ellis wouldn’t give up, no matter when we had no leads or not.”

She looked over her shoulder at Ellis, and their eyes connected. Just like every other time, he felt the current that belonged just to them run through his body. He smiled at her, then turned as he heard another cry come from the hallway.

“Sam!” Lacey cried, throwing herself into her arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ve been freaking out for so long, I swear I wanted to kill him myself.” The friends clutched onto one another. Ellis watched them, a strange feeling overcoming him. He wanted a friend like that. Devin had always been there for him, but he had never let him in enough to be that kind of friend. For the first time in his life, he craved it.

“Ms. Kerrigan? Is it okay if we get the interview done?” The detective smiled at the reunion happening in the lobby. She nodded and turned to Ellis.

“Do you want me in there?” he asked.

She shook her head no. “I’m okay,” she answered. “You don’t need to hear it.” She stepped forward, then stopped. Turning back to him, she put her hand on his arm. “Don’t leave.”

He deserved that. She didn’t trust him. The last time she had been in there, he had walked away and refused to talk to her for weeks. “I’m not going anywhere ever again, Sammi. I’ll be right here.”

She smiled, then hugged her parents and Lacey. Following the detective down the hall, he watched her until she disappeared into the room again.

“Can I talk to you?” Lacey said. He looked at her, then her parents, who were smiling.

“Of course,” Ellis answered, knowing he didn’t really have a choice. Whatever she wanted to say, he knew that he needed to hear it. And if he was going to be part of Sam’s life, he had to know that her best friend supported it. “Want a terrible coffee?” She smiled and nodded.

He turned back to her parents. “If she comes out, just tell her we’re in the other room. Don’t let her think I left.”

Samuel and Ella both nodded, and he followed Lacey to the small room that housed a few coffee makers, a vending machine full of snacks, and a soda machine.

They made their coffees in silence, both of them lost in thought. He settled across from her at the small table in the room and waited for her to begin.

“Ellis, I want you to know something,” Lacey said. “The few weeks you refused to even respond to Sam were the worst few weeks of her life. She felt responsible for what happened to you, and you just left her to deal with it all alone. What kind of man does that?”

Guilt assaulted him at her words. He knew he had been a coward. “Lacey,” he started. “I have no excuse. I deserve everything you want to dish out and then some. It isn’t anything I haven’t already beaten myself up for, believe me. I was a coward, it’s as simple as that. I couldn’t deal with the feelings I had for her, and I figured she would be better off if I just left.”

“Don’t you see? She wasn’t better off without you. You destroyed her. See how she just told you not to leave before she went in there? You did that to her.”

Ellis knew that every word she was saying was the truth, but it didn’t stop the pain from overtaking him. “Lacey, I’m so sorry. I’m so glad that she had you during that time. There’s a lot that’s happened to me in my life, and I know that’s not an excuse, but it’s why I reacted the way I did. I never really had any idea what being in love meant. I know that sounds like a cop out, but it’s true. I know now that what I did was the worst thing I could’ve done. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to her, if she’ll let me.”

Lacey smiled, and he almost sighed with relief. “I believe you, Ellis. If I didn’t see how completely in love Sam was, I might’ve given you a harder time than I did.”

“Harder?” Ellis joked. “Wow, I’m glad I didn’t have to see that. You’ve had me sweating bullets the last five minutes.”

She laughed. “I just wanted to make sure you saw how special Sam is, and that you learned from what happened. I’m sorry for all of the things that happened to you, but one thing you can be sure of about Sam is that she is the most dedicated, honest person you’ll ever meet. She’s always in your corner, and will do anything for anyone.”

He nodded. “I love her, Lacey.”

“I know you do,” she said, covering his hands with hers. “I knew right from the beginning that you were going to be something special to her.”

“Why?”

“Sam and I talk a lot, even with both of our crazy schedules,” she started. “When her dad decided to hire you, he had gotten a picture of you from your boss and showed it to her. She got it off his phone and sent it to me, and we spend a long time talking about you.”

Ellis threw his head back and laughed at the irony. They had both done the same thing. Him with looking her up online and watching videos of her, and her with the picture Andrew had sent Brian. “Are you serious?”