“He was desperate, Preciosa. A desperate man will take volatile actions.”
“Zeke isn’t reckless. Trust me, Diego, that wasn’t a desperate move on his part. He thought it out. He planned it.”
“Perhaps, but when a man feels as though he is out of all other options, he would try things he might normally never consider. But even you must see that his heart is in the right place, yes?”
Honor shifted anxiously in the chair before lifting her eyes to meet Diego’s. “He hurt me, Diego, and he promised me he’d never do that,” she confided in a low voice.
“Did he hurt you, niña? Or is it more accurate to say that the truth injured you more than your Sheriff did?”
Honor dropped her gaze to the tiled floor. “Some of both, I suppose,” she admitted. “I was just caught so off guard, Diego. I know that I’ve got some problems. Anyone that knows me knows that. It’s just…talking about them…in public,” she continued with a grimace. “It’s just so humiliating.”
Diego shook his head. “Why do you allow what was done to you to bring you shame, little one? You survived, Honor. Having a father like mine was, I saw atrocities committed against women all too often. While it guts me, it isn’t uncommon in the world I came from. Esteban is a cold, cruel man and he wasn’t shy about showing that side of himself to a woman. In fact, he prided himself on being ruthless. It sickens me, and it was one of the many reasons I made the choice to topple his empire. But those women he hurt and used, so many of them never got back up. They thought it was easier to die than to get back up and live. It saddens me every day to remember the things I’ve seen. But you, Honor…you are not like them. You fought to survive. No matter where those remaining monsters are, you defied and defeated them simply by getting back up. It takes incredible strength and courage. And if you can do that, I believe you can handle most anything. Including the therapy your family wants you to have.”
Staring into space, Honor blinked back tears. “I’m afraid of what I’ll remember, Diego. I’m terrified it will finally finish breaking me…and breaking Zeke. He deserves to move on with his life. To find someone and be happy with her.”
Diego nodded. “I agree; Ezekiel Monroe is a good and honorable man that has earned the right to possess a woman of his own to love and cherish. But what you haven’t grasped, Honor, is that he’s found her. You and the sheriff need each other, preciosa. Hang onto each other and get through this,” he urged vehemently. “A blind man could see that you both bring each other peace, my dear. We’ve all witnessed this. Without each other, you are both no more than two empty husks of a person. But united, you make a whole being, perfectly in sync with each other. I can tell you without hesitation that if I ever got the opportunity to have back the other half of my soul, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make my way back to her. Don’t let senseless pride keep you from the one that makes your heart beat. Don’t waste a second of the time you have with those you love in this life, Honor. I learned that the hard way with my Vanessa,” he murmured, mentioning Jake’s sister and his former lover. “Just go talk to him, Honor. For your sake, try to find a way to forgive him and put things right. Put your stubborn pride away and think with your heart.”
Honor knew that Diego’s woman had been killed by his father, and though the pain was decades old, it was still an injury to the man’s heart that had never healed. She couldn’t imagine living her life every day if Zeke was gone from her world. The mere thought made her stomach pitch and roll.
“He might not even want to talk to me after the way I acted,” she worried out loud, nervously fiddling with her necklace as she stared at Diego with apprehensive eyes.
“That’s as unlikely as it is that I will sprout wings and fly. You’re looking for reasons to delay the inevitable. You cannot hide from your life forever in this house. Sooner or later, your sheriff and your sisters will tear it down, piece by piece to get to you. The only thing that’s held them back for this long is the twice a day phone call they get from me, assuring them that you are alright.”
“You’ve been talking to them?” Honor’s jaw dropped.
“Why do you think you’ve been left alone? Honor, you must ask yourself if you want the good Sheriff back in your life badly enough to accept the therapy you need in order to keep him there.”
Silent for a long minute, Honor’s mind recalled the last several lonely days. She couldn’t sleep without him. She didn’t have any appetite for food. And almost every waking second, he consumed her thoughts. Was the price she’d pay by going to therapy worth having Zeke back in her life?
The answer was obvious.
Meeting Diego’s eyes, she stood. “I’m going to get changed. You’ll drive me to him, won’t you?”
Diego’s espresso colored eyes twinkled. “Sí, niña. I will take you as soon as you are ready.”
Chapter Fifteen
5:15 am
Honor
Honor sat, statue still, gazing out the clear glass window of Diego Fuentes’ Escalade at Zeke’s adorable Cape Cod bungalow. Situated just minutes from her parents’ farmhouse, she used to enjoy knowing how close he lived to her, his proximity offering her an extra layer of safety. Today, she wished the distance between their homes had been further so that she would have had a few additional minutes to prepare for seeing him again.
She hadn’t called. She probably should have, but honestly, she hadn’t wanted to give him the chance to refuse to see her. She wouldn’t blame him after the way she’d spoken to him almost a week ago, but she thought that maybe if he saw her face and knew how sorry she was, he’d allow her to plead her case with him.
She knew he was in there. His SUV sat parked under the covered carport. Ice must still be staying with him, too, since his old truck was pulled behind Zeke’s boat. Thankfully, she knew Zeke was an early riser, often waking before the sun was even up so at least she wouldn’t be pulling him out of his bed to talk to her.
“Honor,” Diego’s soft, accented voice prodded gently, “Nothing will be solved here in the front seat of my vehicle, querida.”
“I’ve really screwed things up this time, Diego. You heard the things that I said to him the last time we saw each other. Ezekiel may not even want to see me,” Honor mumbled as she lifted her thumb to chew her nail nervously. “What if he tells me to leave?”
“Then you will turn around and get back into my car and I will take you home, and you will be able to know that at least you tried,” Diego responded easily. “But I seriously doubt that your Sheriff would ever send you away. Especially since he calls me several times a day to ask if you are alright. You are frightened for nothing, Little One.”
“Ice is in there, too,” she murmured, staring at the deep red front door. “He hates me.”
“I seriously doubt that. No one I know could ever hate you. He might be concerned for his brother much like your sisters worry for you, but I very much doubt he hates you at all.”
Eyeing the stone path that led to the front door, Honor swallowed hard. “Will you go up there with me?”
Diego offered Honor a tender smile as he reached over to squeeze her hand. “Si, preciosa. We will go together.”
Honor nodded as she reached out to unlock her door. Waiting until Diego climbed out and circled the vehicle to open her door, she took a deep breath as she hopped down from her seat onto the gravel driveway. Finding it unseasonably warm for a late April morning, Honor quickly shrugged out of her forest green cardigan and threw it back into the car. Adjusting her heather gray t-shirt, she rubbed her sweating palms against the skinny legged khaki’s she’d chosen to wear.
“You ready?” she heard Diego question quietly as she heard the birds chirping in the trees overhead.
Marching up the pathway to the house before she lost her courage, Honor stepped up on the porch and rang the doorbell, holding her breath. Seconds later, when the door opened to reveal a sleepy eyed, less than welcoming face of Ice Monroe standing just over the threshold, she f
elt her heart plummet. Much like folks thought about a crypt keeper, he was the last person she wanted to see or talk her way past. “Ice,” Honor murmured uncomfortably. “Is your brother here?”
Zeke’s older brother simply raised an eyebrow. “That depends,” he offered with a disapproving look down at the woman standing in front of him. “You finally decide to pull your head out of your butt? Or are you just here to fuck with his emotions some more, Honor? Because if you are, you can just turn that cute little ass of yours around and go back the way you came,” he suggested, gesturing toward the highway behind her.
Honor’s teeth clenched at Ice’s condemning tone. “First off, don’t you speak to me that way. I’m sick to death of your rudeness, Ice, and I’m done putting up with it. If you want to continue acting like a jerk, you can do me the courtesy of telling me what exactly I’ve done to offend you,” she ordered with a violent whisper.
“Me? Nothing at all, Honor. I just don’t happen to see you as the Princess of Paradise County the way my brother does. See, I’ve grown a little weary of seeing my poor bastard of a brother moping around, waiting for you to see what’s right in front of your face. I’m sick to death of watching him put his heart and soul on the line in an effort to make sure you get the help you obviously need. Christ almighty, girl, I get it. You’ve seen the evil shit men can do. Got that memo. But you’ve also seen good men willing to put their own lives on the line for the women they love. Your daddy was one of those. So was your uncle. And in case you had your head buried in the sand, all your brothers-in-law would die for your sisters. So if you're here to fuck with Zeke’s head some more…”
“Not that it’s any affair of yours, Zachariah, but I am here to apologize and try to make things right with Ezekiel. What I’m not here to do is take your abuse. Either move aside so that I can try to repair some of the damage I did or tell me to go and not come back.”
“I strongly suggest you move aside and allow the young senorita to talk to the sheriff, Señor Monroe. Otherwise I feel certain you’ll have a problem with not only myself, but tu hermano as well,” Diego Fuentes’ menacing voice agreed as he nailed Ice with a look that would have chilled a lesser man.
Ice shrugged, his broad shoulders rising and falling carelessly as he scratched his belly. “That a threat from the great Mexican thug of Paradise County?” Ice asked with a cold smile.
“You may take it as exactly such,” Diego returned dangerously as he pressed closer to Honor’s back, his dark eyes simmering with anger.
Looking between the two posturing alpha males, Honor rolled her eyes. “For heaven’s sake! Stop it! Both of you. Ice is just bein’ an – excuse my language – an asshat!”
Ice’s eyes drifted back to Honor’s face as his lips twitched slightly in amusement. “An asshat?”
“If the sombrero fits, amigo,” Diego murmured as he directed an evil grin toward the other man.
Ignoring Diego, Ice stared into Honor’s eyes, and he asked his next question softly. “You for real? You wanna fix things?”
Honor’s cheeks flushed. Discomfited, she shifted under his scrutinizing gaze. “Yes,” she admitted huskily, hanging her head. “I was… I was awful to him, and I need to make it right. Over the last few days, I’ve come to realize that while I don’t know what Zeke and I will ultimately end up being, I need him in my life. I miss him something fierce, Ice. Please, let me try and apologize.”
“You miss him enough that you’re gonna finally agree to get the help you need in order to try and figure out exactly what y’all are gonna be to each other?” Ice questioned in a low voice. “Because honest to God, Honor, I’m not sure how much more of this my brother can take. Emotionally, he’s walking a thin line since you and he fought.”
Jerking alarmed eyes up to Ice’s serious face, Honor nodded. “I’m going to try, Ice. I promise.”
Lifting his hand to cup Honor’s jaw, Ice’s harsh face softened a bit. “You’re a good girl, Honor. You always have been, but that stubbornness of yours…it’s your one flaw, darlin’. Don’t let it be your downfall.”
Honor nodded.
“He’s out back with Thunder and Lightning cleaning out the fence row,” Ice shared.
“Already?” Honor asked.
“Without you, Zeke’s been like a man possessed, honey. If he doesn’t keep his hands busy, he finds himself in a fight. Usually with me. I’m hoping that you can put a stop to that. I don’t think my jaw can handle any more of my little brother’s right hooks,” he said, reaching up to gingerly prod his cheek. “Do me a favor and put the poor bastard out of my misery. You know where the back door is better than me,” he invited, flapping his hand toward the kitchen.
“Do you need me to stay, querida?” Diego asked, touching Honor’s arm lightly before she could charge toward the back door.
Looking to Ice for guidance, the other man scoffed. “He ain’t gonna tell you to leave, Honor, if that’s what you’re worried ‘bout.”
Honor nodded before turning to Diego. “I think I’ll be okay,” she murmured. “Thank you so much for everything, Diego.”
Brushing a kiss to her forehead, Diego squeezed her arm. “If you need me, I’ll be at your café. Would it be safe to tell your sisters that you’ll see them tomorrow morning or are you going to take a few more days’ vacation?”
“Tell them I’ll see them all tomorrow. It’s time to act like a grown up again,” she declared with a faint smile.
“Good girl,” Diego praised, winking at her.
“Thank God,” Ice groaned. “I love Miss Orla, but she’s burned my eggs every single morning this past week.”
“Are you sure that wasn’t intentional?” Honor asked as she stepped into Zeke’s living room. “That’s pretty much her go-to move when she’s angry at a customer.”
“Well, I did send back my eggs the first day for being runny,” Ice mused, sighing heavily.
“Mystery solved,” Honor returned with a cheeky smile before hurrying toward the glass patio doors that led onto Zeke’s back deck as Ice muttered a curse behind her.
5:30 am
Zeke
“God damn it!” Zeke hissed angrily as he drew back his hand as the thorns from the wild rose bush tore at his flesh. An hour ago, it had seemed like such a good idea to take his bad mood out on the weeds clogging up the wooden fence at the back of his property. Unfortunately, now all he wanted to do was lift his leg and use his boot to kick down the old wood boundary marker. Of course, his neighbor wouldn’t be too happy since it was actually their fence.
Shirtless and sweating, he pulled his white handkerchief from the back pocket of his faded jeans and swiped at his damp face. Looking up to see his brother’s two giant Rottweilers, Thunder and Lightning, chasing each other through the yard, he shook his head. Now that was a life he could enjoy, he thought as he watched the animals play. Those pups had nothing more serious to do than compete in a game of tug of war with an old frayed rope they’d found on his deck. He envied them their simple life. He lifted a hand to adjust the battered old brown cowboy hat on his head before he bent over and grabbed his bottle of water off the ground.
Tilting the plastic bottle to his lips, he ignored the sound of the opening patio doors behind him. Probably his brother, come to yap some more about how he was wasting his life waiting for a woman who didn’t want him. If Zeke had to listen to his big brother’s philosophies regarding the opposite sex one more time, he was going to finally just break the guy’s jaw so the doctor could wire it shut.
At least then he wouldn’t be forced to listen to Ice’s bullshit about how women were born fickle and the best a man could hope for was to catch her on a day where she wasn’t either PMSing or hormonally imbalanced.
“I told you to leave me the fuck alone, dickhead. I’m not in the mood for any more of your bullshit, Ice,” Zeke warned before draining the water from the bottle with a few quick swallows.
“Well, I’m not your brother, but I wouldn’t blame you if
you directed those same sentiments at me. I probably deserve them a lot more than he does,” a soft, sweet voice remarked from the raised deck of his house.
Zeke dropped the empty water bottle with numb fingers as he jerked around to face the woman behind him with a slack jaw. Unable to believe what he was seeing, he whispered, “Honor?”
Watching as she nodded slowly, Zeke felt his heart begin to pound. He’d waited for this moment. He’d prayed for it. Imagined it in a hundred different ways and planned for it in a thousand.
But nothing… nothing could have ever prepared him for it. For her.
“Do you want me to go?” she asked faintly, her fingers tapping nervously against her leg as she met his gaze with a worried frown. “You do. You want me to go,” she whispered, her face turning beet red the longer Zeke stayed silent. “It’s okay. I understand. I can go,” she said when he continued to remain mute, still and staring at her as though she was a ghost.
Fuck, her leaving was the last thing on Earth he wanted, he thought desperately. Jolted into action when he saw her spin back toward the sliding door, Zeke bolted toward her. “Honor, no! Don’t leave.” He quickly climbed the wooden steps of the deck, finally reaching her level to face her. A thousand thoughts ran through his jumbled mind as he got a good look at her after almost a week apart. She appeared worn and a lot paler than he liked, and her eyes appeared bruised, standing out on her face because of the dark circles she wore underneath them. Her t-shirt seemed to swallow her tiny frame, and if he had to guess, he’d bet she’d lost at least ten pounds. And while he knew he didn’t look much better than her after a week apart, it still bothered him that he hadn’t been around to take care of her. God damn it, he should have never stayed away from her this long, he mentally berated himself. To hell with giving her the space she needed… if this was what happened when he entrusted her care to other people, she could just learn to deal with his presence in her life.
Of course, she was here now, and that had to mean something, right? “Honor, what are you doing here? Did something happen to you? Where the hell is Diego?” he asked sharply, looking around for the man that was supposed to be keeping her safe while he couldn’t.
Man of Honor (Passion in Paradise Book 4) Page 24
