by M. Skye
Watching them hug, Liam started to feel a little better and then it all changed. While Will seemed calm, the door flew open and in an instant, things boiled out of control. As soon as Will saw the officers rushing the place he pulled up his gun and pushed Brenda to the floor. While her screams floated through the room and the gunshots rang out, Liam stood speechless, watching his brother’s body fall to the floor.
While his mother stayed on the floor with shaky hands, he just turned and walked out of the house. Nothing made sense to him at this moment, and it was possible that it never would again. His brother was dead to him, his life was in shambles, and he was dead broke. But looking ahead, he saw something that made it almost bearable. He saw his future.
Reaching his arms out, he felt the tenderness he had missed; he felt the warmth of her touch. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?” He kissed the side of her head.
Holding her tightly, he looked back to see Alea and Rico standing behind her. “Alea brought me here; she knew where he would take you. We need to talk. We need—”
“I just need you. I don’t need anything else.”
“You have me. You have me and so much more. You’re going to be fine.”
Grabbing her hand, linking their fingers, he pulled her closer. “Let me take you home... please.”
“I’m not going to run; not this time. You’re stuck with me if you want to be.”
“I have to be,” he hugged her tighter. “I can’t breathe without you.”
“Are you okay?”
“No, but I will be. I have no choice. I have you and I have this baby to think about and I’m not going to screw this up. I messed up enough, babe and I’m done with all that. I promised myself that if you came back I would do this right, and I’m going to honor that.”
“You don’t have to do the honorable thing. We have time, we can discuss our options.”
“My only option is being with you; there is nothing else. I love you, okay? I love you and I’m sorry. I will never lie to you again and I need you to know that nothing will ever come between us.”
Turning her around in his arms, they faced the house as the blinking lights continued. He was still a complete mess, but now, at least he had one less thing to worry about. Now that Draya was back, he could relax. Now that he knew who was behind all the mishaps, they could try to rebuild. Holding her tightly as the paramedics rushed past them, he closed his eyes thinking about his brother. Missing all the signs of how lost he truly was would always haunt him. He felt like he should have seen it. Maybe if he had, his brother wouldn’t be lost to him, maybe his father too.
Chapter Ten: Let It Go
“Wow, when they said I had a visitor, I expected someone a little less confrontational, like my soon to be ex. What do I owe this pleasure to? Come to gloat?” Damien hissed as he took a seat in front of the glass, facing Liam and Brenda.
They had spoken about what to do in regards to Will’s guilt in the murders and decided that they needed to come clean about Damien. Will had confessed to Liam about using a bat to kill Draya’s father and Alea had showed them where it was hidden. Now they were just here to have a conversation with Damien and possibly find some common ground. “Trust me, if I had a choice in the matter, I would leave your ass behind bars, but my mother has a soft spot. She wants to help you out even though I know you’re not worth it.”
Against his better judgment, after hearing everyone’s stories about what Will had done, Liam had agreed to help get Damien released. As far as he was concerned, Damien should be in jail, but even he wouldn’t let an innocent man get charged with a murder he didn’t commit. He hadn’t mentioned any of this to Draya, but he knew she would be okay with it; he knew in the back of her mind, she had suspected Damien was innocent all along.
“Help me?” Damien questioned. “How? As far as Atlanta’s finest are concerned, I did it and they have all they need to convict me. They don’t care that whatever evidence they have is circumstantial. I’m not exactly high on the credible witness list.”
“You will never see the inside of a courtroom. Look…” Liam hissed, “…I would much sooner leave your ass here than get you out, but even I won’t be that cruel.”
“Hmm,” Damien mused with his hand on his chin. “What is it that you can possibly have that leads you to believe I’m innocent? I thought I was the heartless bastard you despised for being with your beloved girlfriend first. Draya is a hot piece of ass, but even I wouldn’t kill for her.”
“You know what,” Liam stood, backing away from the glass. “I’m not going to do this.” He looked to Brenda and she nodded her head for him to reclaim his seat. “Mother, this man is impossible. We’re trying to do something nice for him and we don’t have to. I could let his ass rot here. If he says one more thing about Draya, I’m out of here and his ass is staying in.”
“I know this, son,” Brenda nodded and patted his hand. “I know you have no reason to help this man, but I’m sure once we discuss what we came here to discuss, he will see things our way.” Turning to face Damien, Brenda offered a slight smile and Liam felt his pulse racing. The thought of making any type of deal with this man was more than what he wanted to do. He had wished they would never have to see him again.
“As you can see,” Brenda cleared her throat, “neither my son nor I are happy to be here. It’s an impossible situation we find ourselves in, but I hope you can appreciate our gesture. We know you didn’t kill Andrew and are willing to tell the lovely people of Atlanta’s police department just that, but I do need a tiny favor from you.”
“A favor?” Damien laughed. “Why didn’t I know this came with a price? You people only want to do the right thing if it benefits you. How do I even know that you have real proof?”
“I have the bat,” Brenda interrupted and Liam saw Damien’s eyes buck.
“And you’re holding on to it until I agree to your little deal?”
“It’s just a small request; it shouldn’t be hard considering she wants you out of her life anyway. All I need you to do is swear to me that you will never contact Draya again. She and my son are starting a life and family together and I don’t want you in the mix of all that.”
“A family? Draya agreed to have children with him?”
“I’m sitting right here,” Liam burst in after growing tired of listening to them talk around him. “All you need to know is that she is mine. I will never allow her to be yours ever again. Unlike you, I’m going to treat her like the most important thing in the world and I’ll never leave her side. If you want out of here, agree to stay away from my woman and I’ll walk the bat right in here. It’s simple, she has already moved on.”
Dropping his head, Damien let out a sigh and though watching him give up should have felt good to Liam, he knew the man was in agony and understood. Draya was a great woman and though he had messed up too, he knew they still had a shot; he was going to make the most of it. He was never going to let her go and he wanted to be sure she knew it.
“It all got messed up; she was supposed to be my family. I know I treated her badly, but I always thought I would be able to recover and make it work in the end. I can’t give her a family, I know this, but I was just hoping it wouldn’t matter. I’d hoped we mattered more.”
Not understanding the strange feeling coursing through him, Liam nodded and placed his hands on the table before them. “She will be happy again. A lot has changed and things aren’t easy, but I’ll do whatever I need to in order to take care of her.” Giving him an appreciative grin, Damien nodded his head and Liam and Brenda stood. “You’ll be out in a few hours. I had already brought the bat in and given a statement. I just needed to be sure you would honor her wishes.”
Walking away, Liam felt a little lighter than he had when he first appeared, but he knew he still had his own issues to sort through. Draya had come home, but they hadn’t discussed what they were going to do about their lives from here on out. He needed a solid game plan.
“What’s going on, Mother?”
“Turn your badge in and go to the car. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Shaking his head, Liam crossed his arms and stared Brenda down. “What are you up to? I know when you’re trying to get something started. Just leave them alone. He’s agreed to what we asked; anything he discusses with his wife is none of our business. Stay out of it, Mother,” he warned and walked away.
Liam was halfway out of the facility, when he turned to see that he was walking alone. Standing in front of the building, everything in him wanted him to march back in and drag his mother out, but there was also a small part that made him wonder what she was doing.
During the conversation with Damien, he had sensed something odd. The line about not being able to give Draya a family sounded innocent enough, but when he heard it, he took it to mean that Damien had tried and figured out he couldn’t. Although he wasn’t threatened, Liam knew the hold Damien used to have on Draya and also knew a family would have made it much harder for her to walk away; he was glad it never happened.
Standing outside the building for over twenty minutes, Liam looked back and huffed. He was ready to go and pull Brenda out of the building. He tried the patiently waiting thing, and now, he was anxious. He hated being away from Draya too long, and he also didn’t want her worrying. He knew them visiting Damien could possibly upset her, but he needed to be sure his family was safe; he felt like it was his job.
Reaching for the door, Liam had to move aside when Brenda came barreling out. With a huge smile on her face, she grabbed him and walked to their car, hurriedly. As Liam strapped in, he looked to his mother who was practically beaming and started the car, pulling out of the parking lot.
“Why are you grinning?” Looking out of the window, Brenda pretended she wasn’t listening and Liam just asked again, louder. “Mother, I need to know what’s going on.” Feeling his attitude flaring out of control, he gripped the steering wheel tighter and sped the car up a little. “You know what I’m dealing with here.”
“Things aren’t better? Is she still freezing you out?”
“She’s there, but then again, she isn’t. It’s like she’s still in shock or possibly denial that all this is real. I’m trying; that’s what this was about. I want her to feel safe and above all else, I want her to fully forgive me. She says she has, but I don’t see it in her eyes. I know her spirit, and it’s broken. I’m not sure how to fix it either.”
“She’s a woman, son.”
“I know that,” he sighed. “I don’t need you to point that out.”
“Hush, son. Let me talk. I hated what you did. I know it’s been over for a while with you and Alea, but I hated that you didn’t tell Draya the minute you realized you were in love with her. She is a woman, not a child and she could have handled it a lot better if it had come from you.”
“I tried and she—”
“You didn’t try hard enough. She’s important to you, hell, she’s important to me, but you didn’t try hard enough. The girl loves you and although she is unsure about how to feel, I know you will be just fine. Did she tell you where she was?”
“No. I haven’t asked. I’m just glad she’s home and I don’t want to push my luck. I need to let things fall back into place before I get into all the serious stuff.”
“She was with me.”
“And you said nothing?” Liam knew his voice was raised and although he knew it was wrong, he couldn’t contain himself; he was at his boiling point now. “I was all over town and you knew it! I thought she had left me for good. I was a mess.”
When she nodded her head, it further enraged him. “I am your son. You should have dragged her back to talk to me.”
“And alienate her? I think not. I was a friend to her and I listened. I actually heard what she wanted to be telling you and I brought her back. I will not apologize for understanding her needs as a woman. As your mother I understand, but as a woman, I think you were wrong. I’m going to give you the same talk I gave her; you have to trust each other. I know you think you’re helping by protecting her from certain things, but it just makes her feel helpless and for a woman as strong as Draya, that won’t work. It will only cause her to pull away.”
“I don’t want to make her feel that way, but where do I find the balance? I need her to be happy and all that, but I want her to always feel safe. How do I decide what’s too much?”
“By talking to her. She can tell you what’s too much. Only she knows what she can handle and you have to include her every step of the way.”
Glancing off the road and over to his mother, Liam let a smile slip. He knew she was right; he knew he had stepped over a line with Draya. All he could do now was go home and lay his cards out on the table. He was going to talk to her and tell her everything, well, as much as he knew.
Liam knew what his thoughts were and what he had done, but he was still wondering what had gone on in that prison while he was outside. For as well as he knew his mother, Liam knew she had discovered something interesting and was going to play her hand strategically. He just hoped whatever it was she discovered wasn’t going to hurt Draya even more. He wouldn’t stand for any more pain to come her way.
Chapter Eleven: I Want You
“Come and let me show you something,” Liam requested and Draya slid off the couch, following behind him. They had been back at home together for a few days and although they still had much to discuss, neither one of them had been able to find the words. Even after the talk with his mother, he hadn’t been able to touch it until now. Now, he wanted to iron everything out and see if there was anything left to salvage.
He wanted her to feel comfortable and safe, and he knew it would take time. His brother, the cause of a lot of their problems, was out of the picture now, but she still had to be thinking about the fact that he had kept his past from her. It wasn’t because he was still living in it; it was because he was ashamed of his actions and had wanted to move past it. He never wanted her to find out the way she did and he now understood her agony over it.
Walking to the bedroom with him, Draya sat down on the bed while he rifled through the closet. Coming up with a small box, he placed it in her lap and stepped back to await her response. Watching her lift the lid off, he held his breath. He couldn’t ever remember being so nervous and he hoped his gesture wasn’t premature.
Looking up, she reached for the object and held it up for him to see. He had purchased their first baby outfit and he hoped she accepted his gift. “What do you think?” he asked quietly as she eyed the Atlanta Falcon’s onsie. “I think it can work for either a girl or a boy. I hope I have me a new football buddy,” he laughed nervously.
“It’s cute,” she acknowledged, placed it back in the box, and moved it from her lap. Looking up at him with sparkling wet eyes, she ran her hand up to knock away a stray tear. “You don’t have to do this. I know it’s not what we planned. I just thought... I didn’t think I could get pregnant. There were so many times before that I wasn’t careful and I took it as a sign that I wasn’t meant to have children. I was so irresponsible.”
Reaching for her shaky hand, he felt horrible. Back before he knew she was pregnant, he had in so many ways rebuffed the possibility. He wasn’t opposed to having a child with her and now that she was pregnant, he was getting excited, but he had made comments about waiting until he was thirty-five. They had missed that mark by a whole eight years.
“We have a lot going on, but that doesn’t make this a bad thing. We’re not ready, but we have time to get there.”
“
You want to keep it? I mean, I want to and I want to be good at it, but if you don’t, I don’t want you to feel forced.”
“You can’t give me an out on being a dad or on being with you. I’m not ready because I don’t know how good I will be, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to be there. I am so crazy about you, and I’m sure there will be a time when we can’t even remember what life was like without our child. We did this; we made a beautiful life together and I can’t ever see that as a mistake. With anyone else, I would probably be pissing my pants, but it’s you, Draya.”
His statement was true. If he had gotten anyone else pregnant, he would be thinking of ways around it and completely losing his head, but with Draya, he welcomed it; no matter how nervous he was. He had never thought about being a father before her and now, the only person he could see it with was her.
“It’s been one obstacle after another for us, and you know it won’t be easy from here on out. We’re going to be stressed and tired and we’re going to be responsible for more than just ourselves. We have so much going on with our careers and I just don’t want us to ruin something special because we’re taking on too much.”
Sitting beside her and sliding her into his lap, he turned her to face him and ran his hand down her face. “It’s not too much. I knew the chances we were taking when we slept together. I just want you to give me a chance because I’m not going to be perfect, but I’m going to try. I want you and I want this baby. I’m going to do whatever I can to give you the best. If I have to bust my ass every minute of every day, you’re going to have everything you ever wanted.”
“You don’t have to take care of me.”
“But I’m going to.” Looking around the room, he sighed and gave her a handsome smile. He already had plans for the future and hoped she was on board with everything. “Looks like we’re going to need a bigger place. I want the baby to have his own room to sleep in and I want him to have a playroom. I think I should be on the hunt for all this.” His father had never doted on him this much and he was looking forward to being so much more to his child.
