Vidal! (Snakes Henchmen MC 6)

“Because Hammer and I stumbled upon your sister in the middle of the road yelling for Merlin. From what I gather, she shouldn't be out in the middle of the night alone.”

“I'm on my way.” Roman slams the phone down, and I just shake my head. He has no idea where we are, yet I guarantee he'll find us in minutes.

“What will I do if I can't find Merlin, Hammer?”

“We will find him, darlin'.”

“But he's lost, and I'm so sad!”

“What breed is he?” I ask only because I'm going to send my men out looking for the damn thing. I don't think I've ever seen anyone as sad over a pet as this young woman.

“German Shepherd. Big motherfucking thing.”

“Lorenzo?” I snap my fingers, and he comes running like always.

“Boss?”

“This little lady has lost her dog. I want you to take a quick look around for him. His name is Merlin, and he's a German Shepherd. Merlin is Leah's service dog, so do all you can to find him.” Lorenzo nods and leaves.

Hammer manages to persuade Leah to go with him back to his house. No one is home because Willow is with Marnie, and my nephews are with their grandmother. I only hope Willow doesn't go into labor with her third child until after the wedding. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to meet my new nephew, and he's due any day now, but I'd rather he come after the wedding. I want no drama, good or bad.

Hammer leads Leah into the house, flipping on the light as he goes. I turn to Tony. “Let me know the moment Lorenzo gets back.”

“Some bachelor party this turned out to be.”

I chuckle and shake my head. “You know that's not what tonight was. Let me just deal with this and then you can get back to Amy.”

“There's no rush.”

I tip my head and make my way inside. “... So, I took him out to pee,” Leah is telling my brother why she was out so late alone. She's talking so quickly that I'm finding it hard to understand everything she's saying. “Then I looked and looked and then you came. Is this your brother?” She stops ranting and smiles at me.

In the light of the room, I can tell she's Roman's sister; she looks just like him, her skin tone is a little darker maybe. She's stunningly beautiful and looking at her; there's no way to tell she has autism. Talking to her, it's obvious.

“Yes, this is Draven.”

Leah rushes over to me and grabs my hand. “It's nice to meet you!”

“Leah!” She jumps and pulls away from me. Roman stares me down while telling his sister, “Come here, right now!”

I watch as Leah hangs her head and makes her way over to Roman. “Are you mad at me, Roman?”

“No.” Leah sighs. Roman tips her head so he can look at her. “I'm not mad at you, Leah. I was worried about you, and that makes it seem like I'm mad. I'm not. I'm just relieved that you're okay. What are you doing out at this hour though? Where the hell is Mom and Dad?”

“Merlin needed the potty. Mom and Dad are sleeping, so I let Merlin into the yard, but the gate was open, and he ran away. I chased him, but I couldn't catch him, and now I can't find him.”

Leah starts crying again, and Roman holds her to him. I fold my arms around my body as the man gives me the evil eye. I smirk at him because I'm trying not to laugh. He won't intimidate me, so I have no idea why he's trying.

“It's okay, sweetheart, we'll find Merlin.”

“But what if something bad happens to him? He's my best friend. He has to come home!”

My phone buzzes in my pocket. It's a text from Lorenzo, he's found the dog, and he's on his way here. Thank God because I have an early start tomorrow. I cannot be late for my own wedding because I slept in!

“Lorenzo has found the dog. He’ll be here any minute.”

“He found my Merlin?” The excited smile on the young woman's face has me smiling despite myself.

I nod and smile.

Roman leads Leah outside to be reunited with her beloved dog. Hammer clasps my shoulder. “Thanks.”

“For what?” I narrow my eyes.

“For sending Lorenzo out to look for that damn dog. Leah would have been lost without him. She was unable to go anywhere alone before Roman got Merlin for her.”

I never thought anything about service dogs before. I never had to. Maybe I should. I’m sure Amber would benefit from a service dog.

I'll put it to Marnie, see what she thinks. I'll do anything to make sure Amber doesn't struggle with anything in this life. If I can help make things a little easier for her, then I will. I need to do my research first to make sure any dog Marnie and I choose is capable of being what Amber needs.

Amber struggles with getting to the bathroom on time, she struggles with concentration, and she always needs to be holding something while she sleeps. A service dog could help her with those things. It could also help her with her confidence when it comes to being around people.

“What are you thinking about? You seem miles away.”

I look at Hammer. “I'm thinking it might be a good idea to get Amber a service dog.”

“Would do wonders for her confidence, Draven. She's a beautiful little girl, they both are, but Amber will never really be like Lydia. There will be times when she won't be able to do everything Lydia can. Having a dog like the one Leah has is a great idea. Merlin was the best thing to have happened to Leah. She's a very different young lady to whom she was before that dog came along.”

I nod in thought. Whatever I can do to help Amber have a better life, then I'll do it. Even if I hate dogs.

“Why don't you go shower and get some sleep? I'll see Roman out. You have a big day tomorrow, brother.”

I nod, clasp his shoulder and walk away. I call Tony to let him know he can leave, Lorenzo too, and I ready myself for sleep. Not that it will come easy, I'm excited about tomorrow, and not in my own bed.

Just a few short hours, and you will be forever m

ine, Marnie. I will own you completely and there's no way you'll ever be able to leave me.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Marnie

My first wedding was not a good one. The whole thing was hell. It may have been a huge wedding, the church, the big white dress, fancy cars, but it was all bullshit. I hated every moment of it. I even imagined myself screaming No! at the altar.

Of course, I didn't do that, I stood there and said my vows, even if they were lies in front of God. I didn't even know the man I was marrying. I'd met him only a few times before that day. We hadn't even had a conversation. Mainly because he did nothing but talk about himself.

Our wedding night was when I cried my heart out in the bathroom of the hotel Paul took me to. After he'd forced himself on me that is. I didn't feel ready for sex. I'd given birth just weeks prior, and the delivery had been hard. I was scared to even show Paul my body. I tried to tell him that I wasn't ready for sex without telling him the reason why. That pig just laughed and literally tore the dress from my body.

He was so rough with me that he left bruises all over me.

He heard me crying in the bathroom when he came to check on me. Somehow, he made me realize that I had to make my marriage work. He spoke softly to me, told me that he would never hurt me again, that he hadn't meant to hurt me the way he did. That was the way he liked sex, he said. He didn't realize I wouldn't like it also. So, I promised Paul that I would try to be a good wife.

How is it that I allowed Hank to rule my life the way he did?

Why did I stay with a man who took to beating and humiliating me the way Paul did?

Because of the little girls, I have just tucked into bed, that's why. They are the reason why I allowed my father to rule my life; that's why I did what he told me. They are why I didn't stand up to Paul more. I couldn't lose my little girls completely. I couldn't risk Paul finding out about them and confronting my father about it. Hank would have made sure I never saw my babies ever again.

I knew I'd one day find a way to get away from Paul. Once I had, I would have found a way to get my little girls back. I would have done whatever I had to do to be in their lives. However, it wasn't me who fixed everything. It was Draven who did that. He has made everything right for me and my girls, our girls. He's a wonderful father to them, and they love him so much, especially Lydia.