It hadn’t.
Ty was scarred but not destroyed.
Bent but not broken.
He may have needed a bit of work and a lot of love, but with a little elbow grease and a heaping pile of patience, I knew I could erase everything his father had done over the last three decades.
It was something I swore to do.
No matter how hard it may be.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
Ty’s voice pulled me from the thoughts.
Lifting a hand, I twisted one of my hearing aids the slightest bit, giving it a better fit. “You.”
Turning his torso toward me, he rested a wrist atop the steering wheel. “You’re thinking about me?” I nodded. “Is that a good or a bad thing?”
“Good.” I smiled, hoping to ease the worry forming in his eyes. “I was just thinking about how strong you are.”
Confusion replaced his concern.
Before he could ask what I was talking about, I continued. “Not many people could endure the life you’ve lived and come out whole.”
“I’m not whole, Angel. Far from it.”
I didn’t believe that.
Not for one second.
“You are whole,” I whispered as I reached over to trail my fingers over his bruised and busted knuckles. “You may be a little banged up, but you’re still in one piece. That counts for something.”
He leaned back against the window. “You give me a helluva lot more credit than I deserve.”
Refusing to listen to him tear himself down, I shook my head. “You’re wrong,” I replied, honestly. “I don’t think I’ve given you near enough, but that’s one thing I plan to change. Starting now.” He didn’t reply, so I kept talking. “I’m proud of you, you know that?”
His eyes flared. “For what?”
“For walking away, and for not giving your father the power to inflict more damage than he already has.”
As wrong as it may have been, I couldn’t fault Ty for the way he’d reacted earlier. If it had been me, I’m not sure I could’ve stopped myself from finishing off the person who’d abused me for more than half my life if they’d shown up at my door, shouting demands and threatening the lives of those I loved with their very presence.
“It’s not over,” Ty replied, his jaw ticking. “The motherfucker will be back. He always comes back.”
“I don’t understand.” I really didn’t. “I get that he’s a sadistic piece of crap, but why is he coming around now? You’re not a kid anymore, and Chase is—”
“He wants Chase’s money,” he snapped. “He knows that he’s declaring for the draft soon, and he also knows he’ll likely go in the first round. Fact is, a windfall of cash is headed my little brother’s way, and our father wants a piece.”
My brain began to boil.
Swear to the heavens above, you could probably see clouds of smoke billowing out of my ears.
“Money,” I whisper-hissed, trying and failing to bite back the anger working its way through my veins. “That’s why he came over?” A quick nod was his only reply. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not,” he answered, shaking his head. “Until a few months ago, he’d been quiet for almost two years. But now? I can’t get rid of the bastard. He calls, he comes over, even camps out in front of Chase’s gym. He tried showing up at CSU last semester, but campus security caught him right as he made it to the student apartments. If they hadn’t gotten to him first…”
“Wait a minute.” I unbuckled my seat belt. “You don’t think he’d hurt Chase, do you? I know he’s done despicable things in the past—that’s putting it mildly—but if he wants the kind of money the NFL could bring, he won’t hurt him, right?”
Panic built inside me at the thought of my favorite jock being hurt. Chase was a complete pain in my rear, and he dang sure drove me crazy most of the time, but I adored him.
And Ashley…
Dear God, she’d lose her mind if something happened to him.
Chase Jacobs was her life.
“As soon as he realizes he doesn’t have a chance in hell of getting what he’s after, he will,” Ty said, his hard eyes boring into mine.
All the air left my lungs in one whoosh.
I couldn’t breathe.
Could. Not. Breathe!
My chest rose and fell as one horrible image after another slid through my mind, acting as a premonition of the events to come.
“He can’t hurt Chase,” I said, feeling my heart squeeze in fear. “That just”—I shook my head and dug my nails into the side of my trembling thighs—“that can’t happen.”
“I won’t let it,” Ty answered. “I’ve stopped him before, and I’ll stop him again.”
Knowing full well that there was more to his words than he was letting on, I asked the question that danced on the tip of my tongue. “Has he ever hurt him?” Blowing out a breath, I quickly added, “Physically, I mean.”
“He wouldn’t be breathing if he had,” he answered, clenching his hands into tight fists. “I told you that I took his belt to keep my little brother whole. I meant it, baby. Anytime our father went after him, I’d intercept him. All it took was me running my mouth for him to forget about Chase.”
I felt like puking.
Having worked at the shelter for so long, I’d heard countless stories of abuse, but I was nearing my limit. After seeing Ty’s back and witnessing the scene from earlier unfold…
I was having a hard time stomaching it all.
“He didn’t give a fuck who he was beating on as long as he got his pound of flesh.” He paused before mumbling, “He’s a twisted motherfucker.”
Wanting—needing—a subject change, I held up my hands, palm out. “You know what? We’ve given that turdbucket enough of our time. I say we stop talking about him and discuss where we go from here.” I slid across the truck’s bench seat and placed one of my hands on his forearm. “Cause, quite frankly, I’m more than ready to talk about the future.”
A genuine smile tipped his lips. “Then talk.”
I tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “Remember how I told you that I would help you right your every wrong?”
He nodded. “Yeah, baby, I do.”
“Well,” I continued, flicking my black locks over my shoulder. “We have a couple of kids staying at the shelter, but one in particular is a young boy who came in with his mama a month or so ago. He’s been through a lot, and could really use a strong male role model right about now.”
His confusion returned. “What?”
Nervously toying with the hem of my tank top, I silently prayed that what I was about to say wouldn’t send us spiraling down the rabbit hole once more. “You bullied other kids because you were hurting on the inside, right?”
The regret that crossed his features seared my heart.
It hurt.
Badly.
“I did,” he whispered, his shame evident. “And I regret it every goddamn day.”
“Regrets are okay,” I told him, flattening my palms on his chest. “It’s what you do with those regrets that counts.”
Before he could ask what I meant, I added, “Let me ask you a question, Casanova. How would you feel about helping me break the cycle of violence?”
He sucked in a breath. “Tell me how.”
The butterflies that laid dormant in my belly came to life. Their wings fluttered against my insides, making my heart take flight. “The little boy I mentioned before is named Nico. He’s eight years old, and he’s a lot like you,” I whispered, hoping he’d understand my meaning. “He’s been through some terrible things, and he’s having a hard time projecting his pain properly.”
That’s sugarcoating it.
Understanding flashed in his eyes. “He’s taking it out on other kids, isn’t he?”
“Not just kids. When he’s overwhelmed with sadness or anger, he lashes out at everyone,” I replied, truthfully. “Nico is a good kid, a really good kid,
but when he gets upset, he doesn’t know how to handle it. Charlotte got him into counseling over at the children’s clinic, but it’s going slow, and he—”
“Needs help now,” he finished for me.
“Yes.”
“What happened to him? If you want me to help the kid, I need to know…” His voice cracked, and I knew he was battling his own demons once more. “I need to know what I’m up against.”
I couldn’t stop the tears that filled my eyes from falling. “The same thing that happened to you, happened to him. He watched his daddy beat his mama until she was black and blue, and then he watched him…”
I couldn’t force myself to say the words.
“He rape her?”
My silence gave him the answer he sought.
“Motherfucker,” he growled. “Where’s his father at?”
“Jail,” I replied, choking down the emotion strangling me. “They have him on over a dozen charges, so he won’t be getting out anytime soon.”
At least I hoped he wouldn’t.
My faith in the justice system was pretty much nil.
“When can I meet him?”
I pulled my hands free of his and ran my palms down my cheeks. Heart racing, I felt sweaty and out of sorts. “I’ll talk to his mom today and let you know. We’ve already spoken to her about finding someone for him to spend time with, and she was open to the idea. Hopefully, that hasn’t changed.”
“You set it up, and I’ll do what I can.” Ty’s voice was calm, but he looked ready to shove his fist through the windshield. “Maybe with my help, he can—”
Tap, tap, tap!
I jumped when someone tapped on the passenger side window behind me, scaring me half to death.
Before I had a chance to turn around and see who it was, the door was yanked open, and a soft hand circled my bicep. “You,” a familiar voice growled, “get out here right now.”
I squealed when my sister, of all dang people, pulled me out of the truck. How in the world she managed it, I don’t have a clue.
Carissa wasn’t strong.
And I wasn’t light.
Guess she borrowed some of Kyle’s strength…
My feet hit the gravel parking lot, and I whipped around, facing her head on.
Releasing my arm, she placed one hand on her hip and glared at me. At that moment, she looked so much like our late mother that it was uncanny.
Without breaking my stare, she pointed at Ty, who was still in the truck, a look of shock no doubt stretched across his face. “I’ll deal with you in a minute,” she fussed, her mom voice activated. “But you”—she swung her index finger in my direction—“I’m dealing with you now.”
I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing.
Carissa in a tizzy was hilarious.
“I’m going to ask you one question, and I want you to tell me the truth.” I arched a lone brow, waiting for to continue. “Did he force you to go back to his apartment last night?”
“Oh what the fuck, C!” Ty popped open the truck door, jumped out and stormed around the front end. Coming to a standstill three feet away, he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “I may be an asshole, but I’m not a psycho.”
Carissa’s stare swung to him. “Excuse me, but did you or did you not kidnap my sister from the Coffee Hut recently?”
She had a point there.
“That was different,” Ty growled.
“Different how?”
“It just was.”
“Carissa, look at me,” I demanded.
Fire-filled eyes met mine. “What?”
“He didn’t force me back to his apartment,” I said, more than ready to get this interrogation over with. “Nor is he forcing me to move in with him, which I know is your next question.”
“You are not moving in with him,” she said, matter-of-factly, making my hackles rise.
“I am,” I argued. “It’s time for me to move out of your and Kyle’s house. This is me doing that.”
“You,” she said, jabbing her finger into my shoulder, “are not allowed to move in with Ty.”
Dear God…
“Yeah?” I replied, mimicking her stance. “And why not?”
“Because.”
“Because why?”
One small question.
That was all it took for her entire demeanor to shift. In the space of a second, the anger lining her face disappeared, and a plethora of tears began to fill her eyes.
Removing my clammy hand from my hip, I palmed her soft cheeks. “C, talk to me. Why don’t you want me to move in with Ty? If it’s because of the stuff that we talked about before, then you don’t need to worry. I’m past that. We’re past that. He won’t—”
“I’m not worried about him hurting you.” She cut her eyes in his direction. “He knows better.”
“Then explain it to me, because I’m lost.”
As per usual.
The first of her tears fell. “I’m not ready for you to leave me.” A sob came next. “I know it’s selfish, but I don’t want you to move out. You’re my best friend, and I don’t know what I’ll do without you. I need you, and so do Kyle and Lily Ann.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“You’ve lived without me before, remember?” I reminded her. “When you first moved in with Kyle, I stayed with Ashley. You’ll be fine, I promise.”
Dropping my hands from her face, I hugged her tight, offering her every bit of comfort I could muster. “And for the record, you won’t be without me. If you, the Hulk, or my sweet niece needs me, I can be at your house within ten minutes. Five, if I can find a broomstick to hop on.”
She snorted at my lame joke, then twined her arms around my lower back, squeezing me tight. Face pressed into my shoulder, she started to tear up again. “But you won’t be down the h-hall,” she cried, choking on her words. “You’ll be with”—she waved a hand toward Ty—“h-him.”
Hearing the agony in her words pained me.
I held her tighter in response. “It doesn’t matter,” I whispered, next to her ear. “Because a huge piece of my heart will always be with you.”
“You brat,” she cried, her shoulders shaking from the force of her sobs. “You’re not supposed to be nice to m-me. You’re supposed to t-tell me to stop being such a b-baby.”
“I would never say that.”
And I wouldn’t.
My sister was an emotional person; much like our mama had been before she died. I, on the other hand, was more like our daddy. I still got upset, but I didn’t fly into hysterics and tear up as quickly she did.
Except when it comes to Ty…
Pulling free of my hold, she took a step back. Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, she wiped her puffy cheeks with the backs of her hands. “Sorry,” she said, forcing a shaky smile. “I didn’t come out here with the intention of letting my crazy shine so bright. Promise.”
I shrugged. “It happens. We’ll just pretend you were channeling your inner Shelby and call it a day.”
Ty chuckled but said nothing.
Her gaze bounced from me to him, then back to me again. “Now that I’ve fussed and cried enough for one morning, I should probably let y’all say goodbye.”
I wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “Go inside, sissy. I’ll be in there in a few, and we can talk about this more.”
She nodded. “Okay, I’ll be waiting for you in the office.” She’d only taken two steps toward the building before coming to a standstill next to Ty. Tilting her head back, she glowered up at him. “Do I need to tell you what will happen if you hurt my baby sister?”
He scowled. “I won’t hurt her. I’d cut my nuts off with a rusty razor blade first.”
“Good,” Carissa replied, pushing a lock of blonde hair free of her face. “Because if you don’t, then I’ll have Kyle hold you down while I maim your pork sword beyond repair. And Lord only knows what will happen once Daddy gets ahold of you. Heidi has always been his fa
vorite.”
With one last scathing look, she walked off.
I watched through wide eyes as she disappeared inside the shelter, leaving Ty and me alone. “Well,” I said, grabbing my purse from the truck. “That was interesting.”
Ty shook his head. “Your sister used to be quiet and sweet. Now she’s got balls of steel that are bigger than mine.” Meeting my eyes, he asked, “What the hell happened?”
“She became a mother and turned into a lioness,” I said with pride. “That’s what happened.”
I squealed when Ty encircled one of my wrists with his hand and pulled me into him. When my torso collided with his, he wrapped an arm around my lower back, something he always did when I was close.
Before I could kick up a fuss concerning his manhandling of me, his lips found my cheek. All thoughts of ripping him a new one disappeared as he peppered kiss after kiss down my face.
“Is that what I have to look forward to with you?” he asked before pressing his nose to the crown of my head and inhaling deeply. “Cause if you get any sassier than you already are, I’m fucked.”
I cupped his triceps and looked up at him. “Guess you’ll have to wait and find out.”
He slid a hand up my back, tracing his fingers along my spine. “Don’t make me wait long, Angel.”
A sliver of doubt, one I wanted nothing more than to squash, crept into the back of my mind. “Do you think this is moving too fast?”
“No. It’s moving too damn slow if you ask me.” Dipping his face closer to mine, he whispered, “Thirty years, Heidi. That’s how long I’ve been waiting.”
“Ty—”
“If I thought you’d say yes, I’d buy a ring and ask you to marry me tomorrow.”
I blinked. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
A chuckle slipped past my lips. “Careful, your crazy is showing.”
“Want to know what I think?”
Standing on my tiptoes, I closed the space between our faces. “Tell me.”
“I think you like my crazy.”
“I do,” I said, no longer bothering to deny the truth. “I don’t know what it says about me, but I like it more than I probably should.”
Every Wrong You Right: A Redeeming Love Novel (Book 6) Page 18