She stared at him for a moment, and Dylan thought that she was going to make her excuses. But then suddenly she smiled.
“Okay,” she whispered, as her smile grew brighter. “Let’s do this.”
But now as they were sitting there, Dylan knew she was still uncertain, and part of him wondered if the right thing to do was agree to wait. Maybe he should just take her back to his parents and wait till he knew in his heart she was as sure as he was.
He also knew that when Warren found out, he would not take the news well. This would just piss him off more, and that could put Brook in more danger.
But he loved her, and he wanted her to be his wife. So he tried to push all his worries from his mind.
Suddenly, his phone began to ring in his hand. Dylan looked down, and he sighed when he saw Liam’s name flashing on the screen. Part of him wished he’s asked Liam to come down there with them. He wanted Liam to stand beside him as he promised to love Brook for the rest of her life. But he knew if he’d asked Liam, pretty soon everyone else would have been involved. The last thing he wanted was his mother or one of the girls getting into Brook’s head, and suddenly the whole thing would have been put on hold.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Brook asked, pulling him from his thoughts.
“What will I tell him if I do?” Dylan asked, looking up at Brook.
“Dylan,” she said, smiling at him. “We don’t have to do this. Not if you’re not sure.”
“I am sure,” he reassured her as the ringing stopped. “I just don’t need the others getting involved in this. Today is about you and me, remember.”
Before Brook could reply, a girl called out both their names.
“I guess this is it,” Dylan said as he stood up, holding out his hand to Brook. She gave him another smiled before she reached out and took hold of his hands, then stood up, letting him lead her down the corridor.
When they reached the room, Dylan’s phone started ringing again. He looked down at it once more and sighed when he saw Liam’s name flashing on the screen.
“I’m sorry,” the girl who led them into the judge’s chambers said, giving Dylan an apologetic look. “But you can’t have that on in here.”
“No problem,” Dylan replied with a smile, as he declined the call, then powered off his phone before slipping it into his pocket.
“Judge Mitchel will be with you in a few moments,” she explained to both Brook and Dylan. “If you would just like to take a seat.”
“Thank you,” Dylan replied as he and Brook both took a seat before the girl left them alone once more.
“So how do you know this judge?” Brook asked once they were alone once more.
“He's married to my mom’s best friend,” Dylan explained, as he gave her a reassuring smile. “He married Landen and Amelia too. He’s actually my Godfather.”
“I see,” Brook said, but Dylan could hear the uncertainty in her voice. He was just about to ask her if she wanted to leave when the door opened, and the judge came thundering into the room.
“Dylan, my boy,” he said as he hurried to his seat behind his big mahogany desk and sat down, before he looked over at Dylan, giving him a wide grin. He then turned to Brook, and his smile widened. “And you must be Brook. I’ve heard a great deal about you, my dear.”
Brook just smiled, before the judge turned his attention to the paperwork sitting on his desk.
“So,” he said as he slipped off his glasses, looking directly at Dylan. “You want to get married. You know, you’re supposed to get your marriage license at least twenty-four hours before a judge will marry you in San Francisco.”
“I know,” Dylan said, shifting nervously in his seat. “But I was hoping you could make an exception for us, Uncle Jeff.”
Dylan had called Jeffery the night before asking him to do him this huge favour. He knew that Jeffery had a soft spot for him given that he was his Godfather. Still, Dylan knew he was asking a lot from him.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Jeffery asked, giving Dylan a questioning look. “Why does it need to be today?”
“Because we want to do this before everyone else has an opinion about it,” Dylan sighed. “We want to do this to show the world that we are serious about each other. Besides, you know what weddings are like for my family. They never run smoothly. And the truth is. I love Brook, and I don’t want to wait another day to make her my wife.”
“But have you thought about what your families might say,” Jeffery asked, looking from Dylan to Brook. “Don’t you want the people that love you, here with you?”
“Uncle Jeff,” Dylan sighed as he leaned forward in his seat. “You know who Brook is. You know everything she has been through.”
“I do,” Jeffery nodded as he gave Brook as a sad smile.
“I know you might think we are being stupid,” Dylan sighed. “But you know what Detective Pearse is capable of. How do you think he will react if he was to hear we were planning this wedding? What do you think Warren Pearse would do if he had time to think about it? He’s already proven that even behind bars, he can still get to us. I don’t want to give him that chance again. But I love Brook, and I want her to be my wife. This just seems like the best way to do things.”
The judge stared at them both for a moment, then released a long breath.
“Fine!” He exclaimed but then smiled before he added. “But if your mother freaks out about this, you’re on your own. Son.”
“Thank you,” he said, giving him a grateful smile as the judge nodded, then reached out, pressing down on his intercom.
“Clare, can you come in here please?” He said to his secretary at the far end. “I need a witness.”
Twenty minutes later, Dylan and Brook stepped out of the judge’s chamber as husband and wife.
Despite how nervous Brook had been, Dylan couldn’t help but smile at the huge grin that was now on her face.
“Are you okay?” He asked as they made the way along their corridor. “Are you happy?”
“Yes!” She replied with a broad smile. “Very.”
“Good,” Dylan said as they stepped out into the late morning sun. He stopped and drew her into his embrace, kissing her softly on the lips. “And I intend to keep you very happy, Mrs. Murphy.”
“Oh my, God!” Brook gasped, then gave Dylan the biggest smile. “I never thought of that.”
“Of the fact you’re now a Murphy?” Dylan asked, with a chuckle. “Well, you are.”
“I guess I am,” Brook replied, her smile filling her entire face. Then she sounded out the name. “Brook Murphy.”
“Sounds perfect,” Dylan said, leaning in, kissing her once again.
Releasing her from his embrace, he reached for her hand and led her down the steps to where he had parked his car. They were just a few steps away from the bottom when Brook stopped dead in her tracks, the grip she had on Dylan’s hand became so tight, it almost hurt.
“Brook!” He said looking up and seeing the look of sheer terror on her face. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Brook didn’t reply. In fact, she was barely even breathing. Dylan followed her gaze to where his car was parked, and that’s when he saw him too.
Leaning against the car, with the biggest smile on his face was Warren Pearse.
A feeling of dread settled in the pit of Dylan’s stomach. It wasn’t that he was afraid of this asshole. Far from it. But he knew Brook was. He knew simply seeing Pearse standing there could send Brook running. As it was, she looked like she was about to come apart at the seams. Dylan just had no clue what he was even doing there, or more importantly, why he wasn’t still in prison.
“Brook,” he said, stepping in front of her, so she could no longer see Warren. “Look at me. I need you to breathe.”
Slowly she raised her eyes to meet his, and they were filled with big fat tears, she was trying desperately to hold back. She sucked in a gasp of air, then released the tiniest sob.
“I won’
t let anything happen to you,” he whispered, giving her a reassuring smile. “You just hold my hand, and I promise you, everything is going to be okay.”
She nodded, but she didn’t say a word.
“Okay,” Dylan nodded too. “Let’s get you to the car and get you home. Then I promise, I will find out what the hell is going on.”
Again she just nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Dylan turned and continued down the steps of the courthouse to where his car was parked. This time he fixed his eyes on Warren. If nothing else, he was going to prove to this scumbag that he didn’t scare him in the slightest.
“Well, if it isn’t my beautiful wife,” Warren purred as they reached the car. “Don’t I even get a kiss hello?”
“She has nothing to say to you,” Dylan said as he unlocked his car, but Warren made no attempt to move out of the way. “Now, get the hell off my car and out of our way.”
“Oh, so it’s ‘our way’ now?” Warren replied with a sarcastic laugh as he stood up, but still, he didn’t step aside. “How adorable you are.”
Dylan didn’t respond. Instead, he just reached for the handle of the car door, pulling it open so hard that Warren had no choice but to move.
“You can’t avoid me forever, Brook,” Warren hissed as Dylan helped her into the car, before he slammed the door shut, hitting the central locking once more so Warren couldn’t open the door again.
“You stay the hell away from her!” Dylan hissed as he turned back to finally face Warren, pinning him with a stare. “I would focus more on enjoying this new freedom you have. It won’t last long.”
“Do you really think you scare me?” Warren laughed into Dylan’s face.
“No more than you scare me,” Dylan growled back. “But I swear, you come for her again; going back to prison will be the least of your worries.”
“Let me tell you something, Doctor!” Warren sneered, taking a step closer to Dylan. “You and her, it’s never going to last. She is my wife, and she belongs to me!”
“Wrong,” Dylan replied with a laugh. “Firstly, she belongs to nobody. She is not some object you possess. Secondly, she is not your wife; she’s mine!”
A look of shock flashed across Warren’s face before it was quickly replaced with one of anger, but then he smiled as he took a step closer once more.
“Let me make one thing clear,” Warren said, his face so close to Dylan’s that the stale smell of cigarettes washing over his face, hitting the back of his throat, making his stomach heave a little. “I will never let you have her. There is no happy ever after here. Next time I come for her, I will make no mistakes. But I won’t kill you. I will just make you wish I had.”
Without saying another word, he turned as walked away, leaving Dylan standing next to the car, trying to collect his thoughts for a moment before he turned, hurrying to the driver’s side of the car, and then climbed in.
“Are you okay?” Dylan asked before he started the engine. He knew it was a stupid question, but it was the only words that came into his mind.
“I just want to go home,” Brook whispered as tears spilled down her face. Dylan reached out to comfort her, but to his horror, she pulled back from his touch. He stared at her for a moment, as his heart almost broke in two.
Finally, he released a long, frustrated sigh, before he started the car, then quickly headed for his parent’s house.
The drive home was silent. There was so much Dylan wanted to say to her, but somehow, he couldn’t find the right words. There were also so many questions he had; the main one being, why the hell was Pearse out of prison?
That’s when he remembered that Liam had been trying to reach him before they went into the judge’s office. He knew he needed to call him back, but first, he wanted to get Brook home. At least then he could talk to Liam properly, instead of worrying about saying the wrong thing in front of Brook.
As he pulled his car up along the long driveway to his parent’s house a short while later, he felt almost relieved when he saw Liam’s car parked in front of the front door.
The moment he pulled to a stop next to it, the front door burst open and Liam came barrelling out, a look of panic on his face. Dylan quickly climbed from the car.
“Where the hell have you been?” Liam demanded as he rushed up to Dylan, then without stopping to draw breath, he threw his arms around Dylan’s neck and hugged him tightly. “I have looked everywhere for you; I thought something…”
“I’m okay,” Dylan assured him, cutting him off mid-sentence. “We both are.”
“Why the hell didn’t you answer your phone?” Liam demanded, holding Dylan at arm’s length. “I’ve been calling and calling.”
“It’s a long story,” Dylan replied, not really wanted to announce that they got married like this. Not with the whole Warren thing hanging over them right at that moment. “But we saw Warren. Liam, he said he was going to kill her. Like it was nothing. Like he had nothing left to lose. I’ve got to admit, I’m scared for her, scared for what might happen next.”
“Fuck!” Liam said, glancing past Dylan to where Brook was still sitting in the car. “Is she okay?”
“Not really,” Dylan sighed, knowing that Brook was spiralling, so there was no point in lying. “She is freaking the fuck out. Liam, how the hell is he out of prison? I thought this case was rock solid?”
“His lawyer went back to court this morning,” Liam sighed. “He appealed the ruling over bail, stating once again that Pearse was a decorated law enforcement officer. The judge overturned the decision but set bail at one million. I guess crime pays because Pearse paid it like it was just loose change. But don’t worry, we’ve already got a warrant for his arrest for ordering you to be run off the road. I was worried something like this would happen, so I held off on having him charged. Matt is on his way to pick him up as we speak. With this witness giving evidence, Warren won’t get out again.”
“Thank God,” Dylan sighed, glancing back at Brook, who looked completely lost in a world of her own, still sitting in the car. “Because I don’t think she can take much more.”
“I know it’s hard,” Liam sighed, giving Dylan a sad smile. “But I promise you; this is nearly over.
“I really hope so,” Dylan sighed, before glancing back at Brook. “I should get her inside.”
“Yes you should,” Liam nodded, as he walked towards his car. “And I need to get to the hospital.”
“Why do you need to go to the hospital?” Dylan asked, giving Liam a worried look. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Liam replied, unable to hold back his smile. “The babies are on the way. The girl we’re adopting from went into labour this morning.”
“Are you serious?” Dylan gushed, as he too couldn’t hold back the smile. “What the hell are you doing here? You should be there with Lexi and your babies.”
“I needed to make sure my baby brother was okay too,” Liam said as he pulled open his car door. “We’ll see you tonight.”
“Tonight?” Dylan asked,
“Mom will fill you in on the details,” Liam said before he sat into his car.
Dylan stood and watched as his brother drove down the driveway towards the large iron gates at the bottom. Then he took a deep calming breath before he turned back to his car, and Brook, who was still inside.
When Dylan finally pulled open the door, Brook turned to look at him as tears spilled down her face.
“Please don’t cry, Brook,” Dylan pleaded as he gathered her up in his arms.
“I can’t do this anymore, Dylan” she whispered, as she rested her head against his shoulder. “This is too hard.”
“I know it is,” Dylan replied, kissing the top of her head. “But it’s almost over, I promise you.”
“He’ll never let me be happy,” she whispered as she lifted her head, and looked up into Dylan’s eyes. “I will never be free from him.”
“Then we’ll go to New York,” Dylan said, surprising Brook with his re
sponse.
“Really?” She asked, and Dylan could see a spark of hope in her eyes. “What about your family?”
“You’re my family now, Brook,” Dylan replied, giving her a big grin. “I will make the arrangements. Just promise me that you won’t give up on us.”
“Never,” she whispered as she hugged him as she’d never hugged him before.
Chapter 27
“We really don’t have to do this if you’re not in the mood,” Dylan said as he glanced over at Brook sitting next to him in the car. They had just arrived at Liam’s house, and Dylan knew that deep down inside, this was the last thing Brook needed.
Since they arrived back at Dylan’s parents’ house earlier that day, Brook had barely said two words. Still, when Liam called to say that the babies had arrived and that he and Lexi would love everyone to come by their house that evening to meet the new arrivals, as he had suggested to Nell earlier that day, Brook insisted they go. Dylan had said that Liam would have understood if they chose to wait till at least the following day to visit, but Brook insisted.
“He’s your brother,” Brook said, turning to Dylan, giving him a half-hearted smile. “Your twin brother. He’s just become a father for the first time. You have to be here. You know you do.”
“I know,” Dylan smiled, as he reached out, taking hold of Brook’s hand. “I just …I don’t want to put any more pressure on you, Brook.”
“You’re not,” she replied, this time her smile seemed a little more genuine. “The distraction will do me good. Besides, they are babies. Who doesn’t like babies?”
“You like babies?” Dylan asked, giving her a smile.
Dylan (The Murphy Series Book 5) Page 26