Following his gaze, I saw a whole load of cop cars.
“What’s going on, Earl?” I asked.
He climbed out of the car and rounded the vehicle, opening my door and holding out his hand.
I placed mine within his and climbed out of the car.
Earl wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and the cops allowed him to go past. I didn’t like this. My heart raced.
We came to a stop near several containers, and that was when I saw it. A cargo hold had been open. Women were spread out. Ambulances were close by, and six men were on the ground, in handcuffs.
“Should you be here?” I asked.
This was part of Earl’s life. Why would he bring me here? He was going to get arrested. He’d pissed me off. Made me angry and hate him, but the last thing I wanted was for him to be arrested.
Fear worked its way up my spine as each police officer passed. This was too much. I fisted his jacket.
“Let’s go before they arrest you,” I said.
I couldn’t have him thrown in jail. I loved him so fucking much, and it hurt being around him and knowing there was a chance he was only saying all the right things for the baby. But I just couldn’t do it.
There was no way I was going to be able to survive without him.
One of the officers seemed like a serious-looking man, high up in the ranking.
I felt sick to my stomach as he approached and held out his hand. “Thank you, Mr. Valentine, for your full cooperation.”
I was still tense as they shook hands. The officer nodded at me, and then we were alone.
I let Earl go and looked toward the officer. This wasn’t … why weren’t they arresting Earl?
“I think you’ve seen enough.” Earl took my hand and led me back to the car. I sat inside, staring out at the chaos before me.
All this time, a little taken aback.
Was this real?
They weren’t going to arrest Earl.
He pulled out of the docks, and we drove for a short time, coming to a stop near a rundown side-road café.
He didn’t turn the engine off.
The sounds of the engine filled the air.
What had I just witnessed?
I licked my dry lips and glanced toward Earl.
He stared right at me.
“Do you want to tell me what is going on?” I asked. “They didn’t arrest you. Those girls were yours.”
“No, they weren’t mine. In fact…” He reached into his pocket. “I don’t deal in women anymore. I’ve removed all parts of human trafficking from my life, and I’ve got a lot to make up for.” He held out a file.
I took it and flicked through it, not understanding any of it. “What is this?”
“This is a document. A legally binding agreement that I signed. I’m going to help stop human trafficking. I don’t imagine we’ll ever truly stop it, but with my contacts, I’m going to be working undercover as a buyer to expose the men responsible.”
“This is crazy. What about all of your other businesses? Your way of life?”
“I’ve been working to get out of it, Ashley.”
“I don’t believe you.” This was a lot to take in.
“You will be the last woman I ever take. I hope in time you can learn to forgive me. I love you so damn much, and it wasn’t just your virginity I wanted. Seven years ago, I saw you at a party. You stood out. So sweet. You had an easy smile. No matter that people were avoiding you or ignoring you. You gave them all a smile. I watched you. Not Emily. She was a business agreement, but you, you were like a fucking beacon calling to me. I had to have you.”
“You did?”
“Yes, I did. Then of course there was a great deal of unsavory business. Work needed to be handled, and I had to make sure you were safe. The threat on Emily’s and your life, it wasn’t one I couldn’t handle. I had to keep you all safe. First, I needed to guarantee a plan that would make you mine.”
“You planned all of this?” I asked.
“I didn’t plan everything. I wanted you, Ashley. I never thought I’d fall so deeply in love with you that I’d change my entire existence. My goal had always been for me to prove to my grandfather that I was better. To take his business into the next level, and I did that, with ease.” He ran a hand down his face. “I was crueler than he was, but I changed the way he did business. You already knew that there were … he didn’t believe in an age restriction when taking and selling people.”
I remembered him telling me.
“You deserve a man you can love. A man you can look at every single day and be so fucking proud to have known him. I can’t promise you I’m going to always be a good man. I will still kill people who get in my way, but I’m changing to be the man you deserve. I love you, Ashley.”
I reached across the car, put my hand to his cheek, and kissed him. I couldn’t not.
He loved me.
The words didn’t matter at this point, but what he’d done couldn’t be questioned. A lifetime of hurting others, and he’d turned it all around for me. The tears on my cheeks were those of happiness.
“Earl, I loved you even before tonight. It’s why I had to leave Crude Hill. I was so in love with you, and everywhere I looked, you were there. It hurt too much to have fallen for you. You didn’t need to change who you were. I was learning to accept that part of you.”
“I’m not going back. I will make amends for all the women I’ve hurt.” He stroked my cheek. “And I’ll do it for you and our baby.”
I laughed.
“Ask me again,” I said.
He smiled at me and ran his thumb across my lip. “Marry me.”
No hesitation. No wondering.
“Yes,” I said.
How could I turn down a man who’d changed his entire life for me? He loved me and I loved him. We were going to make this work.
He kissed me, and I submitted to him.
“Just so you know, I consider your yes a legally binding contract, and if you so much as try to back out, I’ll keep Emily and all the Monsters.”
I burst out laughing. “Yeah, right. That would have worked if I hadn’t already known the beast had been tamed.”
“Only for you and our family. I will not stand by and let anything bad happen to you, or to us.”
“I know.”
Earl was the tamed beast for me, but if anyone tried to hurt me, they would have to deal with the true evil lurking beneath the surface.
For everyone’s sake, I hoped they left us in peace.
Epilogue
Earl
Five years later
“I hate boats.”
“It’s a yacht, babe,” I said.
“It’s a very large boat.”
Even as Ashley held on to my arm, I couldn’t help but smile. Five years we’d been married. Our anniversary was tomorrow. Our two children were currently in the care of Emily and the Monsters at Crude Hill. I didn’t like leaving them behind, neither did Ashley, but I wanted to spend some time with my woman when we weren’t invaded by the patter of little feet and screams for Mommy and Daddy to wake up.
Our first child, Corey, was such a sweetheart, and had come into this world causing a few problems.
Ashley’s first pregnancy had held a whole host of complications. She had ended up bed-bound for the last few months of pregnancy, on doctor’s orders. It had made her incredibly cranky and such a fucking pain to be around. Still, I loved her, and our son was a shining light in our life.