Again anyway.
Not that my ex-wife allowed my child to grow this big inside of her. She ended my baby's life right before she asked me for the divorce. I didn't know then, of what she'd done, so I gave her the damn divorce, against the council's advice, against my family's damn rule because I just wanted shot of her. Marrying her was the worst moment of my life. I let the council get inside my head, let them tell me to marry she-who-shall-not-be-named was what was best in the end. It wasn't until the divorce came through that she told me what she'd done, how she found out she was pregnant and kept it from me because she hated me and just wanted out. Ten minutes after she told me, she died.
Yeah, I killed the bitch! And I would kill her all over afuckingain if she was still here.
Like I said before, I would never lay a hand on a woman. I saw too much of that shit with my mother and father, but most women are evil fucking creatures, and taking them out is all you can do to save your sanity. No woman will ever murder a child of mine and live to tell the tale.
“You would never do anything...”
Her hand on my face cuts off my words. “I don't know what happened in the past, but I see in your eyes that something did, someone hurt you, but I love this baby more than anything in this world. You have no idea how long I have wanted this, Draven.” Her eyes haven't left mine. She's not the kind of woman to hide. I like that about her.
“And it doesn't...”
“No!” Damn, is she ever going to let me finish a sentence? “You think I care that you're Italian?” She can read minds too. Mine at least. Could turn out to be a dangerous thing. “You think I care that my baby is of your blood? I don't. You may not be the most conventional of men, but I know you'll be a good father to this child.
“I know who my father was, what he was. He was a vile, racist piece of crap, and he only ever cared about himself. However, Brooke and I have never been racist. It didn't matter what Hank told us; we saw everyone as equal. I taught my sister to see every person the same, and that she was no better than anyone else in this world. I guess I was born wired differently to my family.” She shrugs.
“I may not know you well, Draven. Hell, I might even be crazy because I've heard the stories of the things you've done. Am I crazy for thinking I'm safe with you?” I don't know if she's asking me the question, but she doesn't give me the chance to respond in any case.
“However, strange it may sound to others, when I'm near you, I feel safe. I know that nobody can hurt me, and I know you'll make sure no one can hurt our child either. I also know in my heart that this baby will be so lucky to have you as its father.”
Damn.
She just floored me with her words. I am many things, and I know I am going to be the best father any man can be. Knowing the mother of my child believes in me the way she does, when she hardly knows anything about me, means something me.
Marnie leans into my touch as I stroke her cheek with my thumb. There is something about this woman's soul that calls to me. I don't understand it yet, but I want to explore it. The elders won't like this, they insist that she be tested for loyalty, meaning they'll torture her, but I won't let it happen. I've never wanted to protect a woman outside of my family as much as I want to protect Marnie.
Looking at her at this moment, I know that whatever power she has over me will both weaken me and make me stronger. However fucked being around her will make me, I have to keep her with me. “I want to take care of you, Marnie. I know you've been hurt, but...”
“What is it you're expecting of me, Draven?”
For you not to keep cutting me off at every sentence.
I wouldn't tolerate that shit from anyone else, and to be honest, she's pissing me off with it!
“I'm married, Draven. Married to a man who did nothing but cheat on me, beat me, and I...” She does that deep, nervous swallow thing.
“Your marriage will come to an end soon enough. I'm not a cheat, and I will not beat you, I do not hit women. I won't let you walk away from me. I'm not asking you to love me. I'm not promising that I'll love you either, but you will be my wife.” Her eyes widen. Might as well tell her as it is right now. “This baby will have parents who are married. A man in my situation, a good Italian man marries the mother of his children.”
“But what if I meet someone and fall in love?”
“Won't happen.” I hold my fingers against her lips, silencing her protests. I won't hear them. Ever. This isn't up for discussion. “You will be my wife, Marnie. Very soon.”
“So I'm just going to be forced into another marriage against my will?”
“By the time the day arrives, you'll want it, believe me,” Marnie mutters something under her breath along the lines of Cocky bastard. I try not to chuckle as she flops back in her seat.
It's all good; she can have her little tantrum, it won't change a damn thing. She's mine, and she'll stay mine, and God help any man who tries to come between us!
* * *
I walk Marnie inside my opulent five bedroomed house. It's nothing special, well, not in my opinion, but to most, my place is something. It's fitted with all the mod cons, voice activation, security systems that would rival the white house. Well, I am a Mafia Don, I need to make sure my house and everything surrounding me are impregnable. Can't have people even so much as thinking they'll get within a mile of me with ideas of killing me and living to tell the tale.
Now I have Marnie and the baby to think about, I need to double the efforts to keep them safe.
I disable the fingerprint recognition alarm, the one I'll add Marnie's fingerprint to tomorrow so she can come and go with ease. Well, she'll be living here as of now, and I won't take no for an answer. She's mine, and I want her here where I can keep an eye on her.
Marnie is not my prisoner by any means, but she is the woman carrying my child, and I want her safe. I also want to be the one to take her to her appointments, be with her at the ultrasounds. I've already missed one, and that was my own doing. I won't miss another.
I want to be with her when the baby comes. I want to be – not the first because that will be Marnie – but the second person to hold my child, chest to chest. I want the whole bonding experience. My child will be my life.
I don't know what will happen with Marnie and me, I don't know if I can make her love me, I don't even know if I'm capable of loving her in return, but I do know that I'll give her the world if she asks it of me.
“Nice place.” She tells me while walking into the living room, looking at the artwork on the walls, the modern furniture, the Persian rug next to the fire. I smile to myself. This isn't her thing, I can see it in the way she's looking at everything.
“You can change it all if you want to. I'd rather you were comfortable here.”
“Why would I do that?” She's confused, I can see it.
“You'll be living here. I won't have the mother of my child anywhere other than under my roof.”
“But, Draven,”
I press my fingertips against her lips. I won't have her protesting, and I won't give her the chance to argue with me about this. “I know you're living with your sister and her husband. I know you're working two jobs just to save enough money for a place of your own, and to pay for our baby and everything it needs,” I touch her stomach gently and she smiles. God, she's more beautiful than I ever imagined. I have seen her beauty more than once, but being pregnant is agreeing with her, she's glowing. “But you don't need to do that now, Marnie. I want to take care of you both. I want you to give up work.”
“Not happening.” She's a stubborn little thing. I love that about her.
“I won't have my woman working when she doesn't have to.”
“And I won't be a kept woman!” There's such a fire in her eyes. The way she's looking at me has my cock at half mast. Dammit.
“This is not up for discussion, Marnie.”
“I swear to God!” She snaps, hands on her hips, and my god does that turn me on! “I will not have y
ou dictate my life, Draven Vidal. I agree that living here with you will be best for our child,” Exactly! “But I'm scared, Draven. I'm not scared of you, but I'm not as stupid as people think I am. I know what kind of man you are, I know the things you've done. That is what scares me, Draven. What if the things you do come back on the baby... and me?”
I cross my arms over my chest and breathe deeply through my nose. I'm not a good man in the conventional sense, but I'm not the monster, I have people believe I am. I have no choice but to be hard, to be strong, to make tough decisions. I'm the boss, it's my job to be the man Marnie sees before her, but there is so much more to me. So much more.
I gave up the cage fighting because I'm too old for it now. Yeah, I'm in my late thirties, still as strong as a man of twenty, but I'm not stupid, I went out on top. I live in a dangerous world as it is without cage fighting. My life is in danger every damn day I breathe air. If I can cut some of that danger out, I will.
I touch Marnie's cheek gently; her skin is so soft, so perfect. “Don't judge a man on what he had to do, judge him only by what he wanted to do. I have done bad things, Marnie. Most of the time I had no choice. I do what I have to do to protect my family. I will do what I have to do to protect you and this baby. There is nothing I won't do. Trust me.” I take her face in my hands, moving closer to her. Not too close, I don't want her to feel the damn erection I'm now sporting.
Her eyes linger on my mouth, and I smile. She's as affected by me as I am her. “You promise you'll do everything in your power to protect us?”
“I promise.”
“Fine, but I won't be sharing a bedroom with you. I will not have sex with you either.” She thinks.
I raise my eyebrow. “What? You think I'll have you fuckin' other men?”
She rolls her eyes and folds her arms around herself. “I didn't say that, but if I can't, then nor can you. Sleep with others, I mean.” I smirk and tip my head in agreement.
Marriage is a sacred thing. That's how I was raised. If I do this thing with Marnie, there will be no other women. That's how I know this thing between us will end in us falling into bed. I'm not a man who can go without sex for long, and there's no way I won't be having sex with my wife.
“You're absolutely right, Marnie. From this day forward there will be no other women but you.”
“Good.” She nods, and I see the relief in her eyes. Oh, she'll be in my bed before the weeks out all right. “But I will not be giving up work.”
“You will,” I tell her while adjusting my tie.
“No, I will not! I agree to give up working at the restaurant, but not the pet store. One: I like working there with the animals, and two: I want to earn my own money, Draven.”
“You'll have your own money, Marnie. I'll be giving you a credit card...” She's shaking her head like crazy. “Marnie...”
“No. I just want a little freedom. I know my life is never going to be the same if we do this. Especially because of who you are, but I don't want to be a prisoner. I don't want to be suffocated by you and your organization to the point...” Her words trail off, and she breathes deeply while looking at the ceiling.
She was going to say; To the point, I want to die. It hits me in the gut hard because that's exactly how my mother felt being married to my father. I won't have Marnie turning into that woman – a woman beat down and imprisoned by the husband she hates. Dammit! I'm doing this all wrong. Forcing her will only make her hate me in the end.
“Please, Draven?” Begging. That shit usually turns me on, right now, it's turning my stomach. Marnie doesn't deserve to be unhappy, and it's not like she's asking me for much. I can give her this one small thing. I can allow her to continue working at the pet store if that's what she wants.
“Fine, but part-time. I won't have you working 9-5; it's too stressful in your condition.” I take her hip in one hand, her cheek in the other, pulling her closer. She looks at me with shining eyes. How the hell am I meant to stop myself from falling for her when I can already feel the ice around my heart thawing?
“Marnie, I don't want to take over your life, nor tell you what you can and cannot do. I mean only to keep you safe, you and the baby. I want this pregnancy to go smoothly for you, and I am going to make sure you will want for nothing. Okay?”
“Okay,” She rolls her eyes with a smile on her face. “If it makes you happy, I'll ask for shorter hours, and I'll move in. However, I meant what I said about separate bedrooms. I'm not ready for anything more, Draven.”
“That's fine.” For now. “I'll show you to your room as soon as you've eaten.”
“I'd rather go back to Brooke's. Just for tonight. She needs to know what's going on, and Hawk will still be up wondering where I am.”
I pull her toward me and kiss her forehead. “Okay,”
I may have agreed to take her back to her sister's tonight, but I tell her that I'll be by at 11: AM to collect her. Marnie has got the day off tomorrow so she'll have time to pack up her stuff and tell her sister what's going on.
I drop her off outside Brooke's place and watch as she walks inside, smiling and waving at me before closing the door. Yes, by the end of the week she'll be mine in every way. I just hope I can last that long.
Chapter Five
Marnie
Please, don't do this, Marnie.” I sigh while folding another shirt and putting it in my suitcase. “You don't need to do this. You can stay here for as long as you need.”
“Brooke,” I turn to face her. I know she's worried about me, and maybe I'm naïve where the Don is concerned, but I'm trying to do right by my baby. “Everything will be fine. You don't need to worry about me.”
“How can I not? You've agreed to move in with my boss! A damn Mafia Don!”
“I slept with him, and now I'm having his baby. I want that baby to know its father, and Draven wants to take care of us...” I scrub my hands over my tired face.
I am exhausted from all the worry this past month. Not only money worries, but Paul and Draven. Everything is becoming too much, and last night was the craziest night I've ever had. Draven pushed on me that I'll be moving in with him, marrying him and that I have to give up work because I won't need to go anymore.
I will not be told what to do even if he did have a point about the baby, and him wanting to take care of us. I agreed to live with him because it's the right thing to do for my child. That and I know I'll be safe there. Paul wouldn't dare come near Draven's place or me while I'm with him. I need that peace of mind. I need to feel safe. I need to be relaxed so my baby can thrive. I won't risk losing it.
I came to a compromise with Draven over the job thing. I'll give up the restaurant job but not the pet store. Although I will cut back on my hours and work part-time, I also told him that I wouldn't be sharing a room with him, nor would I be sleeping with him.
Although he still demanded that I don't sleep with any other man. He had a damn cheek to demand such a thing from me, but I guessed he meant while I'm pregnant with his baby. It won't be a problem. I may be horny as hell lately, but I'm not the kind of girl who would lay down with just anybody, and never while I'm carrying another man's baby. Of course, I told Draven that meant he couldn't sleep with anyone else either. I threw it out there as a joke – kind of – I had no idea he'd actually agree to it!
Regardless of that fact, he wanted me to move in then and there. I asked him to bring me back to Brooke's just for the night. I needed to prepare myself for what I'd say to my sister. Everyone was asleep when I got home, and I spent the next hour packing up what little amount of stuff I have, and then I spent the next hour cleaning up my room. I would never leave the place a mess. I then showered and slept until just after nine this morning.
I'm still tired, but I dragged myself off to the laundry room to find the last of my things. I wanted to pack before I found Brooke and explained things, but she found me. I explained everything to her, but she's not taking this well at all.
Brooke strokes my arm gent
ly. “I know you want what's best for your baby, and I'm proud of you for doing everything in your power to make sure he or she has two parents and a safe home life. However, I know Draven, Marnie, and he isn't the kind of man who will bring you roses on your birthday. He's a killer, Marnie.”
“And what is Hawk, exactly?”
She blinks, taken aback by the sharpness of my tone. I don't want to hurt her, but what she just said was like the pot calling the kettle black.
“Yes, Hawk has killed, Marnie, but he's never done the things Draven has. Hawk has only ever protected his family. Draven is a very dangerous man. All of those stories people speak of regarding Draven and the things he's done...”
“They're just stories, Brooke. I'm not saying he's a saint, nor am I saying he hasn't done the things people accuse him of, but have you never thought most of it is made up to scare people? The man I know is not the man I've heard about.”
“But you don't know him, Marnie, not really.”
I clutch my stomach and sigh. I don't know how I'm supposed to get through to Brooke. I understand her fears, of course, I do, but I have to do this. I don't know why, but it feels right.
“I'm not trying to hurt you, or put doubts in your head, Draven is my friend as much as he's my boss. I just don't want you to get hurt. You just got away from one violent bastard, and I don't want you to fall in with another one. Draven is forcing you to do this when you don't have to, Marnie.”
Don't judge a man on what he had to do, judge him only by what he wanted to do. Draven's words echo in my mind, and I smile to myself.
I smile and hug my sister. Brooke means the world to me, she's always there when I need her, and right now, all she's doing is trying to protect me. I love her so much for it, but I want to do this. “Thank you for being here for me, I really do appreciate it, but Draven wants to take care of us. I know this might seem like he's bullying me into something I don't want to do, but it's not as bad as you may think. I don't hate the man; he won't hit me or cheat on me. He'll love our baby, and that's why I'm doing this, for my baby. He or she deserves the father we never had. The father your children have.”
Vidal!: Snakes Henchmen MC Page 5