“I told her that she could raise the baby alone, that Hawk and I would help her. She'd always have a home with us. You know what she said?”
“No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me,” I say with a sigh while folding my arms around my body.
‘Thank you for being here for me, I really do appreciate it, but Draven wants to take care of us. I know this might seem like he's bullying me into something I don't want to do, but it's not as bad as you may think. I don't hate the man; he won't hit me or cheat on me. He'll love our baby, and that's why I'm doing this, for my baby. He or she deserves the father we never had. The father your children have.’
“That's what she said, and that’s why I supported her in this because it's what she wanted, but you promised me that she would never be hurt and look what's...” Her face is suddenly ashen as she looks at something over my shoulder.
Everyone turns to look in that direction, even me. A tall, stocky guy, dark-haired, looks like he's been in more fights than a boxer, is walking towards us, totally ignoring my security guy.
“You ain't going no further,” Lorenzo tells him. After everything, that man went through after my father shot him and he's still one of the most loyal men I've ever met.
“Your kind don't get to tell me what to do!”
“What the fuck did you just say?!”
“Lorenzo?” He looks at me, still with one eye on the fat shit in front of him. “Let him through.” Prick smirks, but I block him from going any further. “Who are you and what do you want?”
“Brooke, come here!” He waves her over. I turn my head. She looks like she's about to crap herself. I've seen fear in a person’s eyes many times before, but Brooke's are filled with terror. Nevertheless, she comes walking over, slowly. “This is what you and that other little bitch associate yourselves with?”
“What the fuck did you just say to my wife?!” Brooke leans back against Hawk, her rock, I can see.
Hawk, from what I know of him, is a good man, loyal as they come. Brooke and Marnie's family had a problem with him because his mother is biracial. Brooke gave birth to their first child, not even knowing before the moment she pushed him into the world that she was expecting him. Her father beat the crap out of her, told her that he was having the kid adopted.
Brooke waited for everyone to fall asleep before leaving that place and walking miles in the middle of the night to get back to the man she'd been forced away from in order to ask for his help in keeping their baby safe. Brooke loved Hawk and wanted to be with him. They wanted to be a family. She cut off her racist family for the man she loves, and that takes some damn courage.
I can't even begin to imagine what it was like being raised by that family.
Racist cunt’s, the lot of them.
It hits me in the face like a sledgehammer as I look at this man, he's either their brother or an uncle. He doesn't look like Marnie and Brooke as such, but I can see hints of Brooke around his eyes. He looks quite a bit older than them though.
“Keep your monkey on its leash, Brooke.”
Smack.
Brooke smacked him so hard across the face that I felt it. “You wanna be here, Peter, then you show some respect to my husband. He is a hundred times the man you will ever be!”
Peter, as she called him, rubs the very red mark on his face as he stares at Brooke in anger. Hawk clasps the back of her neck with pride.
“This man here is Marnie's fiancé, Draven Vidal.”
“I know who he is! And Marnie will not be marrying anyone. She's already married, and she is going back to her husband, or she'll lose the one thing she would rather die than lose. I just came to check the kid was gone before I take her home. Paul ain't gonna want to take on a half-breed.”
“What the fuck did you just say?” I stand in front of him, chest to chest. Who the fuck is this cunt?! He's damn brave talking like this in front of me.
“Peter,” Brooke doesn't give him the chance to answer me, even though he hasn't taken his eyes off me yet. Good. He's in the best place for treatment should I cap the cunt right now. “Did you hurt Marnie? Tell me! Did you hurt our sister?” Brother. I knew it.
“I didn't intend to hurt...” That's all I needed to hear. One look to Lorenzo and the other two men guarding Marnie's room and the prick is taking the long walk to... Never mind that. I'll deal with him later. Sonofabitch isn't even protesting as they lead him away!
“Draven, I'm so sorry,” Brooke looks at me with pleading eyes; this is in no way her fault, and fuck, I blamed Paul when it wasn't him. Why the fuck should I care? I still want the pricks head mounted on a plaque.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. However, that racist piece of shit will be dead before the nights out. No one will ever get away with hurting my girl. No one!”
Brooke closes her eyes before turning her head into Hawk's chest. She shouldn't be upset over that piece of scum. I suppose the guy is still her brother, but it's time the girl learned to cut off the dead weight and cast it out.
“Baby, he's nothing to you. He stood by and watched your father beat the hell out of you for being with me. He could've killed you. Peter could've killed Marnie. She fought so hard to get away from those people, just as you did. You're both happy here with Draven and me, right?”
“Of course. I love you, Hawk, more than anything in this world. I know Marine has fallen for Draven. I see it in her eyes.”
I breathe deeply. Marnie has never said anything of the sort, but if Brooke sees it, maybe what I feel isn't one-sided after all. Maybe when I get her home, I'll tell her how I feel. Perhaps then she'll find the courage to tell me how she feels in return.
“Then you know why we can't let men like him hurt you anymore.”
“Brooke,” Maria strokes Brooke's back. I'm not a complete monster, not these days at least, Maria softened my heart, Jessica melted it, and Marnie took the last piece I had. Between them, they've shown me that I am the man they believe me to be. In some ways, at least. “No matter what people believe, I know Dray loves Marine. It may not have started out that way, but he's fallen for her. They've fallen for each other, and he meant what he said when he told you he would never allow anybody to hurt her again. Please trust that he'll protect her.”
Damn straight I will.
Until we find Paul, I think I'll have a little fun with Peter. Show him what happens when you mess with Draven Vidal and what's his.
* * *
I sit beside Marnie's bed alone, just watching her sleep. She's pale, bruised, beautiful. I sent everyone home. It's late, and Marnie's sister and mine needed rest. Brooke is almost ready to pop, and all this stress can't be good for her. She only agreed to go home because the doctor told us Marnie would probably sleep till morning.
I take my girl’s hand in mine and kiss her knuckles. With my fingertip, I move a stray piece of her blonde hair from her face and close my eyes.
What if I'd lost her?
I thought I had made sure Marnie was safe, but this has floored me because it was her own brother who did this. My stomach is still sick with anger. I suppose because I always have a man outside the house watching over Marnie. Where was the guy this time? Where the hell was Tom? Not doing his fucking job, that's for sure.
He won't get away with this. I pay him a fortune to make sure my girl is safe when I'm not with her. Cunt couldn't do his job right, and for that, he'll lose his life.
There are no exceptions in my world. None whatsoever!
Looking at Marnie now, so battered, something inside of me churns.
Anger?
Fear?
Both?
I honestly don't think I'd be able to deal with the pain if anything took her away from me. I never thought I'd love her like I now realize I do. I thought I had my heart locked tightly away. I've heard those three little words more times than I care to remember; women only say them when it benefits them.
Like my ex-wife. She screamed those words over and over before I killed her. I k
ept my hands around her throat as I squeezed the life out of her, looking into those dark eyes of hers and seeing nothing but the lie within them.
Women don't love men like me, they love the money, and the power fear brings. Nothing more.
Knowing Marnie loves me, I just can't explain how it feels. It feels... real. I may have been cocky in telling her that she'd fall for me, I mean, I was right about her falling into my bed, but I didn't actually think it would happen.
“What would I do without you.” It's not really a question, she's fast asleep, but I need to get what I feel out before it consumes me.