Missing (The Brannock Siblings Book 3), page 21
"Damn it, you're hand. Evan, go get some ice, please." Gus sat her down on the couch and gently cradled her hand. "That was quite a punch, baby. I'll have to give you some lessons so you won't get hurt next time."
His attempt to bring humor into the situation was futile. Aiden was numb.
Evan handed Gus a kitchen towel filled with ice and twisted into a makeshift icepack. He covered her hand and wrist and had her hold it steady.
"We'll get this fixed as soon as he's gone, okay?"
She nodded.
When everyone was settled, he signaled for Brandon to continue.
"I followed Aiden because Lily left Aidy with her so much. If there was any chance of seeing her, it would have been with her."
"So you thought showing up drunk and acting like an asshole would win you that chance?"
"No! No," he cried. "It was a bad day. I'd lost my job two days before and tried to forget everything by drinking. It didn't work."
"And the park?" Aiden asked anxiously, remembering when the bad vibes had started.
"What park?"
Gus' face fell. "That wasn't you."
"I don't know what park you are talking about. I started following Aiden the day before I came up to her apartment and yesterday. All she did was walk across the damn street to another apartment building then go out with some guy later that night. Aidy wasn't with her."
Gus looked over at me, his eyes filled with dread. Brandon didn't know anything and it was exactly as he suspected.
They spent the next thirty minutes questioning Brandon and asking him if there was anyone recently who may have been suspicious or asking about Lily and Aidy in any way. He had been so drunk over the last few days, he could hardly remember. The only thing he did remember was getting pushed into the door frame at Aiden's apartment by Gus. He had the bruises to prove it.
Before that, he had been home alone, missing work for several days in a row before finally getting fired. He hadn't really talked to anyone.
It wasn't much longer before Evan led Brandon out of the apartment.
"I'm sorry, Aiden. Please, tell Lily I had nothing to do with this."
"You can tell her yourself when she is coherent again," she replied angrily.
Five minutes later, Gus answered another knock at the door. He greeted his brother, Conall, with a long hug and several slaps on the back. The slightly taller and more serious version of Gus walked into the living room while Emily and Gus exchanged a loving hug.
He didn't pause when he saw her and sat on the couch beside her with an arm wrapped around her shoulder. It surprised her, but she was too numb to think twice about it.
"I'm sorry we are officially meeting under these circumstances, Aiden."
She sniffed and kept her head down.
"I want you to know that we are all here for you. Emily will help with Lily and we won't stop until we find Aidy."
"Thank you," she whispered and felt him squeeze his arm around her and kiss the crown of her head.
Emily walked in with Gus and rushed over. "Oh my God, what happened to your hand?"
"She punched an asshole," Gus chuckled.
"I don't see any bruising on your face, Gus," Conall smirked.
"It wasn't me."
"Then what other asshole was here?"
Gus rolled his eyes, but the grin on his face was the first flicker of hope Aiden had felt all day. Reinforcements had arrived. They would get through this.
"Take me to Lily. Let's make a game plan." Emily held out her hand to help Aiden up and side by side they walked down the hall to Lily's bedroom while Aiden kept the ice steady on her hand. Emily immediately sat down on the bed next to her sleeping sister and swept her hair aside so she could she her face. She was still fast asleep, but Emily spoke to her in a whisper. "We're sisters now, Lily. Sisters protect each other. Right, Aid?"
Aiden met her determined stare and nodded. The numbness she had welcomed so quickly started to fade more and more.
"Ash and Luke will be here soon," Emily informed her as she continued to run her fingers through Lily's hair. "Once she does, we'll work together to make this right. Lily can't lose what hope she has left. We'll get the rest back for her."
With that, Aiden broke down. Tears flowing out rapidly and her entire body sagging. Emily rushed to her side and helped her to the bed. "Shh, I know it's impossible-"
"That's not it, Emily. I just realized that our lives…" she motioned to Lily. "Our lives were missing something and we finally found it."
"What is that?"
Aiden sniffed and looked up. Gus was hovering in the doorway looking anxious as he stared at her with those beautiful blue and grey eyes. Love shining through the shadows of worry. Her heart swelled. "You."
***
The water in the bathtub was no longer steaming, but Aiden couldn't make herself get out. Gus had brought her back home, leaving Emily to help Lily when she woke. He told her that she needed to clear her head before she dealt with her sister.
"Lily will need your strength," he'd said.
It was the middle of the night and Luke, Ash, and Liam were driving in from the airport. They hadn't been able to catch a direct flight soon enough and ended up in a layover in Chicago. Gus was getting things ready for them at his apartment. She had drawn a bath in an attempt to relax and hadn't moved for over half an hour.
Her hand throbbed, but she ignored the burning ache and stared at the wall in front of her.
Strength.
What strength had Gus been talking about?
She couldn't get those first moments of pure terror out of her head. Wracking her brain to try to conjure up some image of the cars leaving when she pulled up to the building was hopeless.
Nothing.
She finally released the angry sobs that had been building since she first went to Gus. Her control hadn't wavered much since then, but the bath, the loneliness, and the failure that consumed her was enough to tip it over the edge.
"Oh, Aidy. I'm so sorry, baby girl."
She didn't hear the sound of her front door opening or Gus' voice calling out for her. She didn't even realize he was in the bathroom until he dropped to his knees beside the tub and pulled her into his body, holding her as the violent sobs left her.
His shirt was soaked instantly, but he didn't let her go. She cried into his shoulder for what seemed like forever, the incessant throbbing in her hand reminding her that she wasn't strong enough to fight this.
"Aiden, please. You're killing me," Gus murmured in her ear.
His strong arms unknowingly holding her entire being together and his warm breath fluttering across her skin was the comfort she needed, but it didn't chase the guilt away.
"This is all my fault," she cried. "If I had just left when I needed to instead of taking time to search for my stupid phone, none of this would have happened. I was so worried about not having it in case you or Lily called to check in."
"No, Aiden. Stop. This isn't your fault. It isn't anyone's fault but the bastard who took her. It's his fault. You love Aidy and you never once put her in harm's way."
"But-"
"No."
"I just-"
"No! Enough!" His outburst made her flinch which made him hold her tighter. "You reassured me now it's my turn to reassure you."
He held her for a moment longer before reaching into the water and releasing the drain plug. He stood to grab her towel from the shelf and helped her stand, wrapping the fluffy material around her naked body before lifting her into his arms.
The tears had stopped - for now.
Making their way to her bedroom with her cradled in his arms, she decided to let him take care of her. She needed him to wipe away all the fear overriding her and show her that she could still go on. That she could be strong for her family. For Aidy.
He sat on the bed with her in his lap and started to dry her off as best as he could. His shirt was cold from the water, but his warmth seeped through and she snuggled into his chest anyway. "Let's get your hand wrapped up. I don't think it's broken, but you strained it pretty bad."
She nodded against his chest and breathed him in.
"Ash and Luke are sleeping in my bed. She was pretty exhausted after the trip. Dad is staying on my couch and Con and Emily are going to stay with Lily all night. We'll get some rest then switch up in the morning."
"Thank you for asking them to come," she whispered
"I didn't really have to ask. They didn't hesitate."
"They love you."
"They love us," he clarified and pressed his lips to her temple. "They might not know you yet, but they know I love you. That means they love you. They love Lily and Aidy, too."
"I think I love them all, too."
She felt him smile against her hair and her tummy wobbled. For so long, she feared being with him would make her lose what she had spent her entire life trying to hold onto. Instead, she'd gained more than she could have ever asked for. Another family to love and a gaping hole filled in so completely.
The hole that had been ripped open when Aidy was taken was agonizing, but she still had hope. This guy hadn't hurt any of the children he had taken before and from what she heard when Gus filled his brother's in on the case, there was a chance he might just return her. If it was as personal as Gus was thinking it was… well, she didn't want to think about that.
"They can't wait to meet you officially. Ash almost burst in here, but Luke held her back."
"That's probably for the best. I'm a mess anyway."
He pulled away so he could look into her eyes. "You're not a mess. You're beautiful."
They stared at each other for a tender moment, just breathing together. He cupped her face in his warm hands and traced his thumbs under her eyes and across her lips.
"Take me," she pleaded.
"Baby, your hand-"
"Please. I need you to make me feel good, even if it's for only a moment."
He watched her, as if waiting for her to change her mind, but she lifted her chin and didn't back down. Then he kissed her. Tender at first, as if he thought she would break, but she took control and turned the kiss into something deeper, something erotic. Something she desperately needed right now.
Without another word, he pulled the towel away from her body and sat her on the bed. She nervously pulled her lip between her teeth, wondering if he was just going to leave so he couldn't be talked into it.
His hand reached forward and tugged her lip from the harsh punishment she was giving it.
"If anyone is going to bite that lip, it's going to be me," he rasped.
She watched as he slowly stripped out of his clothes. His badge and gun weren't on him, but she knew they were probably close by.
"When everything is back to normal, I want you to be wearing your badge when you fuck me," she said, her eyes zeroed in on the hardened flesh that was all for her. She was already aching for him to fill her, to touch her.
He lifted her chin with a gentle finger and bent for a slow, dreamy kiss. "I'll never fuck you, Aiden. It will always be loving you, whether it's hard and passionate or soft and unhurried." He slowly kissed down her neck to the swell of her naked breasts, mumbling against her skin, "I'll worship your body over and over again. It will never be anything but making love."
The tears that she thought had taken a break suddenly filled her eyes. These weren't tears of agony, however, but tears of happiness that she had this man all to herself. He must have heard her sniffle, because he looked up from his sensuous kisses on her breasts to see her crying, but with a peaceful expression on her face.
"I love you, Gus."
"Ah, my sweet, sassy Red. I'll love you forever."
And he did. He loved her so completely that nothing other than him invaded her mind. He spent long minutes caressing every inch of her, his lips following closely behind. When she was writhing beneath him, he entered her in one hard, deliciously slow thrust.
He made love to her just as slowly and she savored every touch, every kiss. She never wanted to go back to the world outside. This made her feel good. It made her feel safe.
He was careful with her hand and didn't let her use it to touch him. She roamed his body with her good hand, but she couldn't concentrate on anything but what he was doing to her. His fingers plucked at her nipples, his lips soothed them, his hands gripped at the soft flesh of her bottom and pulled her into an angle that drove her closer to the edge.
When she was close, he groaned at the way her muscles tightened around him.
"Take it, Aiden. Take what you need. I love you so much, baby."
The rhythm of his thrusts faltered as he took her right to the very edge. When his hand moved between them and circled that tiny bundle, she shattered into a million pieces, the force of her release taking him with her and drowning them both in a sea of rapture.
"I love you," she whispered, then quickly drifted into a deep sleep with Gus surrounding her.
***
"Aiden, baby. Wake up for me."
The whispered words pulled her from her final moments of a dreamless sleep. Gus hovered over her in the dimly lit room, hair damp from a shower and dressed with his badge and gun attached to him.
"Good morning, love."
"Is it?" she asked as everything came rushing back to her.
"It will be," he promised and swept her hair behind her ears. "I need to get to the station. Ash is in the kitchen making some breakfast with Dad. They're going to wait for you to get ready and take you to Lily."
She didn't want him to leave, but he was just as desperate to find Aidy as she was, so she wouldn't attempt to make him stay. "Okay."
"When you girls have gotten Lily straightened out, I want you to go with Emily and get her a new phone. If you don't find yours, get one for you, too. Same numbers. If this guy is going to contact anyone, it will be one of you." He set his credit card on the nightstand and gave her a stern look. "Use it."
"Okay."
"Normally, I would have Dad go with you, but I have a feeling Ash will need him. He's experienced at this kind of thing, so Lily is in good hands."
"Will that be safe?"
He grinned. "Con has been teaching Emily everything he can about firearms. She's got a concealed weapons permit and a gun. It's pink, but it fires bullets."
She smiled weakly and he traced her lips with a warm finger. "My brothers are coming with me. We'll find her."
"I know you will."
With a resigned sigh, he kissed her. "Guess I better go. I love you."
"I love you, too."
She heard him talking softly out in the kitchen before the sound of the door shutting let her know he was gone. With a groan, she got out of bed and went into the bathroom to get cleaned up. She'd had the night to clear her head, had Gus to help her. She was ready to face this head on.
She slowly made her way out to the kitchen and heard Aislinn speaking with her father. She was anxious to meet them in person, but had all the confidence in the world that Ash would take the awkwardness away from her without a second thought.
"I swear to God, Dad, if they don't catch this little prick…"
"I know, my beauty. You're going to find him yourself and show him what it feels like to be helpless. You've said it a hundred times and I'll tell you again. Over my dead body."
"Did Luke tell you to say that? Be honest, Dad."
"No, he didn't, but I agree with him. You girls need to focus on Lily and let them take care of this. I'm here to keep you in line."
Ash made a "pfft" sound before he continued. "Con has already made some calls. They'll have the resources they need if it comes to that."
"I still think they should get Ripley up here, especially when they actually find Aidy. Quietly hand the jerk over and let Lucien take care of him. Done."
Liam chuckled. "When did you become so vicious?"
Aiden heard a pan being placed in the sink before Aislinn answered steadily. "When I realized how much one can love another human being. The second that test said positive, my heart wasn't mine anymore. I can't imagine what Lily and Aiden are going through."
Feeling guilty for eavesdropping and not wanting to break down when she had been so sure she could face the day, she stepped into the kitchen and saw Liam first. He was leaning with his hip to the counter and arms crossed over his chest. The man was tall and looked strong and capable for his age. She also saw a clearer glimpse of where Gus got his looks. Liam Brannock was even more handsome in person.
He saw her appear in the entrance to the kitchen and moved across the small space to reach her. "Aiden, my dear. It's good to finally meet you in person."
His hug was surprisingly comforting and familiar. Like a warm, gentle bear wrapping her up.
"You, too. I wish it was under better circumstances."
"Yes, that would be more pleasant."
She noticed the barely there accent in his speech, but didn't have time to comment on it before Aislinn was on top of her.
"Aiden, I'm so sorry about this whole pile of shit, but just know we love you, Lily, and Aidy. I'm so happy to finally meet the girl that opened my brother's eyes."
Her words were quick and her hug was fierce for a tiny pregnant woman, but no less comforting than her father's. "Thank you, Ash."
"I made you some breakfast and it's still early. Em said Lily was okay for now. Why don't you eat and just take a breather, then we'll get you to your sister."
"I appreciate that."
"Of course. Gus told me you don't really cook and God knows he can't."
She giggled and felt a spark of joy at having a little inside secret with Gus. The man knew how to cook, although she couldn't trust that she was his best critic. But like he had said before, pity food does taste delicious.
They all ate and she learned quite a bit more about Ash and her situation with Luke. Aiden couldn't help but sigh at the romantic story of forbidden love turning into a happy ending. However, she would have to chat with Gus about his past crimes towards his little sister. She understood he only wanted to protect her, but after hearing about her Prom fiasco, Aiden shook her head in exasperation.
