Blake
The first thing that reaches me when I come home is the sound of laughter. I leave my jacket on the hanger then walk further inside, only to be greeted by the sight of Lia, Tank and Michelle chatting happily, and laughing.
With an adoring smile, I watch my girl as she enjoys herself.
"Blake!" Lia notices me first, grinning adorably. I go towards her, wordlessly plucking her from the armchair and sitting in her place, setting her on my lap with a kiss to the side of her head.
"Hey kitten. - I give her a peck - Hi guys."
"No real greeting? – Tank mocks with a raised brow – Whipped." His comment earns him a slap on the arm from Michelle.
"And I'm not ashamed of it." I smirk, kissing my girl again.
"How did it go?" Lia questions, putting her arm around me to trail her fingers over the nape of my neck.
"Gunner said he'll assign someone to watch you for a while. Maybe that way we'll find out who it is." I tell her, rubbing her waist slowly. I'd never hide anything from my girl.
"Hmm... Okay then. – she shrugs, leaning against me – Did you meet the guys?"
"Yeah, they arrived while I was talking to Gunner. They already know what's going on."
"Killer agreed to watch you, along with Ink and Brute. I hear he's working here, so he'll be nearby." Tank states, glancing at his phone.
"Yeah, Brute works in Vegas's club downtown as security. We found out about that at the opening party." I confirm with a nod.
"You went to a club? – Michelle gasps, staring at Lia in disbelief – Oh God! I'd never expect that!" She giggles, making Tank gaze at her with pure adoration. And he calls me whipped.
Lia just shrugs casually, seeing nothing strange about it. She opened up a lot after we came back. She doesn't close off from people as much as she used to, she talks freely with those who approach her, of course in a friendly manner. If someone's rude to her, she's rude to them. She also got close to the guys from the team.
The guys.
"Where are the guys? Did they leave you alone?!" I scowl angrily when I think about her being alone.
"No, no. They stayed for a while... - Lia pauses for a moment – I told them about my fighting." I hide my surprise. I did not expect to hear this.
"Really? How did they take it?"
"Pretty well. David was slightly apprehensive at first, but Simon and James seemed excited to see me fight."
"They kept calling her a badass and asking for a chance to see her in action, like two hyperactive children." Tank chuckles.
"Well she is a badass. Do you know another girl like her?" Michelle adds with a smug grin.
"No, I don't." Tank smiles, looking at Lia. "There's no one like my little sister."
"Thanks, brother." Lia winks at him.
I only gaze at my kitten lovingly, but then another thing crosses my mind. "Who's Amelia? The note was addressed to Amelia." I question with a frown, but Lia only bursts out laughing, hiding her face in my chest.
"Amelia is me. It's my birth name. – she says once she calms down a little – I never used it cause my 'parents' always called me Lia. I almost forgot what my full name was." She explains shortly and I nod in understanding.
"How come I didn't know that?"
"It just never came up, I guess. I mean, legally my name is Lia Clarke. Amelia Devereux is only used on my birth certificate and in the files of my case." I nod slowly in realization. So, the only way to know Lia's old name would be to get her birth certificate or those files. If that's the case, then whoever is sending her those notes, has one of those two things or knew how to get them. And the fucker who hurt my kitten as a child has her files from the police station so he knows her name!
"I can tell what you're thinking. – Lia cups my cheek to look me in the eye – I'm worried about that too, but I don't think it's him." She frowns in thought, putting her head on my shoulder.
"Why not?" Michelle implores curiously, clearly not understanding my girl's point.
"That fucker hurt her really bad when she was just a child, so why would he send her roses? And apologize for scaring her when clearly he's not one to worry about hurting others. Not to mention announcing his arrival so openly. It doesn't add up." I explain shortly, getting back to rubbing Lia's waist as she snuggles into me.
"Oh... I get it now. If it was the man who's after you, then he would be more discreet." Michelle seems to understand what I'm saying.
"And this is why I've asked the guys from Tank and Gunner's clubs for help. We need to know who the hell is watching my girl."
Michelle doesn't say anything else, seemingly satisfied with my explanation. She cuddles up to Tank, yawning tiredly.
"I think it's time for us to leave. My Treasure's getting tired."
"Are you staying somewhere or going straight to San Francisco?" I ask.
"We have a room booked in a hotel. I figured we'd stay here for a while." Tank chuckles in amusement.
"Alright then."
Tank and Michelle leave few minutes later, but not before squeezing my girl tightly. Once they're gone, Lia and I go to bed, both of us exhausted after the long day.
"What is it, kitten?" I see my girl sitting curled up by the headboard after I'm done with my shower.
"I don't want to see him." She quietly says, hugging her knees.
"And you won't. Not if I can stop it." I sternly tell her, sitting in front of her, rubbing her knee.
"I'm sorry. I'm whining like a damn kid." She murmurs, not even glancing at me.
"Kitten! – I admonish – Don't say that! Everyone has their weak moments, but it doesn't mean anything. You're human, like everyone else. I was actually waiting for you to finally break; you've been bottling everything up since you met that Razor guy." Without further ado, I get next to her on the bed and pull her into my arms, pressing a loving kiss to her head. "Go to sleep, kitten. You need rest."
We lie under the covers facing each other, just staring into each other's eyes. "I don't want to lose you." Lia quietly says, her voice breaking as tears roll down her face.
"You won't." I croak, just as emotional. "I know where this fear comes from, I feel it too, but I will never let anyone or anything come between us. You're mine, kitten, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, until death do us part." I swear.
"That death part is what scares me. – Lia cries out – I almost lost you, more than once. I feel like I've been pushing my luck all this time and eventually something really bad will happen and I won't be lucky enough to-." She doesn't finish, crying into my neck as I engulf her in my arms.
"Shh, kitten. I'm right here. And I will be here for as long as you want me to. Even if you don't want me anymore, I'll still be here. Because I love you and I'll always love you." I press a firm kiss to her head, sealing my promise.
Lia leans away from me a little, giving me a teary smile. "And I love you. Now and always." She hides her face back in the crook of my neck, kissing it lightly before sighing deeply. "I have a really bad feeling, Blake. Something's about to happen."
"I know. That's why I'm taking so many precautions. I want to be prepared for whatever comes our way. – I tighten my arms around my girl, pulling her even closer – Now go to sleep, my baby. I'll be right here for you." I murmur quietly into her ear, listening to her slow breathing.
Lia is really taking it hard. She's affected by this thing more than she admits. It's been a while since I saw her so distressed and broken. Not since the whole thing with her parents. Even the thing that happened during summer didn't hurt her so badly. Maybe it's because the threat that's coming our way is none other than the person who hurt her as a child. The source of all the pain she went through.
"My kitten." I whisper into her ear before finally letting the sleep consume me. It's been a hard day for both of us.