“I told you,” He says while tipping my head up with his knuckles under my chin. “You, this baby,” I smile automatically as he touches my stomach as if he's touching our baby. “And these little ladies,” My babies squeal happily as Draven lifts them into his arms and kisses their heads one at a time. “Are the most important people in this world to me. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you.”
“You are amazing, Draven Vidal.”
“Well...” I laugh loudly. God, he's so cocky, but I love him regardless.
“Daddy? Are we getting married?” I laugh again at Lydia. He's cocky, and she's cute.
“Baby?” She turns her pretty brown eyes to me. “Mommy and Daddy are getting married. You and Amber are going to be mommy's bridesmaids.” Her little eyes widen, and she gives me the most beautiful smile I have ever seen on her face. “What do you think about that?”
“Mommy!” Her little hands clap together excitedly. I stroke her face and kiss her cheek. I love seeing her this happy.
“Me too, Mommy.” I laugh and kiss Amber's cheek.
Draven wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me into him as best he can with Lydia and Amber in his arms. I don't even know how he's doing it, but he is doing it. I take Amber from him when she whimpers. She hates loud noises, but Draven isn't to know that yet, and there is a lot of noise in this room right now.
“Baby, are you sure you should be holding her in your condition?”
“No, but she's not heavy, as you might have noticed, and she's a little scared right now. I just want to comfort her.”
He smiles and kisses my head. Then he turns to the room full of people. “Can I have everyone's attention, please?!” He yells loudly, and all eyes turn to him, to us, if most of them had even left us in the first place. Amber whimper's again and turns her head into my shoulder, I rub her back and kiss her head. Draven looks at me apologetically, I just smile and let him kiss my lips.
It's so weird to see this clubhouse filled with children. This place is not the kind of place for kids. Men fight and die here. Although, according to my sister, this isn't such a bad club. Not the kind where all the men are drunk whores, who fuck anything that moves. Even though I do not believe that crap for one moment, I don't know whom she was trying to kid, me or herself.
However, these men are faithful to their women if they have them, and Shepard, the clubs president is dangerous, but a family man. Just like my Draven. Plus, both Draven and I have ties to the club, both of us have family here. That makes it some kind of special place to be.
“I would like to introduce you all to my daughter's, Lydia Catherine Vidal and Amber Brooke Vidal!” People start cheering, clapping, welcoming my daughter's, and the girls are in their element. Especially Lydia. She's not shy at all; she loves attention. Amber doesn't.
I note the tears in my sister’s eyes. She had no idea I'd named Amber after her. Now she does. She's as honored as I was when I found out that she'd given Gabriel my middle name. The masculine form, of course.
We spend another hour getting to know everyone, Lydia is making so many friends it's unreal. That's what she needs right now, friends. So does Amber, and she sticks to Lydia like glue. Lydia always includes her sister in whatever game she's playing with her new friends.
They both love their cousins so much, and Lydia was excited to hold baby DJ in her little arms. Amber squealed with delight when Brooke allowed her to hold DJ. She's never held a baby before, everyone she'd ever been around treated her like a leper because of her condition. Brooke treats her the same way as any other child, and it makes my heart burst. All I ever wanted for Amber was for her to be treated just like everyone else.
Amber is smitten with Gabriel, and he seems to love her so much. When Amber got a little grizzly because of the noise, I sat her in a quiet corner with a book to read, she can't read yet, but she likes to read the pictures and make up her own stories. Don't most kids?
Gabriel toddled over to her and sat down beside her, listening to her stories and holding her hand. She'd bring his tiny hand to her mouth every now and again and kiss it. He'd smile up at her, and I could see just how much they love each other.
However, it's with Ember, Tank and Nova's little girl, whom Lydia is instantly best friends with. They're almost the same age, and I love how well they get along. They play for hours, laughing, brushing each other’s hairs, and even talking like they've always known each other. Lydia even laughed happily about the fact her new best friends name is almost the same as her twin sisters. I hadn't thought about it before that moment, but she was right. It made Nova and me laugh.
My girls are going to be just fine here. I know they are.
Tony drives us home, where my amazing man shows our little girls the bedroom he had fixed up for them a few weeks ago, when all this, me wanting to find them, and him promising he would, started. I've never seen either of them so excited before.
Their new room is painted a pale lilac color, with a bed of white wood with a pink canopy for each of them. The window seat is padded in lilac and pink. Pictures of fairies and princesses hang on the walls, and their names are plastered across the wall over their beds. The letters are made from wood; I made them. Each letter is painted with little butterflies. Lydia loves butterflies, and Amber loves princesses.
Draven also bought the girls a closet full of clothes, shoes, everything they could possibly want and need. He also got them some toys, things they've never had, never been allowed before.
Draven hands Amber a new teddy bear with a pretty pink tutu and tiara on its head. She laughs loudly and hugs him tightly before hugging the bear she's name Baby to her chest.
Lydia eyes the brand new teddy bear on her bed with the butterfly wings, and gets a little upset when Draven suggests she throw away her old one. The one she carries everywhere she goes. Unlike Amber with her old bear, Lydia got very attached to hers.
“No!” Lydia yells and beings to cry so heartbreakingly that it cuts me up inside. She only ever cried like this when I had to leave her after our visits. When she used to cling to me and beg me not to go, she's always been a strong little girl, strong for Amber, and I hate seeing her upset like this. I notice Amber watching from her perch on her new bed, and I hope this doesn't set her off.
I crouch down to Lydia's level and stroke her little face as she holds her bear tightly to her chest. A tear slips from my eye as I pull her into me. “It's okay, baby.” I hold her close to my chest.
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset her.” Draven looks so hurt. He didn't do anything wrong here. He did everything right.
“It's okay, Draven, she didn't mean it.”
“Daddy,” She pulls away from me slightly. “I'm sorry. Please don't hurt Amber 'cause I'm bad.” My heart falls to my feet, and my stomach turns over. I look from Lydia to Amber. What the hell happened to my baby girl?
“Lydia, Daddy will never hurt Amber, or you.”
I ignore Draven and cup my baby's face. “Who hurt Amber, Lydia? Tell Mommy.”
“Leave it, Marnie.”
He knows I know he does. I won't leave this. He’s crazy if he thinks he can keep this from me. “Tell me, Lydia.”
“Miss Ada, she beat Amber lots and lots if I was bad. She locked her in the basement in the dark by herself. She cried and cried, Mommy. I tried to help her, but I couldn't get her out. Amber was so frightened all the time.”
I'm trying not to cry, I don't think I even remember how to talk, but I force myself to ask for more. I need to know what that bitch did to my little girl.
“Baby,” I take her little arms in my hands. “Why did Ada beat Amber?”
“'Cause I was bad. She didn't feed us sometimes, and Amber cried 'cause her tummy hurt so much. I stole food, and Miss Ada beat Amber because of it. I'm sorry, Mommy, please don't stop loving me.”
Jesus Christ.
I pull her to me and stroke the back of her head. “Lydia, Mommy will always love you. No matter what you do, I will always love
you. It wasn't your fault that Ada hurt Amber, you were just looking out for your sister, and Mommy is so proud of you, Lydia.” She nods her little head against my shoulder and sniffs.
“Miss Ada called Amber names all the time, and it hurt my heart. Amber is not a mongol, Mommy.” I close my eyes tight and hold my daughter tighter. Why the fuck are people so damn cruel?
“Lydia?” She lifts away from me and walks into Draven's arms. I hold mine out to Amber, and she runs to me, and I hold her close to me and kiss her head. “Your sister is perfect just like you. No one has the right to say those things about Amber, and I am so very proud of you for standing up for her the way you did.”
“She's my best friend, Daddy.”
“I know, princess.”
“Mommy,” Amber draws my eyes to her little face with her hand on mine. “Lydia can keep Mr. Brown? She loves him... Sleeps in bed with him.”
I smile and kiss her little head. “Of course, she can keep him.”
“What's so special about this bear?” Draven asks Lydia.
“Mommy gave him to me when I was small. She said when I missed her, if I hugged Mr. Brown, it would be like I was hugging her because she squeezed him tight, so he was magic with her hugs. He's my best friend, Daddy. Thank you for the other bear, but please don't make Mr. Brown die.”
“Oh, Lydia,” He pulls her into his arms and holds her close to his big body, all the time telling her that she never has to give up her bear if she doesn't want to.
Everything is going to be okay. Once I make sure that bitch who hurt my girls pays for it. I'm not a bad person, really I'm not, but I won't let anyone get away with hurting my babies. Once the girls go down for the night, I'll be making my feelings clear to the man I love.
The girls go down without any problems, and Draven and I lie in bed just listening in case they wake up. From what I gathered, they've been through hell, and I'm worried nightmares will wake them. If Hank weren't already dead, I'd kill him for what he's done because this is all his fault!
I tell Draven that I want Ada dealt with. I don't want her dead, I don't have that in me, but I want her punished for what she's done to my daughter's. Draven tells me that Ada will more than suffer for what she's done, which I know in my heart is more than Lydia let on, but Draven won't tell me everything. He told me that it's better that I don't know, but that I don't have to worry because my girls weren't hurt sexually.
Of course, I'm more than relieved about that, but I won't let him keep things from me. Right now, I can let it go because my girls need to know I'm here for them, that there is nothing else on my mind but them. They are all I give a damn about. I'm going to make sure they know they're safe here with Draven and me. I want them to know my sister and her family. I want them to know Draven's family.
There isn't a person alive who will ever hurt them again. I just hope the guilt I'm feeling right now doesn't eat me up.
Thank you, Draven, for making my dreams come true. My little girls are home thanks to you, and you will never know how much I love you for it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Draven
There is nothing more perfect than watching the woman you love with her children. The children she believed she'd never get to be a real mother to. The way Marnie sings to Lydia and Amber while bathing them, dressing them, putting them to bed. The way little Lydia sings along with Marnie while little Amber watches with a smile on her face. It all amazes me. Those are my girls – the loves of my life.
Lydia and Amber have been home with us for two days, and they've settled in nicely as if they've always been with us. Although, both girls have woken up each night crying and calling for their mother. Amber because it was dark and she didn't know where she was, Lydia because she could hear Amber crying. Poor kid seemed to be ever on the lookout for something to go wrong, for someone to come and either hurt her sister or take them both away from their mother.
No one will ever get close enough to take either of them away from their mother again. That is my promise to those baby girls.
The morning after the girls came home, Marnie and I took them to get checked out with a doctor. My personal doctor, who looked them over. Jim said the girls had no lasting physical damage, just a couple of bruises. Although Amber did have a fracture in her wrist that had been trying to heal itself, and he would have to fix it for her. Marnie almost had a breakdown. I had to calm her down. I thought she was going to get out there and kill someone.
The strength and determination of a mother is a powerful thing. Never fuck with a Mama's cubs, she will kill you in the worst way.
Marnie stressed to Jim that she wanted Amber to be given a complete medical. Having Down's could mean she had underlying problems. Jim did all sorts of tests over the following six hours. Gave us most of the results that day, the rest followed today. Amber is perfectly healthy.
Thank God.
Marnie was over the moon, as any mother would be, and she took the girls to a toy store and allowed them to choose anything they wanted. They were in their element, and it was a pleasure to see.
I sorted out the old hag that kept the girls a damn prisoner the very night they came home. Marnie didn't even know I'd left the house. All three of my girls were asleep when I left, and the same when I got home two hours later.
The old bitch was too fucking drugged up to know what was going on. I tried to get her woken up, pumped her full of stuff that would counteract whatever the fuck she'd taken, but it was like there was fuck all in her brain.
As much as I wanted to torture the bitch, as much as I wanted to make her suffer the way she'd made those little girls suffer, there was no point. Oh, I could have sobered her up, even more, waited until the drugs had really worn off, watched her beg for help, beg for drugs, beg for her life, and I usually would have, but I was too angry to draw it out. Marnie wanted her to pay, so I killed the bitch. Put the old whore out of her misery. She'll never get the chance to hurt another child.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I was a little worried about how I'd handle being Lydia and Amber's father. I didn't want to fail them in any way. Come on; even the big bad Don can fuck up his kids. Actually, most do, which is one big reason why I never really wanted kids of my own.
However, I am a father, and I won't do anything to ruin those little girls. Nor will I the new baby. I don't want to be the man who forces his kids to be just like him. I don't want to rule their lives, but I'd be a fucking liar if I said I'd ever stop doing what I had to do to protect them from the cunts of this world.
Being the child of a mobster is hard. Believe me; I know first hand. Maria not so much, but I raised her, so it amounts to the same thing. She sometimes struggled as an early teen with the rules I set out for her. Of course, she did. Who wouldn't struggle when they're basically a prisoner?
I didn't want her to be like me. I didn't want her to be forever followed around, never really having any privacy. However, it's impossible in my line of work to ever allow those I love to be as free as others would be. I'd rather have them followed every damn step they ever take by men, I know will kill and die to protect them, than ever let anything happen to them.
I made the mistake only once of having Maria's bodyguard back off so she could have a life of her own. I stupidly, against my own advice thought she'd be safe with Jett and his crew looking out for her. Not that I really stopped looking out for her, but having Johnno back off of her for a while proved to be the worst mistake I ever made.
Sure Lorenzo was outside her place keeping watch with one of my other men, I said I backed off a little not completely. Nevertheless, one was killed, Lorenzo left for dead.
The day my father took my sister just to get to me almost killed me. Before Marnie, Maria was my whole world, and I lived for my sister. In some ways having brought her up gave me that whole protective father vibe, and I felt like I'd lost not only my baby sister but my child that day.
Did I believe that my father would hurt Maria in order to get
me to do what he wanted? I had no doubt in my mind that he would. None whatsoever. That bastard killed my mother, and he killed Hammer's mother and the only father he'd ever known.
It may have only been an hour or so that Maria was gone before we found her before Hammer killed the son of a bitch who should've loved the three of us more than life itself, but it was the longest hour of my life. Jesus fuck was it ever.
Hammer was the one who kept me calm that day, kept me sane. He told me how he'd been through it all before with his wife when she was kidnapped and almost killed. Hammer told me that I could lean on him, let him take some of the strain, that Maria was his sister too and I didn't need to do everything myself.
It was my job to protect her, to find her, but Hammer was right, she was his sister as well as mine. Even though he hadn't grown up with us, had known us but a year, he loved Maria just as much as I did. That was the only time I have ever seen tears in my brother’s eyes. I knew then that Maria had found her way deep in his heart just the way she had mine.
I didn't have my head screwed on that day. Joseph, our so-called father, wanted me to hand over the organization to him. As if my men would follow him, they would've killed him the second we walked into that place. However, I thought I could tell him that he could have everything I owned if he handed Maria back to me. I would have lost nothing.
The thing about the men in my family is that they're not completely stupid. He knew what would happen if Joseph handed Maria over; he knew he'd die. In the end, I told him point blank that I'd never hand the family over to him. He wouldn't get out of that room alive, he knew, I knew. We all knew it.
Jett and I stood in that room trying to get him to hand Maria over before he hurt her any more than he already had, but he wouldn't back down. Nothing either of us said made Joseph let go of my baby sister, and the truth is, it looked like she was dying before my eyes.
There was no way out for him, he knew that, and he was very willing to take Maria with him rather than let her live.
Vidal!: Snakes Henchmen MC Page 23