Every Tear You Cry (Redeeming Love Book 4)

by J. E. Parker

  “What do you mean?”

  Unable to look at him any longer, I broke our mutual stare and looked out the windshield. “When I met Maddie, she was broken. Without Hendrix, she was a shell of a person, and although I hadn’t lost someone I loved like she had, I recognized her pain. Understood it. Shelby too. Before Anthony she walked around with the world on her shoulders, and fear in her heart. And Hope? You already know how lost she was.” A single tear slid down my cheek. “It was their pain, their brokenness that made me trust them. I know that sounds bad, but it’s the truth.”

  Brantley remained silent.

  “And then everything changed. They fixed their broken pieces, found the glue that holds them together. I was so damn happy for them, but I’d never felt lonelier, because there I sat, still as broken as I was when I met them.”

  It was the first time I’d ever spoken the words aloud.

  “While my best friends were off getting married, having babies, and building lives, I just stood there, watching everyone else find their peace and happiness while I fought to keep my demons at bay.”

  “Clara—”

  “And I’m sick of it,” I continued, interrupting him. “I am sick of being lonely, I am sick of crying, and damn it, I am sick and fucking tired of letting that bastard dictate my life.”

  “Bella dama—”

  “He is dead, Brantley. The son of a bitch is gone, buried and hopefully burning in hell, yet he still has an iron-clad hold on me, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t escape it. I want to, I want to more than anything, but I don’t know how.”

  “Firecracker.” Brantley’s voice was tense, his tone authoritative. “Look at me.”

  I snapped my gaze to meet his.

  “You really want to escape him, break whatever hold he has on you?”

  I nodded. “Of course I do.”

  “Then let your guard down and let me inside.”

  “I’m certain I’ve already let you inside.”

  Brantley chuckled at my pervy comment. “As good as sinking into you may have been, that’s not all I want.”

  My heart kicked into overdrive just like it did each time he wormed himself past my waning defenses. Knowing whatever he said next would obliterate any remaining barrier I had in place to keep him out, I asked, “What is it you want?”

  Releasing my hand, he lifted his own and placed it against my chest where my pounding heart laid. “This,” he said, his beautiful gaze locked with my own, “is what I want.”

  My walls crumbled.

  My defenses vanished.

  “And I won’t stop until I get it.”

  Realization dawned.

  That realization? Brantley Morgan no longer needed to steal my heart. Because at that moment, I was ready to hand it to him on a silver platter.

  Clara

  Pop was the first person I saw when Brantley and I stepped off the elevator and onto the maternity floor of Toluca Memorial. Standing with his back pressed against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest, he wore a worried look on his face that made me panic.

  Pulling my hand free of Brantley’s, I hoofed it down the hall toward him, my heels clicking double time as I went. “Pop!” I called out causing my voice to echo off the soft blue colored walls. “What’s wrong? Is Maddie okay? The baby?”

  I was speaking so fast I could hardly understand myself.

  Pop stood straight and slid his hands into his pockets. “They’re fine, Clara bear,” he said quickly, abating my fear. “Hendrix and Shelby are in the room with her. The nurse said it shouldn’t be long.”

  Relief swamped me.

  “Why don’t y’all go sit in the waiting room? It’s at the end of the hall. Carissa, Heidi and Felix are already here”—he ran his palms down the sides of his face—“Grandmama, Hope, Evan, and Keith are on the way. Charlotte is working at the shelter and there was a homicide in Toluca last night, so Anthony’s tied up, but they’ll both be here as soon as they can.”

  “Did Shelby bring Lucca?”

  Pop nodded, smiling. “Yeah. Felix took him and Melody down to the cafeteria to get a snack. I’m sure they’ll come back with nothing but sugary shit and soda.”

  “Says the man who gives each kid—including mine—candy whenever they ask,” I replied, a challenging expression on my face.

  Pop shrugged. “I’m their Pop Pop. Of course I give them candy. Y’all can worry about feeding them that healthy stuff because I’m sure as hell not going to be the one forcing them to eat organic broccoli.” He cringed. “My job is to spoil them. End of story.”

  Chuckling, Brantley slid an arm around my waist and pulled me into his side. “Come on, bella dama,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Let’s save the ball busting for another time and go sit down.”

  “I’m right behind you,” Pop replied. “Just need to make a phone call first.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked down at the screen. “I’m eager to meet my grandson.”

  “You mean granddaughter?” I quipped, unable to resist.

  Eyes narrowed, Pop jerked his head up. “Watch your mouth,” he snapped, teasing. “I already have Ashley, Bella, and Melody to worry about for the next twenty years. That is enough girls for me. Hell, I’ve already got one boy sniffing around Ashley, and that isn’t happening.”

  Uh-oh.

  “You’re talking about Chase, aren’t you?”

  Pop jerked his head down once in quick affirmation. “That boy is more hotheaded than Hendrix and I combined. If he weren’t a star athlete, the police would have arrested his ass a dozen times over by now. There is no way in hell he’s getting anywhere near my granddaughter.”

  I hummed. “Be careful with that,” I warned. “The more you try to keep him away, the harder he’ll fight to get to her.” I glanced up at Brantley. “Trust me, I know.”

  Pop clenched his jaw tight but said nothing.

  “Come on, baby,” Brantley urged. “Let’s go sit down.”

  I nodded. “See you in a few minutes, Pop.”

  “Yeah,” he replied, looking thoughtful. “See you in a few.”

  Brantley’s arm remained wrapped around my waist as we moved down the hall and into the waiting room. Carissa’s eyes lit up when she saw us. “Where are the kids?” she asked, looking behind us. “Did you not bring them?”

  “No,” Brantley replied, leading me to a chair. I sat down first, he followed. “Today is Bella’s first day, so I didn’t want to pull her out.”

  “And we couldn’t pull the boys without her,” I added. “Declan would have had an absolute fit.”

  “Makes sense,” Carissa replied. “Even if it sucks.”

  Heidi chuckled. “She likes Bella,” she signed with her hands while mouthing the words. “A lot.”

  Although she could speak just fine, due to the hearing impairment she’d been born with, Heidi was self-conscious when speaking in front of people she didn’t know well—like Brantley—and would revert to using sign language when she could. Carissa once explained that it was because she worried her tone and volume level wouldn’t translate correctly.

  Looking at her, I replied, “Me too,” and winked.

  “Hey, Carissa,” a male voice, one I didn’t recognize, said from the entrance to the waiting room. More than curious, I pulled my gaze from Heidi to see who’d just walked in.

  When I first saw the guy who’d spoken, I wasn’t impressed.

  It had nothing to do with his looks either. The man—he was around twenty-one, twenty-two maybe—was cute enough, but there was something about him that put me on edge.

  What exactly it was, I don’t know.

  Carissa must’ve felt the same way because she slunk back against her chair. “Hey, Tommy,” she replied, her voice small and flat.

  The guy, Tommy I guess his name was, sauntered across the room and took a seat next to her. Leaning way too close for comfort—hers and mine—he said, “What are you doing here, sweetheart?”

  T
he look on Carissa’s face when she glanced over at Brantley and I had me up and out of my chair before anyone could blink. Brantley must’ve seen what I saw too because he rose at the same time.

  I opened my mouth to say something, but the words didn’t have time to leave my mouth. Movement from the same place where Tommy had stood seconds earlier caught my eye.

  “Oh shit,” Brantley murmured, as Kyle’s—of all dang people—face twisted in rage. Without so much as a warning, he charged.

  Clutching Tommy’s shirt in his hand, he ripped him from the seat where he sat, jerking him to his feet. “Don’t you ever,” he snapped, his eyes bulging, “get near them again.”

  Fear filled Tommy’s flat brown eyes. “I was just talking to her, man,” Tommy replied. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  If possible, Kyle’s face grew angrier, more sinister. “I know who and what you are,” he growled, “and I promise if I ever see you around Carissa or Heidi again I will fucking bury you. Do you understand me?”

  Tommy’s pleading eyes moved to Brantley. “Man, help me. Please. This guy is crazy.”

  Brantley didn’t move.

  “He won‘t help you,” Kyle taunted. “If he knew the truth like I do, he would want to kill you just as badly.”

  That was all it took for Brantley to step forward. “Who he is?” Brantley asked Kyle through gritted teeth.

  Kyle smiled but there was nothing friendly about it. “Ask Moretti. Every cop in the tri-county area knows.” His eyes narrowed. “Don’t they, Tommy?”

  “Goddamnit, Kyle, answer me,” Brantley demanded.

  “He,” Kyle said, dipping his face closer to Tommy’s. “Is a man who likes to hurt women. He likes to stalk them, learning their patterns and routines. Then, when he gets the first chance, he strikes. I know it, the cops know it. Only problem is the latter can’t prove it. Not yet.”

  Carissa’s face paled, and I lost the ability to breathe.

  Upon hearing those words, Brantley stepped in front of me, using his body to shield me from Tommy. I clutched the back of his silk dress shirt in my fingers and rested my head between his shoulder blades.

  “Breathe, baby,” Brantley whispered, reaching behind him. His hand landed on my hip and his warmth bled into my skin, comforting me. “I have you.”

  Once again, his touched calmed me, his presence anchored me.

  “Man, what are you talking about? I’ve never touched a bitch without permission.”

  “I have three names for you, Tommy,” Kyle said. “Tina Prescott, Emily Greer, and Lacey Carter. Remember them? You should. They are the women you stalked, the women you assaulted…”

  At Kyle’s words, Brantley’s entire body shook; his free hand clenched into a fist.

  For a moment, I thought he’d charge forward.

  With my confessions still fresh on his mind, I know he was teetering on losing control.

  Thankfully, he didn’t, and I’d like to think he didn’t because of me. I could handle violence—heck, I hadn’t blinked when Ari smashed Dickie’s face—but to see Brantley engage in it? That was a different situation altogether.

  “I think it’s best you be leaving now, Tommy O’Shea,” Grandmama, who I hadn’t seen walk into the room, said. “I also think it’s best you stay clear of my grandbabies”—she pointed at Carissa and Heidi—“or else you’ll be dealing with me.”

  Tommy sneered. “And what are you going to do, old lady?”

  Grandmama shrugged. “The same thing I did the last time somebody tried to hurt one of them. I’ll shoot you.”

  I cringed at the memory that surfaced at her words.

  Hope covered in blood. Her eyes blank, her chest still.

  Don’t think about it! My mind screamed.

  “Now, let him go, Hulk,” she said to Kyle. “And Brantley you stay put.” She pointed at Tommy. “This piece of dirt has already breathed enough of my precious air, and he’s scaring all three of my girls to death. I know you both want to kill him, but this ain’t the time nor place”—she paused—“maybe tomorrow.”

  Kyle released Tommy, and he stumbled toward the door where Grandmama stood, her cane in one hand and fuchsia colored purse in the other. When he started to pass her, she stuck out her cane, tripping him.

  Unable to catch himself, Tommy fell face first onto the vinyl floor.

  His nose crunched, and blood trickled down his face.

  Grandmama smirked and moved into the waiting room. Without saying a word, she took a seat across from where Brantley and I stood and placed her oversized purse on her lap. “Would you two lovebirds sit down? Seeing y’all stand is making my daggum feet hurt.”

  Hands shaking, I released Brantley’s shirt and sat down in the same chair as before.

  Brantley followed. Seated beside me, he once again wrapped an arm around me, holding me tight.

  I leaned into him, taking every bit of comfort he offered while my eyes flitted to where Tommy was climbing up off from the floor. His gaze met mine, and all I saw was pure evil. The malicious smile that tipped his lips up as he raked his eyes over my face was proof of that.

  Suddenly, I believed every word Kyle had said.

  Not that I’d doubted him before.

  “Kyle,” Carissa whispered, reaching for his hand. “Please, sit down.”

  His face softened when he looked at her, and not needing to be told twice, he took a seat beside her. Slinging an arm over her shoulder, he pulled her close. Over her head, he nodded at a pissed-off looking Heidi.

  “So,” Grandmama said, popping a piece of purple, grape flavored gum in her mouth like nothing just happened. “Who is ready to meet my new grandbaby?”

  It had been two hours.

  Hope sat on one side of me, a still-fuming Brantley on the other. Evan sat next to Hope and Pop, who was holding Melody on his lap, sat two chairs down. Felix was next to Heidi, and Kyle and Carissa were still side by side.

  Keith, who’d left the fire station mid-shift, paced across the waiting room floor.

  “What the hell is taking so long?” He huffed, running his hands through his wild hair. “I thought they said it was going fast.”

  Grandmama rolled her eyes. “It’s only been a couple of hours. That is fast, ya big dumb baby. Now sit down before I pull out my flyswatter. You’re wreckin’ my nerves.”

  Lucca, who was sitting next to Felix across the room, laughed.

  “Ga-ma get da fly-twatter! Whack Pa-pa Keef!” he hollered.

  Grandmama chuckled. “That’s my boy.”

  “Jesus,” Evan said, leaning forward. “I can’t stand this waiting shit.”

  Brantley nodded in agreement. “Neither can I.”

  “Oh for heaven’s sake. You guys are such—” Hope started only to snap her mouth shut when Shelby came into view, her beautiful face red and blotchy from crying.

  Everyone stood.

  Holding Ryker in one arm, Hope grabbed my hand with her free one.

  I squeezed hers in return.

  “Spill it, Blondie,” Grandmama said, her eyes already watering.

  Shelby nodded, tears falling down her cheeks. “Maddie and the baby are both just fine. Baby is seven pounds, three ounces, and twenty inches long.”

  Keith swallowed. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

  Shelby looked at Pop before answering. “She”—she paused for emphasis—“is a beautiful little girl.”

  Grandmama cheered. “I knew it!”

  Pop, however, looked like he would faint. “Oh hell.”

  It was a challenge not to laugh at him.

  Keith looked seconds from choking up. “My little girl has two little girls now.” The love in his eyes was indescribable. “I’ll be damned.”

  “What’s her name?” Evan asked, grinning from ear to ear.

  “My lips are sealed,” Shelby said, smiling. “Hendrix will come out in a second and spill the beans but”—she looked over at me—“Maddie wants to see you and Hope first.”

  “Me?” I
asked, confused.

  “Yes, you, Red.” Shelby nodded toward the hallway. “Now, hurry, y’all. She’s exhausted. The labor and delivery may have been shorter this time, but it took its toll.”

  I nodded and turned to face Brantley as Hope moved around me and handed Ryker to Evan. “I’ll be back in a minute,” I whispered. “Don’t disappear on me.”

  He smiled down at me before pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. “Never going to happen, bella dama. I’m here as long as you want me.”

  “What if I want you forever?” I whispered so only he could hear.

  Leaning close, he brushed his lips across the apple of my cheek. “I’m praying like hell you do.”

  Clara

  Hendrix and Maddie’s newborn daughter was one of the most beautiful babies I’d ever seen.

  Like her big sister, she had a headful of black hair, chubby little cheeks, and one of the cutest dang pouts. “Maddie,” I gushed, cuddling the sweet little bundle in my arms. “You did good, babydoll. Like, really frickin’ good.”

  “You did,” Hope agreed from where she stood beside me, staring down at the baby with nothing but pure love. “She looks so much like Melody, but I think she favors you more.”

  “I think so too,” I added.

  Maddie smiled, and even though she looked like she’d been through hell, she’d never looked more gorgeous. “I know you guys are wondering why I asked for you to come in first.”

  “Just a tad,” I replied. “Though I’m not complaining.”

  Maddie closed her eyes. “I‘ll try to get through this before Hendrix gets back in here with Melody. I don’t want her to see me cry. She gets so upset—”

  “Maddie what is it?” I interrupted. “Is something wrong?”

  She shook her head. “No, nothing is wrong. There are just some things I need to say.”

  Opening her eyes, she looked at Hope. “I‘ll start with you, Itty Bitty.”

  Hope froze.

  “You’ve been one of my best friends for over eight years, and you’ve been by my side through some of the darkest times of my life.” Maddie’s chin wobbled as what I knew were bad memories—painful ones—assailed her. “When most people would have run the other way, you stayed and carried me through all of it, never letting me give up even when I wanted to.”