Marnie might be fighting for her life, but our sons are doing well. They've been in the same incubator since the day after they were born. The nurse was right; they're fighting hard to stay with us. I sit with them every day in that darkened room, watching them holding hands. They're going to be strong, close brothers when they're older. They're Vidal's through and through, and I pity the world when they're grown. They'll be a force to be reckoned with, that much I do know already.
I haven't seen much of Lydia and Amber, what with visiting my wife and son's and then working on finding who did this to them. They're staying with Brooke. I couldn't leave them with Maria because she's got enough going on with taking care of Jessica and getting ready for the birth of her baby. Jett informed me that Maria isn't coping too well with what's going on right now, so putting more pressure on her is a resounding no. I wish I could be there for Maria, but I can't right now.
I would have left the girls with Hammer's wife, but she's busy with work and her own three little ones, and Brooke seems to have clung to Lydia and Amber through all of this, and they love being with her.
I call my little girls every night so they can hear my voice before they go to bed. Amber doesn't really know what's going on; she thinks she's having a huge sleepover. To Amber, a day is like a minute. She's okay. I know she is.
Lydia, she's such a brave little girl, always telling me that it's okay that I'm not there with her. ‘Don't worry, Daddy, I love you. Everything is going to be okay. I'll take care of Amber. You help Mommy, and the twins get better so you can all come home to us.’ That's what she tells me every night right before I hear her sniffing back tears.
This can't go on. I need to be with her, with both of them, even if it's just for one night. However, it can't be this night; I have somewhere to be. I know what happened to Marine, I know who did this to her. I knew the very next day after it happened. I'm Draven Vidal, and if I want something sorted it's done within hours. This was no different.
I had to be damn sure I'd gotten it right before I attacked. I wanted every last detail, because this time, no fucker is getting away with anything!
I spoke to Tom and found out he'd made sure Marnie and the kids were safe in the house before taking off on an errand that I sent him on. With all the worry over Marnie, it had slipped my mind. That has never happened to me before. I'm losing my touch if I'm starting to forget things like that.
Tom has been an asset ever since I almost blew his head off. He hasn't once stopped working to help deal with this whole mess. I heard Tom telling Tony how he feels torn. He feels like he failed Marnie, whom he considers his friend, and he can't shake himself out of it. I don't pay him to be friends with my wife; I pay him to protect her!
Marnie would tell me that she trusts Tom and that he is her friend. She's told me more than once since I put Tom in charge of guarding her that she likes the fact Tom speaks to her with respect, and that he makes her feel comfortable. She's even able to laugh with him. It annoys me because he's supposed to keep his mouth shut and keep his distance. I thought she wanted freedom, but Marnie had a way of showing me that she was happier knowing Tom was following her when she knew she could just turn around and have a conversation with him if she so wished. That's the only reason I had before fired the prick.
I won't stand with the man and talk about Marnie. I won't even let him tell me anything about her. He works for me; therefore he keeps his trap shut unless I ask him a question.
Regardless, he worked hard with Hammer to figure out who was behind Marnie's attack and how it happened. He mentioned something about an older woman bumping into Marnie in town. Tom made sure to tell me that he rushed right over there to make sure Marnie was okay, especially since she had the girls with her. The woman walked away, and Marnie got on with her day.
Hammer then went through Marine's phone, pulling up every message sent to her over the past few months. Yeah, she had a new phone, but everything sent to her was easily recovered thanks to Hammer's biker pal, Trace, and his ability to find anything and everything through his tracking apps or otherwise. It also helps that Trace can tap into the phone companies records. It didn't take him long to find the vile death threats from Paul Simpson's mother. Fucking bitch!
I couldn't believe Marnie hadn't told me about what had been going on. What the hell was she thinking?! I could have dealt with the bitch before any of this happened. If Marnie had told me, she wouldn't be in a damn coma, and my sons would still be safe inside their mother!
No, I can't think like that. This isn't Marnie's fault, it's mine for not screening her damn texts and calls like I usually would. I stupidly thought with a new phone I wouldn't have to screen anything. She didn't know anyone but her sister and couple of the MC girl's, and few of the wives of my men. None of them would do anything to hurt her. I don't know how that bitch got Marnie's new number, but I'm going kill her in the worst way!
I had to take time out of my day last week to speak with Amy. She stormed into the hospital with a determination in her eyes that even I hadn't seen before. Amy told me that she would kill every member of Paul Simpson's family with her bare hands. I told her that I would deal with it, that she was too pregnant for me to allow her to fight this battle.
Amy had been coming by the hospital to see Marnie right from the beginning, but it wasn't until that day did I realize just how much my wife's friendship meant to Amy. She held Marnie's hand and sobbed while begging her to wake up. Tony held her tightly and told her things would be okay soon.
Amy pulled away from Tony, pulled something out of her bag, a manilla folder, and told me, ‘I found him, Boss. On these pages, you will find Paul Simpson's location and who helped him hide from you.’ Turns out she'd been doing her own investigation, and she'd done what the rest of us couldn't. Amy is more valuable to me than I first realized.
Thanks to Amy's investigation, we found Paul Simpson hiding out in a cabin in the woods, not twenty miles from here. I should have realized he'd be hiding close to home. I didn’t, and that's on me, but I have him now. He was dragged back to his fucked up family, and I'm gonna end the lot tonight!
They're all locked up like damn dogs in a place they'll never get out of. Couldn't give two fuckin' shits what my men are doing to them, as long as they don't physically hurt the kids. Everyone else? I don't give a damn!
Death is coming for all of them, even the kids. I know I said I don't kill children, but I won't have one single member of that fucked up family left alive. Not one child will be allowed to grow up and seek revenge on me and mine. This is what happens when you fuck with Draven Vidal!
I stand next to my son's incubator, my fingers inside the small opening, touching their tiny entwined hands gently with my much bigger finger. I've been able to do this for the past week. Nothing can describe what it felt like the first time I felt their skin against my fingertip. Something struck me deep in my heart. These are my boys, my son's, and they are real. I sucked back a sob that first time. Not just because of how surreal the moment was, but because Marnie should have been there feeling what I was feeling.
I tell them every day about their mommy and how much she loves them, I tell them about their big sister's and how they're going to teach them so many new things as they grow. Lydia and Amber are going to be the best big sister's any little brother could ask for.
“Not long now, boys, your Mommy will be here to see you soon. We all love you. Daddy loves you so much, my little soldiers.” I couldn't love them more if I tried.
God, I wish I knew what to call my smallest boy. I still don't have a name for him, and I hate not being able to call him anything other than son. I won't give him a name though until his mother opens her eyes and tells me to do so.
I make my way to my wife's room. I need to tell her that I love her before I leave here. She's still sleeping when I get to her room. Nothing has changed since she arrived here.
The nurse changing Marnie's piss bag smiles at me. She's all right looking, tall, l
ong legs, blonde haired, green-eyed. Nothing special in the looks department in my opinion, but then, since Marnie came into my life, no woman is anything special.
The nurse tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, her cheeks pink as she bites her lower lip.
In your dreams, sweetheart.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Stupid slut. Does she not realize flirting with me over my wife's comatose body is the ultimate in disrespect?!
I fold my arms around my chest as she tells me, “She's all clean.”
“I should hope so the amount I'm paying you people.”
“Of course,” She smiles shyly. “Is there anything I can get for you, Mr. Vidal?”
“No. However, there is one thing you can do for me.”
“Anything.” She smiles.
God, she's so fuckin' dumb. It's written all over her over-made-up face how much she wants me. There was a time I wouldn't have thought twice about dragging her into the bathroom and fucking her senseless, no matter who was in the hospital bed. This isn't just anyone in a hospital bed though; this is my wife, the mother of my children, my entire life! How dare this fucked up little bimbo disrespect us like this?
“Don't ever look at me like that again.” Her eyes suddenly become wide. She's frightened, and I haven't even said anything to her yet. Must be the way I'm standing. I am a pretty intimidating motherfucker. It's how I used to psych out my opponents in the cage.
Not that I'm trying to frighten this woman, but she's a disrespectful bitch.
“As far as you're concerned, the woman in this bed, my wife! Is God to you. All you should be concerned with is making her comfortable. Not flirting with her husband!”
She swallows so hard I hear the force of it from here. “Yes, Mr. Vidal.”
I don't have fucking time for this; I need to get out of here. I have people to massacre!
I make a point of kissing Marnie's lips and telling how much I love her and only her. I hope in my heart that she can hear me, and I want her to know that no one is worth more to me than she is.
Little miss slut nurse blushes and walks out of the room. Good. I wouldn't touch that if I was desperate. I am desperate, but only for my wife to wake up and come home to me.
Leaving Marnie, I make my way to the car where Tony is waiting for me.
“You all right there, Boss?”
“Just fine, Tony,” I tell him as he holds open the back door for me to climb in. Once the door is closed and he's seated in the driver seat, I tell him, “Let's get this over with.”