Authors: Samantha Grady
“Who’s hurt?” Jonah yelled rushing to the car as I put a crying Lucca back in his car seat.
I went to close the door but the look Lucca gave me, blood shot eyes, tear soaking his puffy cheeks, baby hands reaching out to me. And damnit if I couldn’t deny this kid anything even when my brain was thinking up every bad thing that could have happened to his mom. “Drive Jonah.” I said rushing around the car so I could sit beside Lucca and hold his hand.
****
We got to what I hoped was the right hospital as Shark didn’t say which one so Jonah and I picked the closest one to the ranch. Surprised not to see any cop cars following us as Jonah drove like a mad man, I quickly got a now calmed down Lucca out of the car and rushed after Jonah.
By the time I got into the ER room Jonah was already arguing with the lady at the front desk. I was just about to intervene, something I had to do a lot when Jonah and I were on jobs for Vinnie. Jonah was the yeller, out of control and flat out crazy. Once Jonah had done his job and the person on the end of Vinnie’s bad stick was looking like he was about to pass out from fear, I’d swoop in as the calm, collective one. Two things I hadn’t been lately. Jonah was right I really did need to get my shit together.
Before I could get to the desk Shark came through a set of doors.
“Where’s Rachel?” I yelled running towards him.
“She’s in the bathroom with Olivia. What the hell’s wrong with you?”
Was he kidding? DEA agent or not I was about to ring his neck. Instead I turned around and yelled for Jonah. “Olivia is fine Jonah.”
“Then who is hurt?” Jonah bellowed back not caring that he was making a scene in a busy ER room.
“Mason.” Shark said with a chuckle. “He got kicked in the head by a teenage cowboy.”
“I really didn’t mean to kick your friend.” The boy I’d seen on the horse earlier in the day said from behind Shark.
“Denny, Jonah, meet Declan. Declan is Heaven’s younger brother. Mason was apparently staring at Heaven and not paying attention when Declan got off his horse, which is how he got kicked in the head.”
“I’m re-thinking spurs on cowboy boots.” The boy said shyly, staring at the ground.
“Or Mason could learn to not ogle your sister?” Olivia said with a chuckle from behind us.
“Baby.” Jonah whispered running to her.
“Ah shit she’s with that guy.” Declan whispered under his breath.
Turning around an in one piece Rachel came over her arms out stretched to take Lucca.
“How’s my baby.” She cooed to Lucca kissing his head. “You’re pale Denny.”
Fuck yeah I was pale, I just spent the last hour thinking she was hurt.
“I’m fine.” I snapped ridiculously mad at her all of a sudden. Seeing her holding Lucca and the smile on his little face made me madder than I’d ever been at her. How the hell could see put herself in danger? Danger that could take her away from Lucca, danger that could take her away from me. Vinnie chose that moment to invade my brain. My whole life was filled with Vinnie doing things that could have gotten him killed. Not once did Vinnie ever care how him dying would affect me.
“Lucca needs to eat we need to go home.” I said my voice sounding funny to my own ears.
“Denny are you ok?” Rachel asked her hand reaching out to me.
Stepping away from her hand I walked towards the exit door, Vinnie’s dying eyes staring at me through my memory the whole way to the car.
****
“Shark said the house was empty.” Jonah said breaking the awkward silence as we all piled into the town house. Rocco and Miss Daisy were both jumping for attention.
Denny ignored what Jonah said and the bouncing dogs mumbling about needing a cigarette.
“I thought he quit?” I whispered mostly to myself, leaning down to pet Rocco.
“He did, kind of. He only smokes when something is wrong.” Jonah said following after him.
“Fuck it.” Denny roared from the kitchen, as he rounded the door almost taking Jonah out. “You don’t ever pull a stunt like following Shark again.” Denny barked pointing his finger at me. “Do you fucking understand?”
So stunned I did nothing but stand there until Olivia took Lucca out of my arms.
“It’s nice out I think we’ll eat lunch outside. Come doggies, Jonah.” Olivia said hurrying away with Lucca.
Jonah looked at Denny for a long moment before he nodded his head and left the room.
“Do you understand?” Denny yelled again.
“You don’t get to yell at me and you sure as hell do not get to tell me what I freaking do.” I snapped, smacking his pointed finger away from me. “You are not my boyfriend Denny so stop acting like it, you broke up with me remember?”
“Lucca doesn’t deserve to lose you over something so stupid.”
“Stupid?” I screamed, “I’m trying to find my father Denny. Wouldn’t you do any and everything you could to help your father?”
Saying this might have been the stupidest thing I’d ever said.
“My father was a son of a bitch that made me work in the drug scene.” Denny said so low I had to step closer to hear him. “Vinnie was a fucker who killed Jonah’s family to keep him from being found out when he screwed the fucking Russian mob. Vinnie, the motherfucker had me this close,” Denny yelled holding his thumb and index finger close together, “to killing someone just so he would acknowledge me as his goddamn son. So no Rachel I don’t know what it feels like because I’ve never had a father.”
“I’m sorry for you Denny but I do have a father. A father I love very much and a father you should want to help so your son can have a grandfather.” I said softly.
“Do you have any idea what your father did to me?” Denny snapped making me jump. “Not just me but to our son?”
What the fuck.
“What are you talking about?” I said feeling my heart fall.
“I may have walked away Rachel but it was never my choice.”
“It was your choice, you left me Denny.”
“I left yes, but it wasn’t my choice.”
“You left me.” I screamed.
“Have you ever asked yourself why I walked away? I had everything Rachel. The love of my life and a baby on the way.” Shaking his head Denny ran his hand through his hair letting out a harsh chuckle, “forever was in my reach from the moment I met you at Risk. So tell me why the hell would I walk away from that?” I couldn’t speak only stare at Denny with tears flowing down my face. “It wasn’t my choice to walk away Rachel. Your father made that choice for me.” Oh God. “The night I left you Jack came to see me at Risk. He had a dozen pictures of Jonah taking money from three different runners. Your father told me to leave you and not to talk to you ever again. If I didn’t do that he was going to take the pictures to the station. Those pictures would have put Jonah, my fucking brother in jail. My choice was leave you and Lucca or send Jonah to jail. I love you Rachel but I couldn’t live with myself if I fucked up Jonah’s life like that.”
“Oh my God.”
“You were everything to me Rachel. Walking away from you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”
“Denny−”
Denny’s hand shot out and cupped the back of my head. “You’re still everything to me Rachel. You’ve never fucking stopped being everything to me. I love you just as much now as I did the day I fell in love with you.”
Fuck me I just fell in love again.
“I love you.” I whispered as his lips crushed down on mine in a bruising kiss. “I love you.” I said again against his lips.
“Yes.” Denny breathed joining our lips again.
His hands ran through my hair pulling me closer as I wrapped myself around his body.
I vaguely heard Olivia and Jonah saying they would take Lucca to eat at the park and I thought I heard the front door shut, but I couldn’t be sure as Denny’s tongue was working my neck driving me insane.
His hands fisted in my shirt and he gave one strong pull causing the shirt to rip and buttons to fly. Before I could yell at him for wrecking my shirt he pulled a pocketknife from his pocket and cut through the material of my bra.
Way more turned on than I should have been considering that bra was expensive, I jumped Denny causing the knife to fly and Denny to smack into the wall. Locking eyes with him for half a second I saw the smug look before I attacked him with my lips.
Just like the first time, we were naked before we made it to his bed. But unlike the first time as soon as we made it to the bed Denny slowed it right down. “Tomorrow hard and fast. Now slow and sweet. I need to feel you Rachel. It’s been too damn long.”
“So long.” I agreed softly as he kissed me so sweetly I felt tears fill my eyes.
Trembling hands floated across my body finding places no other man had ever bothered to find as his lips kissed every inch of skin.
“Need to be inside you now.” Denny whispered into my ear as his other hand went to his nightstand. Once Denny was suited up he pushed in slowly making me feel every inch.
When our bodies were as close as they could get he place his hand over my heart. “I love you Rachel Owen and I’m done pretending I don’t. I want my family back. I want you and Lucca in my house every day and every night. I want to love you both. I need you both.”
“Yes.” I whispered silencing him with my lips. Everything he said I wanted too, I’d never stop wanting all those things.
Done talking for now we made love slow and sweet until the world fell away and nothing else mattered except our bodies moving together, our hearts beating as one and the explosive orgasm ripping through us.
Chapter 14
“I told you he still loved her.” Olivia said cheerfully as she pushed Lucca on the swing.
“You did.” I agreed still not believing what Rachel’s father had done. Shit not just Rachel’s father but what Denny had done to protect me. If the roles were switched would I have done the same? Could I have done the same?
“Do you blame Jack for black mailing Denny so he left Rachel?”
Stunned that she had to ask I snapped, “fuck yeah. He made Denny pick between his brother or his girlfriend. Who the fuck does that?”
“Jonah I’m not saying what he did was right but it’s obvious he was trying to protected his daughter and soon to be grandson from the Denver drug scene. If we had a kid and you were still working for Vinnie would you want me to stick around?”
Fuck no; I didn’t want her around Vinnie or the drug scene. Add in a baby I don’t know what the hell I would do. Feeling my stomach turn at what could have been I dropped my anger and went to Olivia’s side. “Denny is hurting worse than I thought.”
“About?” She asked grabbing onto my hand.
“Vinnie.”
“He doesn’t know how to feel Jonah.”
“I don’t know how to help him.”
“So just don’t help him.” A voice I never thought I’d hear again said from behind me. “Or if you like I could kill him. Father like son kind of thing.”
Spinning around I watched horrified as Darcy grabbed Olivia by the hair. “Hello Olivia,” Darcy said pushing her gun into Olivia’s temple. “Back up Jonah or I’ll shoot your girl.”
Locking eyes with Olivia I saw her frantic eyes dart to Lucca still sitting in the swing. Shit any crazy thought I had of rushing Darcy was out not when she could easily point the gun at Lucca. “Stop right there Jonah. Not so much as a finger twitch or I’ll shoot Olivia and then your brother’s baby. Now Olivia go pick up the kid and then you and the little brat are coming with me.”
“They’re not going anywhere with you Darcy. You’ll have to kill me before I let you take them from me.” I screamed.
“Then kill you I will.” Darcy said sweetly aiming the gun right at my heart. Thoughts flew across my mind as my heart stopped beating, but one rang out louder than the others. I was not ready to die and leave Olivia. Before I could make my body move Olivia lunged for Darcy hitting her arm just as the gun went off.
Fire exploded in my neck as Olivia’s screams filled my ears. I felt my body hit the ground as a car pulled up and Darcy manhandled Olivia and Lucca into the car at gunpoint.
Chapter 15
“This is the start of our forever.” I whispered into Rachel’s hair as her eyes dropped close. “The only forever for me.”
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” She whispered back. “Now what have you done with my badass?”
“I thought chicks liked the mushy crap.”
“What can I say this chick likes the badass better?”
“That’s my girl.” I said dropping my head to take her lips.
The phone ringing broke through the quiet room stopping our lips from touching. Whoever was calling me was going to regret it.
“Hello,” I snapped rather unnecessary really.
“Denny man you need to come to the hospital Jonah’s been hurt.”
Ice pierced my heart and turned my blood cold. “Hurt how?” I said already moving from the bed to get dressed.
“Let’s not do this on the phone Denny. Just get down her now.”
“Lucca and Olivia are they−”
“Hospital. Now Denny.”
Fuck.
Somehow I managed to get Rachel and myself into the car and to the hospital.
Living in the Denver underground, working for Vinnie, always looking over my shoulder waiting for someone to kill me or throw me in jail gave me the ability to handle panic and adrenaline. Knowing that something might be wrong with my baby boy had all that I’d learnt fleeing so quickly it left me dizzy and wanting to throw up. Rachel who had always acted strong in the face of accidents and disasters went utterly quiet, only chanting the words ‘not my baby’. But I had a very bad feeling that all Rachel’s chanting was fruitless. Something was wrong with Lucca; I knew it in the pit of my stomach and the ache in my heart.
I’d never considered myself a violent person, when working for Vinnie I was the one talking things through and keeping a level head. Jonah was always the one losing it, running in half blind with his fist in the air. But knowing something bad had happened to my little boy when I’d just gotten him back sent my cool nature straight to hell. Throwing the car into park I flung myself out of the car rushing towards a waiting Shark and Mason by the ER entrance. Grabbing Mason by a still bloody shirt collar I pushed him into the wall beside the sliding glass doors and growled in his face like a feral animal. “Where the fuck is Lucca?” Mason winced; no doubt my loud voice and the hard shove hurting his injured head.