by L. Wilder
“You go get them settled, and I’ll get the grill started.”
“Okay.”
I started towards the door, but I stopped and turned back around when Roman called out to me, “Frankie?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you, too.”
My heart swelled as I stood there staring back at the man I loved—the man who made me feel whole again. I couldn’t imagine feeling more content than I did at that moment. Unfortunately, the spell was broken when the boys came barreling through the back door. They each dropped their backpacks in the hall before dragging themselves into the kitchen. “Hey guys. How was it at your dad’s?”
“It sucked like always.” Corry opened the fridge and took out a Coke. “Where’s Widow?”
“He’s outside starting up the grill.”
“Cool.”
Without another word, he walked past me and out to the back yard to find Roman. When Sean started to follow him, I asked, “What about you? Did you have a good weekend?”
“Not really. Dad was in one of his moods, but it’s over now, and we don’t have to deal with him for a while.”
“True. Still hate you had a crummy weekend.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Sean peered out the window as he asked, “What’s Widow cooking for dinner?”
“Burgers. That okay with you?”
He smiled as he teased, “Yeah, as long as he’s the one cooking ‘em.”
When my mouth dropped open, he laughed and said, “I’m just messing with you, Mom.”
He was still laughing as he slipped out the back door and went to join Roman and Corry. I walked over to the window and watched as my boys talked with Roman. It was easy to imagine our lives together when they all looked so happy out there messing with the grill, but I wasn’t naive enough to think things would always be like this. I knew there would be hard times ahead, and even though I wasn’t sure how they would play out, I really did love Roman and I wanted to try.
The next morning, I got to the coffee shop early and was surprised to find Sydney waiting for me at the front door. Usually she was a good thirty to forty-five minutes late, so I asked, “Is your clock broken?”
“No, smartass. My clock is not broken.” She waited for me to unlock the door, then followed me inside. “I have to leave a little early today, so I decided to come on in and help you out with the morning rush.”
“Okay.” I took my purse and keys to the office, then asked, “Why do you have to head out early?”
“I’ve got a date.”
“Anyone I know?”
“No, and I don’t want to talk about it.” She started prepping the coffee machines as she explained, “I don’t want to jinx anything.”
“Oh, so you really like this guy, huh?”
“I already told you. I don’t want to talk about it, Frankie.”
“Okay. Fine. Have it your way.”
The morning rush came and went, but nothing more was said about the date. I figured if I gave her some time, she’d finally open up, but she avoided the conversation at all costs. She even wiped down all the tables and swept the floors—something she rarely ever did. Even though she’d never pay me the same respect, I gave my little sister her space, but I had every intention of calling her later to get the full scoop on what happened.
When things finally started to slow, Sydney came over and sat down at the counter in front of me. “So, how are things with you and Row-man?”
She always made a point to draw out his name, and I always made a point to ignore her when she did it. “Things are really good, actually. I think the boys really like him.”
“And what about you? Do you really like him, too?”
“I really, really do.”
“So, you think there’s a future with this guy?”
“You never know, but I hope so.” I looked over at her as I said, “I’ve never really felt like this with anyone before. Not with Marc. Not with anyone.”
“See! Aren’t you glad I pushed you to go out with him?”
“Actually, you told me I should ‘get me some of that’.”
“And you did and look what happened!” She threw her hands up in the air. “You’re in love with the bad boy biker! How cool is that!”
“You’re such a mess.”
“Yeah, I can’t help myself.” She reached over and placed her hand on mine. “I’m really happy for you, sis.”
“Thanks, Syd.”
“Be sure and tell him that I’ll cut his balls off if he hurts you.”
“Yeah, I’ll be sure and do that.”
After the lunch rush, Sydney headed home to get ready for her big date, leaving me to close the shop alone. It wasn’t a big deal. I’d done it a hundred times before, but tonight I was in a hurry. Roman and I were taking the boys out for pizza and bowling, and I didn’t want to be late. I rushed through our normal routine of cleaning the coffee pots and wiping down all the counters, then closed out the register. I went back to the office to turn off the lights and had just flipped the switch when I heard the front door chime. Damn. I’d forgotten to lock the door. I was still in the office when I shouted, “I’m sorry. We’re closed.”
No one responded, so I went out to see if anyone was there. That’s when I saw him. Marc was standing in the middle of my coffee shop. I knew the second I saw that menacing look in his eyes he’d come to make good on his threat—a threat he’d made many times over the past few years. He was going to kill me, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop him.
Chapter 19
Widow
“You won’t get away with this!” Marc spat. “I’ll have you arrested for kidnapping and assault!”
“Says the man who just beat the hell out of his ex-wife.”
“I’ll fucking kill you!”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re not in a position to be making threats.” I stood back and looked at him with a sense of satisfaction. He was strung up with his hands bound over his head, and his face looked like it had been put through a fucking meat grinder. His feet were barely touching the floor as he tried to wrangle himself free from the restraints. I’d already beaten the hell out of him, but I was just warming up. “You keep running that fucking mouth of yours, and I’ll cut your tongue right out of your head. It’d suit me just fine. As far as I’m concerned, you have it coming.”
“I knew you were a fucking monster. I told Frankie to steer clear of you, but the fucking bitch wouldn’t listen.”
Once again, rage swept over me, and I couldn’t stop myself from plowing my fist into the side of his face, knocking the motherfucker out. His chin dropped to his chest, and as he hung there unconscious, I thought about the moment I walked into Frankie’s house and found that she hadn’t made it home. The boys were both there waiting on her to get home from work and were concerned that they hadn’t heard from her. I tried calling her cell and then the coffee shop, but when I got no answer, I knew something was wrong. I told the boys to stay put and went to the coffee shop to check on her. When I walked in, I found Frankie with a busted lip and a swollen eye, and she was standing over Marc. He was sprawled out on the floor unconscious with broken glass all around him.
Frankie’s eyes were wide with panic as she gasped, “I think I killed him.”
“Don’t give a fuck about him.” I stepped over and took her into my arms, cradling her against my chest. “Are you okay?”
“I think so.”
“What the hell happened?”
“I was getting ready to leave.” She stepped back, breaking my embrace as she told me, “I’d just turned out the lights in the back, and he showed up. He was so mad. I knew he was about to lose it.”
“Over what?”
“You...He’d warned me several times about us getting involved. Told me time and time again that he wasn’t going to have it. I told him he didn’t have a say anymore, and I thought I’d gotten through to him, but when he saw your bike at the house the
other night, it set him off.” Her voice trembled as she said, “He came at me, told me he was going to kill me, and then he punched me. He was just so mad. I tried, but I couldn’t talk him down. He just kept hitting me, so when I managed to get to my feet, I grabbed one of our table lamps and hit him over the head with it. He’s been lying there ever since.”
“Sonofabitch.”
“He’d done this kind of thing before. Lots of times, but I’ve never seen that look in his eyes. He was so intent on actually killing me. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You did what you had to.” I knelt down, and when I saw he still had a pulse, I looked up to Frankie and said, “I need you to get your things and go.”
“Is he still alive?”
“For now.”
“But… what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to handle this.”
“You can’t kill him, Roman,” she pleaded. “I know you may want to, but you can’t. He’s the boys’ father and...”
“Go home, Frankie.” I heard what she was saying, and while I might not have agreed, I wasn’t going to kill him—at least not yet. “I’ve got this.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” I stood and stepped over to her, pulling her to me once again. “It’s going to be okay. Now, go home and put some ice on your eye and lip, and I’ll be there when I can.”
“Okay.” She looked up at me as she pleaded, “Just please be careful.”
I kissed her on the forehead as I said, “Proud of you.”
She glanced down at Marc as she muttered, “I wish I felt the same.”
“You should. The asshole had it coming.” When Marc groaned and started to move, I knew our time was running short. I motioned my hand towards the door as I told her, “You need to go, Frankie. Now.”
As soon as she’d gotten in her car, I called Shotgun and had him come give me a hand with Marc. We got him into the SUV and took him to the clubhouse. Once we had him in the holding room, Shotgun left me to handle things on my own. I was overcome with rage, and ended up beating the hell out of the man. Hell, I’d come close to killing him, but remembered Frankie’s pleas and restrained myself. Even though he was still breathing, I’d given him a beating he wouldn’t soon forget.
When Marc started to come to, I walked over and grabbed Shotgun’s deer skinning rack—a device he’d only used on our most malevolent adversaries. I remembered Frankie tell me that Marc was an avid hunter, so I had no doubt he’d seen the piece of equipment before. I placed it right in front of him, then grabbed a fist full of his hair, pulling his head back as his eyes fluttered open. As soon as he saw the skinning rack, his eyes widened with fear.
“I’m sure, being an avid hunter like you are, you know there are several ways you can use a skinning rack like this. Some like to hang their kill on the gamble using rope or zip-ties, but there are others who prefer to use the Achille’s tendon. Damn. I bet that hurts like a sonofabitch, don’t you?”
I thought about all the shit this man had put Frankie and her boys through. I’d known he’d hurt her, but until now, I hadn’t realized how bad it had really been. She seemed so strong, so put together. I never dreamed it was as bad as it really was. It proved that some really do have the power to overcome their past. It made me wonder why I hadn’t been able to do the same. I’d let my mind haunt me and prevent me from having any kind of relationship with a woman. I was done with that bullshit. I might’ve had my father’s blood in me, but I was not my father. I figured if I could change, maybe—just maybe, Marc could do some changing of his own. He’d just have to have the right motivation.
“You can’t do this.”
“Oh, but I can.” I took out my knife and used it to cut open his shirt. I ran the tip of the blade down the middle of his chest as I told him, “I can mount you on this rack and gut you like a fucking deer, and there’s not a damn thing you could do to stop me.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to be a decent fucking human being. I want you to be a father to your boys, not a fucking dictator. Show them what it is to be a father who earns their love and respect instead of demanding it. I want you to leave Frankie alone. Let her live her life without any more of your bullshit, but I’m not sure you’re actually capable of doing that.” I pressed the blade against his chest, drawing blood as I inched it down his sternum. “A man like you doesn’t know how to be decent.”
“I do...I can,” he stammered. “Just let me go, and I’ll prove it.”
“I don’t know. I’m not convinced just yet.”
“I’ll do anything you ask. Just don’t do this.”
I removed the blade from his chest as I told him, “Only a real sonofabitch preys on someone weaker than themselves. I should just end you right now. It’s what you deserve, but I’m going to give you one shot to fix things. You fuck up, even once, and you’ll find yourself back in this room. Only next time, you’ll be mounted on the deer skinner. You got that?”
“Yeah. I got it.”
“And don’t even think about going to the cops about our little visit.” I walked over and grabbed the file Menace had brought me. I’d asked him to look into Marc to see if he could find anything I could use against him. I was just hoping for a little dirt to keep him quiet about our exchange. I never dreamed he’d find what he did. I carried the file over to Marc and pulled out the scan he’d done on the asshole’s computer server. “If you do, I’ll make sure they find out about your fixation with kiddie porn. You sick motherfucker. How can you look at all this bullshit?”
“That’s not mine!” he lied. “I’d never...”
“Save it. I’ve got the proof right here. Also got proof of all your tax evasion bullshit.” I held up the report Menace made on his finances. “Not surprised that you’d be so fucking stupid. A few years behind bars might do you some good.”
“No, I’ll fix this. I swear it. Just give me a chance.”
“You’ve got one and only one.” I looked him dead in the eye as I snarled, “One fuck up and...”
“I know. I know. I won’t fuck up,” he cried. “I swear.”
“We’ll see.”
I’d said all I had to say, so I reared back my fist and slammed it into his jaw, knocking him out once again. I called Shotgun in, and we loaded him back up into the SUV and carried him back to the coffee shop. The asshole was still out when we got him back in his car and locked the doors. Before we left him there, Shotgun turned to me and asked, “You sure the club isn’t gonna get any blowback from this?”
“Yeah, Menace helped make sure of that.”
“You think your little talk with him will do any good?”
“For his sake, I certainly hope so.” I walked over and as I got on my bike, I told him, “’Cause he’s as good as dead if he puts his hands on Frankie or those boys again.”
“I’ll be right there to help you finish him off.”
“Appreciate it, brother. Knew I could count on you.” When he got back in his SUV, I told him, “Thanks again for your help tonight.”
“No problem. Glad I could give you a hand with the douchebag.” He started the truck then said, “Give Frankie my best, and if you guys need anything else, just give me a call.”
“Will do.”
Once he’d pulled out of the parking lot, I started up my bike and headed back over to Frankie’s. It had been hours since I’d sent her home, and I had no doubt she was worried. I didn’t want to wake the boys, so I killed the engine well before I made it to her driveway. I eased my bike up next to her car, then I sent her a text message, letting her know I was outside. Seconds later, she came to the front door and motioned for me to come inside. I hadn’t even made it through the door before she asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, babe.” The bruises on her throat were looking more pronounced, along with those on her shoulder. Her eye was still swollen, and now there was a deep bruise beneath it. I stepped over and pulled her in f
or a brief hug. “You put ice on that eye like I told ya?”
“I did for a little while, but it started to give me a headache.”
“You need ice, Frankie.”
She stepped back, freeing herself from my arms. “No, I need you to tell me what happened.”
“I handled it. Just like I told you I would.” Trying my best to be quiet, I walked into the kitchen and opened the freezer, grabbing a bag of frozen peas. As I offered it to her, I demanded, “Put this on your eye.”
“Fine.” She grabbed it and pressed it against her face. “Now, will you tell me what happened with Marc.”
“Nothing to tell.” I stepped over to her and kissed her on the forehead. “He’s been dealt with. Everything’s going to be fine. Actually, things should be better than ever.”
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s say I gave Marc a bit of a warning. If he’s smart, he’ll take that warning to heart and straighten his ass up.” I brought my hands up and cradled her face. “He won’t hurt you again, Frankie. If he even thinks about it, I’ll kill him.”
“Roman...”
“I mean it, Frankie.” I’d told her too much. I knew that, but after what she’d been through, she needed to know that Marc had been dealt with. I couldn’t keep that from her. “You’re mine, and I’m going to take care of what’s mine.”
She wrapped her arms around me as she lowered her head to my chest, then hugged me tightly. “Thank you, Roman. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been there.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” I kissed her on the temple, then said, “Let’s get you to bed.”
“Okay.” I led her back into her bedroom and pulled back her comforter, waiting for her to lie down before I pulled it over her. “Will you stay?”