Page 374 of Under Her Skin
“We will get together soon,yes?”
Enda nodded, not trusting himself to speak. The two men watched the women hug, and Inca whispered something to Ama, who nodded, tears in hereyes.
Enda tookan un-protesting Ama back to his apartment and poured them both a whiskey. As she sipped, he lifted her shirt and studied the horrendous pattern of bruises on her stomach, back andsides.
“He didthis.”
She nodded, looking shattered. “Yes.”
“That’s it. I’ve had it. I don’t care about anyone else but you. You need to leave that housetonight.”
“No.”
“No?” Enda wasastonished.
“I can’t. He …he’ll hurt people. People I careabout.”
“He’s hurtingyou!”
“I can takeit.”
Enda lost it then. “How can you be so blind? You’re an intelligent, brave woman and he’s reducing you to what? His punching bag? Is he doing anything …?” He only got part way through the question before he realized. “Oh, dear god …is he rapingyou?”
Ama gave a sob and nodded. Enda took her in his arms. He wanted to kill Jackson right there, right then. “What’s he holding over you, baby? What isit?”
She told him and he closed his eyes. He had no trouble believing Jackson would have Selima or anyone else Ama loved hurt or even killed. He could understand how Ama thought she was backed into a corner.Bastard.
Enda sat down with her on his couch. “Ama, I know you want to protect your sister. I do. But I think there’s something you need to understand about Jackson. He’s …psychopathic. My father won’t hear it, and Olivier struggles with accepting it even though he knows it’s the truth. Has Olly told you aboutPenelope?”
Ama shook her head, looking desolate and exhausted. “No.”
Enda took a deep breath in. “Penny was Jackson’s girlfriend, of sorts, a few years back. They didn’t date for long; Penny could see what kind of man he was. So, she tried to end it. Jackson, of course, is never dumped. By anyone. When Penny met someone else, Danny, Jackson had them both murdered. Danny by a hit-and-run driver. Penny was stabbed to death in hercar.”
Ama looked as if she was going to throw up. “Jesus. Jesus.” She bent double, wrapping her arms around herself. When she looked up at Enda, tears were flooding down her face. “What if he does the same to Selima?” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I might leave him, but what if he has her killed before I’m even down the driveway? At the very least, he’ll destroy my father’sbusiness.”
“Inca saw the bruises too. What did she say toyou?”
Ama smiled through her tears. “She told me all I had to do was ask and she’ll be there for me. I love heralready.”
Enda took her in his arms. “I’m so scared for you, baby,” he said softly. “I swear, we will find a way out ofthis.”
Ama nodded, pressing her lips against his. “I don’t want to go home, just for tonight. I’ll tell him our meeting with Inca and Raff went late, so I decided to stay in the city withfriends.”
Enda kissed her back. “Cara mia, I want to make you happyagain.”
Ama pulled awayfrom him and stood, pulling her shirt over her head and slipping out of her skirt. Enda pressed his lips to her belly, careful not to hurt her bruises. Jackson certainly knew where to beat someone so that it wouldn’t show.Fucker.
With a rush of adrenaline, Enda swept her into his arms and carried her to bed. Ama gazed up at him as he stripped. “Don’t wait, my darling. Don’twait.”
His cock, already ramrod hard and bobbing under its own weight, entered her and she shivered with pleasure as her cunt tightened around it. They fit together so perfectly it almost seemed unbelievable. They made love slowly and intensely until both came, shivering through a mellow orgasm. Enda kissed hertenderly.
“I’m not hurting you, amI?”
Ama shook her head and tried to smile. “No. You’re erasing bad memories, if thathelps.”
To his surprise, Enda found tears in his own eyes. “I hate this. I hate what he is doing toyou.”
Ama nodded, clinging to him. “I know. But I have to protect my family. Until I can figure out away…”
