My Heart’s Home by Kris Michaels
Chapter 17
Cam turned off the light in the bathroom. He padded across the carpeted floor and slid into his bed. He knew by Mercy’s soft snore she was asleep. The covers were pulled up to her nose, and she was burrowed into several pillows. Her brow was free of worried creases, and her full, beautiful lips were parted ever so slightly. He laid down facing her and covered her hand with his.
She’d been through so much. She deserved a modicum of relief, even if the respite was short. Mr. Cain had advised him that she would be required to testify during the retrial, which meant the defense would have the right to cross-examine. Cam understood immediately what that meant. The bastards would grill Mercy and make her explain and relive the time she spent with Ian, including refuting the attacks that they would mount on her character even though she wasn’t the one on trial. Justice for abuse and sex crimes victims was a pipe dream on good days, impossible on others. Victims were forced to relive the trauma, to face their demons from across the courtroom floor.
He flopped over onto his back and mentally listed the must-do things for tomorrow, the first of which was to have Mercy call Kelsey. After that, clothes, personal items, and food for the house. The DA had given him a month off with pay to make up for the time off he’d lost during the undercover operation. He usually wouldn’t take the time, but now, he’d take it and use every day to help Mercy, Dezzy, and Bull integrate back into society.
He closed his eyes with a prayer of thanks for the path that led him to his new job and, through that job, to his girls. He settled on his side, facing Mercy, and reached for her hand again. They’d slept this way for weeks, and he wasn’t about to stop now.
* * *
Cam woke slowly. The soft warmth huddled next to him moved, and he shifted, pushing his hips into the warm skin of her abdomen. His half-hard cock grew interested in the late-night fun. Mercy made a contented purring noise, and he cupped her breast, rolling the nipple between his thumb and finger. She pushed into him, and that contented sound repeated.
Cam lifted her top leg and hiked it over his hip. He reached behind him and opened the bedside drawer, pulling out a condom. He covered his cock quickly and turned back to her. He could see her eyes open and staring at him.
“I want to get tested so we can be together without a condom.”
He rolled her onto her back and kissed alongside her neck. “I want that, too.” He couldn’t wait to feel her without the thin latex barrier, to make love without the distraction of putting on the condom, but he’d continue to be safe until she was ready to make an appointment.
He lowered and kissed down her body. The soft, sweet taste of her skin amplified by the warm, comfortable bed was intoxicating. He’d never take being warm or having food for granted again. His experiences, minute compared to the other three people in his home, had given him a new appreciation for the multitude he had. However, until he’d walked a mile in a homeless person’s shoes, he’d never truly understood how much he had.
It was that realization he used to shower Mercy with all the things she hadn’t had. The love, the safety, the respect, and the warmth she’d been denied before he arrived in her life were everything he wanted to give her now. He slid between her legs and found her core. He felt her legs go around him. The warm air from the gas fireplace surrounded them. The covers were abandoned without the fear of frostbite or interruption. He drove into her over and over, each movement amplifying the last. He lowered to kiss her as she climaxed. The exchange and her body spasming around him pushed him over the edge, too. He fell to his side, pulling her with him. Holding her against his skin, he ran his fingers down her back. She was so thin but so damn strong. He’d make it his mission to provide her with everything she needed to become the woman she once was.
“I love you.” Mercy’s sleepy words drew a smile across his face.
“I love you, too.” He got up, and she whined a bit. “I’m taking care of the condom.”
Her hum let him know she heard him. He made quick work of disposing of the thing and slipping back into bed.
“I’ll need to get a job.” Mercy’s voice was slurred with sleepiness.
“Not unless you want one.”
“Have to pay for our way.”
Cam sighed and tucked her back into him. He kissed her ear before he laid his head down. Yeah, he could see where having her independence would be an essential thing for her. They’d talk about it and work it out, even if it battered the hell out of his need to take care of her and Dezzy. He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. Tomorrow was going to be a heck of a day.
* * *
Mercy listened to the phone ring. Her hand trembled so bad that she had to clasp the cell phone with both hands.
“Hello?”
“Aunt Kelsey? It’s me. Mercy.” There was silence at the other end of the phone, so she rushed in. “I’m alive. Ian didn’t kill us, but I was homeless, and I didn’t know you were looking for us or that he’d been charged with my murder. Dezzy is fine, and I found a man I love.”
“Oh, my God.” Kelsey’s voice cracked. “You’re alive?”
The tears that spilled over her bottom lashes hit the kitchen table. Cam had given her his phone and was distracting Dezzy so she could have a moment with Kelsey. “I am. I’m so sorry.”
“No, sweetheart, no. I thought I lost you. Don’t be sorry. Where are you?”
“I’m in Hope City. I never left. When Ian turned off my cell phone… we lived on the street for a while, then a homeless woman took us under her wing, and we stayed in a homeless community under an overpass.”
Kelsey strangled a cry. “I saw it. When we drove in from the airport. My God, we were right over you. Do you need money? I’m flying up. Let me book a flight, and I’ll call you back with the arrangements. We can bring you down to St. Thomas. I’ll get you an apartment.”
“Kelsey, no, that’s not necessary. It is Christmas in two days. Stay with Martin and celebrate. We have a home now. The man I met is an investigator for the District Attorney, and we are staying with him. He’s good to me, great with Dezzy.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. This is his cell number. You can call it at any time. As soon as we get a minute to breathe, we’ll get a phone for me and one for Dezzy.” Cam said it was a safety issue and they both needed one. He wasn’t going to budge on the issue, so she let it slide with gratitude and a long, slow kiss.
“I want to see you. I must. I can’t believe it. Wait until I tell Martin. Oh, shoot!”
“What?” She chuckled at the word. Kelsey was just as hyper as ever.
“You realize this probably means a retrial for that bastard.”
“Kelsey!”
“What? He is one. He might not have killed you, but he killed those other women. Martin will make sure that animal stays in jail. Ian threatened me. Did you know that? When we were pushing for the authorities to look at him as a suspect, he told me he didn’t kill you, but he’d be happy to snap my neck.”
“Oh, Kelsey. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not. That put Martin on the defensive, and my husband is wicked smart. He was the one who told the investigator to dig into Ian’s past.”
“Tell Martin thank you, please.”
“I will. He’s out on the boat fishing right now. Wait until he hears. This is such a shock.”
“Fishing? It’s ten below here.”
Kelsey was quiet for a minute. “How did you survive?”
She sighed and closed her eyes. The truth was she didn’t know how they’d endured the hardships. “Minute by minute at times. But we’re safe now.” That thought was what kept her going
Kelsey finally broke down into tears which made her cry harder, too. They talked for a half-hour before she hung up. Raw with emotion, she shuffled into the living room to see Cam playing cards with Dezzy. Her daughter laughed and slapped the deck before Cam did. They both looked up, and Dezzy’s happiness faded. “What’s wrong?”
Mercy shook her head. “Nothing, baby. These are happy tears. For once, there is nothing wrong. Nothing at all.”
Cam stood up and made his way over to her, enveloping her in his arms. “Are you all right?”
She nodded and sank into his strength. “I am, honestly. It was a good visit. Of course, we ended up in tears, but it was cathartic for both of us.”
He chucked her chin up with a finger. “I’m glad you had a chance to visit.” He dropped a kiss on her lips.
“Hey, Mom, Cam said we need to go grocery shopping,” Dezzy said from where she was picking up the cards and placing them back in the tray.
She blinked up at him. “We don’t have any money.”
“But I do. I had that complete pancake mix last night, and my Captain had someone put the basics in the fridge for us when they put up the Christmas tree, but unless we want to eat peanut butter sandwiches…”
“Ugg! Mom, please, can we go with Cam? I don’t want another peanut butter sandwich for a long, long time.” Dezzy flounced over to them. “Come on; we get to go shopping.”
She laughed at her daughter’s exaggerations. “All right, as long as you’re sure.” She turned her gaze back to Cam. “I’ll find a job soon.”
He put his hands on her shoulders and stared down at her. “I don’t care if you ever get a job. I make enough money to support all of us, plus I have a small retirement from the Air Force.” She opened her mouth to object, but he lifted a hand and placed a finger across her lips. “But I understand your need to have your independence. Hopefully, we can compromise, and you’ll let me take care of my girls until you’re ready to look for a job.”
“Pah-lease, Mom.” Dezzy wrapped her arms around both of them, and Cam slid his arm around her daughter, bringing her into the embrace.
“Yeah, pah-lease, Mom.” He mimicked Dezzy perfectly.
Mercy laughed and shook her head. “What am I going to do with the two of you?”
Cam smiled and looked down at Dezzy before he lifted his gaze again. “That’s easy. Love us.”
* * *
Mercy was very careful while shopping to make sure they only chose the best vegetables and fruits. It was what she missed the most while they were homeless. They’d existed off of some protein but primarily cheap carbs and scraps thrown away by restaurants and people who weren’t aware of the surplus others craved. A shiver ran down her spine. She’d never be that way again.
Dezzy and Cam race-walked back to the cart, their arms full. She watched as the snacks were dumped into the cart. “Destiny, this isn’t necessary.”
“That’s what I told Cam. He said it was mandatory.”
“Really?” She cocked her head at the man-child smiling at her.
“Absolutely. We have to keep our energy up when we’re cooking Christmas dinner. Speaking of which, we need a ham or a turkey for Christmas dinner. Sides too. Bull will be with us, so we can do more.”
Cam picked up a ham that weighed half as much as she did and Mercy smiled, shaking her head. “That is way too big.”
“I was thinking of two this size. We can get tinfoil baking pans, slice up the ham, and put baked sweet potatoes in a couple of coolers to keep them hot. But we’ll need more veggies. If we get frozen, we can heat them right before we leave.”
Dezzy’s face split into a smile. “You want to take food out to the Cottages?”
Cam put the two hams into the cart. “Can’t think of a better way to celebrate Christmas. Can you?”
Mercy blinked back tears. “I think it’s perfect.”
“Then back to the veggies, madam. We have to wrangle a hundred or so potatoes into the bottom of the cart.” Cam elbowed Dezzy. “Race ya.”
The two tore away in a hilarious race-walk. Dezzy’s laughter echoed over the aisles. Mercy closed her eyes and took a moment to say a word of thanks for making it through her darkest hour. She prayed those at the Cottages would find warmth and happiness, too.
