Page 60 of Triple Protection
"We're going to have so much fun!" Babygirl says before she takes off toward the pool.
My sister glares at me before she leaves to help with the moving truck. "You better marry her, because if I have to choose between you and her, I'm choosing her." I laugh and shake my head.
Amy and Dad spend the afternoon unpacking the boxes and setting up their new home while Angela, Andy and Liam play in the pool and I catch up on sleep. Later that evening we gather for dinner. It warms my heart to have my family close by. It's been far too long since any of us has had the time to really be together besides a day or two around whatever holiday I could get off from work. Usually, Liam and Alex have to do 12-hours on, 12-hours off when I go to visit family, and I hate asking them to sacrifice for me.
Angela places her plate next to mine and joins us, but not before running her nails down the back of my neck the way that I like.
"Amy, I texted Marshal, my manager, to let him join you'd be working with us. I'll text you his number, too, for whenever you're ready to start working." Angela says with a smile.
"Great. Thank you. I'd like to start tomorrow, if that's alright? At least get an idea of where I could be helpful."
"Of course, I'd love that. Marshal's still a little salty with me for having the boys in the Her Secret photoshoot, but he'll get over it."
I frown at her. He's been passive aggressive about his distain for us ever since we got here. I get the distinct impression he likes being the only man in her life. Well he's going to have to get over it, because we're here to stay.
Chapter forty-two
Angela
Angela
The next week brings a ton of changes. The boys are busy prepping for DigiCon and Amy and I spend every free minute going over the dioceses Marshal sent so I can make connections with the other influencers. I don't do a lot of collaborations with other influencers, but if I find one that matches my brand style, maybe I will.
The pictures from the photoshoot went live on Heather's Her Secret account, so I reposted them onto mine. The response was overwhelming. On my account, most of the comments are glowing and I love how many followers commented that they are going to go to Heather's website to buy a set for themselves. Heather even texted one day to say she was hiring more seamstresses because she had almost sold out of everything. She was taking back orders as quickly as she could and had even been approached by a well-known department store about featuring her brand.
My heart feels so full with that news it aches. This is the reason I'm an influencer. This ability to influence a positive change in someone's life. This feeling of fullness and gratitude. That makes it all worth it.
The photo of me and Brick, however, I posted separately. I wanted it to get its own spotlight. I wanted to showcase how being an amputee doesn't take anything away from a person. I hate thinking about how many years Brick felt "less than" because of his injury. The comments from that post took off as well. I got dozens of comments from other amputees thanking me for the photo. Not that they needed to, of course, but it still means that our photo had a positive influence on how they saw prosthetics.
The American Amputee Foundation even contacted me about doing a collaboration.
Courtney and Kat FaceTimed me earlier congratulating me on how hot the photos were. They could see the chemistry and energy between us all.
Not everyone loved the lingerie pictures, though. My Father texted me to tell me how disappointed he was when a member of his country club recognized me and showed him a picture. How his daughter should have more respect for herself than prostituting herself all over. And how poorly my lack of self-esteem and morals reflected on him. Of course.
My brother texted as well, telling me how pathetic and degrading it was. My sister was eerily silent on the matter.
A lot of the comments on the pictures were lewd and disgusting, but that's normal. I can't control what other people do. I can only control my reactions to them.
"Thank you." Amy says from her desk. I brought in another standing desk into my office so we could work together if she wanted to sneak away from Andy every once in a while, to focus on work.
"For what?" I reply, peering over my shoulder at her. She sits in her chair but turned to look at me. I see the seriousness in her face and turn to give her my complete attention.
"For loving him. For bringing him back to life."
I blush a little. "He's an easy man to love."
"But see, that's the thing. He's not. He has so much baggage from his injury and deployments. He's built walls around his heart, so he doesn't ever get hurt. He doesn't really open up to anyone. But you loved him through those things. You loved him despite those things. And you love him enough to move his entire family closer to him and give him a chance to watch his nephew grow."
I sniff and bite my lower lip, willing myself not to cry. She laughs and shakes her head. "You love him enough to love the other two, too. Because without Liam and Alex, Brick isn't Brick. You love so big and out loud you fell in love with two other men." I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. I didn't know how our little polyamorous relationship would be taken by other people. I honestly don't care what the public thinks. They're not in this relationship, but it would have devastated me if the boys' families didn't approve, and our relationship caused a division. So, the fact that Brick's family knows and accepts and is grateful for it makes my heart overflow.
I don't trust myself not to break down crying, so I walk over and do the only other thing I can think of - and give her a hug.
"Am I interrupting?" Alex asks from the doorway. I pull away and wipe the stray tear on my cheek. "We got some intel back from the PIs we hired. Do you want to hear it?"
I nod before Amy, and I head down the stairs to sit with the rest of the boys.
They're sitting around the dining room table, surrounded by papers. We take our seats and join them.