41

I'm with You

We have only three more chapters left after this one. Our journey has almost come to an end. This chapter gives us a little more insight to what happened with Erica and the many possibilities of what did and didn't happen. Anyway, I hope that y'all enjoy this. And as always, thank you for reading, alerting, reviewing, and making this story one of your favorites.

S/N: And I do have another story lined up but it's not completed. I'm almost done with the story 'Killer' and I will be posting the rest of that as soon as I'm done.

The story idea is mine but the main characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

Since it was 10:30 when I'd finally made it home, I'd expected that Eric would be asleep. He'd had an early morning and a very busy day. I had no questions about whether or not our child was sleeping. I knew that Flynn was. It was way past her bedtime and she knows that bedtime is always the same time during the week. When I walked into our home, the smell of burnt taco shells filled my nostrils.

"He can cook, huh?" I thought.

But I didn't mind the smell of burnt taco shells. It felt like home. It felt good to come home late from the office and to have my family here waiting for me. It was great to be here because the worries of the day faded away. I exhaled and dropped my briefcase on the floor and threw my coat over the back of the couch. I had no intentions of picking either of them up until tomorrow. I was tired.

"Eric," I called out as I walked to the kitchen. The walk felt longer than usual. It felt as if I'd walked through the dining room twice before I reached the kitchen.

"Eric, are you home?" I called out again. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a long, refreshing swig. "I met with Niall," I said as I kicked the fridge door closed. I began to look through the mail that Grace had left on the countertop. "I think that I'd impressed him even though he didn't seem to completely agree with my ideas. But after a few minutes, I got him to see things my way. Have you spoken with him?"

I left the junk mail on the countertop as I drained the last of my water. "Eric?" I called out as I walked down the hallway.

And that's when he popped out of our room and stood in the doorway. He was staring me down. The way that he was looking at me made me feel nervous. I felt trapped by his gaze. I felt like I was his prey and there was no way that I was going to escape him.

I liked it.

I tilted my head to the side and asked, "Are you okay?"

At first, I began to think that Niall may have told him about our plan. He looked as if something happened and it wasn't a good something. Had Niall told him the truth about what Victor and Appius had done to him? Was he mad at me because I wanted to surprise Victor with the new information that we'd discovered? If he would give me a chance to explain why we have to wait then maybe his anger will dissipate. But just like that, what I believed to have seen was gone. His eyes held something that I'd never seen before tonight. Something else passed through them.

He began to stalk towards me … slowly. My feelings of nervousness faded away into oblivion. I was now enthralled with him. I remained rooted in place as I returned the gaze but I'd made a mistake. I'd blinked and there he was standing right in front of me. My knees weakened as his eyes bore into mine.

"Hi," I whimpered as my body reacted to him.

"I want to kiss you," he said.

"Then kiss me," I ordered.

He pulled me into his arms and kissed me with everything that he had in him. He tasted and caressed every inch of my mouth and my body with that one kiss. He nipped at my bottom lip causing my mouth to open wider. He pulled me closer; his mouth covering mine more fully. Oh and his tongue; his tongue was invasive and even though it seemed impossible, he tasted even more of me … thoroughly and demandingly. I had no choice but to fall into him. And then it happened. The world faded away in that moment. This man, his taste, the scent of him, the idea of him; he'd completely overwhelmed me. My arms wrapped around him as my finger caressed the muscles underneath his shirt.

Though he was with me and only me, I saw him as a façade, a dream from which I never wanted to wake up. I could feel my heart bursting with love and concern. I know that he loves me but I need to hear him say it again and again. I need to know that I'm who he wants. I need to hear him say that this life is what he wants. Me and Flynn. This is his life now. We are his life just as he is ours.

Breaking the kiss, I stared into his eyes; silently begging him to tell me what I so desperately needed to hear. My mouth speaking what my heart was feeling. "You're here to stay."

"Yes," he said as he kissed my eyelids.

Though I knew the answer, I wanted to hear what he was going to say. "Why?"

He cupped my face in his hands and said, "Because this is where I want to be. You are the one that I need. You're my breath, Sookie. My very heart beats for you. I will always be with you," he breathed against my skin. He claimed my mouth once more.

I reluctantly broke the kiss and buried my face into his chest. I had to let Eric in on the first leg of our plan. I was going to tell him everything … almost everything. I hate keeping secrets from him but this time, it's necessary. I can't tell him about the newest contract. Not yet. Too much is at stake. If he overreacts, he could lose everything and we can't let that happen. I also don't want him to be angry with me for keeping it from him. Niall said that he'll understand. I hope so.

I held onto him as I said, "We need to talk."

He lightly kissed my forehead as he walked with me into the living room. He sat down on the couch and pulled me down beside him. "Is this about the meeting with Niall?"

"Yes." I turned to face him. "I can't believe that you did this. Thank you for believing in me."

"I've always believed in you," he answered.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why not?"

My heart started to beat a little faster than normal. "This is all new to me. I've never held this kind of responsibility. What if I make such horrible mistakes that we end up losing everything because of me? I don't have the experience that you have when it comes to running a business."

"You can do this," he confirmed. "I know that you can."

I held in his hand in mine. "E&S … Eric and Sookie," I said. "You did this for us."

"I did," he agreed. "This is something that we can build together. This could be our legacy. When we are together, we can accomplish anything."

My faith in him grew exponentially. My determination to keep him with us is what drives me. I placed my hand on his thigh before speaking to him. "You are so wonderful. To open a law firm that we can run together," I said as I shook my head in disbelief. "I never expected that. It never dawned on me that E&S and Associates had absolutely anything to do with me. You did that for us."

He caressed my face as he leaned in and kissed me. "I'd do anything for you."

"And I'd do anything for you." I knew that what I was about to say was not going to go over very well with Eric but it was a part of Niall's and my plan. "You know that you agreed that I would go to the Vardamon party with Quinn and at first, that was a great idea. It was a wonderful one, really."

Eric frowned as he looked at me.

I then cleared my throat. "Niall and I have decided that I will go with Quinn but I won't be with Quinn."

"What do you mean?" he asked as he threw his arms over the back of the couch.

I stood up from the couch and stared down at him with my hands clasped in front of me. "Niall and I think that I need to show interest in someone that has a little more clout in your world and as we both know Quinn has zero clout in your world." I shrugged my shoulders as I said, "He has very little clout in ours. But he's a good man. He has a great sense of style so he'll fit right in. But his greatest quality is that he loves his wife and children. His wife is just wonderful. Have you met her yet?" I then shook my head. "I don't think that you have but when you do, you'll be so impressed with her. She usually participates in our company potlucks and her food is so delicious. She's a great cook but what can you expect from her? She's absolutely gorgeous. Her skin is the color of mocha and she has the most beautiful green eyes. Oh, and their children …"

"Sookie," Eric interrupted.

I knew that I was rambling but I was nervous. Niall told me that Eric wouldn't like the idea but it would be in his best interests to go along with it. I inhaled deeply as I looked at him … smiling. "I'm going to meet up with Stan at the party. He's here with a couple of business associates. Did you even know that he was invited? Niall called him while we were at the meeting. He didn't tell him what we were up to but he did tell him that we needed his help with getting me in to get the information that I need. And guess what? Stan said that he's willing to help us out. Isn't that wonderful?"

Eric said nothing. He looked as if he was going over something in his mind. To be honest, I expected him to be angry but he was calm. A little too calm. And I didn't like it. It almost scared me. "Eric?" I said.

He continued to stare out at nothing.

"Eric?" I repeated as I sat down next to him. I placed my hand on his thigh. "Are you okay?"

He finally looked at me and smiled. "I am." He leaned in and kissed me. "And I'm okay with you meeting up with Stan at the Vardamon party. I know that there is no hidden agenda to what's going on. I trust you. I know that you're working on something with Niall and I know that you'd never betray me. I don't question you, Sookie. I trust you."

"Thank you." I sighed as I flopped back onto the couch.

He then wrapped his arms around me as he pulled me close to him. "Are you hungry? Flynn and I made tacos."

I laughed as I gazed into his eyes. "Tacos? What happened to the chicken marsala?"

He laughed. "Flynn said that no one likes chicken marsala. She suggested tacos so we made tacos. We burnt the first batch of shells but other than that, things were great."

"Tell me," I said. "Tell me how the day went with you guys."

And that's what he did. I loved it. He looked so happy. His eyes were dancing with joy as he talked about the day that they had. I was never quite sure that we'd get to this point ever again but I'm so glad that I didn't give up. I'm so glad that he's back. "You're a wonderful father, Eric," I said as I smiled at him. "I'm so glad that you're here."

He pulled me in for a mind blowing kiss. I expected more because of the feel of him tugging at my hair but he cut it off. He rested his forehead to mine as he kept his eyes closed.

"What's wrong?" I asked. I kissed his once more as I caressed his cheek.

"Come," he said. He tapped his shoulder and said, "Rest your head here. I have something to tell you."

"Okay." I did as he said and waited.

He wrapped his arm around me before speaking. "The day that I left you, my heart died. I'd determined that I would never love another because you are the only woman that I've ever wanted. No one could or would ever live up to what you are to me. I was determined that once I'd done everything that was needed of me, I was going to come back to you and we'd live our lives out together. Just as we'd always planned. The traveling that we wanted to do. Getting our own little apartment." He kissed my forehead as he looked down at me.

"But everything changed in the blink of an eye. The night that I found out that I was leaving, I didn't learn that I was going to marry Freyda. I didn't learn that until much later. My father told me that I'd been obligated to a life that didn't include my high school sweetheart. He said that you were just something for me to do until something better came along. I punched him in his jaw."

My eyes watered. I know that Appius doesn't like me but to hear that he's never liked me was totally different. Especially since he pretended to like me.

"His words didn't matter then and they don't matter now," he said as he brushed the tears from my cheeks. "You have never been just something for me to do. I love you. Always have. Always will."

"Okay."

He kissed me before he continued. "Appius said that my mother had other plans for me. Those plans were waiting for me in Sweden. I never knew what that meant until I turned nineteen."

That's when I removed myself from his body and scooted to the opposite end of the couch. He looked hurt but I soon explained my actions. "I have to be looking at you as tell me this. This is what I've been waiting to hear. You do understand?"

He gazed lovingly into my eyes. "I do." He sighed while turning to face me. "The day that I learned my fate, I'd just gotten out of school. I was in a meeting with Niall when Appius and Victor entered the office." He chuckled. "That's when I learned of why I had to marry Freyda. My mother made a mistake. She was sixteen-years-old when she killed Gervais Madden in a car accident."

My hand instantly went to my mouth.

"My mother and Gervais were in love," he said. "They'd been seeing each other seriously since the eighth grade." He chuckled. "My mom used to have this tattoo on the inside of her wrist with the initials 'GM'. After the conversation with Appius and Victor, I finally realized what those initials meant. They were in love and they wanted to stay together. They'd planned on doing that … getting married, having children. The whole nine."

With my hands now in my lap, I said, "Just like us."

"Yeah," he agreed. "But with them, it never came to be. They'd been out with some of their friends that night … the night of the accident. Sophie Ann and Peter, Sandy and Joey, and Victor and Salome. They'd all gone out together. According to Victor, my mom was the one driving his brother home that night. They'd all be drinking and then, boom. My mom crashed the car into a tree … killing Gervais instantly. Victor and Salome weren't hurt. Sophie Ann and Peter were in the car behind them."

"I'm so sorry, Eric. This is the secret that you've been covering up for all of these years?"

"Yes," he said. "My mother has always believed herself to be a murderer. She murdered the one and only man that she's ever loved. In the suicide letter that she'd written, she talked of how sorry she was. She believed that the world would be a much better place if she no longer existed. She said that she'd ruined too many lives. She couldn't continue on with what she'd done and what was to come."

I made a move towards him but he lifted his hand as to stop me. "I'm okay," he assured me. "I'm not sad about it anymore. In the beginning, it devastated me to think that my mom left this world because she was afraid to face me but now I know that it was because she'd failed me. She believed that she'd failed me."

As I sat crossed legged on the couch, I rested my elbows on my knees and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Niall told me that my mom tried to get me out of this marriage," he said. He began to shake his head no. "She offered them everything that she had but they wouldn't listen to her. They told her that she had no choice. They were going to make her follow through no matter what."

That angered me even more. Erica was going to give up everything that she had to save her son but they wanted more. They basically killed her. She felt that she had no other choice. Her shame at what she'd done to Eric and Gervais destroyed her. She fought to the end to try and free Eric from her obligation. Thoughts began to swirl through my mind and one face soon appeared with them.

"Eric, why didn't Appius take up your mother's fight to get you out of the marriage? What was in this for him?" It made no sense to me why Appius would hide the original contract from Eric. He's not a Northman or a Madden. There was nothing for him to gain from this marriage.

He snorted. "Money and power," he answered. "Appius had always been a non-factor but he never knew it. He believed that because he'd married into the Northman family, he had clout. He believed that he mattered. He did not."

The conversation that Pam and I had a couple of days ago popped into my mind. "Did Erica really marry Appius because she was in love with him?"

As he shook his head, he said, "I don't think she ever loved him. I don't think she even liked him. They married, yes. They lived in the same house but they never slept in the same room. They had sex because they had me but other than that, I'm not quite sure what they were to each other. They rarely talked with one another and when they did, the responses would be short and to the point."

I flopped back against the arm of the couch. "Hmm," I said.

Pam said that Helena told her that Erica married Appius because she wanted to but what if she didn't? What if Appius was a part of the plan to make sure that Erica followed through with her promise? He can't have loved her or his son. If he did, there's no way that he'd allow the Maddens to do what they've done to them.

"Have you heard from him … from Appius?" I asked.

Eric almost smiled but caught himself. His face was once again emotionless. "Victor gave me some disturbing news during his visit to my office. He gave his condolencenses on my father's demise. So, no. I haven't heard from him. Apparently, he's dead."

Leaning forward once more, I whispered, "You're telling me that Appius is dead?"

"Finally," he said.

"Do you think Victor had anything to do with it?" I asked … still whispering. "Is that why he came to your office? To throw it in your face?"

"I don't think so," he replied. "He's an underhanded piece of shit but he's no killer. He's too much of a coward to kill anyone. Not by his own hand. And no. That's not why he came to my office. He came to my office to let me know that he knows that I've left Freyda."

That surprised me. "I thought that …"

He cut me off by lifting his hand and shaking his head. "Don't worry. She told him nothing of what transpired. She cried to her father because she couldn't have what she wanted. That's what Freyda does." He tried to laugh it off but it didn't quite work.

"What else did he say to you?"

"Nothing of importance," he answered.

I kissed him as I slid into his side. "Don't try to spare my feelings. I read the contract, Eric. I know that you're supposed to get her pregnant. I know that you were supposed to replace the life that Erica ended. Is that why you wouldn't sleep with her?"

"No," he replied. "I wouldn't sleep with her because I didn't want to. She doesn't appeal to me. I did sleep with her once but it was because I wasn't in the best spirits and she was convenient. And just as I told her, she could have been anyone." He looked disinterested as he talked about her. Just as I was.

"I'm tired of talking about the Maddens and that contract," I said. "Come on. I want to try those tacos that you and Flynn made."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," I answered.

"They're delicious," he said as he helped me up from the couch. "We bought salsa, shredded cheese, lettuce, and tomato. I got sour cream too but she said that you don't eat sour cream on your tacos. Flynn said that she wants to make spaghetti the next time that we cook. I was thinking that we can make …"

I gripped his hand in mine as I listened to him. I watched him as he walked ahead of me and I'd never seen a sexier man in all of my life. It wasn't just the sight of the way his jeans hugged his sexy rump. It wasn't the sight of the muscles that were fighting to get through the fabric of that damned t-shirt. It was just him. I stopped walking which in turn caused him to stutter step.

He looked back at me. "What is it?"

"I don't want tacos."

"What do you want?"

"You."

Eric pulled me down the hall to our bedroom. He closed the door behind us as he backed me against the wall and slid his hand up my skirt; running his hands over the silkiness of my panties before ripping them off of me.

I smiled against his lips. "Is this better than tacos?"

He nodded as his fingers found their way into my wetness. He began to circle my nub; bringing more pleasure to my body.

I gasped his name as he teased me. I began to fumble with his zipper; grasping his hardness in my hand once he was free. Stroking him until he was the one that was gasping.

Eric lifted me in his arms and pressed my body against the wall. He bunched my skirt up around my waist as he spread my legs with his hips. He worked diligently to remove his pants completely. And once he was free, he thrust himself deep inside of me. I wrapped my arms around him as our bodies moved together. My legs were like jelly but they refused to let go of him. My orgasm crashed through me, leaving me shuddering helplessly and hopelessly in his arms. The only thing that I was aware of was the feel of him … the taste of his mouth as he kissed me.

"Eric," I whimpered.

He thrust deeper and deeper. He went harder and faster as the waves of my orgasm continued to destroy me. It was tormenting and pleasurable at once. Those feelings made me want even more of him.

As my weak legs tried to tighten around him, Eric met his release as he called my name. "Sookie," he whispered as his thrusting decreased to a slow pace. He dropped his head on my shoulder as he used the last of his strength to hold us together.

"I love you," he said just barely above a whisper.

"Hey," I said as I kissed his cheek.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Look at me, Eric."

His eyes looked heavy and weary when he did.

"Come on," I said. "Let's get into bed first, okay?"

He did as I asked.

Once we were wrapped in each other's arms and under the covers, I asked, "What's wrong?"

"This fight," he replied. "It has taken its toll on me. I've been fighting with them for ten years. I can taste the freedom. I can fucking feel it," he growled. "And it terrifies me to think that something is going to happen and I won't get out of it." He quickly added, "I don't doubt you. Never think that. I trust you with my life. It's just that I've been fighting this for so long and I've gotten nowhere. I don't want this to be another let down."

"And it won't be. We will win this. You're not fighting this alone this time. You have me and since you have me, what could possibly go wrong? Huh?"

That made him laugh.

"That's what I wanted to see. I'm with you, Eric," I said. "We have a plan and it's going to work." I then shrugged my shoulders. "Regardless of what happens, I'm with you. I'm always with you."

A faint smile appeared on his face as he lightly kissed me.

"Now, you lie here," I suggested. "I'll run us a hot bath and then we can go to bed, okay? We'll relax and then ... OH!" I yelled. "I will run the bath. You get the wine. And once were drunk and relaxed, we're going to forget all about the troubles of today." I frowned and said, "And you know what? I think that from now on, we'll not talk about work in our bedroom. This will be our sanctuary."

His smile broadened as he held me tighter to him. "Our bedroom?" he asked.

"Our bedroom," I confirmed. I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom but before going, I looked at him and said, "You fighting the Maddens alone, is over, Eric. You don't have to fight them anymore. You're free to do and be whomever you want to be. They have no hold over you … the Maddens. You're free."

He crossed his arms behind his head and smiled at me.

And after that party, he never realized how true that statement truly was.