Where We Found Our Home by Natasha Bishop

 

Lincoln

Knowing the last piece of Ciara’s story has only increased my feelings for her. I just want to hold her close and keep her safe.

I love her. I am completely and desperately in love with Ciara Jeffries.

Ciara asked me to tell my family about Eddie, so that’s what I’m here to do today. She felt it was time they knew just in case the fucker is here so they can be aware of their surroundings, but she didn’t have it in her to tell the story again. She’s going to tell Sasha and Nina today, but I told her I’d handle everyone else.

Eddie. I growl at the thought of his name.

If I see that motherfucker, I’ll kill him myself. I think back to the day I was trapped in the fire, and I know now that was my real first introduction to Eddie. Those scarred hands. As soon as she mentioned them, I knew. He’s been here much longer than Ciara thought. Fuck. I should’ve told her. If we’re going to deal with this together, we need to be on the same page.

“What the fuck?” This from Isaiah. I just finished telling the guys Ciara’s story, and they’re just as pissed as I am.

“So is that fucker in town or not? Let’s find him.” Dom stands up but Kai pushes him back down.

“Believe me, I’d be all too happy to kill this guy with my bare hands, but my main priority is Ciara. I need to make sure she’s safe.”

“We got your back, Linc.”

“Just tell us what you need.”

“How’s she doing?”

“She’s doing okay. She’s happy the truth is finally out there, but she’s worried that he’s really here and that we’re all in danger because of her.” I want to take that feeling away from her. I would happily lay down my life for her. Life wouldn’t be worth living without her anyway. She’s so insistent upon taking on everything by herself but those days are over. She’ll never be alone again.

“Fuck that. She’s family and we look out for family.” It means a lot to hear my brother say that. The guys nod their heads in agreement and that’s why these assholes are my family.

I want to do something for her to show her how much she means to me. For that, I’m going to need my sister. I pull out my phone and call her.

“What’s up, Linc?” she asks.

“I need a favor.” I tell her my plans for Ciara and she hums in approval.

“I knew I raised you well.”

I roll my eyes, and I hope she can hear that motion through the phone. “For the last time, Sasha. You did not raise me. That was Mom and Dad.”

“Close enough.”

We get to work on setting everything in motion.

“Where are you taking me?” Ciara asks as she climbs into my passenger seat.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Okay, but you made me wear workout clothes. What are you up to?”

“Maybe I just wanted to see your ass in those tight-ass leggings.”

She shakes her head and turns back toward the road. “Impossible man.”

Twenty minutes later, we pull up to the gym, and the smile on her face hits me right in the chest.

“You’re taking me rock climbing?”

I nod. I take a stray braid and push it behind her ear. “Figured after unloading everything you could probably use a day of stress relief.”

“You gonna be my belayer?” She smirks.

“Always, Angel.” I give her a look that says I’m not just talking about rock climbing. She squeals and jumps over the middle console to plant a kiss on my lips. The entire gym is about to get a show if she doesn’t get off my lap, and I never took myself as an exhibitionist but I’m about two seconds from saying “fuck it.” I give her one last kiss before jumping out of the car and helping her down.

When we head inside the gym, it’s bustling with people. Ciara looks right at home. She immediately starts chatting with the instructor who has been watching her ass since she walked in. I can’t blame him—it’s a fantastic ass. But I will lay this man out if he tries to touch her. She looks at me over her shoulder and winks. I love being the person to put that smile on her face.

We gear up and get to work. I am in complete awe watching Ciara handle this wall. She doesn’t rush. She takes her time finding the exact footholds and handholds she needs so that she never has to come back down, but at the same time, she’s so good at finding exactly the right place to go that she’s still flying up the wall. She rings the bell in no time at all and catches me staring at her ass, but I’m not even sorry. Her ass really does look fantastic in those pants.

“Bring me down, perv.”

We spend another two hours at the gym, and I can see the weight flying off of her shoulders.

“Thank you for today. I really needed that.” She kisses me when we walk in her apartment. I lock her door and go through her security checks for her. When I come back to the living room she’s giving me those fuck-me eyes. We have somewhere else to go, so I need to get her back on track.

“That’s just the beginning, Ci.”

“What else do you have planned?” She eyes me curiously.

I whistle while walking over to the fridge to grab a water. “Go shower and get dressed for a date. I’m taking you out.”

“Hmm okay. Well let’s go then.”

“Let’s go what?”

“Shower.”

My dick is immediately at attention. “Angel, you’re gonna make us late.”

She gives me her most innocent shrug, and let me tell you, it’s not innocent at all. “Nonsense. I’m just trying to save water. Besides, shower sex is highly overrated. I don’t want to fall on my ass. No funny business. I promise we won’t be late.”

We are most definitely late. Fun fact, shower sex is not at all overrated.

“Okay, so I lied. But say that wasn’t fun.” I can feel her smile burning the side of my face. “Plus, it’s your fault I had to get dressed twice, I’ll remind you.” Ciara walked out to the living room wearing an off the shoulder yellow dress that hugged to all of her curves perfectly and then flared out at the bottom with a slit on the side to showcase her toned thigh. I yanked the dress right back off of her for another round, and now we are really, really late. I’m trying to find a fuck to give about that, but I can’t find it anywhere.

Ciara doesn’t ask questions as we drive to our destination. She just sits back and enjoys, intertwining her fingers with mine. We pull up to Sasha’s shop and I wait for her reaction. “We’re going to Sasha’s for our date?” She doesn’t seem disappointed by that fact at all. In fact she seems sort of excited and that just makes me love her more.

“No, we just need to make a quick stop here first.” I bring her knuckles to my lips for a kiss and escort her out.

We walk in and I watch Ciara’s jaw drop to the floor. Before she can even register what’s happening, she’s being wrapped in a hug by her favorite people in the world—her mom, Brittany, Sarah, and Simone. She turns to me but she’s still speechless.

“You…you did this?” She seems to be warring with her emotions. She looks like she wants to kiss me and kill me at the same time.

“Yeah, lover boy and your new bestie, who we’ve now claimed as our new bestie, called us and arranged everything,” Simone answers, giving credit to Sasha and me. I’m too caught up in Ciara’s eyes to answer further. She steps into my space, grabs my face, and kisses me hard and deep. I guess kissing won out.

“Thank you,” she mouths. I nod and spin her back toward her friends. She hugs her mom extra tight then picks up Nevaeh and gives her a huge squeeze before hugging Sasha and Nina.

Isaiah walks in at that moment. “Hello ladies, your second chariot has arrived.” He and I are driving everyone to dinner tonight. Isaiah makes eye contact with Nina, but she looks away and walks out with Simone.

Ciara, Ms. Angela, Brittany, and Nina ride with me. Sarah, Simone, Nevaeh, and Sasha ride with Isaiah. Ciara holds my hand the whole way to the restaurant, and she and Nina tell her mom and Brittany all about Texas life. I make eye contact with Ms. Angela in the backseat and she winks at me.

Our party commandeers a corner of the Tex-Mex restaurant we’re in. There are fajitas, nachos, and chili con carne everywhere. Nevaeh has made a complete mess on herself but she doesn’t care. She’s too busy focusing on the conversation to worry about the food actually getting into her mouth. “So you’ve been friends since you were ten?” Nevaeh asks. She is obsessed with Simone. She thinks she is the funniest person she’s ever met, and she’s trying to soak up every gem Simone unleashes.

“Yep! I kind of bullied Brittany into being my friend first, and then Sarah and Ciara wormed their way in there.”

“Ooooh, bullying is bad.” Nevaeh’s jaw drops. She looks like she’s been let in on a huge adult secret and she can’t get enough.

“Yeah, Simone. Bullying is bad,” Brittany admonishes.

Simone chuckles. “Bullying is very bad, but I had good intentions. Brittany was so quiet and shy. She was sitting all by herself and I didn’t want her to be lonely, so I made her sit with me. It was the best thing to ever happen to her.” She reaches over and pulls Brittany in for a side hug, laying a big kiss on her cheek, and Brittany smiles.

“No, actually I think that was the kiss Grant Kimball planted on me in the sixth grade.”

“Not Grant Kimball!” Sarah shrieks. Ciara smiles but doesn’t add to the conversation. She’s been watching her family with love in her eyes all night. I’m so glad they’re here. I know she has me and my family, but she needs them.

The waitress delivers a drink to Ciara that she didn’t order. Her eyes fly around the restaurant only to go back to the waitress in confusion. The hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention. The waitress explains that she thought it was Ciara’s birthday. Ciara thanks her and winks at me, but something doesn’t sit right with me. I ask her if I can try it. It’s tequila and pineapple juice which doesn’t interest me at all, but I want to see if it tastes and smells right. It seems fine, but I’m still on edge as Ciara’s mom stands up.

“I’d like to make a toast.” Ms. Angela raises her glass and everyone follows suit.

“To you, Lincoln. To Sasha, Nina, and Isaiah. And to you, little Ms. Nevaeh. Even though my daughter is over a thousand miles away, I feel like she’s finally come back to me. And I think I owe that to you all.” Ciara’s eyes water, and she squeezes my leg under the table.

“I second that, and I’d like to propose another toast. To Ciara. I knew the moment you walked into my coffee shop that we would be friends, and I could not be happier that you’re now not only my friend but my family too. I thank you for being a badass my daughter can look up to.” Nevaeh raises her finger, but Sasha cuts her off. “I’m not starting a swear jar, little girl.”

“Ciara,” Isaiah stands. I really didn’t think this was going to turn into a night of toasts, but I’m interested to hear what my brother has to say. “My brother was lost for a long time. You know why. You’re bringing the old Lincoln back to us, and for that I will forever be loyal to you. It’s an honor to know you.” Well, shit.

Everyone takes turns showing love to Ciara. Even Nevaeh jumps up to thank Ciara for being so cool and showing her how to play TV tag because it’s the one game she’s better at than Malcolm and Niecy.

Ciara is the last to speak. “This night was completely unexpected, but it’s exactly what my soul needed, and I’m so glad to be here with all of you. I don’t know what I did to deserve this or any of you, but I’m grateful.” She turns toward her mom, and Ms. Angela’s eyes immediately start watering. “Mom, you raised me to be this confident, fearless queen, and I allowed a monster to steal that away from me. Thank you for believing that the woman you raised was still in there somewhere.” Ms. Angela doesn’t speak, but she nods and taps her heart in gratitude. Ciara turns to look at Simone, Brittany, and Sarah. “Petty squad, we’ve been riding together for eighteen years now, and we’ll keep riding until the wheels fall off. I could not have asked for a better crew.” Simone lets out a loud “we love you, girl” while Brittany gasps out a sob and Sarah blows her a kiss. Ciara winks at them before turning to Sasha and Nevaeh. Nevaeh sits up taller in her chair, waiting for her praise. “Sasha and Nevaeh, thank you for seeing in me what I couldn’t see in myself. Without you, I would’ve faded away to nothing in this city.” Nevaeh beams at her compliment, the pride evident in her eyes. Sasha gently squeezes her shoulder, and Nevaeh flashes those bright teeth at her. Ciara chuckles and turns to Nina. “Nina, thank you for taking a chance on me. You inspire me to find that badass Sasha thinks I am again.” Nina waves her off, but you can see her eyes are glistening. Ciara turns to Isaiah, and he looks nervous. “Isaiah, thank you for being the brother I always wanted. Your loyalty means everything to me.” He nods at her with respect. She stops and turns to me, and the look she hits me with would knock me on my ass if I weren’t already sitting. “Lincoln, you are a dream I long thought impossible. Thank you for dragging me out of my darkness and into your light, and thank you for allowing me to carry your darkness too. I’ll treasure it the way you treasure me.” Knocked. On. My. Ass.

“Cheers!” Everyone raises their glasses. I join in, but my eyes never leave Ciara’s and hers never leave mine.

“Wait, Mom. You’re leaving?” We all came back to Ciara’s so that her family could see her place. Isaiah and Nina have been ribbing each other all night, but I’m not sure if they want to rip each other’s clothes off or punch each other in the face.

“Yeah, girl. Your friends can camp in here on your couch all they want, but I’m too old for that. Lincoln booked a hotel for me.”

Ciara steps into my arms. “So I guess that means you’re leaving too?”

“Yep. I’m gonna drop your mom off at her hotel, and Isaiah and I are gonna have an uncle sleepover with Nevaeh at my place. You and the ladies are on your own for the rest of the night.”

She looks at me in awe. “I seriously can’t thank you enough for tonight.”

“I would do anything for you, Angel.”

Her eyes slam shut, and when she opens them they are red-rimmed with tears. I know they’re tears of joy but I want to kiss each one away. “I’m getting that.”

“Alright, alright, lovebirds. Say goodnight to your boo so we can drink more wine and talk about him,” Sarah teases.

Isaiah chimes in. “Enjoy your night, ladies. If you decide to have a pillow fight, feel free to video chat me. Actually, wait. Sasha, I forgot you were here. Never mind, please don’t.” Sasha slaps Isaiah on the shoulder.

Ciara hugs her mom, Nevaeh, and Isaiah goodnight and kisses me one more time. Simone waits until the door is almost closed behind us to yell, “Okay, so real talk, how big is the dick?” I laugh the whole elevator ride down.