Emery's Story

Ch. 1

"Dammit! I thought moving out would be our salvation. That our dads would back off a little." Amber yells, throwing herself on the couch.
"What are you talking about?" I ask, coming into the living room, just getting home from work.
"We've been summoned." She replies, ominously.
"Why? What did we do?" I question, thinking over the last few days.
"Last night. They found out about last night, Emmy." Her defeated voice is kind of funny, but I snap out of it.
"How did they find out?"
"Your stupid brothers."
"I'm going to kill them. What do you think they'll say?" I ask, thinking out loud.
"That we need to be more responsible, living on our own is a privilege, yada, yada, yada." She responds, knowingly.
"This blows. Why would Harris and Jackson say anything? I bet they got in trouble, too." I smirk.
"You're joking, right? Even if they're your little brothers, they act like your big brothers. They're just as overprotective of you as your dad is."
I groan, please God let this be as painless as possible. "I'm calling my mom and making sure she's there for this 'meeting'. She'll have our backs when our dads start ranting."
"Good idea. Call her, right now. We have to be at your parents' house in an hour."
    I take my cell phone out of my purse and walk to my room. We have a large condo that my dad owns. It has four bedrooms with three bathrooms and is in a really good neighborhood, we love it. But he's going to threaten to take it away, all because of last night. Last night Amber and I decided to celebrate our freedom and go to a club that just opened. Harris and Jackson, my twin brothers, who are twenty-one like Amber, came with us for protection. That means any guy who dared talk to us, got shoved away and told to fuck off. So, we decided to ditch my brothers and go to a club down the street. Bad idea. When we were about to leave, the guys we were talking to started to get grabby. They followed us out of the club and started pulling us to their car. I admit we got lucky Harris and Jackson heard us and came to our rescue.
I start undressing thinking about work. I work for my father, at his company. I'm an analyst, I work on finding companies in financial crisis. The dress code is strict, so as soon as I get home I put on my yoga pants and tank top. I look at my figure. I hate it. I'm smaller than my mother, which is saying a lot. I'm thin, my arms are like twigs and my legs match. I can't gain weight, I've tried my whole life. If I do gain any weight it goes right to my boobs, which don't need to get any bigger. I did get my mother's chest, hair and face, but that's all. I'm two inches shorter than her making me five foot even and rail thin.
Picking up my phone from my bed I call my mom.
"Hey! Baby girl, I miss you!" She yells.
"Well, you'll be seeing me in forty minutes, we've been summoned." I states, unhappily.
"Oh, what happened?" She asks, interested.
"Amber and I got busted going out and when we ditched the boys they had to save us from these guys that were trying to force us into their car." I explain, not taking a breath.
"Emery Elizabeth Kahn! What are you doing with men like that in the first place?"
"We obviously didn't know they were like that, mom."
"You're lucky your brothers were there. Your father is going to go ballistic."
"He all ready has! I need you there to calm him down. You know how he and Uncle J.J. get when they're together."
She scoffs. "You know I'll back you up, but if I hear of you going out alone again, I won't hesitate to let your father have his way."
"Thank you, thank you. I love you!!" I reply, thankfully.
"You better. I'll see you when you get here."
"Okay, bye."
"Bye." She replies, as I hang up the phone. Yes! This means we get to stay in the condo. I know we'll have some sort of punishment though, which I'm not looking forward to.
I leave my room fifteen minutes later and find Amber on the couch texting. "She'll back us up, but we can't ditch the boys ever again."
"I love your mom!"
"Yeah, I know. Let's get going. The sooner the punishment starts, the sooner it will be over."
"What do you think it will be?" She whispers, as we leave the condo.
"Amber, you don't have to whisper, they can't hear you here."
"Ladies."
I scream when I hear a voice behind us. I turn and my dad laughs. I hit his arm as hard as I can. I don't know why I bothered, because now my hand hurts. I glare at him. "We were just leaving, we're not late." I point out, defensively.
"I know that, Emmy. However, I knew you'd call your mom."
"Dad, come on." I beg. "It won't happen again."
"You can bet your ass it won't happen again. Meet your new roommate." He states, angrily and stepping aside. Behind him I see a guy taller than my dad with big arms and wide shoulders. His hair is short but long enough to be messy, he has light green eyes. His face is very angular, he has high cheekbones, a square jaw and thick lips. He looks older, harder than anyone I've ever met. He's definitely something to look at, but not right now.
I narrow my eyes. "You're making us have a bodyguard!" I shout outraged.
"Not exactly. He knows your uncle and he needs a place to stay. He has agreed to look after you and Amber when you go out and having him in the condo will help me sleep at night."
"How is that not a bodyguard, dad?" I inquire, clenching my teeth. "Im pretty sure thats the definition."
Uncle J.J. steps closer. "Amber, unlock the door and we'll discuss this inside."
I wait for her to unlock the door, the whole time I'm absolutely seething with anger. I thought we'd get a lecture and have to stay home for a month. Not have a babysitter! This is just like my dad. I've never gone anywhere or done anything that he didn't know about. When we all make our way inside I stand by the opening of the living room waiting as they all sit down. Even the giant.
"Emmy, Amber, this is Nixon Ross, your new roommate. Nixon, this is my daughter, Emery, and my niece, Amber."
Amber jumps up and offers her hand to him, he shakes it, her cheeks are red when she walks back to her seat. I roll my eyes. I don't care who he is, he's not welcome here.
"Emmy, don't be rude." Dad scolds.
"Welcome." I address him with fake sweetness.
His grin is lopsided with one dimple showing and I glare. What an asshole, stupid dimpled grin.
"This is not all you're going to get for the stunt you pulled." Uncle J.J. starts and I throw my hands up in frustration. What else could we possibly have to do?
"Both of you are going to be training with Nixon and another agent at the bureau gym."
"Training?" I ask, confused.
"Yes, self-defense, weight training and cardio." Uncle J.J. replies.
"Okay, I agree that we need to get a little muscle." I hear the new guy scoff once. I turn to him. "Fuck off, Giant. Isn't there a beanstalk you should be on top of?" Uncle J.J. laughs loudly.
"Emery! Watch your mouth." Dad orders, holding back a smile. As my mom likes to say, I inherited my fathers mouth, I tend to snap at everyone without thinking twice about it.
"As, I was saying, I agree we need to know how to defend ourselves but we don't need a baby sitter, he's not staying."
"If he doesn't stay, you don't stay." Dad states, with finality.
I give up, I don't want to lose the condo. "I'm twenty-three years old, dad, you have to let go eventually." I stress.
"Says who? You're my responsibility. At least until you get married."
"Of course, because a man has to protect his property. What is my dowry up to by the way? Two goats and a sheep?" I ask, sarcastically.
I hear Uncle J.J. laugh and Amber follows. "Emmy, you know you're priceless. I hope you never get married, I'd really like to keep my goats and that sheep." He mocks, smiling.
"You're hilarious, dad, really this is ridiculous. How long is this supposed to be for?" I whine.
"As long as he it needs to be. I need you safe."
"Fine." I bite off bitterly.
"Fine?" Dad questions, suspiciously.
"Yep. Fine." I say, smirking.
"What are you going to do?" He ask, knowingly.
"What do you mean? I'm agreeing with you, the big guy should come out with us. It would be better than when we go out with the boys. They never let me talk to anyone and I'd really would like to lose my virginity by the time I'm twenty-four." I state, smugly.
"Emery Elizabeth!" He shouts, angrily.
"Dad, I want to get a boyfriend. Is that so bad?" I ask, not really being truthful. Just wanting to make him uncomfortable. To make my dad squirm all I have to do is mention sex or guys, never fails.
"Your brothers will be going out with you, too. You have horrible judgment in men, Emery. If you want a boyfriend, I'll find you one."
My mouth drops open. "I'm calling mom." I reply, horrified that my dad thinks he can choose my boyfriend.
"Go ahead." He shrugs.
"Stay out of my personal life! I get to pick who I date." I tell him.
"Emery, calm down." I turn to see my mother walk in the room.
"Maddox, you should be ashamed of yourself. She needs to live her own life, no more making decisions for her. Emery, you'll accept your new roommate with open arms and an open mind. He's not going to interfere with your life. He'll be around to help you. It will be better than your brothers, I'm sure. Now, it's time for us to leave. Maddox and J.J., if you try to pull a stunt like this again, you'll both regret it." She warns, looking at them both.
"Yes, kitten." Dad answers, standing up.