by Blue Saffire
“What the fuck did she just say,” Ryan snarls from nearby.
“You’re crazy,” Brax scoffs.
John holds up a hand. “Where did these men come from,” he asks calmly.
Missy pouts her trembling lips. “I reached out to that guy. The one that thought Wyatt’s wife had something to do with his son’s disappearance,” Missy sniffles.
“Wow,” Ryan scoffs.
“I’ve been watching you guys and stuff. I knew that man hated you, and this guy,” Missy points to Josh in disgust. “He hates Noah and Bean, when I saw he was making a move I thought I’d take my chances. It wasn’t supposed to go like this.”
“How was it supposed to go,” Noah says with his arms folded over his broad chest.
Missy blinks dumbly. “I don’t know, I didn’t think that out,” Missy lifts her chin defiantly. “If I can’t have you no one can. Mr. Coleman promised me one million dollars, if I could get you all here. I wasn’t sure you would all come for John’s little friend, so I brought this guy in once I saw what he was up to,” Missy shrugs.
“Interesting,” Wyatt says coolly.
Noah turns to Wyatt and shakes his head. “I told you. Stupid…dumbest plan ever,” Noah snorts.
“Listen, she promised me half of the money. You’ve made my life hell. I had nothing to lose. Just leave me the hell alone and we’ll all walk away like nothing ever happened,” Josh says nervously.
Noah tilts his head to the other side. “I don’t think you have that option any longer,” Noah says menacingly. “Isn’t that right, Baby?”
“Absolutely,” I hiss.
“Where is Coleman,” John asks.
“I don’t know. He said he was leaving the country for a while. Once I call him, he is going to wire our money,” Missy huffs.
Ryan and Braxton burst into laughter. I have to smirk myself. As I stifle my laugh, something catches my eye in the rafters. I squint wondering if they have huge rats in here or something, but my eyes adjust and I bite back a gasp.
“Don’t laugh at me. You’re all always laughing at me,” Missy screeches. She licks her lips and nods her head as if she has an idea. “John you just give me the money. Five hundred thousand and I’ll walk away,” Missy says with a crazy smile.
“Or what,” Wyatt asks.
“Or I’ll kill myself,” Missy and John recite the words at the same time.
“Oh, my God,” I gasp, “That’s what she’s been holding over you all these years?”
John shrugs and frowns. “Sadly, among other things.”
“I will, you know I will,” Missy replies.
A zipping noise comes from above our heads, causing everyone to look up. I stare on in stunned silence as Roni drops out of the rafters and stops right in front of Missy.
“No need,” Roni purrs and pulls the trigger.
Missy’s body seems to fall back in slow motion. Josh is distracted as he stares on in shock. I take my opening. I reach for Josh’s arm and break it clean in half. He bellows out in pain, but I’m not done.
I grab his gun in one hand and kick his kneecap in with my right foot. Josh howls again, but I silence that shit with one to his forehead. I smirk in satisfaction as the shot rings out and he crumples to a lifeless heap.
“I got your bitch,” I spit, as the gun still smokes in my hand.
“I found Roni,” Ryan says dryly.
Braxton claps his hands. “I love the women in this family,” Brax croons.
“Roni,” John sighs.
“She’s been threatening me for weeks,” Roni shrugs after she drops to the ground and releases her cable.
“And you didn’t think to tell me,” John looks at her incredulously.
Roni wrinkles her brows and shrugs again. “Why,” she asks with real confusion written on her face.
John throws his arms in the air in exasperation. He then points to Roni, “You, let’s go. We’re having the talk…tonight. I’m not doing this anymore.”
Roni smirks. “Is that an order, Johnathan,” she purrs.
John bares his teeth. “Yes, Roni it is,” he growls.
“Whatever you say, Boss,” she replies and sways her hips as she walks over to him.
I giggle and shake my head at them. I look up when I feel strong arms circle my waist. “It felt good didn’t it,” Noah purrs the same words he said to me after I kicked Tommy Henry’s ass.
I look up at him and survey his face. He has a cut on his cheek and now that I am up close, I can see that a chunk of his hair was cut. I frown and reach up to touch his face then a lock of his dark hair.
“Yeah, it felt good. They deserved it,” I say through tight lips.
Noah throws his head back and roars with laughter. “Chase, call Brooklyn, he’ll get you a cleanup crew for this,” Noah calls over my head to my dad as he pulls me in tighter.
I turn to see my dad smiling at us. I see the pride in his eyes and I have to shake my head. My family is crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I rush over and hug my father tightly.
“I love you, Daddy,” I whisper.
“I love you too, my Baby Bean. You two are something else. He was always meant for you,” Dad smiles down at me with his words.
“I know,” I say through a watery smile.
“Go on, take your man home and tend to those cuts,” Dad says and kisses my cheek. “Your uncles and I will handle this.”
Noah walks over and wraps an arm around my waist. Dad pats him on the shoulder. “Felix,” Noah calls over his shoulder as we start walking out.
“Yeah,” Felix replies.
“Find me Coleman,” With that we leave.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
You Complete Me
Noah
I feel like I’ve waited all my life for this moment. Last week is a distant memory to us all now. I learned a lot from it though. Bean and I are better as a team. As much as I want to keep her from harm, it’s my fault she’ll never be in the back seat. I taught my woman to be a fighter and that’s just who she is.
I wouldn’t change her for the world. She’s my Bean. Perfect in every way. The girl that stole my heart the moment she opened her eyes and looked at me.
“Your mommy is going to marry me today, Buddy,” I croon to Beans as I rub behind his ears.
Rebecca and I couldn’t see getting married without him. He’s even dressed up in his own tux. Yeah, we spoil our dog, we can’t help it. We’re a family.
“You know you’re talking to a dog right,” Ryan teases.
“When? I was talking to Beans, not you,” I smirk up at my little brother.
“Whatever, get your big ass up. Here she comes,” Ry grumbles.
I chuckle and lift to my full height. My smile falters when my eyes land on my bride. I have never seen Bean look more beautiful. Not on the day of her prom, not when I watched her walk across the stage at her college graduation, never.
“Wow,” I breathe and blink back tears.
Wyatt pats me on the back twice. I nod my head at his unspoken support. I’m so overwhelmed. I have an amazing family, that I love and a woman that I cherish.
Everyone is right. I’ve loved Bean way before I knew it for myself. Images of our life that has been entwined from the beginning flash through my head. Bean with her pigtails, on the swing in the backyard when we were little. Bean learning to ride her bike. Bean coming to me with her first heartbreak. Bean telling me she loved me for the first time.
By the time she is standing in front of me, I am seriously fighting back tears. I reach for her fingers as her dad hands her over to me. Chase reaches to pull me into a tight bear hug and pats my back. “Never will there be a better man for her,” Chase says in my ear.
I mouth, “thank you,” as he steps away with his own wet cheeks and kisses Bean on the cheek one last time. I watch as her face glows with happiness. I couldn’t ask for more. This is all I’ve ever wanted, to make Bean happy.
My eyes really take her in from head
to toe. I smile wider as I realize her dress is a replica of her prom dress in white, just like I made it in the comic. All of her hair is piled on top of her head, in an elegant bun that showcases her eyes and slender neck. There has to be a better word than gorgeous or stunning. She is simply exquisite.
When my eyes settle on hers, Rebecca’s words nearly cut me to my core as she whispers them to me. “I belong to you,” she says as she looks up at me.
I press my lips and nod my head. This is my baby. She has always belonged to me, but today we will make it known to the world.
“I will forever belong to you,” I tell her in Gaelic.
Rebecca’s chin wobbles as her eyes fill with tears. “I love you,” she whispers.
“Then marry me,” I smile back at her.
A small laugh bursts from her lips and she nods. This is the perfect day. The day I make my childhood best friend, the love of my life… my wife. This is the one that completes me.
~B~
Bean
As I look up into Noah’s eyes, I feel the love pouring off of him. I feel like I’m in a dream, but I don’t ever want to wake up from it. I smile now, when I think of what we had to go through to get here.
I feel silly now, when I think of how I didn’t see Noah’s feelings for me. We could have avoided so much if I would have paid more attention. Now it is pretty hard to miss the truth.
I reach up and brush a stray lock of hair back up into his bun. The stray locks won’t behave since being cut that night in the parking garage. In a way, I find it endearing. I love pushing them back into place.
Noah captures my hand and kisses my palm. I shiver, and not from the Irish breeze. Words are being said, but Noah and I are in our own cocoon. All I need to hear is, I do.
When my handsome, soon to be husband cups my face in his long palms and presses his forehead to mine, I melt into him. We decided to go with saying our vows from the heart. With his first words, I know Noah is about to slay me.
“You complete me, you are the beginning to my end, my end to my beginning and everything in between. You always hear the words I don’t say and the ones I mean to say, but don’t know how. I’m lost when you are not in my life.
“I’ve waited so long to be able to call you, Rebecca Black. I tattooed your initials on my heart because I knew one day, somehow, I would convince you to be mine. I never meant for the R B to stand for Rebecca Bean, but for Rebecca Black. I knew the day I inked your initials on my chest that I wanted to marry you. I just wish I would’ve known how easy it would be and saved myself some misery,” Noah chuckles and everyone around us laughs.
“I didn’t see that you felt the same for me, but when I finally opened my eyes I knew my dreams had come true. You’re perfect, Baby, in every way. From the crown of your head to the soles of your feet, I would never change a thing,” he pauses to place a kiss on the tip of my nose.
“You were made for me and I was made for you. I plan to spend the rest of my life making you happy. You will want for nothing, and you will never know sadness as long as I can be there to show you happiness. I am going to love you until the day I breathe no more. And then, I plan to pry my coffin back open and love you some more. I belong to you, Rebecca, for life and then some.”
I’m a crying mess. Noah runs his thumbs under my eyes and wipes away my tears. I nod my head when he mouths, “Are you okay?” I am more than okay. This man is just amazing.
“Noah, I don’t think I have words for that. All I know is you have been my hero since I was a little girl. I’ve dreamed of this day over and over and you have always been the one standing with me. Love is not the word for what I feel for you. It’s just not…it’s not strong enough. Somedays I just want to see if I can crawl inside of you and take cover from the world. I just want to be a part of you in every way I can.
“There is nothing I would change about us, because it’s what makes us, Noah and Bean. Or when it comes from your mouth, Noah and Rebecca. I used to feel like I wasn’t pretty enough for that name, but then you refused to call me anything other than Rebecca, and I learned I deserve it. I thank you for loving me,” I press my palm to my chest as my lips tremble.
“Thank you for being my hero, even when I didn’t know I needed one. You are my light, my love, my heart. I belong to you, Noah Black, always have and always will. In this life, this next and the one after.”
Noah looks up trying to fight off his tears. I giggle and place my head on his chest. When we are announced as husband and wife, Noah pulls my face to his and kisses me into next week. I am seriously weak in the knees and have to remember where I am.
Everyone around us erupts into cheers and we finally break apart. Noah places a kiss to my forehead, before leaning his head to mine. “Mrs. Rebecca Black, finally,” he breathes.
“I know, right,” I laugh.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
One of Us
Carmen
“So there you have it. That’s our story,” Bean sings as she looks up at Noah dreamily.
I sit with my mouth hanging open. I mean, wow…just wow. I would have never thought. Halfway through their story, I had Courtney stop the recording. I excused my best friend to have a good time. Somethings as a reporter, you just feel in your gut are not for everyone to hear or know. I wanted Bean and Noah to be as candid as possible, but I didn’t know they would be so real with me.
“I’m in awe,” I breathe out. “I mean, wow. You guys have been through so much,” I scoot to the edge of my seat. “Do you think the others will tell me their stories? I mean their real stories, like you guys did. I promise to keep the…you know …the badass stuff to myself.”
“Only reason they told you as much as they did is because you’re going to me mine. I guess I could get the others to tell you their stories as well,” I turn to find Ryan standing in the doorway looking sexy and smiling at me.
My heart stops in my chest and I chastise myself. I have to get over whatever this is with Ryan. This is one family I don’t think I need to get too close to. Not to mention, Ryan is not safe for me. I wouldn’t even know what to do with him.
I’m known to be sassy and to have a quick wit, but that all flies out the window when Ryan is around. I swallow hard and pull myself together. I show way too much when he is around.
“Yeah, but at what cost,” I reply, losing a bit of my excitement and eyeing him warily.
Ry shrugs. “I don’t know. We’ll discuss that at breakfast in the morning,” he says smugly.
“I never agree to have breakfast with you,” I frown.
“But I already set up one of your next interviews for right after breakfast. I figured I’d feed you and then you could do your thing, but if you don’t want …” I cut him off.
“You are going to make me work for each and every story aren’t you,” I growl at him.
Ryan points to me. “If it means I get to see that fire. Hell yeah,” Ryan says. “Nellie agreed to talk to you tonight,” my face lights up with the news. I didn’t get to cover Nellie and Wyatt’s wedding, but I know they have a story. Ryan is quick to kill my buzz. “After you dance with me,” he says with a smirk.
“Why do I feel like I’m playing strip poker,” I grumble.
Ryan’s eyes darken and he moves across the room to stand in front of me. Kneeling down, he places his hands on my knees just below the hem of my dress and slides his hands up to my thighs. His golden eyes travel from my thighs to my hips, then up to my face. The hooded look in his eyes almost floors me.
“We can play strip poker every date night for the rest of our lives if you like. But right now, all I want is to dance with you. I want to hold you in my arms and show you what home feels like,” Ryan says too smoothly to find his word cheesy.
After sitting for a few moments and looking at him blankly, I push my next words out. “I get to talk to Nellie after,” I say breathlessly, because my brain is goo.
Ryan leans in to nip my lower lip. “Yes,” he breathes agains
t my lips and I can taste the mint on his breath, causing me to almost moan.
Oh, my God. If he asked I would lie right on my back and give him my world. I should run and run fast. Instead, I nod my head and stand with him.
“She is so gone,” I hear Bean snicker behind me.
I look over my shoulder at her and Noah. He has silenced her laughter with a kiss that shoots through me with just the sight. Wow, will a real kiss from Ryan be like that. I mean one where I’m not drunk off my face.
“Don’t worry, when you’re ready, I plan to devour you,” Ryan says in my ear.
My stomach drops and I turn to look up at him. Damn, I should have run. This man is going to change my life as I know it.
~B~
Bean
“Do you think we should have told her so much?” I ask breathlessly as Noah pulls away from our searing kiss.
Noah smirks at me. “We wouldn’t have told her if she wasn’t family. Besides, I haven’t told you who her father is,” Noah shrugs and then he smirks. “Carmen’s family is more like ours than you think. I don’t think she knows it yet, but her father might actually like seeing her with Ryan.”
I eye Noah warily. “Well, who is her father,” I ask.
“Nope, not today,” Noah shakes his head. “I’m not talking about shit, but me, you, and our baby. Everything adds up now. You saying you were nauseous, the mood swings,” Noah muses with a happy grin. “Come on, I have somewhere I want you to sit for a little while.”
I throw my head back and laugh, “Really, Noah,” I giggle.
He ruffles, tugs, and probes the skirts of my gown. “I think I can get under this thing,” he muses and licks his lips.
I cup his face in my hands marveling at the feel of his smooth skin. His stubble is just starting to grow in. I was shocked when he shaved his beard off, the day we arrived here in Ireland, but it looks good on him. It reminds me of the boy he once was, the one that would repeat over and over, ‘Rebecca, you can do this.’ I kiss his lips. “Thank you, Noah,” I whisper.