I right my clothes, take a deep breath and answer the door with a huge smile on my face. Brooke looks amazing. She's wearing a white dress, and her hair is loose around her shoulder. Hawk's even scrubbed up nicely. He's wearing black jeans and a button-down shirt, but I didn't expect him to be in a suit.
“Hi!” Brooke rushes me before I can say anything else, arms around my neck tightly. I rub her back and smile at Hawk over her shoulder.
“It's so good to see you.” Brooke pulls away from me. “You look so good.”
“Did you think I wouldn't?”
“You've been making excuses not to meet up with me, Marnie. What else was I supposed to think?”
“Come in,” I wave them both in. I don't want to talk on the doorstep. I close the door behind him. “I'm sorry, Brooke, I thought us talking would be enough until I was feeling better. I've been sleeping a lot the past week or so. Being ill, drained all of my energy.”
“I get that. I didn't until Draven explained that you were unwell. You could have told me. I would have been here to help take care of you.”
I smile at her. She's so sweet. “That's what I didn't want. I'm so grateful for you, Brooke, but Draven had it covered.”
Draven wraps his arm around my waist and kisses my head. “Shall we go through to the dining room?”
Dinner goes smoothly, lots of laughter, lots of stories. All the while, my sister watches as now and again Draven takes my hand in his and kisses my knuckles. I see the smile on her face each time he does that. I can see that my sister is trusting my judgment when it comes to Draven.
Hawk and Draven talk like old friends, even though I doubt they'll ever really be friends. It's nice that they're trying though, it means a lot to both Brooke and me.
Once dinner is over, we make our way to the den where it's more comfortable. Draven hands Hawk a Scotch while taking one for himself. Brooke and I both opt for sparkling water, and the atmosphere is pleasant.
Draven sits next to me on the sofa, while Brooke sits next to Hawk on the love seat, her hand in his. “So, I had an idea about your dress.”
“Oh, yeah?” Brooke has been on at me all evening about my wedding dress. Not in a bad way, she's just excited, but I haven't known what to tell her. I don't know when the wedding will be because we don't have a definite date yet. I haven't found the dress for me, and I have been looking, it's all I've done each time I've gone past a bridal shop. I can't help myself.
“Well, why don't you let Avery design your dress? She did an amazing job on mine.” I can't deny that. Brooke's wedding dress was stunning, but I don't know if that's what I want.
“That is a wonderful idea, Brooke.” I look at Draven, I want to tell him that I'm not sure, but he's smiling so wide. Having his cousin design my dress would obviously mean a lot to him.
“Yay!” Brooke claps her hands excitedly and sits forward in her seat. “I'll talk to her tomorrow, she and I are meeting up to talk about Maria's birthday surprise. Why don't you come too, Marnie? We can talk to Maria about designing you some wedding jewelry! Oh, man, this is perfect!”
It doesn't look like I have a choice in the matter. Brooke didn't give me the chance to answer her question about meeting them tomorrow, and she's not letting me get a word in about what I want. I've never known my sister to take over like this. Not that she's being malicious or anything, all she's doing is being nice... I guess I'm being selfish.
My eyes catch Hawk's, he smiles at mine, and I smile slightly. Brooke and Draven are busy talking about our wedding and what they can add to it, what shouldn't be included, whom we should invite. I feel like I have no say all of a sudden. It's not like Draven and I have spoken in depth about the wedding, but I thought he would involve me in this conversation.
Oh well, just another wedding I'll have no say in, one I'll have to go along with. I'll pretend none of the details matter when in truth, they really do, to me anyway. I got to do nothing concerning my wedding to Paul, not that I wanted anything to do with it. However, I've gotten used to the idea of marrying Draven, and I wanted us to do everything together, even the tiny little thing.
It probably sounds stupid, but I'd gotten used to the idea of picking out the wedding cake, flowers, even gifts for the bridesmaids with him. I wanted us to pick out a venue that we'd both like, and what food we'd eat, I even wanted to write the guest list and seating plans with Draven. I'm not going to get to do that, and I know that now.
I shouldn't have let myself believe Draven would even want that. I mean, he didn't even want me to cook dinner, so why the hell would I think he'd want to plan a wedding? He's a Mafia Don, not prince charming!
“Baby,” Hawk put his arm around Broke shoulders. She looks up at him with a smile on her face. “Maybe we should be making tracks. We need to collect Gabe from my parents.”
“Oh god, you're right.” She giggles. “I lost track of time there. Draven, if you send me the details for the venue, Maria and I will get on to that. Marnie,” I get out of my seat and let Brooke hug me. “I'll see you tomorrow.” I guess I'm meeting up with Brooke and Avery.
God, this whole wedding is going to get out of hand, and I'm going to have no say in it. I don't want a big wedding. I don't want a repeat of my last wedding either. I need to say something to Draven. If I leave it too long, it will be too late, and then I'll have no one to blame but myself. I don't want to upset anyone, but this is my wedding day we're talking about.
Time to grow a set, Marnie.
Chapter Twelve
Draven
Please, Mr. Vidal! Please don't make me do this.” The sniveling mess at my feet disgusts me. I hate thieves, especially dishonest ones.
What I don't like it having to chase these people. Eldon Myers shouldn't have been here, but as he is, he has the honors of teaching his son why stealing from the Don is wrong.
“When I tell you to do something, you do it.” I nod to Lorenzo. He grabs the back of Chaz Myers head and slams it into his own dining table. Tony holds his hand down, and Chaz doesn't even struggle. A smart man knows it's pointless.
I crouch down in front of Eldon. It's not brave to cry like a baby in front of me. I have no emotions for it. It will not make me think twice about what I'm doing. Begging for someone's life will only anger me and make their death a lot more painful. I haven't asked for Chaz's death. I asked only that he be taught a lesson. However, his father is pissing me off, and I will kill his son if he doesn't shut the fuck up!
I hold out a sh
arp dagger to Eldon. “Either you teach your son a lesson and sever two of his thieving fingers from his hand, or I will blow his brains out. The choice is yours.”
“I don't understand what he's supposed to have stolen.”
I smirk. I don't need to tell this man anything, and I don't intend to. I'll leave him wondering what his precious son did to earn the wrath of the Don. I don't push people or drugs, but I do push guns and ammo, along with other things. This little fuck decided to take a shipment of weapons from my private dock and try to sell them. He should have done his homework better before thinking he'd even get out of the docks with what was mine. He knew he'd been found out when Tony arrived. One of his little pals ratted him out, and he went on the run.
You can't run for long from a man like me. I have too many connections, people who will easily trace you. Chaz Myers is no one special, just some punk who runs delivers for me now and again. How he got information about my shipments is another story. He won't die here today; my men will take him to the warehouse and get that information out of him by any means necessary. Only then will I end his lying, thieving life!
“Dad! Just do it!”
“No! I can't hurt my own son!”
I get to my feet and sigh. “Pity.” I take my gun from my belt and put it to the back of Chaz's head. “I guess I'll just have to...”
“No, wait! Please!” Eldon rushes to get to his feet with the dagger in his hand. “Please don't kill my boy. I'll do what you want.” With snot running down his nose and to his mouth, Eldon Myers swallows hard. My men hold his son down, and Eldon takes a deep breath. I hold mine to see if he'll go through with it.
“Ahhh!” Chaz screams.
I am so fucking impressed right now. The old fuck actually did it. Eldon drops the dagger, eyes wide and looking at the damage he's done to his son’s hand. Tony looks at me and smirks. I nod my head, and both Tony and Lorenzo drag Chaz away, all the while Eldon screaming for them to bring him back.